Medical Review by Jennie Stanford, MD, FAAFP, DABOM
Summary:
- SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timed.
- Specific objectives help focus your efforts (e.g., “Walk for 30 minutes five days a week”).
- Measuring progress through metrics like calorie intake or exercise minutes can keep you accountable and motivated.
- Achievable targets, like losing 1–2 pounds per week, prevent burnout and build momentum.
- Realistic goals align with your lifestyle to create habits you can maintain over time.
- Timed deadlines add urgency and allow you to measure success at regular intervals.
The way you set weight loss goals can make or break your New Year’s resolutions
If you’re choosing to lose weight as your New Year’s resolution, you’re not alone. Many people take this opportunity to set new health and wellness goals—but while goal-setting is important, the way you do it matters just as much.
If you want to make real progress towards a healthier you, the goals you set should do more than name the result you want—they should also provide a useful framework for getting there. One way to improve your chances of success is by using the SMART framework—a proven method for setting effective goals.
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed. This method is widely used in the business world to help improve focus and create standards for recognizing success. But it has been studied in the context of setting health goals as well.
By applying the SMART framework and working with a healthcare provider, you can create a clear and actionable plan for weight loss. Here’s how to use this approach to guide your journey.
Specific goals
Vague goals, like “lose weight” or “eat healthier,” lack specific criteria, which can make them harder to follow through. Specific goals clearly define what you want to achieve, making it easier to focus your efforts.
For example, instead of saying, “I want to exercise more,” try, “I will walk for 30 minutes after work five days a week.” Research shows that when you set specific and challenging goals for your health, your performance improves because you’re more likely to show up and participate in the behavior or activities you’ve planned.
Breaking up larger goals into smaller steps or milestones can help with this. An incremental approach to progress can keep you moving in the right direction instead of cracking under pressure to achieve too much all at once.
Measurable progress
Tracking your weight loss efforts in measurable ways helps you to see how far you’ve come and adjust your plan as needed. Studies show that monitoring your own progress when it comes to exercise, food intake, and weight are associated with successful outcomes.
Choose metrics that align with your goals. For example:
- Recording daily calorie intake if you’re focused on portion control.
- Tracking minutes of physical activity per week.
- Monitoring weight or waist circumference changes over time.
Seeing these metrics change can help you stay accountable and motivate you to stay committed to your resolution. This may be especially helpful if you’re not seeing results as quickly as you’d like.
Achievable results
There are actually two schools of thought here. Some research suggests that even setting “unrealistic” goals can help some people lose weight—and might actually improve results by encouraging them to be more ambitious about meeting their targets.
But research also shows that participants in a weight loss study who set high goals were more likely to quit and drop out. So while aspirational weight loss goals might very well benefit you, it’s best not to set targets that are too far out of reach.
What’s the right balance? It depends on each individual, although the best results in the studies referenced above came from people with a BMI of at least 25 who set goals of losing 10% or more of their total body weight. But everyone is different—consider consulting a healthcare practitioner to find out what kind of weight loss target might work best for you.
Realistic plans
This might sound similar to the above—but it has more to do with creating a plan that matches your lifestyle, resources, and health needs than deciding on how much weight you want to lose.
You want a weight loss routine that you can actually stick to, not a list of tasks that constantly disrupt your established routines or interfere with your existing commitments. Some of the most common obstacles in the way of weight loss include the time it takes to exercise, difficulties accessing the right facilities, and the availability of healthy foods. That’s why many weight loss strategies focus on simple changes that are easy to incorporate.
For example, if your schedule only allows for three gym visits per week, you might not want to set a goal to work out every day. Working out on the three days per week that your schedule allows and making some basic changes to your diet might be an easier routine to keep up in the long run.
Related: Top tips for starting a sustainable weight loss journey in the new year
Timed targets
Time is a vital aspect of any goal, because it helps set a standard for your success. Without a when, there’s no real way to evaluate whether you’ve achieved the goal you chose—so adding deadlines is an important way to stay accountable.
For best results, set both short-term and long-term timelines. For example:
- Short-term: “Lose 5 pounds in the next four weeks by walking and tracking my meals.”
- Long-term: “Reach my goal weight within six months and maintain it through these consistent habits: eating my goal of protein per day, minimizing added sugars, walking 5 times per week, and sleeping 8 hours per night.”
Attaching deadlines to individual steps as well as overall weight loss goals can make them more actionable. It also makes success easier to measure at regular intervals.
Reassessing & adjusting your goals
Flexibility is key to staying on track when life throws curveballs. Occasional setbacks happen—and while it’s important to stay committed to your goals, forgiving yourself is also key to staying on track instead of giving up.
If you hit a plateau or face obstacles, ask yourself:
- Are my goals still realistic?
- Should I modify my approach?
- Would additional support help, such as consulting a healthcare provider or joining a fitness group?
Adjusting your goals doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it’s a sign of resilience and commitment to long-term success.
Set SMART weight loss goals with help from Lemonaid Health
The SMART framework provides a clear, evidence-based strategy for setting and achieving your New Year’s weight loss resolutions. By focusing on Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed goals, you can create a plan that’s tailored to your needs and sustainable in the long run.
Remember, progress isn’t always linear, and setbacks are a natural part of any journey. Stay flexible, track your progress, and celebrate small victories along the way.
Lemonaid Health can help you connect with a healthcare professional to create a personalized weight loss plan. We can answer your questions and prescribe appropriate medication in clinically indicated cases. With the right team and tools, you can make meaningful strides toward a healthier you—get started today.
