The Importance of Setting Goals for Losing Weight

There are lots of dubious fad diets and get-fit-quick schemes lacking in any scientific backing out there promising to help people lose weight fast. There are also effective food plans, exercise regimes, and other tools which do work. Almost all, however, require a little time and dedication, along with the setting of weight loss goals.

The cornerstones of effective weight loss remain a combination of increased physical activity and a healthy, calorie-controlled diet. The time and dedication needed to see results from them aren’t always easy to come by. You need realistic weight loss goals to help you with them.

Let’s explore just why targets are so vital on any weight loss journey by examining both the benefits of such goals and how to go about setting and achieving them…

The advantages of weight loss goal setting

The primary purpose of setting goals in anything is specificity. There’s nothing wrong with having a simple ultimate objective, of course (in this case ‘to lose weight’). Yet without particular, defined targets, you’ll likely struggle.

There are other advantages to goal setting in weight loss. Here are the three main ones:

Motivation

Research has shown that there is a direct relationship between weight loss goal setting and personal motivation in weight loss and management¹.

Keeping positive and bhoyed throughout your journey of losing weight isn’t always easy. Minor setbacks can shake you and tempt you to quit. Having clearly defined and scheduled goals for losing weight can help with this.

Achieving smaller ‘sub-goals’ is rewarding. It’s proof that you’re capable. Hitting these smaller targets encourages you to reach the next one and the next one. They’re little wins. In fact, achieving goals is often rewarded with a hit of dopamine. The brain’s reward².

Staying on track

Establishing realistic weight loss goals is, at its essence, just good planning and organisation. You can be inherently a super motivated person, but without some structure, you may find your hard work veering off in the wrong direction.

You wouldn’t set off on a 200 mile drive without looking at a map or consulting your SatNav, would you? Just as important as identifying a final destination is plotting the pit stops along the way. Each stop/goal you reach reaffirms that you’re on the right road to your destination.

Combating cravings

Giving into food cravings is a tempting prospect, whether it’s a mid-morning chocolate treat or a Friday night takeaway. We’re almost all tempted by certain foods. In fact, more than 90% of the world’s population experiences food cravings³.

When your weight loss approach is scattergun and unfocused, it’s easy to give into these cravings. After all, when you aren’t charting your progress, how can you see when you’re taking a backward step?

Establishing, aiming for and achieving weight loss goals focuses the mind, making ignoring your cravings easier. The impact of unnecessary extra calories becomes clear and your urge, in time, should be to avoid them.

How to set realistic weight loss goals

So we’ve established that goal setting can be of great value for anyone trying to lose weight. Now all we need to do is determine the best way to set those targets. It’s all about being realistic with them.

The following weight loss goals examples should help you define and reach your target:

Work out your ‘dream’ or ‘ultimate’ weight target

First of all, you need an overarching ‘main goal’. It makes sense for this to be a specific weight, that’s perhaps the most common form of goal in weight loss. Although it could instead be a new waistline measurement or similar. BMI is a somewhat flawed metric⁴, but that can also work. You could look to other approaches such as a % weight loss.

Make your goals SMART

They may remind you of school, college or a work training course, but SMART goals really do work⁵. Making your objectives ‘Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based’ makes them much more tailored and likely to be accomplished.

Sounds involved, but it’s not. Just think of a target and check the five requirements off against it. Missing one? Tweak the goal, thereby making it much more likely to be achieved. To help you organise your SMART system, some form of weight loss goal tracker is an excellent idea.

Set ‘mini’ or ‘sub-goals’

Long-term weight loss goals can sometimes seem too far away at times. One way of tracking progress and keeping motivated is via smaller goals. Set and achieve them, one at a time, and you’ll inch closer to your ultimate target.

Be prepared to amend your goals if required

Ideally we would all reach our objectives quickly and easily, but life is rarely that simple. Things will come up which get in the way. A busy schedule, a holiday, a family event, there are all sorts of potential obstacles or setbacks. What’s important is that you don’t allow them to push you fully off course. You simply work around them.

Roadblocks and setbacks are to be expected. Don’t get downhearted by them, simply refocus and start again. If you need to change your weight loss goals a little, do it. It’s preferable to abandoning the bigger plan entirely.

Discover what motivates you

Improving your diet and getting into exercise needs motivation. We’re all different. You’ll need to find what specifically motivates you and set your weight loss goals accordingly.

Research suggests that a person is much more likely to stick to their weight loss plan if they understand what factors really motivate them⁶. So it’s a good idea to keep those motivators at the forefront of your mind.

Only begin when you’re ready and take it slowly
It’s better to plan your weight loss goals and prepare yourself mentally and physically for any change in lifestyle, diet and activity level. Rushing can lead to a lack of preparedness which encourages issues in the future.

Don’t overburden yourself, you have time. Take it steady safe in the knowledge that studies have shown that people who lose weight gradually are more likely to keep that weight off⁷.

Explore the XLS blog today for more information, tips, tricks and guidance on reaching your weight loss goals.