One of the best things you can do is set some goals for yourself. Goal setting is an important aspect of any successful weight loss strategy. The type of goals you set will depend on the amount of weight you have to lose and your personal fitness goals and desires.
It is important that you set goals that are SMART. What are smart goals? They are goals that are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Acceptable
- Realistic
- Tangible
You want to set 'specific' goals rather than abstract ones. What is an example? "I want to lose 1 pound per week" is an example of a specific goal. "I want to lose some weight" is not very specific, and won't set the stage for a successful weight loss program.
You also want to set goals that are measurable. You can for example, monitor your progress at weight loss or monitor the amount of food you put into your body every day.
You also must choose goals that are acceptable for you and your particular situation. Losing weight because someone else wants you to is not an acceptable reason to lose weight... in fact it is a terrible reason to start a weight loss program! You have to make a conscious decision to lose weight for yourself, for your health and for your well being.
It is vital that you also set goals that are realistic. Wanting to lose all the weight you gained one week after delivery is not a realistic goal. In fact, most women will take up to a year or more to lose all the weight they gained during pregnancy (not all though!). It is important that you remember that your body is recovering from the Herculean task of birthing a baby. That said you should take things one day at a time, and set goals that are attainable and realistic.
Tangible goals are goals that you can actually reach. If you have a large bone structure for example and are five feet nine inches, trying to get down to ninety eight pounds is not a real tangible (or smart or safe) goal. When setting tangible goals you should also determine a time frame for completing your goals. This will depend on how much weight you gained and how much time you can allocate to an exercise program.
Setting a timeframe for reaching your goals will help them become more tangible, and will help you stick with your fitness and exercise program.
Consider setting one or two short term goals, one or two mid term goals and one long term goal. Your short term goals are things that you can accomplish in less than a month. Your mid term goals should be goals that you would like to accomplish within a six month time frame and your long term goal should be something you aspire to in a year or more.
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com for more on weight loss after pregnancy
What should you do to have a happy pregnancy? Many... Read More
LIFE AFTER BIRTH: THE FIRST 6 WEEKSLife after birth can... Read More
It happened during the ninth month of my first pregnancy.... Read More
"Just eat a few saltines and you'll be ok".I don't... Read More
My first experience with bedrest was at 30 weeks into... Read More
Mums to be can often get worried about having sex... Read More
Women who supplement with a small amount of vitamin C... Read More
Exercising during pregnancy is always a very good idea, and... Read More
Pain is the word most associated with labor. Women go... Read More
Some people think that the word sexy and pregnancy do... Read More
When a woman in the child bearing years undergoes gastric... Read More
A doula is a Greek word meaning "woman servant." Doulas... Read More
Pregnancy tests identify a special hormone in the blood or... Read More
For me, it was "welcome to motherhood". Ready or not,... Read More
It is important that you nourish your relationship as much... Read More
Perhaps the number one complaint of women trying to watch... Read More
So you're expecting twins. Congratulations!Are you still in shock? I... Read More
If you have been drinking up until the point when... Read More
Stress Relief During Pregnancy If you truly want to ensure... Read More
During pregnancy your nutrition needs are going to increase. Even... Read More
There are three stages of pregnancy. These are the first,... Read More
FOLIC ACID ? AN OVERVIEWFolic Acid, also know as Vitamin... Read More
CONCEPTION TIPSConception takes place in three basic stages: ovulation, then... Read More
First and foremost I want to start by emphasizing that... Read More
Accurate dating of pregnancy is one of the most important... Read More
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women... Read More
Abortion is without a doubt one of the hottest and... Read More
The American College of Obstetics and Gynecology (ACOG) guidelines are... Read More
Many factors affect the development of a fetus into a... Read More
One point can't be emphasized enough. Weight loss takes time... Read More
Edema, otherwise known as swelling, will affect almost all women... Read More
If you have celiac disease and are well controlled because... Read More
As a pregnant woman, you may experience sex drives much... Read More
With so many people giving their opinion on what to... Read More
Extent of pregnancy prejudice in Britain's workplacesEach year around 30,000... Read More
If you are pregnant, there are things you should know... Read More
Most of the time pregnant women are afraid to have... Read More
Exclusively pumping breast milk is best thought of as an... Read More
With summer approaching, you would love to wear those cute... Read More
You probably became familiar with Kegel exercises during your pregnancy.... Read More
Pregnancy is a time where you have to be careful... Read More
Pain is the word most associated with labor. Women go... Read More
So you're expecting twins. Congratulations!Are you still in shock? I... Read More
A doula is a Greek word meaning "woman servant." Doulas... Read More
Weight control is a prevalent concern for many women after... Read More
Ectopic is another way of saying "out of place". An... Read More
"Just eat a few saltines and you'll be ok".I don't... Read More
Exercising during pregnancy is always a very good idea, and... Read More
The average woman will gain between 25 and 30 pounds... Read More
When a couple is unable to conceive a child, it... Read More
There are many early signs that you may be pregnant.... Read More
Edema, otherwise known as swelling, will affect almost all women... Read More
Obese and morbidly obese women are more likely to have... Read More
The foundation of fitness for a mom is her abdominal... Read More
There are three stages of pregnancy. These are the first,... Read More
One of the best gifts you can give your baby... Read More
What should you do to have a happy pregnancy? Many... Read More
Looking for healthy lifestyle pregnancy information? Here are some steps... Read More
If you are a pregnant mother or soon will be,... Read More
EPIDURALS CAN SAVE YOU FROM THE "HORRORS" OF CHILDBIRTHIt is... Read More
Very early symptoms of pregnancy -- what are they? If... Read More
After having given birth; weight becomes a lasting issue for... Read More
Generally most women can begin a formal exercise program within... Read More
Your period is late and you start to think maybe... Read More
Have you ever wondered what makes women tick? Well among... Read More
Your breasts are now twice their normal size.One of the... Read More
Pregnancy |