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And, It's a Goal! How to Score Fat Loss Success

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Published: 28Apr2010
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Goal setting is vital for increasing your chances of success. The people who don't take this step are the ones who will get stuck into an exercise programme or a new diet, will give it all their attention for a short period of time, then let it fall by the wayside before it's had a chance to work.

Goals help steer you through the rough patches: when you wake up feeling a bit tired and think 'I can't be bothered to train', it is all to easy to hit the snooze button.

However, if you have set yourself short, medium and long term goals, today's behaviour becomes part of a bigger picture, and the consequences of not getting up are harder to ignore.

If you have a short term goal, such as 'I will train 3 times this week' that is linked to an outcome that you truly want, such as 'losing 5lb of body fat' or a longer term goal, such as 'I will run the Race for Life in 3 months time' then the single training session is no longer an isolated event that can be missed out. It becomes part of a chain of events that will take you, step-by-step, to your ultimate goals.

You should set yourself compelling goals, that you actually want to achieve.

A lot has been said on keeping your goals SMART:

Specific: 'I will lose 6lb' rather than 'I want to lose a bit of weight'.

A word of caution here, however. We should focus on our 'sphere of influence' - the things we have direct control over. We have control over the actions we take - so training regularly and eating right - but the actual amount of weight / fat we lose is actually not within our direct control. It is an outcome of our behaviour, so we should focus the goals on the behaviours that are required, in order to achieve the desired outcome.

So a goal of: 'exercising with my trainer 3 times per week, walking for 30 minutes 3 times per week and eating according to my diet plan for the next 6 weeks' is a goal we have direct control over. Take measurements (and photos!) on day one and remeasure regularly to track progress.

If you're not moving in the right direction then you need to change your methods - looking at your exercise and nutrition more closely. If you are building up your running then ensure you know the distances you are running and the time it is taking - I have a GPS that I take with me when training clients so we know exactly how far and how fast!

Measurable: Aiming too high can be demotivating: if you have never run before, then a marathon in 3 months time is not the best idea, but a 5km might be! Aim for 1lb a week fat loss, rather than 10lb in a fortnight - you may lose quicker, in which case you can always revise the goals later.

But on the other hand, do aim high enough. It can be hard to imagine that losing a stone is possible, but it is, and in theory should take no more than 14 weeks on the 1lb a week timescale - if you ensure goals are broken down into shorter term goals you can see how it can be achievable.

Achievable: Setting unrealistic goals can be counter-productive - some people do this as it offers them an excuse to fail with a bit of dignity intact, whereas if you fail to achieve a more realistic goal you will feel more of a failure. Counter-productive, of course, and if you follow good goal-getting methods and take action on your goals you don't need to worry about failing as it won't happen!

Realistic: However, sometimes you truly have to 'dare to dream' and keep a long term goal in mind that might seem totally unrealistic at the moment. So long as you are achieving short term goals and taking things step by step you will be getting closer to this 'crazy dream' and you just might well make it a reality.

Visualisation is important too - regularly imagining yourself having achieved your goals is a very powerful tool indeed! How does it feel in your new body? How much do you now love 'bikini-time'? A daily day-dream of how life will be when you achieve your goals tricks your mind into thinking it has already happened, and makes getting there much easier!

But remember also to appreciate yourself as you are - focus on your good points and let your visualisation include these: for example how great it is that your thighs are more toned because you can finally show off your tiny waist in a bikini.

Your nutrition and exercise plan is all part of truly making the best of yourself: adding lean muscle and shedding excess body fat, improving your posture and increasing your energy. There is no need to compare yourself against unrealistic (and probably airbrushed) targets as it's all within you, waiting to come out!

Time-Bound: Give yourself a deadline and stick to it! If you want to improve your running, pick an event and get signed up! Project manage your goals like you would any other important task. Bear in mind that weight and size is an outcome, so make sure that you are focusing on the behaviours first. Log your success in a journal to show you are sticking to your plan.

If goals are clear, SMART and compelling, broken down into short, medium and long term goals, they are much easier to achieve. It can be hard to reconcile today's behaviour with achieving a goal that is too distant or too vague so keep it real and close to you by visualising and reflecting upon your goals daily.

Obviously the element we haven't discussed is the behaviours needed to succeed - thinking about goals is only going to work when matched with the appropriate action!

Taking goal-setting into goal-getting requires action - so whatever you do, make sure you are taking steps every day to get closer to your goals. When your goals are vivid and clear then you will know that each and every action you take will either take you a step closer, or a step further away. Remind yourself of the 'why' and make sure that each decision is taking you a step closer to your dreams.

Caroline Radway is a certified Personal Trainer who wants you to get the fitness and fat loss results that you deserve. She has developed her M.I.R.A.C.L.E Success System and S.I.M.P.L.E. Nutrition System that are proven to get results, fast! Find out more by joining the free member site for resources and ongoing advice => http://carolineradway.ning.com

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