Setting yourself up for success
One of the most important steps when you’re trying to lose weight is getting in the right mind frame. Losing weight can feel like a daunting task to start with so it’s a good idea to write down your goals and break those down into mini-goals.
The changes you make to your diet and lifestyle need to be sustainable in the long term so that when you lose weight, you’re able to keep it off. There are a few things you should think about before starting out on your weight management journey, these include:
Motivation
What is your motivation to manage your weight? Is it to improve your health; to have more energy; to feel better about yourself or fit back into some of your favourite clothes?
Writing it down, visualising your end goal and reminding yourself of why you want to lose weight in the first place will help with your motivation.
Lifestyle
This includes your diet, physical activity, how much alcohol you drink and whether you smoke. All of these have an impact on your health and also your blood glucose control, which can make your diabetes more difficult to manage.
You might find it helpful to keep a food and physical activity diary for a week as this can help identify some areas where you can make some small changes. Try identifying one or two things you can change to start with – this could be going out for a short walk every day, or perhaps eating breakfast at the same time every morning.
Once you start making some changes and start to see and feel some benefits then try making some more changes.
Support
What and who is going to support you in your weight management journey? It might be a friend that you can exercise with; planning out all of your meals in advance; using an app to track food and exercise; joining a weight management class or your partner or family also joining you with the changes you are making.
Doing things differently isn’t easy to start with but having support will make the journey there much easier!
How many times have you said to yourself that you’ll go out for a walk or run but when the time comes you can’t muster the energy? If you have a friend or family member that can join you then you’re far more likely to do it and enjoy it!
SMART Goals
Completing this S.M.A.R.T. goals worksheet is designed to help you identify if what you want to achieve is realistic and determine a deadline. When writing S.M.A.R.T. goals use concise language but include relevant information. These are designed to help you succeed, so be positive when answering the questions.
When you have submitted your answers, you will be given the option to download and keep a copy of your responses for your records.
