Setting goals: Where do I want to be?

I have had a lot of success in creating healthy habits in the past by setting SMART goals. For those not familiar with this concept, SMART stands for:

• Specific - simply and clearly spell out what you'll do
• Measurable - make it something that can be tangibly proven
• Attainable - should be challenging but defined enough to be achievable
• Relevant - choose goals that matter and are important to you
• Time-bound - define a time frame for completion of the goal that creates some sense of urgency

For ages now, I've been floundering along without setting any proper goals. (My current obsession with "taking off this stupid 20 pounds that I regained" isn't cutting it because it's not time-bound nor is it attainable in a short period of time.) In an effort to set myself up for success, here are some goals I've created for myself:

1. Lose 5 pounds and be under 30% body fat by Labor Day (six weeks from now). I have my annual with my general practitioner mid-September, so it would certainly be good to be back in the realm of merely Overweight before that get together.
2. Lose another 5 pounds and be under 28% body fat by New Year's Day (22 weeks from now). This would put me squarely back into my cold weather clothes, none of which fit me at the moment. I bought all new summer clothing because I had no other option, but I'm drawing a line in the sand: back in my happy size by the time it gets cold here or else suffer the cold.

I'll do these things by attending (a minimum of) twice-weekly Pilates Reformer classes, abstaining from anything containing flour, and not eating anything before bed. My physical therapist is optimistic I'll be able to start running again on a regular basis by my birthday mid-October, so that would certainly help with the second goal, too.

I have been making a lot of healthy changes to my life in the last few weeks without seeing much change on the scale, so it's possible that will continue despite my best efforts. Adding back the Pilates Reformer classes that I stopped in March should help things move in a better direction both weight- and body fat-wise, and I have renewed hope for good outcomes.

Anyone else want to declare some SMART goals? Share in the comments or shoot me an email - knowing you're not alone can do wonders for staying the course.