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Formulating realistic weight loss goals is the first critical step you must undertake when starting a new weight loss or diet program. If you do not make a concerted effort to develop realistic goals for your weight loss and dieting you will, probably, create unrealistic goals. The consequence of unrealistic weight loss goals is you will not have a clear idea how to approach your weight loss and dieting, and as a result you will flounder and fail. Examples of unrealistic weight loss goals would be, “I am going to lose all the weight I need to lose fast!” That is a goal but it is unrealistic because there is no mention of how you will lose the weight and how much weight you want to lose. A second example of an unrealistic goal would be, “I will lose all the weight by reducing what I eat.” Again, that is an approach to weight loss but how much will you reduce, how will you measure the portions you eat and how long will you continue the reduction? Goals that are not specific and difficult to assess and monitor are recipes for disaster. The outcome of “goals” like these is that you will fall back into comfortable habits and soon you will become frustrated and then you are just a whisper away from complete failure. To maximize your success you must set realistic goals and when you do you will discover that success will come faster and you will achieve your goals easily.

When you set weight loss goals be sure to establish easily attainable short-term realistic weight loss goals. When I speak of short-term goals I am speaking about a goal you can achieve in the next week. Begin developing your short-term goals and as you do write down every action required for you to accomplish your goals. This list of goals and actions must be as specific as possible. When you decide on a goal make the goal as clear as possible because the more well defined your goal the easier it will be for you to achieve the goal. Developing a plan to attack the dieting process is of the utmost importance and setting realistic weight loss goals is fundamental to your success. To give yourself every opportunity to succeed make your goals detail rich, extremely positive and very clear. Anytime you sit down to create a realistic weight loss goal think of the goal as a piece of the most essential “roadmap” you will every use. A “roadmap” is useful because it contains all the information, details, and hints to get you from the starting point to the final destination. Your list of short-term realistic weight loss goals is that “roadmap” for your weight loss and dieting success. As you set weight loss goals remember that for the goals to be most effective they must be clearly defined, detail rich, and very specific. Once you have spent time understanding this step all you have to do is follow the path you have charted and watch your success grow with every week.

Planning and attention to details will bring success in any endeavor and weight loss is no exception. To be success with weight loss you must plan how to attack every obstacle every day. When setting goals for weight loss each goal must be expressed using very positive language. An example of a goal that isnt structured correctly is, “In the next seven days I will change how I eat and see if I lose some weight.” Getting to the point of knowing you need to lose weight is important but the way this goal is structured will lead to failure. The reason this goal will lead to failure is that it is not specific. In what ways will you change how you eat? How much weight do you believe you can lose? A goal that would be much easier to achieve would be, “In the next 7 days I will lose two pounds. I will achieve this by ” This goal has a definite starting point and finish and a plan to get from start to finish. Also this goal is positive, clear and specific. As you create goals that have a definite starting and endpoint point, when your goals are filled with details you will build momentum and you will experience success much easier and faster that you anticipated.

Im sure some people might think the goal of losing two pounds in a week is an easy goal however think about this, two pounds may not sound like a lot but to lose two pounds you must make some difficult changes in your life. These changes will affect of how, when and what you eat. These changes affect basic life patterns that you have developed over the years and are not easy to change. Always understand that you are making important changes in your life and the more time you devote to creating and detailing realistic weight loss goals the faster you will experience success

Creating the short-term realistic weight loss goals is crucial to your success. Therefore it is imperative you create these goals when you can devote all of your attention to this process. Since these goals are critical to your success you need to find a peaceful place where you can focus and be undisturbed. Ask yourself if can you achieve each goal in seven days? Through the process of creating the list of realistic weight loss goals you will see the path for your success very clearly. Always remember that the clearer and detailed your goals the more easily you will find success.

You want to lose weight and you must also want to keep the weight off. Your degree of success with long-term weight loss will be directly affected by the amount of thought, planning, and patience you put into developing your short-term realistic weight loss goals. Long-term weight loss is not the subject of this article but you need to begin planning to achieve it. A very helpful tool to use is visualization. Visualize who you want to be in one year. Allow yourself to feel the emotions you imagine you would feel after one year of successful weight loss. Create a detailed picture in your mind about everything in your life: the clothes are you wearing, what you are feeling, what you are thinking, and of course how you look. If you follow these simple steps everything is within your reach. All of your success will arise from your short-term realistic weight loss goals. Take the time to develop these goals and they will propel you into your new future. Do not allow doubt to exist in your mind. Everything is right in front of you and it is just waiting for you to grab hold it. Decide right now that you will be successful and begin your successful journey by achieving all your short-term realistic weight loss goals.

If you need to lose a few extra pounds but feel you’ve hit a plateau, there are several ways to get your body back in the weight loss mode. A plateau is when you’re no longer losing weight though it seems nothing has changed in your diet or exercise routine. Your body has adapted to the diet and now refuses to budge. So you must make some changes to boost your weight loss again. These five free weight loss tips can help.

1. Change your calorie intake.

One way to overcome a plateau while maintaining a healthy weight loss plan is to change your calorie intake. Monitor how many calories you’re eating and decrease them slightly to see if your weight scale moves again. You might try the zigzag method as well. To do this, decrease calories one day, and then increase calories the next. This helps shift your body out of its comfort zone. Only make minor adjustments and monitor your weight with each small change.

2. Replace a snack or two.

If you usually eat a chocolate bar as a mid-afternoon snack, try replacing this with a fruit or vegetable. Eat apples, bananas, carrots and low-fat dip, or celery and low-fat dip instead of chocolate. Fruits and vegetables are not only filling, but they also promote healthy weight loss.

3. Keep exercising, but endure longer.

Another way to boost weight loss and get your body moving again is to increase your exercise time. Instead of 30 minutes a day, try exercising 45 minutes a day. Walk every chance you get. Walking is a great (non-strenuous) exercise that helps your heart and promotes healthy weight loss. Park your car a little farther from the mall than usual when shopping. Walk your dog twice a day instead of only once. Take a walk during your breaks at work. These small changes can make a big difference in your weight loss efforts.

4. Monitor “what” you are eating.

Are you eating mainly sugar and carbohydrates on your weight loss diet? If so, try replacing one or two of these with a protein-rich food. Protein is a proven fat burner and energy booster, and many weight trainers use it to boost their workouts. Protein also helps you fill full longer so you’re less likely to be hungry an hour later. There are protein snack bars on the market now so you can easily get a boost during the day. Other changes you can make include increasing your water and fiber intake if you feel you’re not getting enough of these.

5. Eat smaller, more frequent meals.

Instead of eating three large meals a day, try eating smaller, more frequent meals. Reduce portion sizes at your regular meals, and add small snacks in between each meal. This helps boost your metabolism and keeps you from being hungry during the day and splurging at night.

Keep in mind that fast weight loss can be unhealthy, but you might lose fast at the start of any diet or when overcoming a plateau. This is normal. These tips are to help you break the plateau so you can start losing weight again. Weight loss diets can help you feel and look better than you ever have before. Use these ideas to break through your plateau today so you can reach your future weight loss goals.