How to Set Smart Diet Goals in 5 Steps

Are you looking for tips on setting SMART diet goals?

SMART is an acronym often used for setting goals that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. When you utilize the SMART goal method, you increase the chances of reaching your healthy lifestyle goals.

Today, the Infinite Performance Training team will explain in 5 steps how we help our personal training clients and athletes set Smart Diet Goals!

First, understanding SMART Goals

As mentioned earlier, SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, increasing the chances of sustainable weight loss.

• Specific – Your weight loss and diet goals should be clear, concise, and well-defined. They should answer “What, Why, Who, Where, and Which”. For example, what is the amount of calories I want to eat per day?
• Measurable – Your diet goals should be quantifiable, and you should have a way to track progress, like a fitness app or trainer.
• Achieveable – Setting new goals starts with being realistic; your diet goals should be attainable.
• Relevant – Your personal fitness goals should align with your overall health mission/goals. For example, don’t create an eating plan that adds muscle if you’re trying to train for running!
• Time-bound – Healthy weight goals should have a deadline or timeline for completion to hold you accountable.

When you understand the importance of setting SMART goals for healthy eating and weight loss, the accountability increases and helps foster a healthy relationship with food and your weight. You will learn how to break down large goals into smaller, manageable SMART goals.

Setting Healthy Eating Goals using SMART:

Setting a healthy eating goal to improve your overall health and diet, such as eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, is a great start, but it won’t get you very far. You can set goals and track progress by incorporating SMART goals into your diet plan, as we share below. We recommend you start small, like commit to incorporating one new healthy eating goal each week over the next six weeks, such as eating a balanced breakfast and use the S.M.A.R.T. technique as outlined below!

1. Be specific

Making lasting lifestyle changes to lose weight and keep it off, such as eating healthy foods and becoming more active, is great, but you need to be more specific than that if you want to succeed. Focusing on healthy changes, such as diet and physical activity, rather than quick fixes or fad diets, is the long-term solution to your health.

When being specific, set SMART goals for weight loss, such as losing 1-2 pounds per week or muscle gain, such as adding 5 pounds of muscle in six months. Here is how specificity works:

1. Eating healthier is not specific. I will consume 2,000 calories a day and burn 500 is specific.
2. When you set your health goals, numbers make them specific (more on that below).
3. Perhaps you want to eat healthier to avoid heart disease; set a specific goal to achieve this, like exercising five times per week and eating 150 grams of protein.

2. Measurable

The awesome thing about diet goals is that they are easy to measure. You can calculate your weight, muscle mass, and visceral fat and chart these numbers to keep track of progress. When it comes to eating better foods, you can log your calories and macronutrient intake to get a feel for what you are heating.

Here at Infinite Performance Training of Gainesville, we always recommend that you quantify your protein, carbohydrate, and healthy fat intake. For example, a student-athlete looking to gain muscle would want to eat 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day.

3. Achievable

The true goal is to develop a healthy relationship with food and create a meal plan that is actually attainable long term. Crash diets and fad diets are not sustainable, so you want to learn how to eat mindfully and be aware of your hunger and fullness cues. Focus on nourishing your body with healthy foods rather than restricting or depriving yourself. When you achieve your goals, you will discover how to build a positive body image and self-esteem through healthy eating habits. Setting a goal to drop a pound a week is achievable. However, goal setting that requires extreme dieting is not only short-term, it is unhealthy for you.

Related: 10 Easy Meal Prep Tips for Healthy Eating

4. Relevant

When creating goals centered on meals and diet, you want to ensure they are focused. Put another way, your diet plan should fit your overall healthy goals. Eating more fruit is excellent; however, it might not be as relevant if you’re trying to add muscle mass. Some ideas to consider include:

• Avoiding complex carbs like white bread or white rice to X grams per day.
• Avoiding processed foods with added sugar (cutting all of it out, or only one item per day)
• Including more plant-based protein in diet

5. Time-bound

We saved the best for last – making your goals time-bound! You need to set a start date and an end date to track your progress towards your goals. Giving yourself timelines will indirectly keep you more accountable, along with the help of a personal trainer. Remember, once you approach the end of your time-bound goal, set a new goal to keep you going!

SMART Diet & Activity Tips:

In addition to eating better, regular physical activity is a surefire way to increase the chances of you hitting your fitness goals. Exercise helps burn off extra calories and support weight loss, so aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day. If you need support and your health isn’t something you compromise, hire a personal trainer to help you.

You can incorporate strength and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into your routine to boost metabolism and burn fat or choose activities you enjoy, such as walking, running, or swimming, to make exercise a sustainable part of your lifestyle. Learn how to stay motivated and accountable with your physical activity goals by booking a consultation for personal training with Infinite below:

The Final Word on Achieving a Healthy Eating Goal

By now you should know how to set a SMART eating goal to help you reach your fitness goals and sustain healthier eating options. Eat more fruits is not a goal; it is a cute saying we all like to use.

Remember, the goal is longevity when it comes to making lifestyle eating adjustments, not a quick hit. First, start with small changes to make a big difference to your health, such as switching to whole wheat bread instead of white bread or perhaps eliminating all unsweetened beverages.

From there, set a SMART goal for healthy eating, such as a certain amount of protein intake or calorie goal. It is vital to remember that we are all about achievement, and the goal is not to make your diet plan so challenging that you never accomplish it (hence, attainable goals).

Reach out to us below to discover how to stay motivated and accountable with your healthy eating goal using a trainer. And don’t forget to celebrate your success and progress along the way! To get started, fill out this form:

Want to get some awesome gear when you start your workout journey? You can shop below and checkout with an online cart fast here ⬇️