We are ringing in 2018 with results. You’ve planned to look and feel your best, and now it’s time to get started. The first step of your weight-loss journey is to determine your goals. Setting smart, specific goals for yourself will motivate you to reach them. Before you begin, write down your goals so that you can reference them frequently throughout your program phases to track your progress.
Your goals will change as you begin to lose weight so it is important to always be challenging yourself with new goals weekly and monthly. Your Diet Center Counselor is here to support you during your entire journey and help you achieve your goals. Take advantage of their advice and support.
SMART Goal Strategy
A helpful tool for setting goals is to use the SMART goal strategy. This strategy will set you up to successful accomplish your goals, both large and small. Each of your goals should meet the following criteria:
Specific: Each goal should be specific. For example, losing weight is not specific, however, losing 35 pounds in 15 weeks is specific.
Measurable: If you can measure a goal you are better equipped to determine whether or not you have achieved it. You can also set milestones with measurable goals.
Attainable: An attainable goal is one that you have enough time and resources to achieve.
Realistic: All goals should be realistic. Setting unrealistic goals may result in disappointment or cause you to give up.
Timely: Goals must have starting points, ending points and fixed durations. Studies have shown keeping track of your progress will help you evaluate and stay motivated.
Set One Specific Goal
“Vague goals produce vague results.” There is no place in your life for vague goals. Your subconscious mind will fulfill whatever it focuses on and if your goals are ambiguous or incomplete, then you will achieve results that are also ambiguous or incomplete. You want to make your goal as detailed as possible in order to achieve the specific results that you desire. A specific goal is one that is clearly defined in such a way that anyone could come by and understand what you intend to accomplish. Your goal should contain a detailed description of what you want to accomplish, when you want to accomplish it by, and the action(s) you will take to accomplish it.
To set a specific goal, you must answer the six “W”questions:
» Who: Who is involved?
» What: What do I want to accomplish?
» Where: Identify a location.
» When: Establish a timeframe.
» Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
» Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
EXAMPLE: A general goal would be: “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say: “Join a health club and workout 3 days per week.”
Set Long and Short-Term Goals
Creating both long and short-term goals allows you to prepare for a change, rather than a quick-fix solution to your overweight condition. Short-term goals will help you evaluate and celebrate your results along the way, while long-term goals will establish solutions to help you change behaviors and lead a healthy life.
Get Organized
Now that you have established your goals, it’s time to plan. Create a timeline of your journey and keep that in a place where you will see it every day. Track your progress weekly using a notebook and record your food, water, nutritional supplement and activity on your Journal daily.
Stay Accountable
Staying motivated 100 percent isn’t always easy. Enlist the support and assistance of friends, family and your Diet Center Counselor. This is your journey and it’s important that you create a positive support system to achieve your goals. Your Advisor is there to help motivate you to achieve your goals, offer solutions and keep you accountable during challenging situations.
Reward Yourself
Reward yourself for each milestone you reach. Also remember to pat yourself on the back for small victories as well; declining dessert or getting 20 minutes of exercise in 3 times a week. Taking time to celebrate your success with non-food-related rewards is your building block for long-term success.
Review After Every Victory
The moment you achieve a goal is a triumphant feeling! Celebrate and assess your past goals and, from there, create new goals following the SMART method. If your goal was to lose 50 pounds by a certain date and you achieved that, celebrate the win and set a new goal. Your new goals could be anything from trying a new sport for 30 minutes a day to joining a gym for a month to merely working to maintaining your new goal weight in the future.

It’s a new year, a new you and we look forward to celebrating winning results with you!