Did you know that you are much more likely to succeed at anything, if you write down your goals? As with many things in life, setting goals, and writing down your goals, is very important when dieting. When you look at things objectively and truthfully you may notice that most of the things you've accomplished in life have been accomplished because you not only set a goal but also mapped out a clearly planned and well thought out process for achieving that goal. That being said, why is goal setting so important when it comes to dieting?
First of all, it is difficult to achieve a goal if you do not have a clearly defined idea. There are times in life when it is almost impossible to tell whether you are succeeding or failing because you aren't certain exactly what the desired outcome should be. Identifying your weight loss goals before you begin eliminates this particular possibility.
Second, having dieting objectives gives you a measuring stick by which you can judge your progress. This is important so that you know when to celebrate and when to give yourself a swift kick to the rear.
Now that we know why we set dieting goals, let's discuss how we should go about setting those goals that are so important for weight loss success. Set goals that are aggressive without being impossible to achieve. If you set goals that are well beyond your reach, you will find that frustration will be your dieting partner until you reach the point where you give up all together. Avoid setting yourself up for failure -take great care to insure that your goals and objectives are possible for you to achieve.
When it comes to weight loss be specific when setting your goals. Rather than setting a total goal of 40 or 60 pounds start with a specific goal such as 10 pounds in one month. Then you can extend the goal to the next month until you've reached the overall goal of 40 or 60 pounds. It is much easier to lose 10 pounds four times than it is to lose 40 pounds at once. It's a trick of the mind but it works. Ten pounds sounds simple and achievable. Forty pounds sounds like an insurmountable obstacle.
Another thing about goals is that you want to hold yourself accountable but you shouldn't call the whole thing off if you only lose 9 pounds instead of 10. Instead, find out where you dropped the ball for the final pound and set your 10-pound goal for the next month.
You should also take great care that you are working with your personal goals and not the goals that someone else is pushing on you. The truth is that if it's personal to you, it will be much more rewarding than if you are doing this for someone else. If your heart isn't in it, there are very few goals that are going to motivate you properly.
Finally, you should establish small (non-food) rewards for accomplishing your dieting goals. Perhaps your reward will be a new accessory for your new (or new old) wardrobe or a pedicure for your new look. Make your reward something fun and frivolous and teach yourself that accomplishing your goals can be accomplished by something other than food. This is a key to dieting successfully.
