Making Healthy Changes That Last With SMART Goals

December 17, 2024

Starting a new weight-loss plan is no small endeavor. It can be easy for questions like, "How many calories should I be eating?" "How often should I exercise?" "How do I stay motivated?" and "What if I fall off track?" to overwhelm us before we even take the first step. Setting a SMART goal is a great tool for breaking your weight-loss goal into small, manageable steps. SMART stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable/Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Part of the TOPS approach to weight loss is that it's better to lose weight slowly over time than to go full steam ahead—only to give up or revert to old habits. Here are tips to help make SMART goals work for you!

Keep it simple.

Life can be complicated enough without adding an elaborate goal that doesn't work with your schedule and daily life. For example, if you have a jam-packed workday and a busy schedule at home, vowing to work out for an hour every day may not be realistic. Choosing instead to set an alarm on your phone to get up and move a little every hour during the workday could be a better fit.

Find a SMART goal buddy.

Partner up with a friend, family member or someone from your TOPS chapter who also wants to make healthy changes. You can share progress photos, check in regularly via text or meet up for activities that support your goals. Having an accountability partner helps you stay on track and makes the journey more fun and engaging. You might even start a friendly challenge where you share "SMART goal selfies" of yourselves completing your respective goals.

Celebrate yourself.

When you achieve your SMART goal, treat yourself to something special, like a massage or a new shirt for the gym. Setting a reward, like a new pair of walking shoes after completing ten weeks of walking four times per week, can provide extra motivation to stay on track.

The road to weight loss can be bumpy. But if we pave it with small, simple goals, we can make the journey worthwhile and set ourselves up for long-term success.

This post was originally published on the TOPS Wellness Wednesday blog in January 2016 and has been updated.