Often, when we think of health goals, we focus on losing a particular amount of weight. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, especially if your doctor has advised you to lose weight for the sake of your health. But the problem is that focusing on just this one goal all of the time can cause you to link too much of your self esteem to a number on a scale. There are plenty of other goals that you can address, that are very achievable (and will probably help that scale budge, anyway).

Kick the sugar habit. Processed sugar not only adds calories to food; eating it makes you crave more and more sugar! It works a bit like a drug, in that you experience feelings of happiness and satiety after a “hit”… But that feeling soon wears off and you’re craving more. Kicking the sugar habit once and for all is the best way to escape this cycle. Yes, it will be difficult for the first few weeks, but your taste buds soon adjust and you won’t miss it so much anymore.

Set a daily walking goal. You can choose a set amount of time, number of steps, or number of miles. Then track your progress with a smartphone app or fitness tracker. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment as you reach your daily goal, and you’ll probably see results on the scale, too.

Commit to a new class. Choose a fitness class that appeals to you (kickboxing, spin, Pilates, boot camp, and so on) and commit to it for the duration of one paid session (a month, six weeks, etc). If you’ve paid for it in advance, you’re more likely to stick with it til the end.

Set a fruit-and-veggie goal. This tip works great because, instead of focusing on things you can’t eat, you’ll focus on things you have to eat! Decide that you will eat 5 (or more, if you’re ambitious) servings of fruits and vegetables every day… And remember to log your meals somewhere, so you don’t lose count.

Establish a fitness goal. You should be exercising for some reason other than “losing weight”. That’s a vague goal, and it’s not closely tied to the exercise itself. Set a goal to raise money for a charity walk, run a half marathon, climb a mountain, bench press a certain amount, or something else that appeals to you. Make your goal more personal than weight loss, and you’ll enjoy the journey so much more.

Of course, you should also give us a call if you do want to lose weight safely and effectively. We can help with a prescribed meal plan that supports all of your goals.