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Losing a large amount of weight can be a daunting task. It can also seem overwhelming if you’re not sure where to start. This is why it is important to set short term goals that will help you achieve bigger ones. For example, if your goal is to lose 30 pounds in 3 months, pace yourself and aim to lose 2 pounds per week. Achieving short term goals will give you the motivation to keep going and you’ll get to continually enjoy the feeling of achievement.
Here are additional tips for Fitness goal setting (source Better Health):
- Break down your ultimate health and fitness goal into small, specific and achievable mini-goals.
- Keep a training diary to monitor your progress.
- Always see your doctor for a medical check-up before starting any new fitness program, particularly if you are over 40 years, overweight, haven’t exercised in a long time or suffer from a chronic medical condition.
When pinpointing your ultimate fitness goal, here are more things to keep in mind:
- Be realistic – Your ultimate fitness goal could be to be fit enough to participate in a competition on a set date or to do 10 laps of the pool. Whatever the case, make this goal realistic. Remember that most of us will never be world-famous athletes or supermodels. Think about what is achievable for you. Write down your goals.
- Be specific – Don’t make your ultimate goal a general statement like: ‘I want to lose weight’. Make it measurable. Exactly how many kilograms do you want to lose?
- Choose a goal that is meaningful and important to you, not to anybody else. For example, if your partner wants you to lose weight, but you’re happy as you are, you may find it difficult to commit to your exercise routine in the long term.
