Weight Loss After Pregnancy - The Importance Of Setting Goals

One of the best things you can do is set some goals for yourself. Goal setting is an important aspect of any successful weight loss strategy. The type of goals you set will depend on the amount of weight you have to lose and your personal fitness goals and desires.

It is important that you set goals that are SMART. What are smart goals? They are goals that are:

- Specific

- Measurable

- Acceptable

- Realistic

- Tangible

You want to set 'specific' goals rather than abstract ones. What is an example? "I want to lose 1 pound per week" is an example of a specific goal. "I want to lose some weight" is not very specific, and won't set the stage for a successful weight loss program.

You also want to set goals that are measurable. You can for example, monitor your progress at weight loss or monitor the amount of food you put into your body every day.

You also must choose goals that are acceptable for you and your particular situation. Losing weight because someone else wants you to is not an acceptable reason to lose weight... in fact it is a terrible reason to start a weight loss program! You have to make a conscious decision to lose weight for yourself, for your health and for your well being.

It is vital that you also set goals that are realistic. Wanting to lose all the weight you gained one week after delivery is not a realistic goal. In fact, most women will take up to a year or more to lose all the weight they gained during pregnancy (not all though!). It is important that you remember that your body is recovering from the Herculean task of birthing a baby. That said you should take things one day at a time, and set goals that are attainable and realistic.

Tangible goals are goals that you can actually reach. If you have a large bone structure for example and are five feet nine inches, trying to get down to ninety eight pounds is not a real tangible (or smart or safe) goal. When setting tangible goals you should also determine a time frame for completing your goals. This will depend on how much weight you gained and how much time you can allocate to an exercise program.

Setting a timeframe for reaching your goals will help them become more tangible, and will help you stick with your fitness and exercise program.

Consider setting one or two short term goals, one or two mid term goals and one long term goal. Your short term goals are things that you can accomplish in less than a month. Your mid term goals should be goals that you would like to accomplish within a six month time frame and your long term goal should be something you aspire to in a year or more.

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com for more on weight loss after pregnancy

---

How to Get Your Pre-pregnancy Body Back

The second biggest question you will ask yourself as a... Read More

Preparing for a Vaginal Birth after Cesarean

WHY LACK OF SUPPORT?Several years ago, ACOG, American College of... Read More

What is an Ectopic Pregnancy?

Ectopic is another way of saying "out of place". An... Read More

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

Selecting a present for a new mom or dad can... Read More

Am I Pregnant?

Am I pregnant? This is often one of the most... Read More

Piece of Mind During Pregnancy - It is Possible with Babysheart

After four years of marriage my husband and I started... Read More

Calcium and Pregnancy

Studies show that most women do not get enough daily... Read More

Baby Essentials - A Guide For First Time Mums

Are you a first time expectant mum wandering around the... Read More

Help I am Pregnant and an Addict

There are a lot of resources on the internet, in... Read More

How To Prepare For Natural Childbirth

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT BIRTH IS NATURAL,... Read More

Pregnancy Symptoms

There are many early signs that you may be pregnant.... Read More

Pregnancy Sex - Its A Wonderful Thing!

Mums to be can often get worried about having sex... Read More

You Might Be Pregnant If

Your breasts are now twice their normal size.One of the... Read More

Sex During Pregnancy

It is important that you nourish your relationship as much... Read More

Very Early Symptoms of Pregnancy - Do You Know These Very Early Pregnancy Signs?

Very early symptoms of pregnancy -- what are they? If... Read More

Abortions After Fetal Viability

Abortion is without a doubt one of the hottest and... Read More

Smoking During Pregnancy

If you have been drinking up until the point when... Read More

Exclusively Pumping Breast Milk

It is commonly recognized that breast milk is the best... Read More

Planning a Healthy Pregnancy

Looking for healthy lifestyle pregnancy information? Here are some steps... Read More

Blimpy: Pregnancy Weight Gain

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women... Read More

Planned Parenthood Prevents Teen Pregnancy

Planned Parenthood is an alternative for teenagers when they do... Read More

Eating Healthfully When A New Baby Arrives

A new baby can be overwhelming for the whole family.... Read More

How Can I Make Sure Im Exercising Safely During My Pregnancy?

Unless your practitioner gives you specific restrictions or instructions, you... Read More

Vitamin C Prevents Pregnancy Complication

Women who supplement with a small amount of vitamin C... Read More

Avoiding Episiotomy During Childbirth

I coached as my wife was delivering our third child.... Read More

Mommy Is Having A Baby!

Preparing for a new arrival from the beginning of your... Read More

How do Pregnancy Tests Work?

Pregnancy tests identify a special hormone in the blood or... Read More

Finding Time To Exercise After Pregnancy

If exercise is so obviously the answer to losing weight... Read More

Pregnancy and Exercise, How to Stay Fit While Being Pregnant

EXERCISE SAFELYThe first thing to understand when you exercise during... Read More

How to Deal With Headaches During Pregnancy

Headaches are one of the more unpleasant "side effects" that... Read More

Weight Loss After Pregnancy - The Importance Of Setting Goals

One of the best things you can do is set... Read More

Hyperpigmentation - Skin Discoloration - Pregnancy Mask

First and foremost I want to start by emphasizing that... Read More

Glutathione for a Healthier Pregnancy

All parents-to-be nurture the dream of a healthy pregnancy and... Read More