Setting Goals when Dieting is fun, and that's how we can make dieting a sustainable one.
As with most things in life, setting goals is very important when dieting. When you look at things truthfully and objectively, you should notice that most of the things you’ve accomplished in life have been accomplished because you had a goal and had 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 isn't easy to achieve a goal if you do not have a clearly defined goal. There are times when it is almost impossible to tell whether you are succeeding or failing because you aren’t confident precisely what the desired outcome should be. Identifying your dieting goals before you begin eliminates this particular possibility. Second, having dieting goals gives you a measuring stick by which you can judge your process. This is important to know when your efforts are falling behind and when you’re moving along schedule or ahead of schedule. In other words, you will know when to celebrate and when to give yourself a swift kick to the rear.
Now that we know why we set weight loss goals, let’s discuss how we should set those goals that are so important for dieting success. You want to set aggressive goals without being impossible to achieve. If you set goals beyond your reach, you will find that frustration will be your dieting partner until you reach the point where you give up all together. In order to avoid this, you should take great care to ensure that your goals 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 10 or 20 kilograms, start with a particular goal, such as 5 kilograms in one month. Then you can extend the goal to the next month until you’ve reached the overall goal of 10 or 20 kilograms. It is much easier to lose 5 kilograms four times than to lose 20 kilograms at once. It’s a trick of the mind, but it works. Five kilograms sounds achievable and straightforward, but 20 kilograms 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 3 kilograms instead of 5. Instead, find out where you dropped the ball for the final kilograms and set your 5-kilograms goal for the next month. It would be best to 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 unique 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 will motivate you properly.
Finally, it would help if you establish small (non-food) rewards for accomplishing your dieting goals. Perhaps your reward can 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 achieved by something other than food. This is a key to dieting successfully.