Setting Weight Loss Goals the Healthy Way

The best goals to make are SMART goals.  Specific.  Measurable.  Attainable.  Realistic.  Timely.  You want to make sure your weight goals match each one of these items.  For instance, you might say you want to lose 20 pounds in two weeks.  While it is timely and measurable, it’s probably not realistic.  You want to make sure you specify what your weight loss goal is, in a measurable amount of pounds or body fat, in a span that you can attain based on literature and feedback from professionals, in a realistic timeline. In order to be successful with your goals, you will need to employ some tactics to remind you about your goals.  Here are the top five ways to help achieve your fitness goals.

1. Hang your goals where you can see them

Make a list of your long-term and short-term goals and the ways you are going to achieve them and put them somewhere you will see every day. Try your refrigerator or mirror in the bathroom. On the fridge might help you see your goals when you are making food choices and that could potentially help you.

2. Put reminders in your phone around your goals

This is a great tool because you only have to do it once and you’ll get a reminder daily. There is something important about being reminded on your goals on a regular basis. Seeing reminders in your phone to go to the gym, eat more veggies or drink more water might be what you need to stay on track.

3. Tell people about your goals

Telling people about your goals make them more real. Tell the people in your life that best support you and ask them to help keep you accountable. A random text from your best friend telling you how much they support you can really help you achieve your goals.

4. Write them down on a daily basis

You need to write down your goals everyday so it can see them and let them sink into your brain. This is another strategy that helps to remind your brain of your goals and the more your brain is bought into the process, the closer you will be to reaching your goals.

5. Reward yourself

If your goal is to lose 20 pounds and you reach 10, then reward yourself. Buy yourself a new outfit to celebrate your successes. You can literally reward yourself for every pound but make sure the reward matches the goal. You don’t want to buy a new outfit for every pound, unless you really love shopping!

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Having the help of a nutritionist is another way you can help achieve your health goals, especially if you struggle with intuitive and mindful eating.  To find more out about meeting with a nutritionist, check out Julie Rothenberg, our resident nutritionist, and her blog on all types of nutrition topics.

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Amanda Patterson, LMHC, CAP decided to become a therapist while attending Nova Southeastern University. She saw the need to help people achieve the life they wanted to live, while creating a life of her own. She completed her master’s in Mental Health Counseling and started a career in the juvenile justice arena. Since then, she has started a private practice in Pembroke Pines, Florida, specializing in depression, anxiety relationship issues, and substance abuse. Amanda is a believer in holistic treatment and she practices veganism, meditation and yoga in her life. Find out more about her practice here. For a free 15-minute consultation, call or text Amanda at 954-378-5381 or email her at amanda@amandapattersonlmhc.com.