Formulating realistic weight loss goals is the first critical step you must undertake when starting a new weight loss or diet program. If you do not make a concerted effort to develop realistic goals for your weight loss and dieting you will, probably, create unrealistic goals. The consequence of unrealistic weight loss goals is you will not have a clear idea how to approach your weight loss and dieting, and as a result you will flounder and fail. Examples of unrealistic weight loss goals would be, “I am going to lose all the weight I need to lose fast!” That is a goal but it is unrealistic because there is no mention of how you will lose the weight and how much weight you want to lose. A second example of an unrealistic goal would be, “I will lose all the weight by reducing what I eat.” Again, that is an approach to weight loss but how much will you reduce, how will you measure the portions you eat and how long will you continue the reduction? Goals that are not specific and difficult to assess and monitor are recipes for disaster. The outcome of “goals” like these is that you will fall back into comfortable habits and soon you will become frustrated and then you are just a whisper away from complete failure. To maximize your success you must set realistic goals and when you do you will discover that success will come faster and you will achieve your goals easily.

When you set weight loss goals be sure to establish easily attainable short-term realistic weight loss goals. When I speak of short-term goals I am speaking about a goal you can achieve in the next week. Begin developing your short-term goals and as you do write down every action required for you to accomplish your goals. This list of goals and actions must be as specific as possible. When you decide on a goal make the goal as clear as possible because the more well defined your goal the easier it will be for you to achieve the goal. Developing a plan to attack the dieting process is of the utmost importance and setting realistic weight loss goals is fundamental to your success. To give yourself every opportunity to succeed make your goals detail rich, extremely positive and very clear. Anytime you sit down to create a realistic weight loss goal think of the goal as a piece of the most essential “roadmap” you will every use. A “roadmap” is useful because it contains all the information, details, and hints to get you from the starting point to the final destination. Your list of short-term realistic weight loss goals is that “roadmap” for your weight loss and dieting success. As you set weight loss goals remember that for the goals to be most effective they must be clearly defined, detail rich, and very specific. Once you have spent time understanding this step all you have to do is follow the path you have charted and watch your success grow with every week.