Step 1 - Weight Loss Goal Setting

The definition of a goal is something a person is trying to accomplish.
It is the objective or aim of an action.

Why is it important to set goals?

Perseverance: It helps you to persevere at a task over time and keep site of what you are trying to accomplish. Focus: It helps to keep you focused on the important aspects. Endeavor: It helps you to move forward and direct your effort towards a certain mission or result. Strategy: It may help you to develop new strategies to help accomplish your desired result

Setting your Goal

Before you embark on any new campaign, not just in health and fitness, it is important to plan ahead and decide exactly what you want and where you want to be. It is no good just joining a gym or starting to go running if you don't have a specific goal. It is like getting into your car and driving off and not knowing where you want to go or how to get there. I'm sure that after a few miles you would turn around and go home, because the journey is pointless if you don't have a destination in mind.

It's important to VISUALIZE where you want to be. Sit down and think to yourself where you want to be in 12 months time.
How do you want to look? What will you have achieved? How do you want to feel?

Follow these steps to help you decide on your goal;

Goal: Decide what you want to achieve. A very common goal for a lot of people is, "I want to get fitter & lose a few pounds".

Why: What is the reason for your goal? What is your current position? Do you want to improve your health, physical appearance or to meet a specific challenge?

Important point to remember! You must be doing this for the right reasons. Do it for yourself because you want to and not for anyone else. You will have much more chance of success if your goal is aimed at what YOU want.

Outcome: What will achievement of your goal allow you to do? How will it change your life? How will your current situation improve?

Realistic: Is your goal realistic and achievable? Everyone has a dream. For example is it really realistic and achievable for you to be aiming to play for England and score the winning goal at the world cup final at the age of 40? Everyone is different. You have to realize your own potential, what is and what isn’t possible. Just aim to be the best that you can be.

Comfort zone: A goal should be moderately difficult but realistic to achieve. But it should take you outside of your comfort zone. Most goals require you to change your behaviour or routine in some way. This disruption is necessary to make you aware of your usual behaviour.

Evaluation: Later on in this course I will talk about measuring your progress. It’s important that your goal can be measured to insure that you are continuing to progress towards it. Think about ways in which you can do this. I will cover Goal Planning in the next lesson

Write your goal down: Write your goal down and place it somewhere that you will have to read it everyday.

Visualize: Imagine in your mind what you will look like once you have achieved your goal. How much better your life will be and how much fitter and healthier you will feel. Build a mental picture of the way you want to look and refer to it often for motivation.

Think about your goals and what you want to get out of this. Think seriously about what I have said above. Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail.