Weight Loss: Setting Clear Lifestyle Goals

setting clear lifestyle goals
Every dieter has at some point set a weight loss goal. "I will lose 50  pounds by January 1, 2010" is an example of a goal many dieters set.
It's important to set goals. The subconscious is a powerful tool, and goal setting with specific dates and weights helps the mind focus its energies on achieving that goal.

But setting a goal can also feel dry and uninspiring.  A way to beat this an focus more on positive choices is to set lifestyle goals instead.

What is a Lifestyle Goal?

Lifestyle goals focus on achieving health actions and habits. Instead of focusing solely on weight, lifestyle goals focus on the habits that lead to weight loss. By focusing on a habit to change and a new, joyful and fun habit, you continue to keep your eye on your goal without fixating on a number on the scale or a clothing size.

Some lifestyle goals to set for yourself may include:

•    Eating more greens: Even if you love raw, vegan foods, you may tend towards sweet fruit or nuts and seeds. That's okay as far as it goes, but most natural health professionals believe that greens are the ideal dietary base.  Writers such as Victoria Boutenko have experimented with green smoothies and found them to be cleansing, healing and promoting weight loss. Why not challenge yourself to make a batch of green smoothies each evening? Freeze some for smoothie pops, or enjoy one for a snack and the other for breakfast.

•    Focusing on the positive: Do you find yourself feeling down in the dumps after watching the evening news? Shut the television off. Find an inspirational movie or book.  The world doesn't usually change all that much from day to day and you can avoid the constant barrage of bickering, criticism and fault finding that goes for the evening news these days. Often we find ourselves sunk into negative mental chatter because our surroundings are saturated with negative energy.  Try focusing on the positive. Create gratitude lists and make positive thinking a healthy lifestyle goal.

•    Get out and move! Exercise is one healthy lifestyle goal that supports weight loss. Set a goal for yourself, but don't make it the typical "I will go running three nights a week" goal. Instead, challenge yourself to try a new sports. Ever want to go roller blading? Rent or borrow skates and a helmet to see if you like it, enlist a friend to teach you, and have a blast.  Take a belly dancing class, try weight lifting, or just go for a brisk walk.  Make exercise part of a healthy lifestyle
•    Nurture your spirit: While a formal organized religion is right for some, it's not right for everyone. Find a way that works for you to nurture your spirit. It may be meditation, organized religious traditions, or spending time in nature.  Part of healthy living is to nurture the three aspects of self: mind, body and spirit. When we focus on weight loss we tend to focus on body to the exclusion of mind and spirit. Don't neglect your spirit. Feeding your spirit may mean shrinking your body, for when you're happy and spiritually centered, you may find yourself eating less!

As you focus on joyful, fun lifestyle goals, urges to participate in unhealthy practices fade away. Focus on the positive, and the negative fades to the background.

Read our other wonderful articles on weight loss!


Written by:  Jeanne Grunert
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