Achieve Your Dream Body: Setting Realistic Weight Loss Goals For Success
Be the change you want to see. A LadyBoss is in control of her destiny, her situation, her health, her body, and in turn, her life.
Kaelin Tuell Poulin
Once you've decided that you want to lose some weight, the next step is to decide how much you want to lose. Because so many people start diets and quickly lose hope, you'll want to make sure your diet and goals are realistic.
Every person is different, and while weighing 100 pounds might be ideal for your friend, it is probably not ideal for you. You don’t want to lose too much weight, you should simply want to be at your ideal weight and aim for realistic weight loss goals.
What Is Your Healthy Weight?
To find your ideal weight, the Body Mass Index is a good place to start. This looks at a person's weight in relation to their height. Whatever your height, if you're under 18.5, you're underweight. So no one should aim for a BMI below 18.5.
A healthy weight is known to be between 18.5 and 24.9, so any of these is a safe target. The taller you are, the higher your BMI can be. But if your BMI is between 25-29.9, you're considered overweight. If it's 30 or more, you're obese. Charts to determine your ideal BMI for your age and gender are available online and in health stores or gyms.
Be Realistic To Your Age
Similarly, you'll want to make sure you're aiming for a realistic BMI for your age. You may have had a BMI of 18.5 when you were 18, but if you're 40 and trying to get back to that, you may be out of luck. Our metabolism changes as we get older, so you'll always want to take this into account when setting weight loss goals.
Don't aim for 18.5 because that's what you were when you were a teenager. Aim for a BMI that is realistic for your age and that makes you feel fit, healthy and slim, not skinny.
The Bottom Line
Weight loss goals can make the difference between success and failure. Realistic, well-planned weight loss goals keep you focused and motivated. They provide a plan for change as you make the transition to a healthier lifestyle.
Remember, you can lose a lot of weight quickly, but you need to do it safely and under medical supervision. However, the safest way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more, with a plan and a goal of losing one to two pounds a week.
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FAQ
Realistic weight loss goals are both achievable and healthy. Aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week, as this is generally considered safe and sustainable. Start by calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI) and use it as a guide to determine a healthy weight range for your height and age.
While the numbers on the scale can give you some insight, they don't tell the whole story. Your body composition, which includes muscle mass and fat percentage, is often a better indicator of your health. If you're doing regular exercise, especially strength training, you can gain muscle while losing fat, making the scale a misleading measure of your progress.
The key to effective monitoring is consistency. Use the same scale, measure at the same time of day and in the same conditions. In addition to the scale, note how your clothes fit, your energy level and any compliments you receive. These are also good indicators of progress.
A general guideline is a deficit of 500-1,000 calories per day to lose 1-2 pounds per week. However, your calorie needs will vary depending on factors, such as age, gender, physical activity level and metabolic rate. It's a good idea to consult a healthcare professional for a personalised plan.
Sustainability comes from creating a balanced routine that you can stick to for the long term. Quick fixes and extreme diets may produce quick results, but they are often unsustainable and can even harm your health. Instead, aim for a balanced diet combined with regular physical activity.
Mindset is key. Adopting a growth mindset allows you to see challenges as opportunities and setbacks as learning experiences. Your mindset can be the difference between giving up and persevering to achieve your weight loss goals.
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