Goals are the first step to starting a diet because that is the ground work. That is what you are trying to work towards and what will give you the inspiration for your eating habits and your workout regimen. The problem at times, is many individuals set a goal for themselves that isn’t actually realistic — and if they are barely realistic, they could be unhealthy for you.

Like any other situation, when individuals work hard, they want instant results that show their hard work. That isn’t always the case with dieting and working out. The plan should be much more simple than “workout – lose weight”.

Despite you having a long term goal — an ideal weight — the best option is to have a bunch of short term goals that you can reach weekly, bi-monthly or monthly. It gives you more motivation and it allows you to be a bit more realistic in what you want to reach.

For instance, it is completely possible for an individual to lose 100 lbs. in just 5 months of dieting and working out. However, as they lose the weight quickly, their body doesn’t have the time to adjust and the skin stays saggy and leaves room for the individual to gain the weight back and then some in a speedy fashion. It’s not about the instant results with dieting.

In fact, we’ll call it a way of life; something that you have to work on every day.

The healthy way to lose weight is by losing 1-2 lbs. a week and maintaining that consistent weight loss while working out in a normal demeanor and eating a balanced diet that includes essential proteins and vitamins. You want to be sure that your short term goals are very specific, but very reachable. One week you may have that you want to quit drinking soda and lose a pound, the next you may cut out fats and want to lose 3 lbs.

That way of thinking is completely fine and encouraged. When your goals are reachable, the motivation to continue once you reach them is much more powerful.