Setting achievable goals

Improving your nutrition and overall wellness is a journey, not a destination. It's easy to get caught up in grand visions of a complete lifestyle overhaul, but setting unrealistic expectations can often lead to frustration and abandonment of your goals. The key to lasting change lies in setting achievable, sustainable goals that fit seamlessly into your life. 

Define Your "Why": The Foundation of Lasting Change

Within our vivaBALANCE Lifestyle Assessment, we asked you to take some time for introspection. Ask yourself: Why do you want to improve your nutrition and wellness? Is it to: 

• Boost your energy levels? 
• Improve your sleep quality? 
• Manage your weight? 
• Reduce your risk of chronic disease? 
• Enhance your mood and mental clarity? 
• Simply feel better in your body? 

Identifying your core motivations will provide the fuel you need to stay committed, especially when challenges arise. Is your “Why?” still consistent with your response in the survey…. So, now, write down your "why" and revisit it regularly to stay focused. So an example of a why statement if you goal is weight loss could be: 

"I'm choosing to lose weight because I want to feel strong, energetic, and confident in my body. This isn't just about a number on a scale; it's about reclaiming my vitality, improving my long-term health, and living a life where I can fully participate in the things I love. I want to feel good in my own skin, both physically and mentally, and create healthy habits that will support a vibrant and fulfilling future”. 

Start Small and Specific: The Power of Micro-Goals

Instead of aiming for sweeping changes like "eat healthier," break down your vision into smaller, more specific, and measurable goals. This approach makes the process less overwhelming and increases your chances of success. Examples of micro-goals include: 

• "Eat one serving of vegetables with every lunch and dinner." 
• "Drink eight glasses of water per day." 
• "Replace sugary drinks with water or unsweetened tea." 
• "Walk for 30 minutes three times a week." 
• "Go to bed 30 minutes earlier each night." 

These specific goals are easier to track and integrate into your routine. Breaking a large goal down into a collection of smaller milestones enables us to take a collection of smaller, more achievable steps towards reaching an overall much larger goal. Research supports the effectiveness of setting specific and challenging, yet attainable, goals for behaviour change. (1) 

Make it SMART: A Framework for Goal Setting

To ensure your goals are truly achievable, use the SMART framework: 

• Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve. (As discussed above) 
• Measurable: Establish concrete ways to track your progress. (e.g., number of servings, minutes of exercise, hours of sleep) 
• Achievable: Set realistic goals that you can realistically accomplish given your current circumstances. 
• Relevant: Ensure your goals align with your overall "why" and values. 
• Time-bound: Set a timeframe for achieving your goals. (e.g., "for the next two weeks," "within one month") 

Example: Instead of "eat more fruit," a SMART goal would be "Eat one piece of fruit as a mid-morning snack every day for the next month." This framework is widely used in health interventions and has been shown to be effective in promoting behaviour change. (2) 

Think Long Term. Prioritise One or Two Goals at a Time and avoiding avoid being overwhelmed by your big goal

Trying to change too many habits at once is a recipe for burnout. Select one or two key goals to focus on initially. Once you've successfully integrated these into your routine, you can gradually add more. This staged approach allows you to build momentum and create sustainable habits. 

Plan and Prepare: Setting Yourself Up for Success

Planning and preparation are crucial for achieving your nutrition and wellness goals. This might involve: 

• Meal prepping: Preparing meals in advance can help you make healthier choices and avoid impulsive unhealthy eating. 
• Grocery shopping strategically: Make a grocery list based on your meal plan and stick to it to avoid impulse purchases of unhealthy foods. 
• Creating a workout schedule: Schedule your workouts like any other important appointment and treat them as non-negotiable. 
• Setting reminders: Use phone alarms or calendar reminders to prompt you to drink water, take a walk, or go to bed on time. 
• Creating a supportive environment: Surround yourself with people who encourage your healthy habits and remove temptations from your home and workplace. 

Studies have shown that planning and preparation, including meal planning and setting specific implementation intentions, are associated with greater success in achieving dietary and physical activity goals. (3) 

Track Your Progress: Monitoring Your Journey

Tracking your progress is essential for staying motivated and making adjustments as needed. You can use various methods: 

• Food journals: Record what you eat throughout the day to identify patterns and areas for improvement. •Fitness trackers: Monitor your steps, activity levels, and sleep patterns. 
• Wellness apps: Use apps to track your food intake, exercise, sleep, and other wellness metrics. 
• Calendars or checklists: Mark off completed workouts, healthy meals, or other healthy habits. 
• Regular re-testing: The vivaBALANCE regular re-testing and allows you to see how you are performing. Have the nutritional changes started to reveal themselves in better biological outcomes. Our testing not only allows us to adjust your program, but it provides you with much needed feedback to make change permanent 

Monitoring progress is a key self-regulation strategy that has been shown to promote goal attainment across various domains, including health and wellness. (4) For goals to be effective, you may need summary feedback that reveals your progress in relation to your goals. If you do not know how you are doing, it is difficult or impossible for you to adjust the level or direction of your effort or to adjust your performance strategies to match what your goal requires. 

Be Flexible and Adapt: Embracing Imperfection

It's important to be kind to yourself and recognise that setbacks are a normal part of the process. Don't let a slip-up derail your entire effort. Instead, acknowledge the challenge, learn from it, and get back on track as soon as possible. Flexibility and adaptability are key to long-term success. The concept of "metabolic flexibility" highlights the body's ability to adapt to different energy sources and demands, which is relevant to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. (5) 

Seek Support and Accountability: The Power of Connection

Sharing your goals with others can provide valuable support and accountability. To complement the vivaBALANCE program, sharing your goals with people close to you will help you stay on track, whilst vivaLAB is your virtual partner on this journey, helping to keep you honest in your journey to achieving your goals. You may want to consider: 

• Finding a workout buddy: Exercising with a friend can make workouts more enjoyable and help you stay accountable. 
• Sharing your progress with family and friends: Letting your loved ones know about your goals can create a support system and help you stay on track. 

Social support has been consistently linked to positive health outcomes, including improved dietary habits and increased physical activity, (6) and why vivaBALANCE may help you where others have failed. 

Celebrate Your Successes: Recognising Your Achievements

It's important to acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small. This reinforces positive behaviours and helps you stay motivated. Reward yourself for reaching milestones, but choose non-food rewards that align with your wellness goals. 

Review and Adjust: A Continuous Process

Your needs and circumstances may change over time, so it's important to regularly review your goals and make adjustments as needed. This ensures your goals remain relevant, achievable, and aligned with your evolving lifestyle. This iterative process of goal setting, implementation, and review is crucial for long-term behaviour change. Additionally, personalised nutrition programs like vivaBALANCE delivers a tailored approach to dietary and lifestyle changes, potentially accelerating progress towards your wellness goals. Our regular checkups allows you to re-assess your progress, see the results and confirm progress, your achievements and make changes to maximise the benefit of 

Putting it All Together 

By following these steps, you can set achievable goals that will empower you to make lasting changes to your nutrition and wellness, leading to a healthier, happier you. Remember, it's about progress, not perfection. Be patient with yourself, celebrate your successes, and enjoy the journey toward a healthier lifestyle.

References:

1. Locke EA, Latham GP. Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. Am Psychol. 2002 ¹ Sep;57(9):705-17.   
2. Doran GT. There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives. Management Review. 1981;70(11):35-36.
3. Reicks M, et al. Impact of a Goal-Setting Nutrition Education Program on Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors of Adults Eligible for SNAP-Ed. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2020 Jul;52(7):727-736.
4. Michie S, et al. Does monitoring progress towards behavioural goals promote goal attainment? A systematic review of the evidence. Health Psychol Rev. 2011 Jun;5(2):139-170.
5. Galgani JE, Ravussin E. Metabolic flexibility: the ability of the human body to adapt to nutrient overload. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008 May;1126:87-91.
6. Estabrooks PA, et al. A review of psychosocial correlates of physical activity behavior. Ann Behav Med. 2003 Aug;26(1):1-28.