Nurse Practitioner, Janey Bloom, explains how to set a goal good for you!
The first step toward weight loss is goal and intention setting. Throughout your weight loss journey with us, we will revisit the goal you set today and adjust our course accordingly.
Whether your goal is a number on the scale, a dress size, or feeling like your old self, I encourage you to use the template below to make your goal as specific as possible. Additionally I encourage you to write your goal down and put it somewhere you will see it often. Studies have shown that the physical act of writing down a goal increases success rates by up to 40%.
I’m sure many of you are familiar with the SMART goal model, but here’s a little overview of how it applies to weight loss:
S- Specific (simple, sensible, significant)
Clearly state your goal and set your intention.
M- Measurable (meaningful, motivating)
Make sure your goal has measurable outcomes that we can reasonably track. This can be pounds, fitting into a different size clothes, shaving time off your mile run, establishing a healthier relationship with food, climbing a flight of stairs without breathing heavily, the opportunities are endless and completely individual!
A- Achievable (attainable)
I believe that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I don’t want this step to limit you, but I do want it to guide you. The point of setting an achievable goal is to ensure that you do not get discouraged on your way to achieving it.
R- Realistic (reasonable, results based)
Making sure your goal is realistic ensures that it motivates you instead of makes you feel overwhelmed. For instance, if your ultimate goal is to lose 100 pounds it may be helpful to set a smaller goal of 20 pounds by a certain timeframe. Once you crush that goal we can work together to set your next one!
T- Time based (time limited)
This is not a deadline. That’s very important to know; the time you set is not a due date but rather it’s a time we will check in and adjust your goal. Unless you are setting a goal aimed at a specific event (wedding, high school reunion, race, etc) I want you to give yourself some grace with the time aspect of your goal. We’ll talk about progress toward your goal at all your visits but once you reach the milestone you set we’ll either set a new goal (because you crushed it) or extend it and make a plan to reach it soon.
Here’s an example:
Old goal: “I want to lose weight for my daughter’s wedding”
SMART goal: “I want to either lose 25 pounds or fit into my dress from my son’s wedding 12 weeks from now. I’ll do this by eliminating soda and hitting 10,000 steps a day in addition to maintaining a healthy diet.”
Old goal: “I want to get in shape”
SMART goal: “I want start walking a mile every morning and I want to be able to make it up the stairs without getting out of breath by March. I’ll put a check mark on my calendar every day I walk a mile and I’ll put a sticky note at the top of my stairs to remind me to take note of my breathing after climbing them.”
Goal Worksheet
Lets make your goal SMART. Answer the following questions and write your goal out so we can talk about it at your next appointment.
Specific:
What do you ultimately want to get out of joining the weight loss clinic?
Why are you setting this goal?
What specific steps may be required to achieve this goal?
Measurable:
How will you measure your progress?
How often will you measure your progress?
How will you keep track of these measurements?
Achievable:
Should I set intermediate goals on the way to my larger goal?
What support will I need to achieve this goal?
Realistic:
Do I have the time and resources to achieve my goal?
Do I feel overwhelmed by this goal?
Time:
When can I reasonably expect to achieve this goal?
My goal:
TL;DR
Setting a specific goal can be incredibly motivating
Writing down my goal increases the chance of achieving my goal
Goals can change along the way and can be adjusted as needed
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