Importance of setting realistic goals to lose weight

Now that you are clear that you want to lose weight, you must set achievable goals to achieve it. It’s not just about losing weight quickly, you must lose weight well. That is, have firm objectives. In this adventure, food will play a key role. When we think about health and nutrition we think about salads and glasses of water, but that’s what the experts are for. They are not only guides who will tell us how to lose weight quickly, but also scholars of their subject who will offer us a specific diet for our specific goal. One of the most important steps is to be aware that we are not alone on this path. There is a whole field of study concerned for years by people who fight against being overweight. The first move is to define what we want.  Do we do it for health? To avoid diabetes? To look better? To perform better? For all of the above? Once we have it, we are on our way. When you arrive with your consultant and he sees that you already have this progress, both of you will save a lot of time to take these three steps:

Step 1: Change “outcome goals” to “habit goals”

These describe what we will do and not what we will obtain, which in the end will define everything. “I’m going to lose 10 kilos” is not the same as “I’m going to stop consuming sugary drinks.” We talk about realism and this is the best example. In the past I met counselors who would show a photo of a model to their patients and tell them “This could be you.” And obviously they never were. Aspiration starts from perspiration. Working daily for goals is the only way to reach them. That is why the change of habits is more important than the aspiration itself. The “habit goal” is how you will demonstrate your commitment to yourself.

Step 2: Change “prohibition” to “concentration”

Banning almost guarantees that you will. It is a natural resistance to change    and we all go through it. It is psychologically counterproductive. When they tell you “no” is when you are most worried about doing it. This is where we must modify “ban” to “concentrate.” In this way we will take the mind to where it should be, keeping it away from temptations and distractions. Goal concentration focuses on the feeling of well-being. Look for easy actions that work for you and repeat them. For example, if you eat fruit to combat hunger, then never leave home without it and consult with your doctor about the quantities and which ones you can eat so that it does not have an impact on your established diet.

Step 3: Change “performance” to “domain”

Performance objectives are more associated with external validation. The simplest example is when as children we looked for the little star on our forehead that the teacher gave us more than learning. We were not interested in obtaining something from the task, but rather the mere “little star”. The most favorable objective of mastery would have been to only concentrate on taking advantage of the activity they left us, which would be reflected in good work and eventually there would be a little star on our forehead. So it is in the quest to lose weight. We should focus more on the well-being of our body than on the flattering comment like “did you lose weight? How good you look!”