Make SMART Goals For Weight Loss Success!

When you're looking to lose weight – whether five, ten or fifty pounds, the key first ingredient is setting your weight loss goal and developing a realistic plan to get there. It may be worth your time to sit down with a nutritional consultant or a fitness coach to get some assistance with developing your plan of attack.

One method that will likely help you is to set some SMART goals. SMART goals are more than "resolutions" – they contain a firm commitment to achieve your weight loss targets. Here's how a SMART goal works:

'S'pecific – The goal must be a specific goal. Ten pounds by March 1? Fifteen pounds by your birthday?

'M'easurable – The goal has to be measurable. If you make the goal in pounds / kilos, this works.

'A'ttainable – You have to be able to actually hit the goal. Losing 100 pounds might not be for you!

'R'ealistic – Can you actually hit the goal in the time you've allotted yourself?

'T'ime-Bound – You must set a date that you are going to hit the goal by, and stick to it.

Once you have this goal developed, it's time to formulate your plan. Do some research online to find exercises that work with your physique and level of ability. Check out a couple of different health food blogs and recipe sites to find some healthy recipes that contain the foods that you like to eat. Figure out how you're going to Incorporate "stealth calorie burning" into your day: parking further or walking to work, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a walk on your lunch break, etc.

From here, the key to your success is staying motivated. There is no sense trying to follow a diet that will strip you of the foods you love and leave you craving, so try to create a realistic plan for nutrition that includes the healthy recipes you searched. Make sure you reward yourself with a treat on a regular basis – I like to give myself small rewards for accomplishing small goals … 10 consistent days at the gym and treat yourself to a big bowl of ice cream. Whatever you fancy, be sure to give it to yourself in small doses once in a while – remember that you're trying to break unhealthy food habits so if going cold turkey is what you need to do, then just give up your comfort foods entirely . But do not forget to reward yourself in some way!

Finally, when you reach the end of your long road and hit your goal, it's time for celebration. Spend some money on new clothes to show off your new physique, or go on a nice vacation somewhere sunny. If you set an intermediate weight loss goal, take a few days off from the gym and in that time, plan your next goal and figure out where you want to go with your weight loss from here. Remember that you CAN overtrain, so you need to ensure you take at least a week off the gym every few months to recover and allow your body to heal up to prepare for the next goal.

There you have it – a couple of quick and easy weight loss tips that will have you fit as a fiddle and shedding the extra pounds in no time. Losing weight can be easy if you put your mind to it and work hard. Just be disciplined with your diet, eat healthily, supplement daily with acai berry and get some regular exercise and you're all set!