5 Key Components to Goal Setting for Health

Today on The Realistic Nutrition Podcast, we interviewed Erin Indahl-Fink and she shared 5 key components to goal setting for your health. If you need help with healthy goal setting, this is the episode to listen to.

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The Key Components to Goal Setting for Health

Today on the podcast, we’re chatting with Erin from Delightful E Made. Erin’s story is incredible. After not recognizing herself in the mirror, she went down the journey of self-love and personal development to successfully lose over 100 pounds.

Erin’s number 1 tip for weight loss? Grant yourself the gift of patience.

Anything good for us with our longevity takes time. Weight loss isn’t a quick fix!

If your journey isn’t something you can maintain for years, then you shouldn’t be doing it right now.

She’s here today to help us with healthy habits and chatting about what you need to do when it comes to goal setting for your health.

Goal Setting for Health

Let’s chat about healthy goal setting!

If you’re new to setting goals, here are the key components that you should incorporate into your life.

Have a good why

Set your why on why you want to lose weight, why you want to add muscle, why you want to get stronger. You need a good why to push you through those hard times and set the tone for your journey. The goal truly isn’t to lose weight, you want to fit in your jeans, you want to have enough energy to play with the kids. You want to feel confident to have a roll in the hay with your partner.

Dig deep and get to the root!

Fitting into your dress for your sister’s wedding is great, but it’s an event. It’s one day. You still have the rest of your life to contend with, so let’s think long-term.

Erin suggests finding a why that’s real and rooted to your core. It means something to you. For example, Erin’s why is to set a healthy, good example for her son. It’s not just about her, it’s about him too.

Patience

You need to be patient with yourself. Real results take time. If you set a New Years Resolution and then January 13th rolls around, then by January 20th you fall off the map.

Being patient, being kind, and loving yourself is key.

You can’t grind all day, every day. 8 days in the gym straight? You’re going to have to throw a rest day in there. Your body needs the rest, the grace, and the patience.

Be realistic. You don’t have to be hardcore, all day every day! That’s where injuries happen, you get sidetracks, and your goals fall apart.

Throw Your Deadlines Out the Window

Erin doesn’t believe in setting deadlines for weight loss. Here’s why:

Say you have a goal to lose 10 pounds in 3 months. You’re doing great, you’re working hard but you “only” lose 6 pounds. Those 6 pounds is an amazing accomplishment, but you’re disappointed because you had it in your mind that that number was going to be more.

Instead of celebrating what you accomplished and clapping yourself up, you end up beating yourself up.

You made progress but because of the silly dates and timelines, you took the joy out of what you accomplished!

This is a lifelong journey!

Plus weight loss doesn’t always mean progress. Maybe you put on muscle and lost more body fat, your body could look totally different with that 6-pound loss vs a 10-pound loss because of recomposition!

What about your progress like less joint pain, less stomach pain, and your health has improved? Maybe you’re off your diabetes medication! There are so many things to celebrate aside from that number on the scale.

Set Goals into 90 Day Incriments

Setting goals into 90 days at a time, is digestible. You set a 3-month goal, then a monthly goal, then a weekly goal, and a daily habit.

This helps set up healthy happens. This isn’t a deadline, these are the goals that help you get to the END goal. You’re simply reverse-engineering the end results.

Developing habits and routines is HUGE to reaching your goals. Examples of daily habits to track:

• Getting enough water
• Daily movement
• Getting enough fiber
• Hitting your macros/calories/nutrition goals
• Writing down what you’re grateful for for that day (this truly sets your mindset for the better).

Goals Can Change

Don’t be afraid of changing your goals, if you find that your initial goal is no longer serving you.

You are being honest and true to yourself.

If you feel that you’re struggling and you’re always getting “back on track” and starting over on a Monday. If it’s not working for you, maybe you’re on a wrong track. The direction just may not fit for you, it’s time to find another direction.

Perfect is unnecessary and everyone falters! We all have missteps, we are human. Pick yourself back up and start anew. You can do this. You are doing amazing. You’re learning what works for you!

Erin’s Tips for Emotional Eating

When it comes to emotional and stress eating, Erin suggests getting honest with yourself.

Why are you doing it?

When you’re not eating out of hunger, you need to ask yourself….what are you feeding.

If you want to reach your goals, let’s be honest…you’re going to have to deal with your shit.

Why are you eating out of emotion and stress? It’s time to deal with those issues.

Are you giving yourself the right foods to start your day and throughout the day? When you get to the end of the day, you need to find another avenue to deal with the stress.

Remove yourself from the kitchen, take a walk, listen to what your body really needs. Self care is critical.

Therapy is wonderful too.

More about Erin

Erin developed a 90 Day Healthy Habits Journal that easily maps this out for you. Just fill in the blanks and you’re set.

Grab Erin’s Free 30 Day Habit Tracker here and don’t forget to visit Delightful E Made.

Ready for the full thing? Check out The 90 Day Healthy Habits Journal.

Want more podcast blog posts and topics? Check out The Realistic Nutrition Podcast category!