Goal setting is an important task in many things we do, but it is especially important when it comes to medical weight loss. People in Arizona often focus on a short-term goal of losing a certain number of pounds. To be truly successful, however, it is better to think in broader terms. Here are several tips to help you set realistic goals to lose weight.
Be realistic in your goals. It is easy to set lofty goals about how much weight you want to lose, but these goals are often unrealistic. Setting unattainable goals can leave you frustrated and apt to give up easily, or even gain back any weight you lost. Make your goals modest to begin with so that you do not establish an unattainable goal.
Set process goals. Choosing a number of pounds to lose is an outcome goal. Rather than set your sights solely on an end result, look for goals that will impact the process of how to achieve your goals. For example, your process goals could include walking 30 minutes or adding an additional serving of fruits or vegetables to your diet each day. Setting a goal to lose 50 pounds, for example, is ambitious. Without process goals, you are left without a solid plan of how to achieve this lofty goal. Process goals in this case would be to divide the goal into 10 pound increments and focus on achieving a 10 pound weight loss five times, instead of 50 pounds all at once. With your sights set on a 10 pound weight loss you can start adjusting your diet and activity to reach the goal.
Focus on long-term changes to your lifestyle. To be successful with medical weight loss, you need to incorporate long-term changes that help you lose weight as well as maintain the loss. Many people think they can work hard to lose weight and then relax. Instead, focus on lifestyle changes you can sustain over the long-term.
Make improving health your primary goal. Rather than focusing on a set number of pounds for your weight loss, focus on making healthy life changes. Making beneficial changes to your activity level and dietary choices will ultimately improve your health. You are likely to be successful with medical weight loss if you take the time to set realistic goals that can guide you throughout your efforts.