We are all looking for those secrets to success, the ones that will magically make the pounds melt away while we sit back and watch it happen.  The truth is it doesn’t work that way.  To lose weight now and keep it off later, there are 3 major things to do, there are 3 major ways to function, and ways to set your weight loss goals so that you can achieve success.

First, make your weight loss goals measurable.  Obviously, you may not have a scale at home, because you don’t like to judge on weight.  So get a tape measure.  If you don’t know if you are making progress or not, if you cannot measure those results, how will you know if you are doing the right things or not?  Instead of just thinking I want to be thinner, set a specific goal.  Say I want to lose 10 pounds, maybe I want to lose 20 pounds, or even 30 pounds or higher.  But you have to set that number so you know what you’re working toward.

Second, make them reasonable.  If you say I am going to lose 100 pounds by the end of the summer(i.e. 4 months from now), you’re not going to make it, at least not without seriously damaging your health among other things.  If you set yourself up for failure like that, you are only going to be discouraged, because you will only fail.  You will definitely feel overwhelmed. But if you say I want to lose 2 pounds each week, that is more reasonable and more achievable.  When you surpass that goal, it will give you extra confidence, and when you meet it, you can be proud of yourself for meeting your goals.

Finally, make them actionable.  This means that you don’t focus on where you’re going so much as how you are going to get there.  So while you should know whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 50, this means making a game plan.  You aren’t going to lose weight by sitting around on your couch and exercising 20 minutes a day while sitting around with junk food the rest of the time.  If you did, you would be either a walking miracle or a walking disease.  So maybe you say I am going to start eating salads instead of other fatty foods I might eat once a day, I am going to start going to the gym for an hour a day, I am going to run for this long, lift weight for this many reps, I am going to drink 8 glasses of water each day, etc.

Many goals fail for one, two, or even all of these reasons.  People set unrealistic goals, expect to reach them without putting in the work, or they give themselves vague ideas that really set up no expectations.  The combination of course is the worst.  But by incorporating these concepts into your diet, you can achieve greater success.