Start the new year healthy with SMART goals

Set goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely – otherwise known as SMART goals. Copyright: TheIsmaili.org

The start of a new year is a time for reflection and new beginnings, especially after the holiday season. If you plan to make improvements to your lifestyle habits, whether by being more active or cooking more healthily, setting goals is an important part of tracking your progress and keeping you motivated.

Setting “SMART goals” is an effective approach that can be used not only for health, but also in other aspects of life. SMART is an acronym that stands for:

Specific

Create a goal that is specific and detailed. Write it down so that you know exactly what you will be doing and when. For example:

• I will walk for 10 minutes at lunchtime and 10 minutes after dinner, every week, Monday through Thursday. I will slowly increase my walk to 15 and then 20 minutes until I reach 30 minutes.
• I will eat one fruit (apple, banana, orange, or peach) every morning. I will start doing this one day a week, and then add a day each week, until I am eating a fruit a day, seven days a week.

Measurable

Start off by being active for 10–15 minutes a few times a week, then work your way up. Farah Alani

Make sure that you can measure your progress. For example, keep track of how many minutes you walked each day, how many days you ate a fruit in the morning, or how often you replaced those french fries or masala potatoes with another vegetable. Track your progress so that you can and feel good about your successes! Remember, even though the goal is to improve every week, some weeks will be better than others. Don't be discouraged when one week is not as good as the last.

Attainable

Set goals that you know you can achieve in a short time and then build on them. In addition, set goals that are appropriate for your lifestyle so that you can attain them even when you are busy or when there are distractions present.

If you are trying to cut back on eating out, you may find it hard to suddenly prepare and eat all your meals and snacks at home. So start with at least one meal – try eating breakfast at home, instead of grabbing food from a street vendor or café.

Another challenge is trying to avoid being cornered into making poor food choices. If you are invited to a potluck dinner where you know there will be unhealthy temptations, plan ahead by preparing a healthy dish that you enjoy and can share with the group. In addition, exercise portion control: mentally prepare yourself to take smaller portions of the variety of dishes. Enjoy the meal, but within limits that you set for yourself.

Realistic

Choosing healthier options and presenting them in a creative way can make meal planning more fun. Altaf Manji

Set your sights on what is actually possible for you. Aiming to lose 20 pounds in a month would be extremely difficult and unhealthy, especially if you're hoping to keep it off permanently. You may however, be able to lose 5 pounds in a month by making small increases in your activity level and replacing the fried snack foods you eat with healthier alternatives.

For example, toss a can of drained chickpeas (channa) in one tablespoon of oil. Add some chili and garlic powder or whatever spices you like and roast in the oven for 20–30 minutes. A handful of these make a tasty crunchy snack, great for sharing with the family.

Remember that what may be a realistic and desirable goal for one person may not be a healthy option for another. If two people were to decide to cut down on meal portions together (making the goal attainable), the change may be beneficial for one, but could lead to deficiencies in nutrients or energy for the other person.

Timely

Set a time by which you would like to achieve your goal and then work towards it: “By the end of this week I will do some yoga for 15 minutes.”

Set more deadlines that will help you progress from one phase to the next. For example, you can decide that “by the end of the month I will be doing 30 minutes of yoga each day” and then work towards that deadline.

Think about the long-term advantages of having a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the benefits you gain from the small changes you make. While adjustments such as using a smaller sized plate may seem minute, they can have a big impact on your health and wellbeing.