Losing weight isn’t easy. There…I said it! Losing weight is stinking hard! The truth is that no matter what the advertising for the latest and greatest diet product promises, it’s hard work. And it’ll take you a while. That sounds pretty discouraging, doesn’t it? After struggling to lose weight for a long time, I’m here to offer some help on how to lose weight. The single most effective “tool” I’ve found for sustainable weight loss is to set smart weight loss goals. What makes a goal smart? Read on to find out.
Find Your Focus
Losing weight won’t happen overnight. We probaby all know how to lose weight…developing better eating habits and moving more. And while we all know how to lose weight, it’s easier said than done. Eating better and moving more are lifestyle changes and it will take a while before they become habits for you. In the meantime, you will need to focus on practicing your new habits daily while focusing on your goal at the same time. If you have a concrete reason of why you want to lose weight you’ll find that focus easier. Here are a few questions to ask yourself. Do I want to live a long, healthy life? Do I want to set a good example for my kids? Will I have a better quality of life if I make these changes? Find your focus and use it to reach your goals before this new lean lifestyle becomes a habit.
Speaking of habits, check out this book on habits! It’s so powerful! As is this one!
Be Specific
Saying “I need to lose some weight” just doesn’t cut it. Sorry to be so harsh, but it’s the truth. You need to be more specific. Set a weight loss goal. Pick a number. How many pounds do you want to lose? How many inches do you want to whittle from your waist? Be specific. The only way you’ll know when you’ve reached your goal is to have a number in mind to reach. Otherwise, while you might make progress, you’ll never reach your goal. I set a goal to lose 100 pounds.
Set A Deadline For Yourself
Someone smart once told me that goals without deadlines are just dreams. There’s a lot of truth in that statement. Without a deadline, you have no frame of reference. As specific as wanting to lose 25 pounds is, without a deadline it could take you a year or a decade. Smart goals have a realistic deadline. Losing a pound per week is an ambitious but realistic goal. Losing 25 pounds in the next 6 months is a smart goal with a deadline. I set a goal to lose 100 pounds by the end of 2018. I broke it down into smaller goals and wrote those numbers in my planner. And while I’m not sure that I’ll hit my goal, I’m way closer than I would have been if I hadn’t set a goal and a deadline!
Celebrate Your Victories…but Don’t Use Food
Changing your eating habits and getting your body moving isn’t easy, especially if you’ve been a couch potato until now. Stay motivated by breaking your big goal into little mini goals and celebrating your victories along the way. If your end goal is to lose 25 pounds in 6 months, break it down into 5 pound increments. Give yourself a pat on the back and do something nice or fun to celebrate each 5 pound loss. Just try not to use food as a reward.
Get Real
Don’t set your goals so high you’ll get discouraged when you don’t meet them. Losing 100 pounds in 3 months just isn’t going to happen. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure. Instead, set yourself up for success with goals that you can reach … but don’t be afraid to have to stretch a bit to reach them.
And don’t get discouraged if you fall off the wagon every now and again. Life happens and sometimes there’s just no way to say no to that slice of pizza (or two, or three). The important thing is to pick yourself right back up and keep working towards your goals. Don’t let a cheat meal become a cheat week…or a cheat month!
Stay Accountable
It’s nice to have someone that has your back. Find an accountability partner or a group of them. I am part of a group of ladies that encourage each other. We are all on a journey to lose weight. We check in with each other on Marco Polo. We share recipes and encouragement! Find people that are on a weight loss journey as well. You can support and encourage each other. You can call each other out when you’re binging on junk food or skipping your walk yet again. Share your goals with your accountability partner and have him or her hold you to them.
Now it’s your turn. You know how to lose weight! Ready to set some smart weight loss goals?
I’ll be sharing more tips for weight loss between now and the first of the year! Let’s actually make those resolutions stick!
Getting real and staying real is the key. Part of being real is really understanding what you need to do to lose the weight and not give yourself excuses.
Wow! Such a great story! I’m working on losing some weight myself!
This is very helpful advice. Congratulations on your accomplishments! I can definitely see how setting those clear goals while holding yourself accountable would be important!
I have a close friend who’s been struggling with weight loss, and is frustrated. I will recommend this to them. Awesome job on losing 90 pounds!
What a transformation. I need to stay on top of some of your tips to stay motivated!
I surely need to stay motivated! I want to lose weight by my own hard work and actions! Congrats for such an achievement.
Thanks for keeping it real. I can’t even count the number of diets and exercise routines I have started and stopped. I’m working on setting small, achievable goals that will keep me motivated this time. So far, so good. Thanks for your tips.
I definitely struggle with this. I need to stay consistent and really try harder. You look absolutely amazing and just gave me some serious motivation!
Congratulations! You did a great job! You really look wonderful! I think this is the right period to fix some weight loss goals. We don’t need to wait till after New Year! Focusing on your weight loss goals will avoid gaining weight during the holidays!
You look amazing. I am definitely on the road to lose 50 pounds. I have been going at this now for 3 years and have not been able to reach my goal, but this year I am doing it!
It’s time for me to lose some baby weight that’s accumulated over several pregnancies. I sure needed this post today!
Wow!!! This is amazing and congrats! I have 90 lbs to lose myself so you are very inspiring!