How to set holistic goals and coping plans for Shed It success!

Key points:

1. Understanding why you want to do the hard work for better health matters. 
2. Setting goals in a way that works for you can help you achieve long-term results—and enjoy the learning process.
3. Crafting a fallback plan for how you’ll cope when the going gets tough ensures that you’ll stay on track when the inevitable happens. 
4. Rewarding yourself for a job well done can make muscling through fun!

If losing weight was simple, GLP-1 medications would cease to exist!

Given how hard it can be for most of us, it makes sense that the many ways we can approach weight loss affect how we feel during the journey—and the results we gain from the pounds we lose.

Studies show that if we aim to lose weight purely for superficial or numerical goals, weight loss can trigger some negative effects on our mental health and relationships. We’ve compiled some information on the potential positive and negative mental health effects of weight loss in this Shed It article.

But we want our patients to enjoy their Shed It journey. So in this article, we offer science-backed tactics to help articulate deep, values-based weight loss motivations. Then, you’ll learn how to craft long-term, sustainable goals you’ll itch to meet. And define coping plans to keep you on track when the going gets tough and rewards to keep you pumped up all along the way!

Why why matters

When setting a goal, it can be helpful to identify whether our motivation can be classified as extrinsic or intrinsic.

Extrinsic motivations are external: We want to reach a goal because we’ll receive a reward or get validation from someone else. Extrinsic motivations are most helpful when crafting short-term goals. For example, if we don’t naturally love to hit the gym, the validation of a personal trainer might help us jumpstart a new routine. Or if we want to look or feel a certain way for an event, the date might motivate us to eat well and exercise regularly for a short period.

Intrinsic motivations are self-driven: We’re guided by an internal force to obtain a goal for our personal, innate satisfaction. Intrinsic motivations help us achieve long-term change because they involve a deep, highly personal value. For example, we might want to lose weight so that we can play a sport we love with less pain or more energy or mobility.

To set yourself up for sustainable weight management and long-term health, articulate your intrinsic motivation—your why.

1. Why do you want to lose weight? Do you want to ease physical pain? Improve a particular marker of health? Increase your energy for a specific task or ability? Enhance your vitality for an event or trip? Boost your confidence in your physical capabilities? Get specific about the benefits, jotting down the positive endgame you seek so you can keep that intrinsic motivation in mind.
2. What habits need to shift to make that goal happen? These may be hard to identify early on—or so numerous that they feel overwhelming! But jot down any habits that come immediately to mind you intuitively know are standing in your way.
3. Why is shedding pounds a priority right now? What’s different about this moment compared to where you were a few weeks, months or years ago? Does your desire have to do with a specific event, aging, or something else? If you know why now is the time for change, you may find a few extrinsic motivations to energize your progress!

Ready, set, goal!

If only goals were as easy to achieve as they are to make, right? The following goal-setting approaches can help you craft action plans—steps, tasks or to-dos that will gradually transform your habits, improve your health and reveal your best self.

Turn performance goals into mastery goals 

Performance goals are singular targets we set to achieve within a specific timeline. And yes—we humans love to aim for specifics. But studies show that if we hit a snag within our self-imposed time frame or don’t achieve the end goal, we often jump to judge ourselves as a failure. Some studies even show that we’ll feel worse about ourselves than before we started, and we’re more likely to give up on trying again.

Examples of performance goals include:

• “I’m going to lose 15 pounds in three weeks.”
• “I’m going to drop two clothing sizes in 1 month.”
• “I’m going to get off my blood pressure medication in 2 months."

Mastery goals focus on learning a new skill or enhancing an existing ability. They relieve self-imposed pressure by spotlighting our why and highlighting the thrill of the learning process—not prioritizing a race to a final product. When shedding pounds, mastery goals reaffirm that our why is about improving health and happiness—not about getting to an arbitrary number on a scale or measuring tape.

Examples of performance goals include:

• “I’m going to increase my strength so I can play more with my kids.” 
• “I’ll improve my cooking skills to feel more joy while eating more healthfully.”
• “I’ll walk my dog after meals to help lower my blood sugar and improve heart health.”

To create mastery goals: Consider some reasons you’re motivated to improve your health habits right now—your whys. Then, articulate specific, actionable mastery goals to help lead you toward them.

Outcome goals vs. behavior goals

Outcome goals are similar to performance goals in that they’re non-specific and focus on the end target—but they do so without a time frame. They may help us articulate what we want, but they don’t help us understand how we’ll achieve it. So we have no control over obtaining the goal—and so much of life is outside our control already! So if we only set outcome goals, we’re not very likely to make the changes we need to realize the better health we desire.

Examples of outcome goals include:

• “I want to lose 30 pounds.”
• “I want to have shredded triceps.”
• “I want to get off my hypertension medication.”

Behavior goals help us craft new behaviors (or habits!) that are more likely to help us achieve our outcome goal than those we currently have. Behavior goals are small. They’re trackable and stackable because they’re adjustments we make to routine (and often mundane) daily experiences. And while they won’t deliver results tomorrow, they provide long-term success because they eventually become our habits!

Examples of behavior goals include:

• “I’ll replace dessert with fruit at least 2 times per week.” (To cut down on excess sugar and calories, improve fiber intake, get more vitamins, have fun exploring new fruit etc.)
• “I’ll be mindful of how I carry my bag, groceries and other items.” (To improve posture, work new muscles, improve balance, etc.)
• “I’ll walk to a further subway station on days I don’t have early morning meetings or when I leave the office by a certain time.” (To increase step count, improve heart health, enhance flexibility, boost mental health with sunshine and music, etc.)

HOW TO CREATE A BEHAVIOR GOAL:

1. Define your current outcome goal. (Example: “I’ll eat less processed snack food and more fresh produce.”)
2. Replace it with a specific action. (Example: “I’ll keep fun to-go containers ready with fresh produce I love.”)
3. Turn that action into a repeatable behavior. (Example: “Every Sunday, I’ll go to the market after lunch/church/my volleyball game and prep to-go containers for the week.”)

Avoidance goals vs. approach goals

Avoidance goals have us stop doing something we’ve identified as a bad habit. When we make a decision, both thoughts and emotions go into the process—so how we think and feel about our decisions matters. Studies show that when we try to shed a habit by simply avoiding it, we’ll have more negative emotions during the process than if we replace the bad habit with something empowering. We’re then less likely to enjoy the new experience—or stick with it.

Examples of avoidance goals include:

• “I’ll stop eating dessert.”
• “I’ll stop bingeing TV at night.”
• “I’ll stop sitting at my desk all day.”

Approach goals highlight actions that can move us toward a positive outcome. They emphasize that we can infuse joy, fun and energy into our time and space through our choices. And they remind us of the benefits we’ll receive by taking action. Because of these, approach goals are associated with positive thoughts, emotions and self-reflection, leading to greater psychological well-being and satisfaction.

Examples of approach goals include:

• “I’ll eat fruit instead of dessert 3 times a week.”
• “I’ll meditate + give myself a soothing facial before bed.”
• “I’ll do a lap around the office floor every 90 minutes to reset my brain + stretch my body.”

HOW TO CREATE APPROACH GOALS

1. Consider avoidance goals you’ve made in the past. (Example: “I’ll stop eating ice cream every night.”)
2. Then, flip them into approach goals and clarify how they will benefit your habits and health. (Example: “I’ll walk to my favorite ice cream place on warm weekend days for a cone. This will cut down my at-home ice cream consumption, get me moving outside during nice weather, and give me some joy with a high-quality treat!”)

Coping Plans 

Humans love to assume we’ll be strong enough to muscle through barriers armed only with discipline and determination. But given how many New Year’s resolutions and diet plans “fail,” you can guess how few of us succeed by willpower alone.

Coping plans recognize that challenges will (almost) always arise, so our best chance of success is to anticipate their arrival by having a backup plan to face them. They’re the “shields” we have ready for when a derailment heads our way.

When applied to an action goal, coping plans increase our likelihood of staying focused and feeling empowered throughout the process.

HOW TO CREATE A COPING PLAN:

1. List one of your favorite action goals. (Example: “I’ll walk outside after dinner to improve my flexibility, increase my step count and boost my heart health.”)
2. List a few potential lemons. (Example: “It’s raining.” “I have dinner plans with friends.” “I have a night meeting.”) 
3. Create coping plans to fall back on in those moments. (Example: “I’ll do a 15-minute stretch video before bed instead.” “I’ll park far away from the restaurant and walk there and back.” “I’ll walk after my lunch break instead.”)

Treat Yo’ Self

Goals can be challenging to achieve, and habits can feel nearly impossible to change! Establishing a healthier habit is a reward in itself. But anticipating a treat can make overcoming challenges that much more fulfilling.

So before you start kicking butt on your action plans, pick a treat to enjoy once you hit a milestone. You don’t have to wait until you achieve a goal. You can celebrate sticking with your action plan or Shed It program for a period of time.

Studies on happiness suggest that humans get the most satisfaction from relationships and experiences—not physical objects. But there’s nothing wrong with choosing a physical reward for a job well done, so long as it brings you genuine joy or contributes to an intrinsic pleasure.

Need a few ideas? Gather your closest friends for a movie night. Invest in the upscale fitness tracker you’ve had your eye on. Treat your partner to a restaurant you’ve wanted to try. Take a vacation day from work to get a massage, go to a museum, or sit in a park reading a good book.

Whatever the treat, make sure the idea of it thrills and motivates your journey.

Sources:

Bailey, R.R. (2017). Goal setting and action planning for health behavior change. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

Geller, K., et al. (2018). Intrinsic and extrinsic motives support adults’ regular physical activity maintenance. Sports Medicine International Open.

Höpfner J, et al. (2021). Goal missed, self hit: Goal-setting, goal-failure, and their affective, motivational, and behavioral consequences. Frontiers of Psychology.

Ryan, R. M., et al. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology.

Upsher, R., et al. (2021). The effectiveness of behavior change techniques underpinning psychological interventions to improve glycemic levels for adults with type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Clinical Diabetes and Healthcare.

Wren, G.M., et al. (2023). The association between goal setting and weight loss: Perspective analysis of a community weight loss program. Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Young, D.R., et al. (2009). Can individuals meet multiple physical activity and dietary behavior goals? American Journal of Health Behavior.