Foundation 3: Goal setting The key to losing weight is changing unhealthy habits to healthier ones. It is important not to try to change too much at once. People who set too many goals or make them too difficult, may simply give up. That’s why we ask you to set just 1 or 2 small, achievable goals each week. As you are changing long term habits you will need to focus your efforts and practice the change until it becomes something which you do naturally. Over the course of the 12 weeks on this programme you will be amazed at how these small goals have changed your lifestyle.
SMART goal setting Goals help you change unhealthy habits to healthier ones. You should set small, achievable goals each week throughout the programme.
S
Specific Not a vague intention but something that you can ‘pin yourself down to’.
M
Measurable
A
Achievable
R
Relevant
T
Time-specific
This means that you can assess how far you have come towards achieving your goal.
Set a realistic goal, aiming for small, specific steps.
This means setting a goal that means something to you.
Set yourself a realistic time frame for your goal. One week usually works well.
Examples of vague intentions translated to SMART goals: 1. Vague: “I’m going to start swimming.” SMART: “I will go swimming after work every Wednesday and I will review my progress in 1 month’s time.” 2. Vague: “I’m not going to eat any more fat.” SMART: “I’ll switch to low fat spread in the sandwich I take to work and if I succeed for the next two weeks, I’ll switch to reduced fat mayonnaise as well.”
3. Vague: “I’m going to eat more fruit and vegetables.” SMART: “I’ll eat 2 vegetables each day with my evening meal and if I succeed for 1 week, I will eat 2 pieces of fruit each day too.”
