1. Achievable

When setting realistic health goals you need to be sure your goal is achievable. Saying "I want to weigh 100 pounds" when you are 5 foot 9 isn’t very realistic nor is it healthy. Give your goals a little reality check before you start pushing for them. Goals that seem a little off will need to be reconstructed to be more attainable.

2. Specific

Saying you want to lose weight isn’t enough when setting a goal. A good goal is more specific than that. How do plan to lose weight? A better goal would be something like, “I plan to walk every day and eat a healthy diet to lose weight.”

3. Relevant

Your specific goal needs to be relevant to your life. Obviously trying to lose weight while you are pregnant isn’t going to happen. It’s not a goal that makes since nor would it be healthy for you as a mother or your child.

4. Measurable

Of course numbers help too. Even the goal in my second point is lacking. So we know the goal is to lose weight and we kind of know how the goal will be achieved, but how do we know when the goal is reached. I mean, technically if you lose one pound you’ve lost weight. I guess my question is, at what point will you claim victory. Your goal needs to be measured. An even better goal than the previous one would be, “I plan to walk every day and eat a healthy diet to lose 5 to 10 pounds.” With this new goal we know when we have reached the end.

5. Time-Bound

Another rule of thumb is to put a time frame on your goal. If you leave your goal open ended then it doesn’t always seem urgent. How soon would you like to lose 5 to 10 pounds. I’m sure you would want to drop that weight sooner than later. To make your goal even better you could say, “I plan to walk every day and eat a healthy diet to lose 5 to 10 pounds over the 4 weeks.” Now we know what we are doing, how long we are doing it for, and when we claim victory.

6. Break Big Goals down

Maybe 5 to 10 pounds is only the tip of the iceberg for you. Maybe what you really need is to lose 40 pounds Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Many people struggle with weight issues and that is why I am sharing tips on how to set realistic health goals. Thinking about losing 40 pounds can be overwhelming, but breaking that big goal down into mini goals makes it seem less intimidating. Here is a more appropriate goal, “I want to lose 40 pounds over the next 5 to 6 months by walking every day and eating a healthy diet to lose 5 to 10 pounds each month.”

7. Rewards

Every hard effort and victory deserves a little celebration. As part of your goal planning set up a little reward system. Promise yourself a new outfit once you reach your goal, or plan for a manicure at certain points in your journey. Think about the things that motivate you and will get you to push towards earn that reward on top of achieving your goal.

You see, setting proper goals makes a huge difference in achieving them. The wrong goal can leave you feeling defeated and like a failure before you have even started. What are some of your realistic health goals for 2013?