The importance of setting healthy goals

We all like to think about getting healthier, losing a bit of weight and improving our fitness but what are the secrets behind actually getting to where you want to be?

Firstly, you need to know what you want achieve - if you think "ok I just want to lose some weight" - how do you define when you have done that - is it 1kg or is it 10kg? It needs to be measurable. When you are setting your lifestyle based goals you might think "well 1kg is pretty easy and if I set a big goal like 10kg I'll never make it!", but if you dream big, you'll get big. Start by having a great goal and then to make it more manageable set smaller goals along the way - for example your big goal might be to lose 10kg within 10 months, and your smaller stepping stone goals may be to lose 1kg in in month 1, lose 2kgs by the end of month 2, and so on. Having stepping stone goals will make it more manageable and motivating when you get to them. A great way to keep motivation up is to reward yourself when you get to each stepping stone. Avoid using food as reward as you are embarking on a new healthy relationship with food - instead you may like to have a spa treatment, buy a new pair of shoes, take a mini vacation or weekend away.

When you have your goals and stepping stones decided write them out and place them somewhere that you will see them each day so tat you are constantly reminded of them. Now you are ready to make changes in your lifestyle to achieve your goals - you can see more on how we can help you set and achieve your goals at www.sportsnutritionist.co.nz