+ Nutrition
and More

By Kate Fisher

Kate Fischer, MS, RD, LD owns Alameda Fitness
Center in Northeast
Portland, OR
503-548-4011
getfit@alamedafitness.
www.alamedafitness.com

S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Lifelong Change

We all know that diets rarely work for long term weight loss and maintenance; the one thing that sticks is small incremental changes that you can sustain. Unfortunately our society desires radical change with quick results, but as many of us know, this inevitably leads to an equal, if not greater, weight regain. This is a hard pill to swallow, but we challenge you this year to go the way of the tortoise and not the hare — radical change must be replaced with a slow and steady process towards lifelong behavior change.

One way to do this is to carefully set your goals to allow for short-term successes that propel you toward lifelong change. This article will help you set your goals more appropriately this year, ultimately helping you make changes that will stick. Goals should be action based, versus weight based. For example, how often you go to the gym, how many glasses of water you drink each day, or how many vegetables you ate. These actions will ultimately help you to lose weight in the long run, but without the intense focus on a number that can be easily influenced by a multitude of factors.

After making your goals action based, pick one to three small goals that you feel ready, willing, and able to do right now. Achieving success with these behaviors will help push you toward future successes. For example, start with the goal of bring your own lunch two times per week versus bringing your own lunch every day. Every day may be very difficult as you adjust to a new behavior, but two times a week is much more achievable in the short term.

Also, be sure to keep in mind the 80/20 concept. Goals don’t need to be “always do without fail.” Instead, be sure to stick to your goals 80% of the time, allowing for unexpected events that influence your ability to achieve your goal. This leaves room for reality without the guilt of feeling like you have failed. The feeling of failure can often lead to rash emotional decisions made under stress, and can ultimately undermines positive progress. Strive to be better; striving to be perfect is most often unrealistic.

Lastly, consider the acronym S.M.A.R.T. Goals that are S.M.A.R.T. are achievable and promote positive progress.

Specific: Identify a small action with your goal — break down large goals into baby steps, versus starting with an expansive overarching goal.

Example: I will bring a bag lunch one time per week, versus I will never eat fast food while at work.

Measurable: Your goal is something you can track and concretely count.

Example: I will eat one vegetable per day, versus I will “eat better.” Eat better is an often used, but vague goal without a quantifiable goal.

Attainable: Don’t overreach your bounds with your goal. Make sure it is within your ability to achieve. Is it doable — is it an 80/20 behavior?

Example: Under normal conditions, losing weight like participants on the Biggest Loser is not attainable for the general population without significant health risks and commitments. An attainable rate of weight loss would be in the range of one to two pounds per week.

Realistic: You should physically be able to meet your goal. Do you have the skills necessary to achieve the goal you set out to meet?

Example: You want to walk to work every day but you have a bum knee — that is not a realistic goal. Or your goal is to remove fast food completely, but you don’t feel confident in the kitchen to make your own food. An initial goal should be to develop the skills of cooking, and then work on removing fast food from your intake.

Time-based: Bookend the time it will take you to achieve your goal. This will give you a target to continue to move toward. Try not to make it too short of a time period, like the 20 pounds in one week weight loss goal, but not too long that you lose focus over the duration it takes you to achieve it.

So this New Year, reflect on the moral of the story The Tortoise and the Hare; slow and steady wins the race. Expect some level of backsliding, and be okay with the fact it is not a straight line to success. Ask for support, whether family, friends or professional, and establish methods to follow through and track your goals, such as online nutrition and exercise tracking. And go forth into the New Year with a S.M.A.R.T. approach to your wellness resolution making.

Kate Fischer, MS, RD, LD, is a dietitian at and owner of Alameda Fitness Center (AFC) in Northeast Portland, OR. For more information on nutrition services or AFC, visit www.alamedafitness.com or call 503-548-4011.

Ian Rubin, MA, CPT, LWMC, is a wellness coach and personal trainer with AFC. For more information, visit www.wholeselfwellness.com or call 503-260-0473.