Are you struggling to meet your goals? It might not be your fault.
Weight Loss Goals, Do any of these apply to you:
• Do a great job with setting exciting goals, but you fall off track with them after a month or two
• Know what you want to change, but you struggle with actually doing it
• Have trouble staying motivated to keep working on your goal
• Get overly ambitious and set a huge list of goals, which ends up making you feel overwhelmed
• Keep procrastinating on your goal, so by the time you know it, the year is over, and you haven’t made much progress
I’m sure we all have raised at least one hand by now.
What if I told you that the problem isn’t you? The problem lies in the way you set your goals. We often fail because we set high expectations for ourselves, not because we are incapable or broken. So, what’s the secret to breaking free from unrealistic expectations and goals, you ask? It’s all about setting smarter goals.
SMART goals = specific, measurable, attainable, realistic or relevant, and time-bound
Weight Loss Goals – What do SMART Nutrition Goals look like?
If you need more structure in your life, SMART goals are an excellent way to start. However, if you find that too much structure feels restrictive, setting more general goals and intentions is perfectly acceptable.
Setting a nutrition SMART goal (or two) allows you to focus on one small aspect of your diet instead of feeling overwhelmed by the need to overhaul your eating habits completely. Making realistic changes in your habits can be motivating and will help ensure those changes endure!
List of nutrition SMART goal ideas that have proven to be successful. Keep in mind that what is attainable, realistic, and relevant may vary for each individual. This is completely normal as these factors are subjective.
You may observe that these goals are process-focused rather than product-focused. In other words, they are centered around actions rather than outcomes such as weight loss. This is because we have direct control over our actions but not necessarily over outcomes like numbers on the scale.
Weight Loss Goals – Fruit and Veggie
- Fill 50% of each lunch and dinner plate with vegetables this week.
- Include one fruit or vegetable with each meal this week.
- Include one fruit or vegetable with each snack this week
- ‘1 for 1’ – Try one new fruit or vegetable each week for one month.
- ‘5 for 5 ‘- Aim for five fruits and/or vegetables per day on at least five days per week
Weight Loss Goals – Protein
- Eat fish twice per week this month.
- Eat one meatless meal per week this month
- Include one source of lean protein with each meal this week.
- Try one new source of protein this week.
- Include a high-protein snack between meals for one week.
Weight Loss Goals – Beverage
- Down a glass of water before each meal for the next 30 days.
- Drink half of your body weight (in ounces) of water or other unsweetened beverages on at least 10 days this month.
- Try winding down with one cup of unsweetened hot tea before bed on weekdays this month.
- Drink a cup of water before you drink coffee or tea on weekdays this month.
- If drinking alcohol, aim to include one glass of water between each alcoholic beverage on every occasion this month.
Weight Loss Goals – Meal Planning
- Plan at least one home-cooked meal weekly for the rest of the month. (Need some tips on how to make that easier? Check out our recipes on Facebook!)
- Choose a new recipe to make each week this month.
- Track your planned meals each day this week.
- Sit down with your family to plan out your meals each weekend this month.
- Pack your lunch the night before on at least 4 nights this week.
Weight Loss Goals – Mindful Eating
- Each week, eat at least one meal each day sitting down and without distractions (like phone or TV). Being distracted while eating can trigger overeating in some people.
- Eat snacks from a plate or bowl this week
- Take three deep breaths before and after lunches this week
- Start a food journal and write in it for as many days as possible for one month
- Read a book about mindful or Intuitive Reading at least three days per week for one month