Weight Loss Goals: How to Set and Achieve Them

If you want to set a weight loss goal, you may find that very few in the fitness community will actually achieve that goal. Thus, the majority of the fitness community will ultimately end up failing at what they start to attempt.

A large number of individuals may be motivated to achieve their weight loss goal for one of three reasons: health, self-esteem improvement, or physical performance improvement. When you set a goal to achieve weight loss, your goal setting creates the opportunity for subsequent transformational change.

Struggling to attain weight loss can be caused by multiple obstacles. The most common obstacles include unrealistic expectations, misinformation, etc. In this article, I will provide guidance on developing realistic weight loss goals. I will also provide specific steps to achieving your weight loss goals.

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Prevalence of Obesity

The epidemic of obesity in America affects millions of Americans. Recent studies demonstrate that these supporting individuals seeking relief from excessive weight gain and/or continuing to lose control of their lives by becoming overweight and/or developing debilitating health issues due to their obesity (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, Type II diabetes) will have a more abundant and active life.

Establishing a Weight Loss Goal is important for reducing the number of health problems associated with obesity. For residents of the state of Florida looking for long-term success in their wellness journey, the Orlando Weight Loss Center is one of the best ways to benefit from professional support and guidance.

Why Weight Loss Goals Matter: Understanding the Basics?

Think of this: you’ve planned an exciting vacation, but when you start driving to that location, your location is not mapped out because you have no GPS or map. So, as you start your trip, it will soon become apparent that you will likely be driving in circles with a lot of frustration and yelling at Siri (or another app) for directions and help! 

When people attempt to lose weight without having any targets set in advance, they'll often find it impossible to stay focused on their target, resulting in feelings of frustration. Setting a target provides both motivation and direction toward achieving it. Achieving your goal gives you a large release of dopamine at the same time.

To effectively lose fat requires you to take in less calories than your body needs to maintain itself on a daily basis, so you will create a calorie deficit. This can be accomplished through dietary means, exercise, or by combining both methods together. Most people trying to lose weight sustainably can lose approximately between one (1) to two (2) pounds (lbs) each week at a reasonable pace.

In addition, several other factors, including age, metabolism, gender and genetics, will all factor into how well an individual can lose weight. This is why many health care practitioners are providing personalised help as well as prescribing medications such as tirzepatide and semaglutide as potential solutions to help patients with weight loss.

Setting Realistic Weight Loss Goals: You Don’t Have to Aim for the Moon

You can't lose that much weight in such a short amount of time, so if you think you will be able to lose 50 pounds before Tuesday, then you are setting an unrealistic goal, which can cause you to become frustrated and not follow through. Instead of using unrealistic goals, use SMART (specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, & Timely) goals, which is like having a GPS for your journey to lose weight.

While establishing goals that are within the realm of possibility for each individual (realistic) is an important step, it is equally important that these goals fit within the framework of being "SMART" (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely).

When establishing a goal, such as losing weight, it is advisable to provide a specific target and method of achieving that target (e.g. lose a minimum of 10 lbs by walking every day). 

Monitoring

Once the goal is established, various methods can be used to monitor the success achieved towards meeting that established goal. For example, try tracking weight loss using a mobile app. Alternatively, weigh yourself regularly using either a digital or mechanical bathroom scale (i.e. using a bathroom scale).

Create attainable targets for yourself. If you haven't exercised before or don't have an active lifestyle, then it's important to slowly build your fitness ability by starting small until you see progress. Also, find a place to be active, preferably close to where you live. This way, you can feel at ease with the location and inspire others to participate along with you.

A time frame is also important. In 3-4 months, you can establish a realistic deadline to have a specific amount of weight loss results. In addition, setting realistic goals for weight loss allows for ongoing success. This provides positive reinforcement to those attempting to lose weight.

As noted by Emory Healthcare, there are several ways you can help avoid obsessing over the scale while remaining focused on successful weight loss. In addition, examples of non-scale

victories include improved clothing fit and enhanced energy levels.

Strategies to Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals:

You don’t have to be restricted to boring salads or spend all your time on a treadmill in order to lose weight. Instead, it’s important to find ways to eat healthier and maintain your current lifestyle and routines. 

These suggestions offer practical tools for losing weight and being successful with your plan for weight loss:

Dietary Approaches:

When trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is important to eat the right foods every day. A balanced diet provides many different types of food options. You can determine what food options provide the best nutrition by using your Healthy Plate Tool. Your Healthy Plate will show you foods that provide a variety of nutrients such as vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fat sources.

Eating foods high in protein and fibre allows for increased satiety, while also helping you to manage your caloric intake. In addition, keeping a food journal can assist in holding you accountable as you work to reach your caloric goal. Extreme dietary practices are not sustained over time due to fatigue and lack of nutrients provided to the body.

Physical Activity:

Physical Activity is Equally as Important for a Healthy Balanced Diet (Exercise) And Improving your Mood, Increases Burn Calories and Creates a Healthy Metabolic Engine.

In General, We Recommend About 150 Minutes of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity Every Week along with 2 Days per Week of Strength Training; HIIT Would Also Be A Great Addition to a Strength Training Program!

Lifestyle and Behavioral Changes That Reinforce Weight Loss

Goals

Changing the way you think and act will help you lose weight. While many people are placed on fad or fancy diet/exercise programmes, nearly all of the successful changes to our bodies will come from the development of smaller, daily habits. We follow these habits over a longer period of time.

PubMed Central has published studies that demonstrate how effective behavioural therapy is. They found evidence of successful reductions in body weight between 5% and 10% using these methods. Furthermore, they illustrate the benefits of "mindful" eating, low-stress environments, and getting 7–9 hours of sleep each night. These elements will provide support in losing weight.

Opting for Medical Interventions:

Awesome! You have now completed your notes and can apply what you've learned by taking the next step toward your new lifestyle!

While following a healthy lifestyle can help with weight loss, it isn't always enough for everyone who struggles with the underlying cause of their weight issue, especially people with certain medical conditions. Those who require assistance with their weight management may find relief from using prescription medications such as tirzepatide.

Notably, these medications have shown results in clinical studies that support this use of the drug as an injectable weight-loss treatment.

Tirzepatide is a medication that suppresses the appetite of patients and increases insulin production in the body through the use of hormonal substances. As an approved medication for weight management, Tirzepatide is an exciting, effective tool to use for many people struggling to lose weight. This is especially the case after failing with all previous treatments.

Recently, Bariatric Surgery has gained popularity as an alternative option for people looking for a non-invasive way to reduce their weight with greater success rates than other weight-loss concepts. Bariatric Surgery essentially resets your entire relationship to food by changing the manner in which your stomach works. It helps you eat less while enhancing your feelings of fullness much quicker than before.

The Final Word:

When looking for a healthier, happier life long after achieving their weight-loss goal, most women who want to lose weight will say that they want to lose weight; however, they do not want to have to eliminate food from their diet. Instead, they want to maintain some of the same eating habits they already have. 

To develop healthy, permanent habits around food that you love and enjoy, set reasonable expectations for your weight-loss goal and establish a daily routine of regular exercise. In addition to the expectations and daily routine, the foundation of these healthy habits begins with; commitment, patience, and effort. This will help you remain motivated by focusing on the goals you set, as well as the milestones you achieve.

Remember to continue taking care of yourself by doing the things that make you feel good about yourself, and taking care of yourself will keep you motivated. Furthermore, when you show commitment and persistence to achieve your ultimate goal, you will be rewarded with results.