Setting weight loss goals and committing to them on a daily basis are important pieces of the Total Fitness Plan (and any fitness plan for that matter). Now if you have already tried to lose fat before and failed, chances are you didn’t have specific weight loss goals other than to lose “X amount” of weight. Having daily goals gives you something to shoot for and will dramatically improve your odds of attaining your weight loss goals.

In addition to setting daily weight loss goals, you need to commit them to paper. By putting your weight loss goals on paper, you force yourself to think about the specific steps you need to take to lose weight and get fit. These written weight loss goals also serve as daily reminders of what you need to do to succeed and the bonus is that you can track your progress.

In order to be successful at losing weight and getting fit, specific actions must be taken each and every day and your daily weight loss goals are the road map to your success. They guide you to your final destination of ultimately attaining—and maintaining—your weight loss goals. If you stick to the road map, you can’t get lost! By following your daily weight loss goals, you are automatically making small, incremental changes in your lifestyle that will lead you to successful weight loss.

Once you have your daily weight loss goals on paper, the first thing you should do every morning is commit to those goals. When you renew your commitment on a daily basis, you improve your odds of success. These small victories will keep your motivation high and will keep you on the right path to successful weight loss!

Here are some guidelines to follow when setting your goals:

1. Make your goals specific and measurable. For instance, a goal to “eat less” is too vague and isn’t measurable. A better goal would be to “eat 500 fewer calories for a total of 1,800 calories per day.” I don’t really know why numbers and things like that are so effective at motivating us, but they really seem to help you visualize the process and then measure your results.
2. Measure your current body fat percentage to determine how much weight you should realistically (and safely) aim to lose. Your body fat percentage can be a more important number to track (especially in the beginning) than your actual weight. This is important to keep in mind when planning your weight loss goals so think about buying a body fat scale or body fat calipers to measure your body fat on a regular basis.
3. Understand what the three body types are and what body type you have so you know what natural challenges you face. You don’t want to set unrealistic weight loss goals as this will sap your motivation and increase your chances of failure.
4. Understand the different hormones in the body and how they affect your weight loss. Armed with this knowledge, you can set weight loss goals that will allow you to manipulate those hormones in your favor.
5. Understand the role that metabolism plays in losing weight and the different things you can do to increase metabolism. Incorporate these techniques into your weight loss goals and workout plan.
6. Understand that there is more to losing weight than just diet and exercise. Set weight loss goals that take into account all the elements of a weight loss and fitness program. The Total Fitness Plan discusses each of those elements in great detail.

If you need more help setting weight loss goals or committing to the goals you’ve already set, there are a number of free and paid resources I highly recommend. View the Men's Total Fitness Resources to see a complete list.