How to Set Reasonable Weight Loss Goals

By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD 

If you are trying to lose weight, it can be overwhelming to think of your final goal and the time and effort it will take. 

Instead of getting so caught up in the future, try setting a series of reasonable, small goals along the way. Focusing on the process instead of the outcome will help you succeed. 

Here are our top tips for setting reasonable weight loss goals.  

1 – Understand healthy weight loss.  

Some people expect to lose 5 to 10 pounds a week after making changes to diet and exercise. But these numbers are unrealistic. 

Instead, healthy weight loss ranges from 0.5-2 pounds per week, depending on the person. If you want to lose 20 or 30 pounds, it may take longer than you realize. Understanding what a realistic amount of weight loss is will leave you with fewer surprises and prevent you from feeling discouraged along the way. 

Plus, it’s not healthy nor sustainable to lose a large amount of weight too quickly. You may experience a drop in metabolism as your body tries to adjust to the significant change. 

2 – Set mini goals on the way. 

One of the keys to successful weight loss is focusing on what you want to achieve in the short-term, not in 1 or 2 years. 

Is your ultimate goal to lose 20 pounds and fit into your favorite pair of pants? Keep that in the back of your mind, but set some mini goals to focus on first. 

This week, you can make it a goal to swap your afternoon soda with a sparkling water. Next week, keep that goal and add on 20 minutes of strength training. Focus on how great you will feel with these changes, instead of the long-term outcome.  

3 – Ditch the scale and use other methods of assessment. 

Focusing on the numbers on a scale (which are often unreliable!) may not be the best way to track weight loss. And if you don’t see the results you want, you may lose motivation and ditch your plan entirely. 

Instead of using a scale, try some different ways of tracking your goals. Use a dress or piece of clothing you want to wear to measure how your body composition changes over time. You can also track improvements in your sleep, skin, and energy instead of weight, and write down the positive additions to your diet (like veggies or whole grains) every day. 

All of these non-scale methods are great ways to track your progress and keep you motivated to continue. 

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