I hate the word “goals” because all I can think of is the stress and feelings of failure when I don’t reach them.  I like to make achievement lists instead even when it comes to losing weight.  So whether or not you are a “goals” person or more of an achievements person like me, here are a few tips.

1.  Take a mental picture of what you want to look like when you have lost your weight.  Be careful.  You want a realistic picture not a wishful picture.  No matter how much weight you lose or what you do to yourself, you are not going to look like one of the gorgeous actresses from “Desperate Housewives.”  You also aren’t ever going to have the same body you had when you were 18.  So paint a realistic picture of yourself as a healthy, fit, and slim you.  The keyword here is you.  If a dress size 14 is a slim you because of your body build and shape, so be it.  Remember it’s not the clothing size.  It’s a healthy you at your healthy weight.

2.  Set an achievement of pounds of what weight you want to be at.  Again, be careful here.  You want to pick a weight that is healthy for you at this time in your life.  You may have a friend the same age as you that weighs 115 lbs. and you think this will be a good weight for you also, but think again.  This weight is healthy for him/her.  It doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you because your body is different than his/hers.  Your best guide would be to check a weight chart and see what the weight range is for someone of your height and age.  Let this be a starting guide at least.

1. Encircle your wrist with your thumb and middle finger. If your hold is loose, then you have a small frame. If your finger and thumb don't meet, your frame is large. If they just touch, your frame is medium.
2. Multiply your height inches above 5 feet by 6. Add 106 to get an average ideal weight in pounds for your height.
3. This is a rough estimation of your individual ideal weight if your frame is medium.
4. Subtract 5 pounds from the average weight to get your individual ideal weight if your frame is small.
5. Add 5 pounds to the average weight to get your individual ideal weight if your frame is large.
6. Divide your real weight by your individual ideal weight.
7. If the result is below 1.00 you are underweight.
8. If the result is between 1.00 and 1.10 your weight is ideal.
9. If the result is between 1.11 and 1.20, you are marginally overweight.
10. If the result is between 1.21 and 1.30, you are overweight.
11. If the result is 1.31 and above, you are obese.

3.  Determine how fast you want to lose weight.  I advise no more than 2 pounds a week.  I only use this as a guide because the more muscle mass you have the more you will weigh, but it won’t be “fat weight.”  You will want to pay more attention to inches lost.  This is a better indicator.  Watch how your clothes fit.  If they begin to feel loose, but the scale hasn’t changed, you are doing well because you are losing fat which won’t necessarily show up on the scales.  Don’t get in a hurry.  You want to lose at a healthy pace for you.

4.  Make a mini-achievement list.  Start with a daily list with achievements you want to make that day such as; drink one less soft drink today, eat fewer cookies today, eat at least one serving of fruit today, eat an extra vegetable serving today, etc.  Making these little mini lists will help you learn to live life healthier and it’s fun to check off each item as you achieve it

The most important thing to remember is starting to live a healthy lifestyle while you are losing your weight so that you learn to maintain a healthy weight while you are losing the excess weight.

Happy achievement settings!