5 Essential Elements of Successful Weight Loss Goals

Have you made a resolution to lose weight? If you're like many dieters, you'll spend less time setting your weight loss goals and more time shopping for the best weight loss program, joining a gym or learning tips for healthy eating and exercise. But while those activities are important, weight loss goal setting can also have a significant impact on your ability to lose weight.

Research into goal setting has revealed that there are several factors that make successful weight loss happen. Take the time to consider each element and incorporate each component into your weight loss goal. Then write out your goal statement and post it in a place where you'll see it on a daily basis.

5 Elements of Successful Goals

1. Personalize your weight loss goals. The goals you set should meet your specific needs, lifestyle and circumstances. Don't get carried away with the exaggerated ads for weight loss products that claim to provide major results in a short period of time. For most people those programs are not healthy or realistic.

   Losing a maximum of 1-2 pounds per week through diet and exercise is considered reasonable. But, like many others, you may choose to set a more personalized goal. Researchers at the University of Washington found that people like to express individuality through goal setting. Many of the participants in their weight loss study felt that "established guidelines and assigned goals did not consider their individual abilities, objectives, and constraints."

   Before you set your goal for successful weight loss, take the time to define your needs and lifestyle. Ask yourself key questions before defining the goal or choosing a weight loss plan. In the long run, making this extra investment will help you to stay on track and address weight loss barriers as they arise.

2. Collaborate with weight loss experts. Goals set with the help of an expert are more likely to be successful. A study at the University of California found that when patients were provided with help setting up and monitoring goals in the doctor's office they were more successful at attaining those goals. And similar studies have shown that other types of practitioners can help as well.

   In choosing an expert to work with, try to find someone who can be involved for the duration of the weight loss process. This way they can help to monitor your progress and provide feedback. For this reason, a physician may not always be the best source for collaboration. Consider other non-clinical providers. These may include a personal trainer, registered dietitian or weight loss coach.

   If you don't have access to a professional expert, consider connecting with others online. The Weight Loss Forum at About.com is a great place to post your goals and let others hold you accountable. You'll find resources to set up a journal, post questions, and get support through the weight loss journey

3. Make weight loss goals measurable. In their advice to new exercisers, the American Council on Exercise recommends that goals be measurable in order to be successful. When setting a goal, decide how you will measure your progress and include this as part of your goal statement.

   Weighing yourself on the scale is probably the easiest method of measuring weight loss progress. But remember that there are other ways to assess your weight. Both BMI and body fat measurements provide different ways of evaluating your body composition. BMI is easy to measure and provides a good indicator of how your weight affects your health.

4. Set both short and long term goals. In a published study about goal setting, researchers in Great Britain confirmed that successful goals need to be ambitious. On the other hand, the American Council on Exercise reminds new exercisers that successful weight loss goals should be attainable. So how do you satisfy both requirements?

   The answer is to set both long-term ambitious goals as well as short-term mini goals. The short-term goals act as stepping-stones to the larger goal. In the Great Britain study, researchers emphasized the importance of using "incremental steps that lead to progressive achievement." By setting these multiple weight loss goals, you'll set yourself up for success.

5. Create deadlines for your weight loss goals. Goals are more successful when a clear deadline is attached. These deadlines should be attached to both the short term and long terms goals and can serve as reminders to measure your progress in the process of achieving your goal.

   For many people, a seven-day structure works well for short-term goals. This provides for a fresh start each week on Sunday or Monday. But remember to personalize your goals and use a time frame that works for you.

Goal setting may seem like a trivial task but it can be a key factor in the success of your weight loss program. As you move through the weight loss process, a well-designed plan will help you to stay on track. And once you've lost the weight, good goal setting skills come in handy during the weight management process. At that stage, you'll find that continuing to set and reach goals will keep your confidence high.

_Sources:

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_{Andrew K. MacLeod, Emma Coates and Jacquie Hetherton. " Increasing well-being through teaching goal-setting and planning skills: results of a brief intervention." Journal of Happiness Studies. Volume 9, Number 2, 185-196.}

_{E Diane Playford, Richard Siegert, William Levack, Jennifer Freeman. "Areas of consensus and controversy about goal setting in rehabilitation: a conference report." Clinical Rehabilitation April 2009 vol. 23 no. 4 334-344.}

_{Darren A. DeWalt, Terry C. Davis, Andrea S. Wallace, Hilary K. Seligman, Betsy Bryant-Shilliday, Connie L. Arnold, Janet Freburger, Dean Schillinger. "Goal setting in diabetes self-management: Taking the baby steps to success." Patient Education and Counseling Volume 77, Issue 2, November 2009, Pages 218-223.}

_{"Goal-Setting Considerations for Persuasive Technologies that Encourage Physical Activity." The International Conference on Persuasive Technology 2009.}

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