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Sticking to your Weight Loss Goals

Losing weight ranks number one on the list of New Year's resolutions, yet so many people fail year after year. Check out our tips for shedding those extra pounds and keeping them off for good.

Okay, your top New Year’s resolution for 2008 is to lose weight. And this year you really mean it. But there’s that nagging voice inside that keeps saying, “Yeah, but last year I really meant it, too. And the year before that….”

Our suggestion is to ignore, for the most part, the discouraging messages that little voice is sending you. It’s also a good idea to pay attention a bit. After all, if you’ve had trouble sticking to your weight-loss goals in the past, then maybe you should spend some time thinking about how to be strategic in order to stay strong and consistent this time.

Willpower is fine, and it’s good to be committed to your goals. But you’ve probably learned by now that willpower can take you only so far. So instead of relying on yourself to consistently make good moment-by-moment decisions, it would be much better to come up with a clear and specific strategy for being healthier. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for setting and sticking to the goals that will help you lose weight and feel better about yourself.

Be Realistic

One of the worst things you can do for yourself is to set your goals too high. There’s nothing wrong with challenging yourself, but it’s probably not realistic to aim for winning a bodybuilding championship by April or for cutting out all fat from your diet. Instead, set goals you know you can achieve simply by being consistent. For example, maybe you aim to work out three times a week for 20 minutes and to deny yourself the late-night Oreos before you go to bed. For lots of us, those would be not only achievable goals, but ones that would make an immediate difference about the way we feel about ourselves. Then, once you establish good patterns and begin to see real progress, you can offer yourself greater challenges. But for now, be realistic about what you want to accomplish over the coming weeks. Remember that you’re looking to change your lifestyle, and that’s not going to happen overnight.

Be Specific

Along with being realistic, it’s also important to be as clear and precise as possible when you think about your goals for yourself. What do you hope to accomplish during the first two weeks? In the first month? By the end of spring? But keep this in mind: Your ultimate goal might be to lose a certain number of pounds or inches, but your more immediate goal should be to achieve consistency in your workout schedule and your diet. If you are consistent, your more visible goals will take care of themselves and you’ll start seeing the evidence on the scale and in the way your clothes fit.

Go Step by Step

Establishing good eating and exercise habits is about baby steps. You might have friends who are running 10Ks every Saturday and mountain climbing during the week. And maybe they eat nothing but wheat grass and psyllium husks. But that doesn’t mean that’s what you should be doing. After all, taking too big a leap can lead to failure and be really discouraging. Instead, take small steps that will lead you toward success. Begin by taking an honest assessment of where you stand physically right now. You know yourself and what you can and can’t do. Then establish good patterns and make sure that you’re making positive strides toward health and fitness.

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