Friday, November 21, 2008

Realistic Goals in a Calories Loss Diet For a Thinner You

By Rowena French

One of the most common mistakes that people make when it comes to weight loss is setting unrealistic expectations about how much weight they need to lose and how fast they can lose it. Setting unrealistic weight goals is really sabotaging your calories loss diet and your efforts to lose weight. That is why it is important to have some tools you can use to set realistic weight loss goals for yourself.

The end product of losing weight is a re-shaped body and to reach this goal, weight loss professionals have established one or two pounds a week as a healthy weight loss rate. Unrealistic weight losses like five pounds a week or sixty pounds by the end of winter are not only unhelpful but also potentially medically dangerous. These goals can cause disappointment and lead to you quitting the calories loss diet that drives your weight loss, so consider the tools below to make sure your weight loss goals are achieved.

Cut back the weight you expect to lose if it is not achievable because losing 1-2 pounds each week is possible and should be counted a success. Small but consistent weight losses like this are the backbone of the most successful weight loss programs and the result of a carefully planned calories loss menu and an exercise program week by week. The success of each week's loss is enough to spur you on to do repeat this the following week and your total weight loss is unlikely to be regained again in the future.

Percentage weight loss of your body weight instead of pounds alone, means that you will avoid aiming for a pre-determined weight loss and give up if you do not appear to reach it. If you are carrying excess pounds now, it is likely that losing around 10-20% of your total weight is worth aiming for to reach a healthy weight. By losing 20-40 pounds a 200 pound person who is overweight is far more likely to reach a healthy weight than one who was calculated a set weight loss because it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Measure your weight loss in different ways to see the full impact of healthy eating and exercise on your body shape and include in your goals these different ways of charting your weight loss. The measurements you read on your scales do reflect your weight loss but so does the size of your waist, your hips and your chest. Sometimes you will find the loss of your body mass plateaus for a time but your body measurements continue to diminish so make sure both of these forms of measurement are part of your goals.

Calculate your weight loss carefully taking into account that the rate of weight loss suggested by experts is around 1-2 pounds each week. If you want to lose 30 pounds, you will need to allow 15-17 weeks to do this and while this may sound too long at the beginning an achievable span of time for your weight loss like this allows you the opportunity for regular weekly success and finally allows you to reach your ultimate goal. Any time frame less than this puts unnecessary pressure on you and is likely to see you quit your calories loss diet and exercise program and resume unhealthy eating habits.

Try to reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 per day either by exercising more and burning more calories or by eating less. Use a calories counter to estimate the changes you need to make to bring about this calories loss each day and use it to determine the foods that you can continue to include in your menu. Losing weight is a numbers game so get familiar with those numbers and how to use them to lose weight.

Include both immediate goals and those to be reached across the long haul so you can acknowledge your successes along the way and still keep your eyes fixed on the final outcome. The weight loss process is one that needs encouragement built into it, so as lose your first 5 or 10 pounds treat your self to special non eating rewards. Build onto these smaller but growing successes by losing further weight through your calories loss diet and exercise routine until the final goal is yours! - 15343

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