The best time to be a smarty pants is when you’re in that old pair of jeans. It all starts with making healthy weight loss goals in Chandler and Scottsdale.
What’s in a goal? A well-crafted weight loss goal can set you up for success during medical weight loss in Chandler and Scottsdale. It can help you turn a dream into a reality, push your thoughts into action and make what once might have seemed impossible into something you’ve already accomplished.
But, as Antoine de Saint-Exupery so quaintly captured in a simple phrase: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” That is why good goals incorporate plans by being realistic, motivating and downright SMART.
What’s so SMART about making good goals?
A healthy goal can set you out on the right track for weight loss success. On days when you are feeling unfocused and lack the motivation to make a healthy choice, a solid weight loss goal can stay strong and give you a reason to continue pushing forward.
For many people, creating a healthy weight loss goal is easier said than done. Airbrushed photos of models in magazines, social pressures and desires for instant gratification lead people to create goals that are too high, too fast or just plain unrealistic. Your weight loss doctors can help you craft healthy weight loss goals that are right for you, but you should have a good idea in mind of what you want for yourself before meeting with Dr. Primack, Dr. Ziltzer or Dr. Rodarte.
When you create your weight loss goals, make sure that they are SMART. That means your goals should be: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result-focused and Timely.
Here are a few questions to help guide you as you create your weight loss goals:
- Is your goal plain to understand? The best way to test this is to see how easily you can share your goal with a friend. Your goal should be both specific and simple.
- Is your goal quantifiable? It will be hard to stay motivated to reach your goal if you can’t measure where you are in your progress. Instead of using loose terminology like “better” or “some,” make your goals firm and measurable.
- Is your goal realistic? It is great to reach for the stars, but if your goal is out of this world then it won’t keep you motivated to reach it. If you set a smaller goal and reach it you can always set a new goal and start again.
- Is your goal focused on the finish line? Ideal goals measure outcomes. If your goal is to lose weight, have a number in mind. If your goal is to become more physically fit, have a specific fitness marker in mind, like being able to run a mile in 10 minutes.
- Does your goal have a time limit? Open ended goals can grow fuzzy quickly. You might make a goal to lose 20 pounds, but if that doesn’t have a time limit on it then it will be easy to procrastinate. Give yourself deadlines to optimize your goals.
Have you created SMART goals for yourself? The next step is building accountability for those goals. You can get started by sharing your goals in a comment below.