Goals provide the direction and motivation needed to achieve your desired outcome. However, setting unrealistic weight loss goals can do more harm than good. Think about a time where you had a goal and didn’t achieve it. Did you feel excited, happy, or proud when you didn’t achieve your goal? Probably not- it doesn’t feel great to fail to meet a goal or our own expectations. Consistently failing to meet your goals can lead to a sense of defeat. It can create stress and anxiety in your life which negatively impact your overall mental and physical heath.  Over time, this can lead to burning out and abandoning your goals entirely, which is counterproductive in the long run. This is one of the biggest reasons it is important to set realistic goals!

I remember the first time I decided to lose weight and change my diet. I had gained about 30lbs since the beginning of college and where I was. It took years for that weight gain to happen. But in that moment I decided to make a goal of losing those 30lbs in 2 months. I did the math on what that would be as far as calories needed to be burned/deficit and came up with a plan of 2 hours of exercise a day plus a pretty low calorie allotment. It was a disaster waiting to happen, one I can see now that I know better. But at the time I had no idea. I was tired and stressed with no real free time at that point and that made for a very sedentary life. Now I was making a goal based on me going from o hours of exercise a day to 2 hours of exercise a day. I didn’t take into account the fact that my body would not be used to this and would require more recovery time. Not to mention my body would need to ease into exercise. So day 1 came and I went to the gym and did my 2 hours and went home. I was sore, I was tired, and I was starving. Which brings me to the second BIG oversight I made- my calorie restriction. In an effort to lose weight fast I implemented an aggressive caloric deficit. Between that and the increase in exercise I wasn’t giving my body the fuel it needed. Not to even mention the fact that I was so used to eating so much more. Even if I wasn’t working out I would have had a hard time with the calories because I wasn’t used to it. So day 2 came and I was SORE. I said I can’t go to the gym today, it hurts just to move around and I am so tired still. Because I was tired I was hungrier and had cravings. Before the end of day 2 I had “failed” my plan. I hadn’t gone to the gym and I had exceeded my calories by an incredible amount. Day 3 came and I was still sore, but now I felt upset that I already fell off plan the day before, and the scale was up. It wasn’t worth it at that point for me. So I gave up, I was so upset.

Looking back on this now I cringe. There were so many issues with my “plan”. I set myself up for failure by being to aggressive, I just wasn’t being realistic. I wanted to lose a large amount of weight and didn’t give myself enough time to do that in. I didn’t take into account my schedule and where I was at the time. I expected to change myself to meet my plan vs making a plan that worked with me. Fast forward to years later when I started a diet for the final time. I made a goal, but gave myself the time to achieve it. I looked at weight loss in a healthy way where I could still fuel my body appropriately, I could enjoy the process, and I could make it sustainable. I didn’t incorporate exercise because I didn’t have time for it then. I still tried to be active but I didn’t want to make exercise apart of my plan when I knew I didn’t have the time for it then. I also wanted to work on one big change at a time. Diet was the first thing to tackle and get comfortable with for me. When I felt confident and comfortable with what I was eating AND I felt I had the time to add in exercise without adding stress to my life I could add it in. I created little goals along the way I wanted to hit too. Not all of them were scale related either. Some were staying within my macros all week, losing an inch in my waist, tracking and staying on plan for 2 weeks(then eventually a month), and getting my pants to pull up and zip COMFORTABLY. Each one of these goals I hit I celebrated. I got so excited to see myself achieving them and progressing to my goal. It helped to push my forward and it gave me a positive outlook on the path I was on. This was a much better experience than that first example I gave you. I was excited, I was happy, and I was enjoying the process. Because of this, I was seeing progress! You don’t need to be overly aggressive to see progress. Especially if you want to sustain that progress. This is why everything starts with setting a realistic goal. Setting realistic weight loss goals isn’t just about avoiding disappointment; it’s about creating a sustainable path to success. By setting realistic, achievable weight loss goals, you can maintain your motivation, make consistent progress, and ultimately achieve your goals and sustain them.

Setting a realistic goal

Now I am not saying that you can’t have big goals that you want to achieve. I am saying that these goals need to be realistic. For that to happen, it’s important that your goal meets a few criteria.

1. Be Specific: Vague goals like "lose weight" are hard to measure and achieve. Instead, be specific about what you want to accomplish. For instance, aim to "lose 1-2 pounds per week" or "exercise for 30 minutes five times a week."

2. Break It Down: Large goals can be overwhelming. Break them down into smaller, manageable steps. If your goal is to lose 50 pounds, start with a goal to lose 5 pounds per month. This makes the process less daunting and helps you track your progress.

3. Be Realistic About Your Time and Resources: Consider your current commitments and resources when setting weight loss goals. If you have a busy schedule, aiming to work out for two hours every day might not be realistic. Instead, aim for what you can reasonably fit into your schedule, like 30-minute workouts a few times a week.

4. Set a Time Frame: Having a deadline can help you stay focused, but make sure it's realistic. Instead of aiming to lose 30 pounds in a month, give yourself a longer window. Aiming for an average of 1-3lbs of weight lost per week is a healthy and sustainable rate of loss (per the vast amount of peer reviewed research available on weight loss). Instead give yourself 3-7 months. And set smaller goals along the way that break down that larger goal. As you “check” off the box on each of these smaller goals you are giving yourself some positive reassurance that you are making progress and achieving your goal!

5. Allow for Flexibility: Life is unpredictable, and sometimes things don’t go as planned. Allow yourself some flexibility to adjust your goals as needed. This doesn’t mean giving up but rather adapting to circumstances.