Few things in life are more difficult to achieve than permanent weight loss. Setting goals for losing weight can be particularly effective if they include strategic or process goals that spell out how the weight loss will be accomplished. Permanent lifestyle changes are required and well-designed goals can help by motivating effort and persistence and by directing the formation of new habits necessary for the task.
Setting Goals for Calorie Deficits
There is no escape from the fact that it takes a combination of a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity to lose weight. According to the Mayo Clinic, it takes a 3,500 calorie deficit to lose a pound of fat. Calories measure the energy we get from food and the energy we expend in basic metabolism plus physical activity.
An adult’s daily calorie requirement is on the order of 2,000 or so calories, but varies by age, gender, weight, height and level of physical activity. People can visit MyPyramid Plan to assess their caloric needs from food and drink. Regular consumption of more calories than are expended leads to steady weight gain.
A safe rate of weight loss is one to two pounds per week which equate to calorie deficits of 3,500 to 7,000 calories per week. A very realistic goal is to lose one pound per week by creating a 500-calorie deficit per day. Calorie deficit strategies or process goals might be to restrict daily intake of calories to 250 less than are needed and to expend 250 calories more per day through exercise.
Setting Goals to Make Permanent Lifestyle Changes
Simple goals for weight loss include outcome goals like total weight to be lost and milestone weight loss goals along the way, plus daily or weekly calorie deficit objectives. But strategic or process goals are needed to detail what has to be accomplished to successfully and permanently lose the amount of weight desired. A few examples of such strategic goals include:
- Gradually work up to walking every day for 60 to 90 minutes within six months.
- Adopt a permanent, sensible diet and exercise program starting June 1st.
- Follow The Mayo Clinic Diet for Healthy Weight Loss program beginning June 1st.
- Do strength training twice a week to help lose weight without losing muscle, starting next week.
- Keep fattening foods out of the house from now on, except for special occasions.
- Expend 300 calories per day in moderate-intensity exercise.
- Create strategies to overcome weight loss obstacles commonly encountered.
These process or strategic goals outline the main tasks that need to be accomplished and the new habits that must be formed in order to achieve permanent weight loss. A dieter’s focus needs to be on these enabling goals which form the basis for critically important lifestyle changes. However, people who decide to start a diet or exercise program should first talk with their doctor to obtain medical clearance before beginning.
Turning Weight Loss Goals into Action Plans
Weight loss action plans, like goals, are very personal. An action plan starts with outcome goals and then proceeds to process goals (strategies) and tasks with timing and budget, if any. Here’s an example, but people will need to tailor their goals and plans to suit their preferences and circumstances:
- Long term (outcome) goal A: Lose 50 pounds of fat in the next 12 months and keep it off.
- Strategy (process goal) A1: Follow a diet from a trustworthy source (like the Mayo Clinic Diet) for the next 12 months.
- Task A1a: Buy the Mayo Clinic Diet Book and Journal in the next seven days; budget = about $40.
- Strategy (process goal) A2: Begin a walking plan this week, starting with two 10-minute walks per day and gradually building up to 60-90 minutes of daily walking at a brisk pace over the next six months.
- Strategy (process goal) A3: Recruit a friend or family member to join the walking program for mutual reinforcement.
- Long term (outcome) goal B: Add five pounds of muscle in the next six months to aid fat loss and muscle retention.
- Strategy (process goal) B1: Do strength training two or three times a week on non-consecutive days, starting in month one.
- Task B1a: (Optional) Hire a certified personal trainer qualified to design a strength training program for one’s particular age, fitness, and medical condition; timing: weeks one and two; budget: $240 (six hours @ $40 per hour).
- Strategy (process goal) B2: After six months, continue to strength train once or twice a week to maintain muscle gains.
Goals and action plans need to be carefully thought out, well planned, and written down. These goals and action plans require and assume a person has obtained medical clearance for diet and exercise programs before starting them.
Personal Development for Many Includes Permanent Weight Loss
Goals for personal development will often include weight loss goals because so many adults need to lose weight to avoid serious health risks. Specific but realistic weight loss goals need to be set and action plans developed that are capable of achieving the outcome goals desired.
Sound weight loss goals and action plans work by means of new habit formation and significant lifestyle changes so that the number of daily calories consumed is permanently decreased and the number of calories expended by physical activity each day is permanently increased. That’s what permanent weight loss requires.
Sources:
mayoclinic.com, Weight-Loss Goals (accessed 21 May 2010)
mayoclinic.com, Cutting Calories (accessed 23 May 2010)
Robert McKelvie - My experience in business and pursuit of learning over the years enables me to share some of my knowledge via the web.
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