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Heads up! This article is connected to our Fat Loss Journey page. For the complete picture on how to lose fat using our evidence-based system, check it out here!
Creating your own fat loss SMART goal is the first step of your fat loss journey.
The right fat loss goal can create a foundation that you can act on and help you to burn as much fat as possible. With the wrong fat loss goal can leave you despondent, deflated, and potentially even worse off than where you began!
With that said, you’ll want to make sure you create a fat loss goal that sets you up for success. A great way to do that is using the SMART goal structure. A SMART goal is a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Specific.
In this post, we’ll break down each letter of SMART, how it applies to your fat loss SMART goal, and provide you with a template that you can use to create your own fat loss SMART goal.
Table of Contents
The Meaning of SMART
First, we’ll review each letter of SMART, and break down what it means for your fat loss SMART goal.
S Stands for Specific
A SMART goal has to be specific. This means choosing how many pounds of fat you want to burn.
Typically fat loss is measured in pounds, so ask yourself: “How many pounds of fat do I want to lose?”
M Stands for Measurable
You’ll also want to make sure your fat loss SMART goal is measurable. As long as you are specifying how many pounds of fat you want to lose, you can be sure that your SMART goal is measurable.
We’ll be covering how to measure fat loss progress later in our Fat Loss Journey, so don’t sweat that for now!
A Stands for Attainable
Your fat loss SMART goal should also be reasonably attainable! Attainable means that your fat loss goal should be challenging, but also realistic and achievable.
Later in our Fat Loss Journey, you’ll learn that you can expect to lose 4-8 pounds of fat per month with the appropriate training and nutrition plan.
With that said, you want to avoid setting a goal like “I want to lose 100 pounds of fat”, which would take a very long time to lose! To start, we recommend aiming for 5-10 pounds of fat loss.
R Stands for Relevant
When setting fat loss goals, you want to ensure your goal is relevant to you and your personal values. The National Academy of Sports Medicine points out that goals that are relevant are important to you and align with your other fitness-related aspirations.
For example, if you know you want to slim down in time for your summer birthday party, include that event in your SMART goal. In essence, you just want to make sure your goal is relevant to you, your lifestyle, and your personal goals.
T Stands for Time-Specific
Lastly, your smart goal should be time-specific. Every SMART goal should set a specific time that your goal must be completed by. This will help you keep on track and make your goal a priority.
Set a deadline to achieve your goal! Fat loss is a gradual process, so be sure to give yourself at least a month or two to achieve significant results.
Create Your Own Fat Loss SMART Goal
Now that you understand each letter of SMART, you can use the template below to create your own fat loss SMART goal. Just fill in the pieces of information within the parentheses using the template below!
Once you fill in the template, your fat loss SMART goal should look something like this:
“I want to lose 5 pounds of fat in the next 5 months in time for my summer birthday pool party so that I look great in my bathing suit.”
This is a great example of a fat loss SMART goal because it meets all 5 rules that we went over in this article:
- It is specific- It specifies how much fat you want to lose.
- It is measurable- It focuses on fat loss, which is measurable.
- It is attainable- 5 pounds of fat is very attainable with the right training and nutrition plan.
- It is relevant- It mentions a summer beach trip, making the goal more personally relevant.
- It is time–specific- It specifies 1 month, giving a specific deadline for when the goal needs to be achieved.
Conclusion
Making sure your fat loss goal is SMART creates the foundation for a successful fat loss journey.
A proper fat loss SMART goal is:
- Specific about the amount of fat you want to lose.
- Measurable.
- Attainable (while challenging) .
- Relevant to you, your lifestyle, and your priorities.
- Time specific and gives you a deadline.
So, before you leap into your fat loss journey, take the time to make sure your goal satisfies the SMART requirements!
Once you create your fat loss SMART goal, post it somewhere visible, like on the wall in your room! It may seem like a minor thing to do, but staying focused during your fat loss journey is a huge factor in your success.
For the next step in your fat loss journey, be sure to visit our Fat Loss Journey page!