Goal Setting 101

Honestly, sometimes I think that goal setting is one of the hardest things to do when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Over the years I have learned a few tricks to make goal setting easier and goals more attainable! Let's use the example of losing weight (because it is a very common goal): 

Let’s start with setting SMART goals. These are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. If you can choose a goal that you can make “SMART” you have got a great start!  

• Specific: I want to lose weight (what), mainly in my thighs, arms and abdomen (where) 
• Measurable: I want to lose 50lbs (with the goal of about 2 lbs a week) 
• Attainability: YES! The average person can (healthily) lose 2.2lbs a week.  
• Relevant: I currently weight 250lbs and my doctor said I need to lose weight in order to get of my diabetes medication. YES! This is very relevant because body fat percentage and T2DM are directly related. 
• Time bound: I want to lose it in the next 7 months! Perfect, means that I would have to lose 2.2 pounds each week in order to hit my goals!  

The next tip is to find what type of motivation works best on you! Are you someone who is internally or externally motivated? By finding this out, you are able to keep motivation at a high using different tactics. Such as for every 10lbs I lose I can buy a new outfit (external motivation), if you are internally motivated writing down how you feel about your weight loss each week can keep you motivated through the hard times by looking back and seeing how the weight loss felt.  

Short term goals are just as important as long-term goals! A short-term goal can be to eat healthy for a week. Whereas your long-term goal would be to lose 50lbs by your daughter's wedding 7 months from now!  

Write them down in a place that is highly visible, this will keep you accountable and motivated to hit your short- and long-term goal! People will also ask you how they are going and it also feels good to share success with our friends and family!  

Yours truly, 

Meg