Positive Mindset Starts With Weight Goal Setting

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Weight loss goals and mindset really go hand-in-hand. It’s hard to have the right mindset without having identified why you want to lose weight and decided on some reasonable goals. Once you’ve figured out what your goals are, you have something to focus on. You can get positive, cheer yourself on, and stay excited along the way.

Creating realistic goals is the key to the whole thing, but how do we create good weight loss goals?

The biggest thing to remember is that your weight isn’t an indicator of health. Focusing on a goal weight is actually a bad idea because it puts way too much of your attention on a number that can fluctuate a lot from day to day. You also want to pick small goals to go along with your bigger goal so you can celebrate your achievements along the way.

The characteristics of a good goal are:

It’s positive.

You want to avoid goals that are negative. Don’t focus on “can’t” or “shouldn’t”. Instead of “I won’t drink any soda” go for something like “I will drink more water and replace sugary drinks with healthier options.” You want a positive mindset so your goals should be positive as well.

It’s specific.

Vague goals give a lot of wiggle room for making excuses. This is especially true when it comes to fitness goals. It’s easy to say “I’ll exercise more this week.” A better and more precise goal would be “I’ll exercise on the treadmill for 20 minutes on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.” It’s specific so you can’t just put it off until the next day. You’ve planned which days you’ll be exercising.

It’s realistic.

Don’t pick a goal you won’t be able to reach. If it’s December and you’re goal is to be able to run five miles by the end of January it’s not going to happen unless you’re already pretty fit. You want something that’s going to take some work to accomplish but is still completely within reach.

It’s not based on your weight or measurements.

While you may be pretty focused on losing weight to be thin, the best goals are related to the way you feel and the things you can do as you get healthy. Saying you’ll reach your goal weight by six months from now depends on a lot of factors out of your control. Saying you’ll go an entire month without missing a workout is much more controllable and obtainable.

So, what’s your weight loss goal? Remember to reward yourself too.

So, you know you’re not supposed to reward yourself with food. All of the experts say it. What they don’t always tell you is how you should reward your weight loss efforts.

The first step to rewarding yourself is to pick the types of milestones you’re going to reward. You may think you want to reward yourself every time you lose a certain number of pounds. I actually suggest avoiding using your weight as an indicator of success. Pick milestones that take the focus off of the number. Your weight will fluctuate a lot and isn’t really the best indicator of how your overall health is improving.

Instead, think of milestones like losing inches on your waist, going a certain amount of days without skipping your workouts, being able to walk longer without being out of breath, or making it through a harder workout.

When it comes to rewards, the best are ones that further your fitness goals. Here are some great ideas for rewards to give yourself. Some may take time, others take money, others don’t take much of either. Pick something that you can really look forward to.

1. Buy a new fitness gadget that you’ve been interested in. Once you’ve been making it to your workouts regularly, how about investing in a heart rate monitor or fitness tracker? They can be great motivators and make for an awesome reward.

2. Sign up for a fun new exercise class. Maybe you’ve been wanting to do Zumba or water aerobics but couldn’t justify spending the money if you weren’t sure you were going to make the most use of it. Well, that makes it a great prize for making some progress because once you see that inch come off of your waist you’re going to want to keep pushing through.

3. Get a massage. When you’re new to exercise your body is going to get sore. It’s to be expected. Reward your hard work with a professional massage. Who knows? Maybe you could make it recurring gift every time you go a certain length of time without skipping a workout.

4. Plan a family trip to the zoo. It’s a great way to have fun with your kids but also stay active. The zoo is huge and it’s going to be a lot of walking so it’s both a reward and a workout in one!

5. Sign up to do something you’ve always wanted to do such as rock climbing, sky diving, or kayaking. Getting adventurous is fun! You’re already doing something you never thought you’d do – losing that extra weight. Why not give something new a try?

I’m sure you’ve already got some great ideas in mind after reading this list. Pick something that moves you closer to your goals not further away but make sure it’s something you’re excited to work towards earning.