This is going to be YOUR year!

As 2015 comes to a close are you thinking of your annual New Year’s Resolution? Let me guess, it is to lose weight. Do you find you set this resolution every year but by February 1 it is gone?

Let’s ditch those New Year’s Resolutions and set a SMART goal. The acronym SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.

• Specific: Instead of a blanket statement “I want to lose weight” let’s be a bit more specific. “I am going to lose ______(insert your number) pounds”.
• Measurable: How will you know if you are on the right track? Weighing yourself weekly will tell you. Don’t weigh daily…your body fluctuates due to water/salt retention, hormone changes, cycle, full-moon (lol).
• Achievable and Realistic: Make sure your goal is something you can achieve and is realistic. You may say you want to lose 20 pounds (will that be a realistic weight to maintain and it is not a goal that can be reached in 2 months. Six months may be more realistic. Think of a goal that you will be able to maintain comfortably. Forget trying to be what you were in high school unless you graduated last year.
• Timely: By putting a time frame on it gives you a timetable. Again, a reality check is called for.

When setting a SMART goal it doesn’t have to be a number goal. The goal can be to fit into that pair of jeans you haven’t been able to wear in a couple of years. The measureable part is trying them on weekly and seeing the progress.

Once you have set your SMART goal now you need to put an action plan in place. What do you need to do to achieve that goal? Here are a few examples:

• Keep your food journal.
• Plan out your meals ahead of time.
• Food shop and pre prep for your menu plan. (“Those who fail to plan, plan to fail”)
• Exercise 3-4 times a week.

If you keep things realistic and start making small behavior changes you will see success. You can’t change everything at once. Small changes add up to big results.