• Introduction

Whether you wish to lose weight or just want to maintain your body weight, setting a realistic goal can help you throughout your fitness journey. There is a true saying that adopting a healthy lifestyle not only changes your body but also changes your attitude, your mind and your mood.  Losing weight isn’t an easy task; it takes time and commitment. Before setting any goal knowing how much weight you want to lose is important. The Internet is loaded with hundreds of weight loss programs, fad diets, and tips for quick and easy weight loss, but these tips are unsustainable for all as it is much more likely to regain weight and have unhealthy side effects too. Effective weight loss requires patience and planning. To reach your desired goal, setting well-planned, realistic goals with healthy lifestyle changes will keep you enthusiastic and motivated to achieve long-term results. This article will discuss how you can set realistic weight loss goals and stay on track throughout your weight loss journey.

 

• When You Need to Lose Weight 

 Usually, people don’t have proper knowledge of when to lose weight. It is essential to know your health profile as in this busy lifestyle, we often neglect our physical and mental health. But, obesity has a serious impact on our health. Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes type 2. To determine when and how much weight you need to lose consider the following measurement calculators:

• BMI: BMI measures how healthy your weight is based on your height. A body mass index range of 18-24.9 is considered healthy. BMI over 35 is dangerous and is prone to severe heart diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes. 
• Waist to Hip Ratio: WHR will tell the amount of fat stored on your waist and hip by dividing the measurement of waist by hip. For a healthy body weight, this ratio should be less than 0.85 for women and 1 for men.
• Waist Circumference: If your waist measurement is more than 35-40 inches, you will be considered obese and should start a weight loss program. 

 

• Why Fad Diets Don’t Work

 When a person decides to start dieting, usually they opt for fad diets for a quick weight loss program found on social media or heard from a friend. These diets are challenging to follow for a prolonged time and a person finally ends up overeating, dissatisfied and frustrated. Fad diet lacks carbohydrates and fiber, which are our body’s primary energy source, resulting in fatigue, weakness and nausea. Additionally, fad diets mainly focus on calorie counts and ignore the importance of working out and healthy lifestyle changes. 

 

• How to Maintain Weight Loss Journey with Realistic Goals

 

4.1. Set Mini-Short Term Plan

To achieve your goals, starting with a short-term plan for losing about 1-2 pounds per week is crucial. Setting short-term objectives helps to keep you focused and motivated for how far you still want to go and gradually prepares you to take on further challenges. Cutting a few calories, walking for 20-30 minutes, and performing low-impact workouts aim to achieve long-term results.

4.2. Focus on Your Workout Routine 

Alone with a calorie-deficit diet, you cannot achieve your desired weight loss. Regular physical exercises help in shredding those extra pounds. The duration or intensity of your workout depends on how much weight you want to lose. Following a proper workout routine reduces weight, boosts mood, and strengthens muscles. 

4.3. Eat Clean and Healthy

Giving up all your favorite meals is unnecessary to lose weight successfully; doing so will lead to binge eating and demotivation. Modifying your eating habits gradually encourages weight loss. Create a weekly or daily diet plan that includes items from each of the five food categories, and pay attention to the serving sizes you are eating. Reduce your consumption of processed, high-sugar, or saturated-fat meals. Soft drinks should be replaced with water. Refrain from turning to food for comfort during stressful, angry, or disturbed moments. You can achieve weight loss by implementing these minor adjustments to your dietary routine.

4.4. Make Behavior Changes

Healthy living does not mean an extreme diet. Adopting a healthy lifestyle includes exercise and nutrition knowledge, a happy mindset, and the correct motivation are all necessary for managing weight. A lifetime of successful weight management is more likely when internal factors like improved health, more energy, self-confidence, and personal control are present. Remember to set reasonable goals and consider long-term achievement. A positive mindset and self-esteem will keep you motivated. 

4.5. Seek Support

For successful and long-term weight loss, it is essential to have a strong support system. Seeking support from your friends, family, coworkers, dietician or gym trainers provides encouragement, accountability, motivation and guidance throughout your weight loss journey. 

4.6. Celebrate Accomplishments

Losing weight is a challenging battle; to keep yourself motivated and concentrated, it is important to celebrate your small milestones. Celebrating small accomplishments encourages you to be consistent and helps in adopting a positive lifestyle. You can celebrate your progress with your friends and family, have a fine dinner, watch your favorite movie, or simply go shopping. 

4.7. Track Your Weight Loss Journey

There's no turning back once you embark on a weight loss journey, so monitoring your progress is important to stay motivated. Using a scale or weekly body measurements, before and after photos, and online weight loss record-keeping applications are some ways to monitor your weight loss progress.  

 

• Conclusion 

 In conclusion, although losing weight is a challenging job, it is satisfying when you succeed. Setting goals is essential to successful weight loss. The most rewarding objectives are practical, action-oriented, meaningful, detailed, and flexible. You can succeed in reaching your ideal weight over the long run by concentrating on lifestyle changes and setting realistic goals.  To track your progress and work toward your weight loss journey, you may use a variety of resources, such as journals, apps, images, and other people's assistance. But before you start any diet or fitness program, remember to see a physician or dietitian to discuss whether you have any medical conditions.