Weight Loss: Planning Ambitions and Receiving Results

To achieve your goal of permanent weight loss, it’s important to understand that the approach you take can make or break your success. In order to lose weight, you must set the proper daily goals and use effective strategies for implementing your plan and evaluating your results. This will allow you to make any necessary modifications based on the results you see.

How can you choose the right weight loss goal? First, it’s important that your expectations are realistic about how much you’ll lose over a given time period. If you choose an impossible goal, this will ultimately lead to discouragement and you will abandon your weight loss efforts. But how can you determine a realistic goal?

1. Remember that your goal is long term, sustainable weight loss. There is no rush, and you will be more successful with a slow and steady approach. Most professionals agree that a target of losing 5 to 10 percent of your starting weight is reasonable. For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, try to lose 7.5 to 15 pounds. This is a healthy weight loss.

2. Crunch the numbers to set a realistic time frame for your weight loss. This is crucial for your health. For instance, a weight loss of 10 pounds can be achieved in 5 weeks. But to lose 20 pounds, you should allow for no less than 10 weeks.

3. Set short term goals. Focus on incremental goals, like losing two pounds this week, instead of focusing on the longer term goal of 10 or 20 pounds. This will help you stay motivated and on task to get you through the day without straying from your plan. Remember that slow weight loss is also more likely to be a lasting weight loss, and you’ll be re-learning your eating habits to maintain your weight for the long haul. Changing your lifestyle is just as important as weight loss, because if you don’t make these changes permanent, the weight will come right back.

One other important consideration is self assessment.

Assess your results. Make note of your weight regularly. Daily or weekly weigh ins are most common. Do be aware that your weight will naturally fluctuate due to fluid intake and retention, among other factors. If you are not meeting your targets, your exercise level or diet will likely need to be adjusted.

Try keeping a food diary. Research shows that people who do this can lose twice as much weight as those who don’t. Your food diary functions like a road map; you can use it to see how many calories and what kinds of foods you’re eating to assess why you are gaining weight. This makes it easier to change your behaviors.

Understand that losing weight won’t happen overnight, and you should not try to rush things. If you enjoy the process by taking things slow, you are more likely to succeed. Remember that you aren’t just getting a nicer body; you’re also investing in your long term health.