Setting goals so seem so simple right? We want to lose 20lbs and BAM! We have a goal and start looking on how to get there. HA! If it were only that simple. When we set goals we need be SMART about them. That means the goal needs to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and have a set time. When saying you want to lose 20lbs that’s not being specific and for some may not actually be obtainable in the time frame they have set in their mind. So how do you set a goal that incorporates all this?

I personally like to set two goals, a long-term goal and a short-term goal. Taking the above example lets say you want to lose 20lbs. I would ask you when you would want to lose that 20lbs by and then start from there. For this example let’s say by April because you are going to the beach for spring break with the family and you want to wear this cute swim suit you bought ????. Now since it’s almost December I would say we have less than 4 months to lose 20lbs. For safe and effective fatloss I recommend not losing more than 2lbs a week. So is this goal realistic? Yes it is and we have plenty of time to lose 20lbs by April. So this would be our long-term goal because it’s realistic, specific, and obtainable by a certain date that is more than 6 weeks away.

Now for our short term-goal we are going to break it down into week-by-week segments to make sure we our goal is specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and in a certain time frame. I like weekly goals as this allows us to measure weekly and make adjustments if needed or if the goal isn’t being met. So an example week would look like this: I walk everyday, get in 3 weighted workouts during the week, and track my nutrition to see where improvements need to be and take measurements. The following week, I would walk everyday, get in 3 workouts that week, and make 1 nutrition change that I noticed from my journal the week before and do measurements. Then each week you would build on this adding in one more thing to correct that is specific to your goal. Note that this model is used for someone who has been exercising and has had somewhat good nutrition.

So what if you are just starting out? Start small! Maybe your week one goal is to just walk 3 times a week for 10 minutes each time. Maybe it’s to add in more water for the first week. Each person is unique and your goal is unique so find what your long-term goal is and then break it down into small SMART weekly goals!

As always if you need help setting goals or have questions please contact me! I love helping people get to their goals!

Krissy

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