Having well-planned weight-loss and maintenance goals can make all the difference between success and failure. Realistic, achievable goals will help keep you focused and motivated as you transition to a healthier lifestyle.

Not all weight-loss goals are helpful.

We’ve all seen those YouTube ads showing super thin influencers with ripped abs and size 2 jeans promoting extreme diet and fitness programs that promise results in a matter of weeks. But let’s be honest, unrealistic, overly aggressive weight-loss goals can seriously undermine your personal weight loss efforts. By creating meaningful goals that focus on long term behavior changes, you will have a much better chance to reach and maintain a healthy weight and improve your overall health.

How to start?

First:

  • Check with your doctor what action or change would be most beneficial to your health.
  • Ask for a detailed explanation of how a change or action will improve your health.
  • Ask yourself whether those steps sound like actions you are willing and able to take.
  • Keep in mind that you are more likely to be willing to make the effort required to reach a goal that feels important and meaningful to you.

Second:

Use SMART goals to achieve success

Setting a SMART goal is a technique that brings a framework to your goal by addressing important questions and setting specific objectives. Setting realistic goals and mapping out clear steps toward reaching them can significantly improve your health without leaving you overwhelmed and frustrated.

Smart goals are:

Specific – To help define clearly what your specific goal is, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What do I want to accomplish?
  • How will reaching this goal benefit me?
  • What is my plan for reaching this goal?
  • Who besides me will need to be involved in my plan for reaching this goal?
  • Where will I carry out the steps of my plan?
  • For how long will I carry out this plan?
  • What might get in my way of carrying out my plan?

An example could be eating healthier. Aim for specific goals such as eating five servings of vegetables a day, stopping drinking soda, or reducing your sugar intake to 30 grams a day.

Measurable – It helps to have a way to measure your progress toward meeting your goal. For example, you might count the number of times per day that you perform an activity, such as taking a walk, or set a reminder to weigh yourself regularly. Measuring helps you stay on track and lets you know when you have met your goal.

Achievable – Don’t set the bar too high or too low. The goal should be challenging but not so much that it sets you up for failure or disappointment. What do you need to do to achieve this goal? Break the goal down into small steps. Getting closer to your goal, even by a tiny bit, can empower you to keep working toward the next step.

Realistic – Ask yourself “Is this goal worthwhile? Is it the right time? How confident am I that I can reach it?” If the goal you are setting is important to you and you are willing to take the first steps toward meeting your goal, it may well be something you can accomplish.

Trackable – Choosing measurable goals that fit within a defined time frame means you can track your progress. Set a time frame that is long enough to achieve your goal, but short enough to create a sense of urgency. Track your efforts in the Dario App so you can see how far you’ve come!

Now it is your turn. What is your goal? How are you going to ensure that the goal you set is SMART?

Ask your Dario health partner for help if you are not sure what to do, how to get started, or how to maintain the healthy changes you have made.

 

https://www.diabetes.org/fitness/weight-loss/getting-started/setting-realistic-goals

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