Creating Realistic Health Goals
When people start the journey towards a healthier lifestyle, they often want to see results
overnight. Unhealthy habits that formed over years they want to be gone in a day, and extra
weight they’ve carried for decades they want to be gone in the blink of an eye. And it is easy to
believe results like this are possible. We live in a culture where diet companies thrive off of
selling testimonials about products, exercise regimens, and eating plans that promise results
overnight. However, health related results that are experienced overnight are usually achieved
in ways that are not sustainable and instead leave you burnt out and right back where you
started just a few months later.
So if quick fixes don’t work, then what does? How do we create realistic expectations for
ourselves when creating a healthier lifestyle? The important thing to remember from the start is
that just as your unhealthy lifestyle didn’t begin overnight, a healthy one won’t be achieved
overnight either. Habit change takes time, patience, and determination to make yourself the
healthiest you possible. Although quick fixes and fad diets feel so much easier, they won’t give
you the true long-lasting results you deserve and want. In contrast, if you realize that being
healthy is about your lifestyle then you will be able to start making sustainable changes that will
stick with you for the long haul.
The next thing to focus on when creating a lifestyle change is to pick one or two aspects of your
life to focus on at a time. Instead of trying to change everything all at once, be realistic and
begin with 2 goals for the week ahead. Make these goals that meet you where you’re at and
don’t put unnecessary strain on you mentally. For example, if you aren’t in the habit of
exercising at all, it won’t be realistic to expect yourself to be able to run 5 miles a day overnight.
Instead, you can start with the goal of walking/jogging 3 times a week for 30 minutes and build
up from there. As you find yourself getting comfortable and confident with reaching your goals,
that’s when you can make new goals. Once you feel comfortable walking, you can increase your
time, pace, or distance to push yourself a little farther each week. Then, before you know it you
will have created a healthy activity routine that fits you and feels attainable long-term.
The next thing to remember when trying to make healthy changes in your life is that one size
does not fit all. This is true in several things related to weight. First, one size doesn’t fit all when
it comes to specific routines and habits. Yes, there are certain healthy principles when it comes
to weight loss and healthy eating, but those principles don’t look the same for everyone to live
out. For example, as we’ve discussed previously, each meal should include a portioned out
source of protein, fat, and fiber. However, meals that fit this mold don’t all look the same. For
example, if you can’t stand the taste of kale then you don’t have to include kale in your weekly
meal plan. Instead you can include any number of other leafy green vegetables (i.e. spinach,
chard, broccoli, etc.). Likewise, if you cannot live without creamer in your coffee that is okay-
choose that as the fat for your morning meal and pick a leaner protein to pair with it instead.
Healthy eating can be what you need it to be. You don’t have to fit a specific mold or diet plan in
order to be living a healthy life.
In addition to lifestyle, one size does not fit all when it comes to weight as well. Weight, as we
talked about last week, can feel like such a confusing topic and it can be easy to fall into lies
from our culture that you have to be a specific weight in order to be healthy. The truth of the
matter is that when it comes to weight loss everyone’s journey looks different- and that is okay.
No matter the rate of weight loss or the end goal, what is important is that you are following
healthy guidelines to reach realistic goals that are healthy for YOU. Not healthy for your
neighbor, child, spouse, or anyone else you may be influenced by.
Choosing your goal weight needs to be based on activity level, body type, and life stage. In
addition, the speed in which you reach your weight loss goal needs to be based on facts and not
instant gratification. Remember: every pound of weight lost is equivalent to 3,500 calories. If a
weight loss plan encourages you to lose more than 1-2 pounds per week (which is equal to a
500 calorie deficit per day), then you may be under nourishing yourself. Weight loss that is
sustainable will allow you to feed yourself adequate calories with balanced meals, while also
leaving just enough of a calorie deficit to allow you to lose weight. Losing weight at a steadier
rate like this will then allow you to create filling meals and a balanced mindset that you can use
long-term, rather than making you feel like you are in chains to specific foods you “are” and
“aren’t” allowed to eat each day.
So when making healthy changes, focus on the long-term. Don’t get lost in the fads and
advertisements promising immediate results. Meet yourself where you’re at and make realistic
goals that will help you for the rest of your life. Furthermore, if you’re not sure where to start with
making changes or creating a goal weight, message us today at natalie@nutrition502.com or
check out our website to see how we can get you started in a healthy direction!