Goal Making

When wanting to make a change in your life regarding your diet and health, making goals is an important tool that can keep you on track and help you develop a plan of action.

Similar to my previous post about using a food contract (click here to read, if you haven't read it i highly recommend you to take a look.) Here is a goal making system by Ann Constance, RD I saw in this month's Today's Dietitian Journal.

WHAT system for setting goals 
Your goal should have all of these components, but you can have many goals, just each one will be focused and specific. 

• W = What, When, Where? - What are you going to do? When are you doing it? Where are you doing it?
• H = How much, How many, or How often? - How much are you going to exercise or workout? for how long will your exercise last? How many miles will you run? how often will you eat an apple in lunch? 
• A = Achievable (and believable) - Is this a realistic goal? something you can actually achieve? Don't aim too high or too low, find a goal that is challenging yet attainable. Also, here is where you should identify any barriers to meeting your goal. Do you have all the tools you need to achieve your goal? do you need new sneakers? do you need to buy certain foods from the grocery store? Identify all the tools you will need to achieve your goal. 
• T = Time frame for achieving the goal - How long are you giving your self to achieve this goal? be realistic. Find a method to keep your self on track, like a check off list or writing in your agenda a daily blurp about how you are doing with your goal. 

Hope this helps! 

Instead of talking in the air about "wanting to lose weight" or "exercising more" use this method to make an actual written plan, you are more likely to achieve your goal this way!

I also like using motivational tools such as the above picture to look at every day and to remind me of my goal!

xoxo, 

Danielle