Search Search
  • For Members
  • For Providers
  • For Agents
  • Sign In
    • Member Portal
    • Provider Portal
    • Agent Portal

Call a Licensed Aspire Health Sales Agent
(866) 798-1530
TTY users dial 711

  • Call a Licensed Aspire Health Plan Sales Agent (866) 798-1530 TTY users dial 711
  • Shop Plans
    • Compare Plans
      • Plan Comparison Tool – Compare Plans Side-By-Side
      • Attend a Seminar
    • About Aspire Health Plans
      • Why Aspire Health?
      • Our Service Area
      • 2025 Plan Documents
    • Plan Benefits
      • Health and Wellness Benefits
      • 2025 Benefit Highlights (English)
      • 2025 Benefit Highlights (Español)
  • Medicare Basics
    • Medicare Overview and Basics
      • Attend a Seminar
      • Medicare Overview
      • Medicare Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
    • Medicare Enrollment Information
      • Am I Eligible for Medicare?
      • Medicare Enrollment Periods
    • Additional Medicare Details and Resources
      • My Aspire Health Plan Rights
      • Our Blog
      • National Coverage Determinations
      • Additional Resources
      • Glossary of Terms
  • Find a Provider
  • Drug Coverage
    • 2025 Medication Look Up
    • Pharmacy Information
  • Contact
  • Enroll Now
  •  
  • For Members
  • For Providers
  • For Agents
  • Sign In
    • Member Portal
    • Provider Portal
    • Agent Portal
  • Menu Menu
You are here: Home1 / Our Blog2 / Your Health and Wellness3 / Exercise and fitness4 / How to create SMART weight loss goals and achieve them

How to create SMART weight loss goals and achieve them

Exercise and fitness, Food and nutrition, Your Health and Wellness
SMART weight loss goals

The following content was authored with the help of Population Health team, providing programs and services that help people in Monterey County live their best lives.

Losing weight is a common New Year’s resolution, and while the U.S. News and World Report says that 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by mid-February, we’re here to tell you not to get discouraged. It’s up to you to make sure that this year is different, and it starts by having a plan. We’re going to talk about creating SMART weight loss goals to help you stay focused, lose weight and enjoy the process as you go.

What are SMART weight loss goals and why do they matter?

Simply stating “I want to lose weight” is too broad. SMART goals should be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-focused and Timely. An example of a good SMART goal is: “I will go on a walk on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays around my neighborhood for 20 minutes in order to lose 3lbs by February 23.”

Setting SMART goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge and helps you to organize your time and your resources to help you make the very most of your life.

How do SMART goals help with weight loss and why do the work?

Setting long-term goals helps you focus on the big picture. Overall, they can shift your thinking from simply being on a diet to making lifestyle changes. But long-term goals may seem too difficult or too far away. You may benefit from breaking down a long-term goal into a series of smaller, short-term goals.

Examples of types of goals include:

  • Long-term goal – lose 15 pounds in three months
  • Short-term goals – break your long-term goals for each month, perhaps six pounds for the first month and four pounds for each of the last two months because early weight loss is often faster.
  • Process goals – walk 30 minutes a day, and if you currently don’t walk regularly at all, you may want to walk 15 minutes a day for two weeks and then add five minutes to your walk each week.

With SMART goals, you can be sure that you’re setting yourself attainable and achievable benchmarks that can lead to your development and success, or that of those around you. Your goals should conform to the following criteria: Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Relevant, and Timely. Outside of that, the goals can be made to suit your own needs and expectations, depending on what you want to gain from them. They should both help provide you with a clear purpose and lead to successful goal completion that feels straightforward and stress-free.

How do you lose weight?

Start by setting a goal weight. Nutrition and physical activity are the two main ways to achieve weight loss. Take a look at what you are eating, how much you are eating and when you are eating. Add more fruits and vegetables daily, choose low-calorie snacks, limit processed foods, limit sugary foods and/or dessert and cut back on high-calorie beverages. Also, avoid late-night snacking, eating in front of the TV, and try practicing mindful eating. Keep track of what you are eating by meal prepping and food logging. A good resource for meal planning and portion control is MyPlate.gov.

When it comes to physical activity, some is always better than none! Adding daily activity can be as simple as taking the stairs, going for a walk at lunch or jogging in place while watching TV. You can also find local exercise classes. Many places in Monterey County are offering online fitness classes, and Aspire Health Plan members, are eligible for the Silver&Fit® exercise and healthy aging program.

It’s also important not to forget the effects of stress on our health including raised cortisol levels and behavioral changes including overeating, emotional eating, exercising less often and loss of energy. While we may not directly be able to affect how much cortisol is floating around our bodies, we can certainly impact how we handle stress by implementing activities and routines to help reduce stress and ensure that we make good choices, get enough sleep and move.

How can I find support in my weight loss journey and why is this support important?

Support can help keep us accountable, motivated and feel cared about through the process. It can be emotional support, practical or inspiring. Support can come in so many different forms. It can come from our spouses, children or other family members, friends, our physicians, health coaches, or even a support group.

Aspire Health Plan members have access to a Health Coaching program. If you have any questions about this program along or any additional resources for weight loss, health and wellness, do not hesitate to contact Member Services at (855) 570-1600. TTY users call 711.

https://www.aspirehealthplan.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Aspire-Blog-SMART-Goals-for-Weight-Los-500x270px.jpg 270 500 Aspire Health Plan https://www.aspirehealthplan.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/aspire-health-plan.svg Aspire Health Plan2021-02-02 13:52:262023-12-11 20:41:28How to create SMART weight loss goals and achieve them
You might also like
A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit vs. an Annual Physical Exam A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit vs. an annual physical exam
advance care planning Getting started with advance care planning
Tips for avoiding emotional eating
Aspire blog - Do you a need a primary care physician (PCP)? Do you a need a primary care physician (PCP) and why is this important?
Diabetes resources for seniors in Monterey County Diabetes resources for seniors in Monterey County
Aspire Blog - Learn about Medicare coverage options for seniors with diabetes Learn about Medicare coverage options for seniors with diabetes
aspire blog - atherosclerosis in seniors How atherosclerosis affects the heart, brain and limbs
Aspire Blog - Four Nutrition Tips Four nutrition tips from the Blue Zones

Categories

  • All About Medicare (46)
    • Choosing a Medicare plan (12)
    • Comparing Medicare options (10)
    • Making the most of your coverage (12)
    • Understanding what Medicare covers (11)
  • Aspire Health News and Updates (3)
  • Caregiver Resources (8)
  • Choose Happy (11)
  • Member Stories (3)
  • Partners in Health (13)
    • Blue Zones Project – Monterey County (5)
    • Meet the Population Health Team (6)
  • Turning 65? (19)
  • Your Health and Wellness (48)
    • Diabetes and diabetes prevention (6)
    • Exercise and fitness (5)
    • Food and nutrition (7)
    • Hearing health (6)
    • Heart health (3)
    • Managing your medications (3)
    • Mental health and wellbeing (6)
    • Oral and dental health (3)

Ready to Enroll?

Medicare is within reach and we are here to help. Call now to talk to a licensed sales agent.

(866) 798-1530 — TTY 711

Give Us a Call

Prospective Members
Toll-free: (866) 798-1530 (TTY 711)

Current Members
Toll-free: (855) 570-1600 (TTY 711)
Local: (831) 574-4938 (TTY 711)

We’re Here For You

Hours

October 1 to March 31
7 Days a Week
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT

April 1 to September 30
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT

Aspire Health | Medicare Advantage Plans

Presented by

Logos for Montage Health and Salinas Valley Health side-by-side
Search Search

Shop Plans

Plan Comparison Tool

Attend A Seminar

Why Aspire Health?

Our Service Area

2025 Plan Documents

Health and Wellness Benefits

Health and Wellness Program

Medicare Basics

Attend a Seminar

Medicare Overview

Medicare Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Am I Eligible for Medicare?

Medicare Enrollment Periods

My Aspire Health Plan Rights

Our Blog

National Coverage Determinations

Health Equity Analysis

Additional Resources

Glossary of Terms

Find A Provider

Pharmacy Information

2025 Medication Look Up

For Members

Member Portal

Pharmacy Benefit Portal

Online Payments

Member Newsletters

Coverage Decisions, Appeals and Grievances

Clinical Guidelines

Access Health Records

For Providers

Provider Portal

Authorization Request Form (PDF):  English  |  Español 

Contact Us

Join Our Team

Privacy Center

Multi-language Interpretation Services

Aspire Health is a Medicare Advantage HMO plan sponsor with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Aspire Health depends on contract renewal.

Medicare beneficiaries may also enroll in Aspire Health through the CMS Medicare Online Enrollment Center located at http://www.medicare.gov. Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system. For accommodation of persons with special needs at meetings call 1-855-570-1600 (TTY: 711) Other Providers are available in our network. Out-of-network/non-contracted providers are under no obligation to treat Aspire Health members, except in emergency situations. Please call our customer service number or see your Evidence of Coverage for more information, including the cost-sharing that applies to out-of-network services. For a complete list of available plans please contact 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1- 877-486-2048), 24 hours a day/7 days a week or consult www.medicare.gov.

Some content on this page is saved in an alternative format. To view these files, download the following free software.

PDF Documents: Get Adobe® Reader®

© Copyright 2025 – Aspire Health – All rights reserved. H8764_WEB

Page last updated: December 11, 2023

Link to: Breaking down the four types of Medicare Link to: Breaking down the four types of Medicare Breaking down the four types of MedicareAspire Blog - Breaking down the four types of Medicare Link to: How atherosclerosis affects the heart, brain and limbs Link to: How atherosclerosis affects the heart, brain and limbs aspire blog - atherosclerosis in seniorsHow atherosclerosis affects the heart, brain and limbs
Scroll to top

You are leaving aspirehealthplan.org

"
Cancel Continue