Set Modest Goals to Launch Your Weight Loss Plan

Now that you’ve made your New Year’s resolution, try breaking down your actual goal into specific steps. That will let you track your progress and adjust your weight loss plan if you encounter obstacles along the way. It is important to remember that sustainable weight loss can take time. Worry less about minor fluctuations and concentrate more on shedding pounds at a slow but steady pace. A modest goal of 5 to 10 percent of your existing body weight is an excellent way to start your weight loss journey. That’s enough to improve important health markers and will provide a boost for attaining your New Year’s resolution. Off-the-cuff weight loss resolutions may or may not be helpful. If your goals are too lofty or overly aggressive, it can undermine your efforts.

• Recruit Healthy Support - Most often, people are their own worse critic. Recruiting a workout buddy or having a family member participate in your journey can help you stay on track and be less stressed.
• Hold Yourself Accountable - Rather than engaging in self-judgement, develop compassion for yourself and your weight loss journey. Setbacks are going to happen, so learn how to look past your mistakes.
• Plan on Keeping Your Resolution - When setbacks occur, focus on what went wrong and learn from your mistakes. Giving yourself the leeway to make adjustments means you are less likely to completely give up on your resolution.
• Set a Realistic Resolution - Your best bet for achieving your resolution is to listen to yourself every day and make adjustments to better define what you want to achieve.
• Stay Persistent but Be Patient - There are always days where you will not want to follow your plan but be persistent with your efforts and patient with yourself. Set a simple goal to achieve for yourself that day.
• Track Your Progression - Measuring your weight loss achievements will help identify areas where there is still room for improvement and allow you to fine tune your path to success.

With less activity and more time spent at home due to the pandemic, we can expect more dieters than ever trying to resolve their commitment in 2021. Weight loss resolutions often include intense workouts, complicated cleansings, less than exciting meals, and open-ended statements about lifestyle changes. Avoid being overwhelmed and set a goal to lose one pound a week in January. Avoid gimmicks, fad diets, and over-the-counter weight loss products. There is very little evidence any of these result in permanent weight loss. Plan your journey and celebrate your successes along the way. Don’t make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight unless it is something you really want to do. Studies show that engaging in weight loss out of self-mandated pressure means you’re not likely to stick with it.