You want to lose weight and know that changing your health habits is the way to do it. You realize you have a lot of work to do and don't know where to start. Creating a plan will help you reach your goals and develop sustainable habits.
The Importance of Setting Goals
What is your plan for achieving your weight loss goal? You don't have a plan? You don't know what your goal is? You need to identify both! Consider your personal goals in the same way a corporation would approach their annual strategic plan: determine your overall goal, and set small goals and milestones that will help you get there. How will you know you are making progress? More importantly, how you will you celebrate your milestones? For example, a goal to lose 30 pounds can seem overwhelming. Break the 30 pounds out into 5-pound increments over the course of 6 months. With each 5-pound loss, determine how you will reward yourself for your success. Dinner out at your favorite Mexican restaurant might be a little counter-productive; but how about a new pair of shoes, a purse, or earrings? Even better: a new piece of fitness equipment, or a fashionable workout outfit. Your personal incentive will be exactly that: personal. So determine what will motivate you.
Take Action
Now that you know what your goal is, how are you going to get there? Setting out before charting your course of action will result in fragmented efforts. Get it out on paper. Plan the first month in detail and plan each day's workout and calorie intake. Make a menu for the first week, including all meals and snacks, your workout, and the time of day you will eat and exercise. Set aside a time at the end of each week to plan the next week and shop for groceries.
One important factor to take into consideration is how much of an overhaul on your current habits your new plan entails. Don't try to completely change all of your habits during the first week of your new plan. Keep it simple and start by targeting a few of your habits each week. For example, during your first week you might aim to exercise 3 times for 60 minutes, with an increase to 4 times per week in the second or third week. For your diet you might start by eliminating soda the first week, and moving on to curbing that afternoon candy-bar the second or third week. If you try to change too many behaviors at once, you will set yourself up for failure.
Document Your Results
Weigh in regularly, but do not let the scale discourage you! Rely on other ways to measure your progress, such as body fat testing, body measurements, and how your favorite pair of skinny jeans fit. You should measure your progress at least once per month and keep in mind you may see immediate results, or it may take a couple of weeks to get going. It typically depends on your current habits and what changes you are making.
Revise Your Plan Each Week
In addition to your successes, document your obstacles. You set the goal of going to the gym 4 times per week, but only made it twice. What were the things that stood in the way of meeting your goal? By recognizing the barriers to your success, you can identify methods to overcome them and tweak your plan the following week. Don't be hard on yourself. If you don't meet your goals, recognize why you might have failed to meet them and keep going.
To Err is Human
Nobody is perfect and everyone experiences set backs in reaching their goals - whether they are related to weight loss, personal finance, or career advancement. The difference for those who are successful in reaching their goals is that they learn from their failures and move forward. Now, go get your pen and paper and start planning!
