Setting weight loss goals is a central part of any attempts at losing weight safely. However, setting unrealistic goals is detrimental to your efforts. You can resolve to lose 10 pounds in one month, but anything more than that is not realistic and will lead you to begin dangerous dieting practices. It is better to set realistic, achievable goals that you can reach by losing weight safely. Unrealistic goals also set dieters up to give up on their efforts altogether. Many people get so frustrated with their inability to reach their goals—goals that were impossible to attain from the beginning—that they throw up their hands and cry uncle. Then they overcompensate with bad habits.
When setting weight loss goals, you need to write them down. Post the goal where you can see it daily. State the goal clearly and impose a time frame or a deadline. Make both short-term and long-term goals. Give yourself small checkpoints along the way to check your progress.
First sit down and decide how much weight you need or want to lose. Decide how long it will take you to safely lose the weight. Keep in mind that typical weight loss is fairly slow. You can expect 1-2 pounds per week. Aggressive weight loss can be achieved at roughly 3 pounds per week, but typically that rate of weight loss cannot be consistently maintained for more than one month. You can lose 10 pounds in one month, but then the subsequent month you should expect to lose roughly half of that amount.
Once you have gone about setting your weight loss goals, then you need to realistically address your timeline. Now that you have figured out how quickly—or slowly—you can lose all of the weight you want to, begin tracking it out on a calendar. Mark all of your milestones along the way. Write your long-term goal and date and post it where you can see it. Now write down your first short-term goal. Once you have reached your first short-term goal, then write down your next short-term goal and post that. Repeat this process throughout your efforts.
Design some kind of visual method of charting your progress. A poster, a chart online, or a notebook will work. Whatever will be more meaningful to you. Some dieters prefer to post their results on an online community where they can get support and be cheered on. There is no wrong way to log your progress, but it is important that you chart it.
Setting weight loss goals is the first step toward reaching your goals. Losing weight is difficult and challenging. But it is an important step toward improving your health. Stay focused on your goals. When you lose 10 pounds in one month, it will be quite satisfying to note that on your chart or in your notebook. But the fact that you have been losing weight safely will enable you to keep the weight off for good.