A New Year, A New You
Setting Realistic Goals

1. Make sure the goals you set are your goals. In other words, are you trying to lose weight for a parent, a doctor, a boyfriend? While others may have your best interest at heart, the goals you make should be your own.
2. Set realistic goals … then break them down into smaller goals. Outline the mini steps you will need to achieve the goals. If you are beginning an exercise program in January, it is unrealistic to think you can run the Boston marathon in April. How about being able to run twelve miles a week by March? If you need to lose 30 pounds, think about losing weight in five-pound increments.
3. Prioritize your goals … and then be flexible enough to modify them. Everything may seem important, but you need to decide which goal(s) you will try and achieve now … and which ones you would like to address in June.
4. Have a game plan. Write it down. Be specific and enlist the support of others if necessary. Sometimes announcing your goals publicly makes them more real.
5. Monitor your progress. This doesn’t mean stepping on a scale three times a day, which would be a bit obsessive and counterproductive. Instead, have a pair of pants you would like to get into, measure the increased distance you can walk or evaluate your food intake to see how it’s changed. Reward yourself often.
6. To lose weight and keep it off, your rate of weight loss should never exceed more than 2 pounds a week. Initially, you might lose a bit more, but the average over the first month should be 3-8 pounds. Losing weight too quickly is usually the result of restricting your intake too much.
7. Be sure to include favorite foods everyday … even if they are not traditionally recommended on a weight loss diet. Learning to include those foods you love will make them less likely to become binge foods.
8. Forget about perfection. You do not need to eat perfectly to lose weight. Your goal is to eat well most of the time, not all of the time.
9. Have a support network. Make a list of things you can do instead of eating and keep the list front and center. When the going gets tough, know that you can call a friend, e-mail a buddy, take a bath or go for a walk.
10. Find time to exercise. Here’s the truth: after a certain age – and you’re approaching it – you can only maintain weight loss by adding some movement to your day. It doesn’t have to be everyday and you don’t need to “go for the burn.” Find a time of day and determine which days are realistic … then do it!

Learn more about Eating Well on Campus - book by Ann Litt packed with tips on eating healthy at school without depriving yourself.

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