"SMART" Goals - 1
So many times people jump into the New Years' frenzy of a weight loss goal while not thinking it through and then fail. I don't mean to sound discouraging but do you realize that only 5% of the population succeeds? What can help the odds?
Are you familiar with John Meyer's "SMART" goals in business management? If you are serious about losing weight I encourage you to embrace the Mayo Clinic's version of "SMART" goals for weight loss. This week I will be outlining these steps in more depth.
Each Letter of "SMART" represents something specific related to attaining success.
S is for specific,
M is for measurable,
A is attainable,
R is realistic ,
T is for time line.
At first glance these seem easy enough but then get complicated and confusing due to all the multifaceted challenges of losing weight.
"S" means specific. First define how much weight you need to lose. How long will this take you? Even though most health authorities suggest one and a half to two pounds a week, I don’t always agree with this pace. Most people have such frenzied lifestyles this isn’t always attainable. You may want to consider a more reasonable three to five pound weight loss every month.
For weight loss it's also important to have at least three important components in place: a healthy food plan, exercise, and be able to drink at least eight glasses of water every day.
So have you figured out a healthy food plan that works within the context of your lifestyle? What are you going to do that you enjoy, for activity? Are you willing to drink the minimum of eight glasses of water a day?
If all this sounds too overwhelming, break it down into smaller parts. Take one component, master it, and then move on. Just make sure you adjust the overall length of time it might take you to lose your weight.
Tomorrow I will cover "M" for ways of measuring your progress.
 older posts |
home | newer posts  |
| Choosing a Gym Membership: What to Look For (Part 1) | | Diet & Weight Loss Blog | | It's not milk; it's not yogurt |
Posted by: Rachel | Feb 6, 2009 9:40:02 PM
I've found that breaking up weight loss into more manageable amounts is less overwhelming. If my ultimate goal is to lose 10 lbs, I look at my first goal as only 5 lbs. This makes it much less discouraging.
Posted by: ashi | Jan 3, 2008 2:58:02 AM
its true to loose weight along with your food habits your lifestyle also needs to be planned. You cant eat less n do no exercise, they go hand in hand a healthy way to loose weight is healthy food with minimal exercise...i found some very good information on http://www.snacksmart.co.in
