How to Set Realistic Fitness Goals

Goals are important. They keep us accountable and encourage us to push through challenges for a long-lasting change.

Whether it’s to start a new fitness plan, get back on track with your weight loss journey or simply eating more healthily, the key is to set goals that are realistic and attainable.

When you’re starting out on your OPTIFAST plan, it’s important to set reasonable and achievable weight loss and fitness goals to keep you motivated. Follow our advice below on how to set and achieve realistic fitness goals.

Setting Realistic Goals

It’s important to set fitness goals that are feasible and that you know you can achieve. The aim of setting goals is to have something to work towards and motivate you, so the last thing you want to do is to set goals that are too difficult and discourage yourself in the process.

Part of this is putting your goals into perspective. For many people on weight loss plans, focusing on the day-to-day progress can sometimes be more effective than looking towards the end result from day one.

woman running outdoors with weights

Successful Goal-Setting Strategies

Staying committed and motivated is crucial when it comes to adding exercise to your OPTIFAST plan. There are several strategies that will help you stay positive when trying to achieve your fitness goals.

Take One Goal at a Time

One of the biggest mistakes people make when setting fitness goals is trying to do too much all at once. If you set too many goals in the beginning, it can become overwhelming and you may get discouraged if you start to fall behind on achieving them.

It’s easier to stay positive by focusing on one goal at a time and really try to channel your efforts into achieving it. Once you’ve reached one of your goals, you should feel confident that you are ready and able to move on to another goal.

You might also want to try picking one short-term and one long-term goal. Your short-term goal could be something you want to achieve daily or weekly to keep your motivation up, while your long-term goal could be something you hope to achieve over the course of a month or longer.

Everybody’s journey is different and your goals should reflect that.

Concentrate on Your Goals

When you compare your progress to other people’s progress, it’s easy to become envious or frustrated if you feel you’re unable to achieve the same results.

Try not to compare and instead focus on reaching your goals and use the progress of others as a source of positive motivation.

woman exercising at home

Set Measurable Goals

Having a measurable goal will make it easier for you to track your progress. The more specific your goal, the easier it is to set an action plan to achieve it.

It’s also useful to set a realistic timeframe, so you can create a more structured plan to reach it.

Be Flexible

While it’s important to make your goals specific and time-bound, it’s equally important to review them as you progress on your fitness journey.

Your goals need to be flexible and you need to be open to adjusting them, depending on how you’re progressing. If your definition of success is too rigid, then it can actually become detrimental and demotivate you.

Realistic Fitness Goals: Examples

If you’re struggling to think of realistic examples of fitness and wellbeing goals, here are some great ideas to get you started:

Short-Term Goals

Move a little every hour
Do an exercise every week that’s designed to reduce stress
Take a short walk every day
Drink more water
Pay yourself a compliment every day

Long-Term Goals

Try one new workout every month
Find a workout partner
Take the stairs instead of the lift
Go for a walk after dinner several times a week rather than watching TV
Try to get 7-9 hours sleep every night

Keep Your Fitness Goals in Mind

Reaching your fitness goals may be tough, but be patient and persevere – the results will be worth it.

Make sure to write down your goals, so if you become discouraged at any stage, you can remind yourself why you started and rediscover your motivation.

Keep in mind that reaching your goals won’t happen immediately, but each little step counts towards being successful. Remember, a little progress each day adds up to big results.