Whether you want to lose 5 Stone or lift 20, setting a SMART goal can help get you there.

It is very common to set one massive goal e.g. I want to lose 5 stone and to lose sight of the journey you will go on to achieve this and why you actually want to do it. So, instead of constantly focussing on how much weight you have left to lose

Ask yourself why you want to do this? There are so many possible reasons…such as:

            • To feel more confident

            • To feel happier

            • To feel healthier

All of the above won’t happen all at once when that 5 stone is off, they will gradually happen during this journey

So set some SMART Goals…

SMART Goals

SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely—all of which are important in reaching a fitness objective. SMART goals can help keep you on track and remind you of your priorities, so you’re able to follow through with every workout or healthy meal you have planned.

Specific

A specific goal would be to lose weight. You’ll narrow down that goal even further by using the rest of the method, but whether you want to get stronger, faster, or smaller, having a baseline, points you in the right direction.

Measureable

Here’s where you determine exactly how you’ll measure your goal. A measurable goal would be, say, ‘lose 5 stone’. You can quantify your progress, and you can sort of back into a time frame once you have that.” Your goal may be to master a pull-up, run five miles, or go to the gym four days a week—whatever it is, you should have a definite way of knowing when you’ve reached your goal.

Attainable

While it can be helpful to set big-picture goals in the long term, you need a more achievable goal on the horizon to keep you on track. You want to start small and see early wins, which encourages long-term consistency.

If you set something too lofty right off the bat, it might be discouraging to not make progress as fast as you would like. You should also consider the size of your goal—for example, a goal of losing 5 stone in one month just isn’t going to happen, so you’re better off setting smaller goals that are in closer reach.

Relevant

Ask yourself, ‘is this goal worthwhile, and am I motivated to do it?’ Creating a goal with some type of motivation attached to it, like I want to lose 5 stone in two months to be ready for my wedding, can give a bit of relevancy to your goal.” Whether you want to feel confident at a big event or perform better during everyday activities, pinpoint why a goal is important to you.

Timely

You want to be strict about a deadline—doing so creates urgency. It’s also important not to set your sights too far out. If you give yourself four months to lose 5 stone, that might be too long because you aren’t incentivised to start working at it immediately.

Instead, consider setting smaller goals along the way, like “I want to lose 4kg in two weeks.” Maybe running a marathon is your long-term goal, but if you’ve never been a runner, signing up for one that’s a month away isn’t realistic so instead, set smaller mileage goals for shorter time periods and work your way up.

You should also be honest with yourself about what you’re able to accomplish in a given time frame.