Diet Mistakes #10

#10 Setting Unrealistic Goals

Telling yourself you’ll lose 20 pounds your first week is probably setting yourself up for failure. If you know you won’t be able to do it, you may never start your diet in the first place. If you do diet and lose 5 pounds in a week, instead of celebrating, you may feel discouraged that you didn’t reach your goal. A realistic goal is vital to successful dieting. If you’re not sure what your goal should be, talk to a dietitian.

This is a hard one. I have done this before. "I am going to loose 30 pounds in 1 month." Yeah right!! I have found that setting realistic goals is so much easier because you get a feeling of accomplishment when you actually achieve them instead of total frustration when you don't. My first go round, my goal was to reach a "healthy" (based on BMI) weight which meant 22 pounds in 12 weeks. That may have even been pushing it because the guidelines are 1-2 pounds a week after the first week. But I lost 6 pounds my first week so that left 16 pounds for 11 weeks. And I actually did accomplish it.

This time around, I had less to lose so my goal was 16 pounds in 12 weeks. So far, I am on track.

However, don't set goals that are so low that you could do it in your sleep. I heard a lady once say, "I always set a goal for weight loss and I never achieve it. So this year, I am not going to set a number. My goal for this year is just to be healthier." What kind of a goal is that? Set a real goal and then find ways to keep yourself on track (like a specific diet and exercise plan). If you just say "I am going to lose 5 pounds this month and don't exercise or change eating habits, it's probably not going to happen!