The ABC of Weight Loss

Setting Goals for Weight Loss

We all have ideas of what we want to look like as we begin to change our habits, but when we create concrete goals, they can help to motivate us and supply us with a plan that really works. Goals aren’t just things that businesses use to create more profits; they can also be used to help you reach certain health markers:

• A lower cholesterol level
• A lower weight
• A better blood sugar level
• Getting off prescription medications

The problem is that everyone has these goals, but they aren’t quite sure how to create a goal that inspires them into action. But there are certain ways to look at goals in order to create a healthier lifestyle. By looking at goals in three different ways, you will begin to see just what you need to do and how you need to do it.

Outcome Goals
Everyone has a bigger goal in mind. Whether it’s weight loss, or just improving your health, you have something that you want to achieve as you are changing your life. This is called an outcome goal. Some examples of outcome goals are:

• I want to lose weight by the end of the year.
• I want my blood pressure to be lower by my next doctor’s
appointment.

As you look at these goal examples, you will notice that they include two things – a specific goal as well as a time frame.

The addition of the time frame is that thing that most of us avoid. We think of it as a deadline – but that’s exactly what you should be doing. You should be creating a focused deadline by which you are going to reach your goal. This way, you will be able to monitor your progress and step up your efforts if you’re not on track.

Let’s start creating an outcome goal that’s based on weight loss:
How much weight do you want to lose? __________________________
(HINT: A realistic amount is 0.5kg-1kg per week)
By what date do you want to lose this weight? ____________________
You can also create others goals besides weight loss, of course.
Enter your goals here:
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Process Goals
But while outcome goals are easy to make, it’s actually the Process goals that are the most important goals of all. With Process goals, you are creating a plan of attack for your life. These goals outline the steps you are going to take and all the things you need to accomplish each day in order to reach a healthier new you. Think of it as a daily checklist of what you need to do each day to succeed. This isn’t just about avoiding certain habits from your past, but also avoiding creating new bad habits in the future. While you should be concerned about the way you eat and how much you exercise, you also need to worry about whether or not you are being negative about your body and your ability to succeed.

Here are some ideas for Process goals that you might want to use. Try to think of a few of these kinds of goals for each day so that you stay motivated and on track.

• I will burn ___ calories each time I exercise, every day.
• I will eat no more than ___ calories each day.
• I will eat ___ healthy and balanced meals per day (must be at least 3).

Add some of your own here:
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Performance Goals
You don’t have to be an athlete in order to have Performance goals, but you can certainly feel like one. These types of goals are good to use because they measure your progress in your fitness regimen. Instead of merely going outside to walk each day, you can have goals for how far you’re going to walk and how fast you’re going to walk certain distances.

Here are some ideas for your own personal performance goals:
• I will exercise ___ days per week (More is always better!)
• When I exercise, I will make sure my heart rate is always above ___
beats per minute (bpm). (120bpm is standard unless your doctor says
otherwise.)

Fill in your own performance goals here:
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