When you first start your weight loss program it is important to set goals to help you reach your goal weight. The problem that many of us have with setting weight loss goals is knowing exactly what goals to set and how to make them realistic.

{Get in the kitchen and take charge of your fat loss!}

Having fat loss goals is an important step in the weight loss process, which is why we’ve come up with some tips to help. When you have fat loss goals, you have a blueprint to help you navigate the sometimes confusing waters of losing weight and keeping it off.

Keep reading to find out more about how to set fat loss goals!

Starting Weight

The first thing you need to do before setting your fat loss goals is hop on the scale so you can see where you are now. Your fat loss goals need to be based on your current weight, not just an ideal of where you want to be eventually.

Your current weight will also help you track your fat loss progress as you attempt to reach your weight loss goals. In the future when you weigh yourself—no more than once each week—try to do it at the same time that you did the initial weigh-in. If you were naked when you got on the scale, measure your weight naked each time as well for the most accurate results.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, healthy and realistic weight loss is between 1 and 2 pounds each week, so make sure your fat loss goals reflect this reality when determining your ‘end date’.

Start Small

It’s important when creating fat loss goals that you don’t get too wrapped up in the big picture, because the small day-to-day things are what will help you reach that ultimate goal. If you focus too much on the end goal then you will be more negatively impacted by setbacks, instead of realizing that there will be setbacks because you’re doing a complete overhaul of your lifestyle.

Make smaller goals like “will eat more fruit” or “will be more active this month” as these are the goals that will help you get to where you want to be. One fat loss goal that you should set today is to cook at least 3 meals each week for yourself.

This fat loss goal requires that you participate more actively in your fat loss by choosing and creating healthy meals to help you achieve your weekly calorie deficit.

Customize Your Goals

The fat loss goals you set for yourself should be personalized for you, with your limitations and strengths in mind. Don’t set goals that you know are out of your reach because no matter how good your intentions are, unrealistic goals will just hurt your morale and weight loss efforts.

Other factors you need to take into consideration when creating your fat loss goals include your current level of physical activity, health issues, time to dedicate to fat loss and your motivation to lose weight. By being honest about what you can and cannot or will and will not do, you can create a fat loss plan for success.

Diet Journal

I know that most dieters hate diet journals but this one isn’t what you think. This diet journal should list your long and short-term fat loss goals, as well as track your weight loss progress. Although you should feel free to write down anything diet-related that can help you achieve your fat loss goals, you don’t have to document every morsel of food you eat.

For example, jot down when you have healthy eating setbacks so you can look back and determine if it was a genuine setback or if outside factors contributed to you eating an entire red velvet cake! Small notes like this can give you greater insight into your fat loss strengths and weaknesses.

Short-Term v. Long-Term Goals

We’ve already discussed the importance of starting with small daily fat loss goals, but you should also have long term goals as well. The most obvious goal will be your goal weight but don’t just stop at numbers.

Your long term fat loss goals should include how you will maintain your weight loss once that goal has been reached. Some long term fat loss goals you need to set today include;

• Lower blood pressure.
• Exercise at least 4 times each week.
• Take the stairs more.
• Learn how to make pasta.
• Eat out less.

Goals like this aren’t directly related to fat loss, but they are things that will help you maintain that weight loss so you stay in good health.

Track Progress & Make Adjustments

Use your diet journal to track how well you’re doing with your fat loss goals. Track how much weight you’ve lost by week or by month and track how frequently you engage in physical activity. This way when you reach that dreaded weight loss plateau, you’ll know what kind of adjustments will need to be made to continue reaching your fat loss goals.

{A tougher workout program can help you when your fat loss has stalled.}

By tracking your progress someplace concretely, rather than saying ‘I ate so healthy this week, I don’t understand,’ you can actually point to where and why the setbacks occurred. This will help you be more active in achieving your fat loss goals as you move forward.

When you try a new type of exercise or activity, write down the results of the class. If you didn’t like yoga but loved kickboxing class, this will give you greater insight into the types of activities you are more likely to do so you can constantly personalize your fat loss goals.

Fat Loss Goals

To help get you started in setting your own fat loss goals, we’ve come up with a few that should be on everyone’s list—if they apply, of course!

I will:

• Not eat a fast food breakfast.
• Replace at least 1 soda with green tea.
• Walk to get my lunch.
• Learn how to make my favorite fast food dish.
• Eat more fruits & vegetables.
• Sign up for an exercise class.
• Watch less television.

These are just a few fat loss goals, but I hope they give you an idea about what types of goals you should be setting. Don’t just stop at “I want to weigh less,” because you have to make goals to help you weigh less.

Share your fat loss goals with us; what works for some may work for others!

Break your addiction to sugary junk food through intermittent fasting. Read our review of Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat to find out why intermittent fasting isn’t like other fasts!