The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight is likely to produce health benefits. Nonetheless, achieving even a modest amount of weight loss can seem insurmountable at times. When you lack the proper motivation to meet your weight-loss goals, your efforts often fall flat, allowing you to sink back into your old habits. By offering yourself goals for weight-loss success, you stay motivated enough to turn healthy eating and daily exercise into lifestyle habits rather than a fleeting dalliance.
Step 1
Plan your long-term goals. These are benchmarks you expect to reach over a long period of time and include things such as a large amount of weight loss or an extreme change in your body. Since long-term rewards can take months of planning and execution, they should be separated from easier-to-achieve short term goals. Give yourself plenty of time and avoid setting unattainable goals, such as losing 50 pounds in two months. A healthy rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week, so plan accordingly.
Step 2
Set short-term goals. These are easy to achieve over short periods, such as a week or a month, and they are vital since they help keep you motivated and on track. Since long-term goals often seem overwhelming, use short-term goals as filler to help you achieve longer-term success. For instance, an appropriate short-term goal would be to exercise for 30 minutes per day for an entire week or pack your own healthy lunch for a week.
Step 3
Write your long-term and short-term goals on a calendar or planner, where you'll see them often. Use your goal dates as a deadline that is set in stone so you avoid procrastination.
Step 4
Offer yourself rewards for meeting long-term and short-term goals. The rewards should fit the length of time it took to achieve the goal and its breadth. For instance, achieving a short-term goal can reward you with a small pleasure, such as a pedicure or a new workout outfit. Longer-term goals need larger rewards, such as a weekend getaway or new wardrobe. Your rewards should motivate the completion of your goals, so choose experiences and items that can help keep you on track.
Step 5
Post pictures and reminders of your rewards where you see them often. If your reward is a new wardrobe, purchase a pair of jeans in your desired size and hang them in a visible place. If you're rewarding yourself with a weekend getaway, print out pictures to serve as motivation when you're tempted to stray. Keep reminders in your gym bag, on the fridge and anywhere else you might need an extra boost to stay on track.
Step 6
Reward yourself consistently and only when you've met your goals. Giving yourself rewards without achievement defeats the purpose. If you don't meet your goal by your deadline, set a new, more achievable goal and start the process again.
Member Comments