One of the most common mistakes that people make when it comes to weight loss is setting unrealistic expectations about how much weight they need to lose and how fast they can lose it. Setting unrealistic weight goals is really sabotaging your calories loss diet and your efforts to lose weight. That is why it is important to have some tools you can use to set realistic weight loss goals for yourself.

The end product of losing weight is a re-shaped body and to reach this goal, weight loss professionals have established one or two pounds a week as a healthy weight loss rate. Unrealistic weight losses like five pounds a week or sixty pounds by the end of winter are not only unhelpful but also potentially medically dangerous. These goals can cause disappointment and lead to you quitting the calories loss diet that drives your weight loss, so consider the tools below to make sure your weight loss goals are achieved.

Cut back the weight you expect to lose if it is not achievable because losing 1-2 pounds each week is possible and should be counted a success. Small but consistent weight losses like this are the backbone of the most successful weight loss programs and the result of a carefully planned calories loss menu and an exercise program week by week. The success of each week's loss is enough to spur you on to do repeat this the following week and your total weight loss is unlikely to be regained again in the future.

Percentage weight loss of your body weight instead of pounds alone, means that you will avoid aiming for a pre-determined weight loss and give up if you do not appear to reach it. If you are carrying excess pounds now, it is likely that losing around 10-20% of your total weight is worth aiming for to reach a healthy weight. By losing 20-40 pounds a 200 pound person who is overweight is far more likely to reach a healthy weight than one who was calculated a set weight loss because it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Chart your weight loss in different ways to accommodate the various body changes that following a calories loss diet and exercising will cause. This means that when your weight loss, measured in pounds slows for a time, you can still feel encouraged by the diminishing size of your hips, chest or waist. Including these different ways to measure your changing body shape not only accommodates a healthier perspective on losing weight but also helps keep you motivated as you see your weight loss from different perspectives.

Include the number game in your weight loss goals to lose weight safely, healthily and to keep it off permanently with a recommended weight loss of 1-2 pounds each week, so that to lose 20 pounds will take you around 10 weeks. Determining a weight loss per week may seem constraining but if this weight loss rate is realistic you will be able to reach it and it will help you remain committed to your calories loss eating plan and your exercise routine. The journey towards permanent weight loss and good health is a reflection of the hare and the tortoise story where the slow and steady hare reached his ultimate goal!

To lose weight you should consume fewer calories than you need to use each day so including the calculations around this as part of your goals is important. Take a close look at your daily menu and see if you can diminish your calorie intake by around 500 each day. A calories counter is a helpful instrument to calculate this easily and this will enable you to not only cut foods out of your diet but keep some that you really enjoy on your calories loss menu.

Set short term goals, but think of long term goals so set weight loss milestones and celebrate when you reach them. Buy yourself a new book when you lose 5 pounds, or a new dress when you hit 10 pounds lost. But even as you are celebrating each milestone, keep focused on the big picture and how much weight you want to lose in total. You need to celebrate your progress along the way but also stay focused on the big prize at the end because this will make your persistence to bring about a consistent calories loss worth the effort.