Page 7 - Goals

An integral aspect of weight management involves setting realistic short and long-term goals and working to achieve them. Long-term goals can be relatively broad, while short-term goals should be specific steps you can take immediately in order to reach the long-term goal. As you reflect on the information you have learned in this online course, begin to consider both long-term and short-term goals for your weight management.

Long-term goals will vary between individuals according to their personal needs.  Examples of long-term goals may be:

• To increase my fitness level so I can complete a 5K race

• To have more energy throughout the day

• To gradually lose 1 lb. per week for six months and maintain this loss for another six months.

Short-term goals are then developed as stepping-stones to achieve the long-term goals. Short-term goals to reach the aforementioned long-term goals could include the following:

• A) Follow a training plan and run/walk 5 days per week 
  B) Stay hydrated by sipping 4-5 bottles of water throughout the day
  

• A) Commit to regular sleeping habits and sleep 7-8 hours per night
  B) Exercise first thing in the morning
  

• A) Decrease calorie intake by snacking on fruits and vegetables rather than chips and cookies
  B) Exercise 45 minutes per day

Remember that not everyone needs to have a long-term goal of losing weight. Other long-term weight management goals may include improvements in eating and exercise habits that will help you feel stronger, more energized, and appreciative of yourself. If you desire to lose weight simply to look thin, you may need to readjust your priorities and goals.

Please recognize that thinness does not always equal health. Western culture frequently promotes an “ideal” body size and shape that is unrealistic for many men and women to attain. The pursuit of such an ideal promotes dissatisfaction with one’s body and can interfere with quality of life. Healthy, beautiful bodies can come in a diverse array of sizes. Rather than focusing on achieving thinness, aspire to be strong, healthy, and loving toward yourself.

Begin to consider long-term and short-term goals for yourself regarding your eating habits and physical activity. Enter them on your Self-Evaluation Worksheet now. After you have finished entering your long-term goals, think about some short-term goals that will help you achieve your long-term goal. For example:

Long-term goal: I want to lose 20 pounds
Short-term goal: I will exercise 4-5 times for 45 minutes this week

You will further refine these goals and begin working on them in phase 2 of this program.

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