S.M.A.R.T. GOALS

Hi there Everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and that this week ahead will be another successful week in your weight loss journey.

1 of the most important things on ANY weight loss program is to have GOALS that you can work towards. There are 2 types of goals – your long term goal, which is your goal weight, the end result & your  short term goals, which are the milestones along the way to be celebrated  & that will keep you focused & inspired .

S        Be SPECIFIC in the WHAT you want to achieve and WHY.

WHY: “Because I’m not happy” is a very vague reason. “I am not happy because my clothes don’t fit nicely, I can’t wear the clothes I would like to wear, I feel unattractive & uncomfortable, I can’t do the things I would like to do, I get tired easily etc etc”. Be SPECIFIC  about your why – write it down and keep it close at hand to remind you when you feel like cheating or straying from the guidelines.

WHAT:  “I’d like to weigh xxkgs  sometime”  - very vague. “I would like to fit into a size ….. , be able to wear a bikini, wear shorts, feel comfortable exercising, feel confident, sleep better, feel healthier …. “ – you fill in the dots

M         You must be able to MEASURE your achievements as you move towards your goal weight.

tighten your belt by a notch, you start to be able to wear clothes that were stuck away because they were to SMALL, then you start to have to give THOSE away because now they are too BIG, You have more energy, you are more active, your rings/ watch are loose, and of course the numbers on the scale move down, down, down! I found my clothes to be the best measure because sometimes, although the scale wasn’t moving, the cms were certainly melting away as my clothes got looser and looser! I had 17kgs to lose at the start of the Challenge and that felt like a huge mountain in front of me, but 5kgs down I could a) wear my pants with a belt, b) tuck my shirt IN rather than over, c) button a few shirts I couldn’t before!

A          Make sure the goals you set are ATTAINABLE. If the end goal seems too big you could become discouraged before you even start.

Your short term goals then  become very important! Smaller goals are more easily attainable and all the baby steps along the way will add up to the completion of an amazing journey that will surely change your life! The 17kgs seemed impossible, but could I do 2kgs? Of course! And then I would look at what I could wear/do/feel after 2kgs down and it inspired me to go for the next 2kgs. Before I knew it I was half way there and the 17kgs didn’t seem so impossible anymore!

R          Make the goals REALISTIC & RELEVANT.

Have the goals you have set for yourself been achieved before? If the answer is yes, then the goals are realistic and relevant to getting you to your ultimate Goal. If the goals you set are realistic, as you achieve them you will find they inspire you to keep going and reach for the next goal and the next and again, before you know it that end Goal that SEEMED impossible in the beginning has been reached! Is it REALISTIC to expect to have a “little cheat” and lose weight? NO! What is realistic is to stay focused and stick to the guidelines for a period of time until you have reached your goal weight.

T          BY WHEN do you want to achieve your long & short term goals.

It is important that the goals have a TIME FRAME, as this is what helps to keep you focused and committed. The time frame must be realistic and attainable. Is it realistic to want to lose 10kgs in 2 weeks?  NO! -  that is just setting yourself up for failure & disappointment. 1.5 – 2kgs per week is far more attainable and realistic! Saying things like “ I would like to be xxkgs SOMETIME”, or “I’ll get there EVENTUALLY” or “tomorrow’s another day” leaves the back door wide open for you and will keep you from where you truly want to be.

So make sure that EVERY decision you make that impacts your weight loss journey is S.M.A.R.T. and

supports your decision and action.

Have a great week everyone – chat soon xxx