Many people know they need to lose some weight for their health and wellbeing, as well as the fact that when you look better, you feel better mentally. Yet losing weight is hard – it takes a lot of work and motivation, and sometimes it’s just easier not to bother. This is perhaps especially true in winter when we go into a kind of ‘hibernation mode’, but even in summer, it’s just not something some people want to do.
Yet it’s so important that it’s time to get started, no matter what time of year it is. Of course, this is much easier said than done, but one thing that can help is having realistic weight loss and general health goals. Having goals will point you in the right direction, and when they are achievable, you’ll be more motivated to continue. Read on to find out how to set these goals to ensure success.
Think About The Why
One of the most important things to bear in mind if you want to stick to your goals and ensure they are realistic is to think about the why. If you are making arbitrary goals because you think you have to, it won’t matter how achievable they are; your motivation could still be lacking.
Therefore, thinking about why you want to lose weight is crucial. There are many good reasons, but you need to know the reason or reasons that are particular to you. Maybe you want to run around with the kids and play football, but you can’t right now. Perhaps you want to feel more confident on the beach next summer. Maybe your weight is causing you to suffer from erectile dysfunction, and you’re taking tadalafil from https://www.chemistclick.co.uk/news/tadalafil-daily to help you. Think of your reason, and motivation will follow.
Make Activity A Habit
Food is a big part of your weight gain or loss, and that’s probably the first thing that you’ll think of. You’ll know you need to eat less of some things and more of others. However, this alone won’t help you as much as if you also add physical activity to your day. Therefore, when making your goals, make sure exercise is part of them.
For example, if you want to lose a certain amount of weight in a specific amount of time, what could you do each day to add some physical activity into your life that will not take up too much time or cost you too much money? Perhaps you could walk to work instead of drive. Maybe you could take a stroll at lunchtime. What about taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking a little further away from your destination, so you have to do some walking? Do what you can do, and your goals will get closer.
What Are Your Bad Habits?
Everyone has bad habits they need to quit if they want to be healthier. This might be obvious, like smoking or drinking too much alcohol, but it might also be more subtle – do you get enough sleep? Do you get enough vitamin D?
Think carefully about what your bad habits are. Once you know, take just one and work out a way to change it. Taking them one at a time makes your goals much more realistic and achievable. As you change one bad habit, it might be that you change others at the same time, but don’t assume that will happen – just go slow, and the results will be obvious in time.