Goal Setting in Weight Loss

One pound a week. That's it. Primary weight loss goal number one: focus on losing one pound per week.

Seems simple enough, right? Most clients, however, have a difficult time getting their mind around how effective focusing on losing one pound a week can be. They have seen all the infomercials on TV about "I lost 30 pounds in one week!" Well, there are several problems with these claims. One, every one of them has a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen that says, "Results not typical. Please follow a proper diet and exercise program." The second biggest problem is that this doesn't take into account water loss and how much a pound of fat actually is.

Most fluctuations in weight tend to be either water retention or elimination. This is proven by the fact that a pound of bodyfat is 3,500 calories. So, if you weigh in two pounds heavier than you did the day before, for that to be actual bodyfat you would have had to accidentally eat an additional 7,000 calories OVER your maintenance calories for the day. That is a hefty accomplishment and not easily done, so you'd know if you did that. It wouldn't just happen.

Conversely, if you weight lighter by two pounds on a given day than the day before, you would have had to burn an EXTRA 7,000 calories. Another daunting task. Consider Lance Armstrong has had many 10,000 calorie burning days, but he's the top cyclist of all times, and few people in the world could keep up with his work effort. Burning an extra 7,000 calories by accident just doesn't happen.

But, one real pound of fat loss per week is very possible. That means burning off an extra 500 calories per day than is being taken in. Requires some effort, but is quite possible.

One pound a week not enough for you? Consider this: one pound to two pounds a week is considered by virtually all trainers as the goal to shoot for. That's 8-10 pounds a month. That's over 50 pounds a year.

But the biggest reason to lose bodyfat at this rate is that you have the highest chance to keep the weight off if you do it at this rate. Slow and steady definitely wins the race this way as your body can naturally lose this, the skin will tighten at this rate around the new weight, and your body won't put up it's natural defenses to extreme change. I'll say it again, one pound a week, that's all.

But what is the best way to use this knowledge about weight loss goals? Pick an event in the future. Son's birthday coming up two months from now? Getting married two months from now? Going to a friend's wedding two months from now? All great events. But even if you pick a more arbitrary goal, like Labor day two months from now, use that day as your goal. "By Labor day, I want to have lost twenty pounds." Twenty pounds in two months? Very possible.

And here is a big point that needs to be mentioned. If the day comes after the two months have passed and you haven't lost twenty pounds, but instead have only lost eight, that's still good! That's eight pounds you have a very good chance of keeping off indefinitely. If this happens, you now get to focus on the three weight loss items, namely weight training, cardio and diet and figure out which one of these you are lacking, or slacking off in. Check on each, determine where you can improve, then get back at it.

Then you would look and see if there is an event two months from now. Running a race? Selling your house? Going to a high school reunion? It doesn't matter until you make this your goal day. Then it really matters! That should then be looked at like this, every day, "I have a high school reunion to go to two months from now. That means I have to lose twenty pounds by then. That means I have to lose ten this month. That means this week I need to lose 1-2 pounds. That means today I had better get to the gym!"

If you use this goal setting method you can almost assuredly achieve your goals. One day at a time, keep at it! And, remember, just one to two pounds a week! You've achieved so much in your life up to this point, so one pound a week is nothing, right! You can do it!