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Did you know that by losing only 5 to 10 percent of your current weight, you can lower your risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease?

After making the decision to lose weight, you should establish realistic, short and long-term goals to increase your chances of success.

Various studies have shown that, after three years, many people gain back the weight they've lost. This occurs because they didn't set goals according to their reality. For example, if you tell yourself, "Starting today, I will only eat fruits and vegetables everyday" or "Starting tomorrow, I will get up early and run 15 laps around the soccer stadium" you will have more difficulties losing weight than if you say " Today I will eat fresh fruit instead of candy" or " Starting tomorrow, I will get up early and take a 20-minute walk around the block".

Below are some tips to help you set realistic goals:

Ask your loved ones for help The support of family and friends is very important to help you reach your goals. Get them involved and let them know how important it is for you to have their support.

Keep a food and exercise journal
Having a food and exercise journal is a good way to help you succeed.

Try reaching small goals before tackling the big ones Start by decreasing the amount of soft drinks or sodas you drink (for example, switch from a daily frequency to once a week), leaving mayonnaise out of your meals, serving yourself less bread, or using the stairs instead of the escalator. This way, you won't be overly limiting yourself and you won't feel like giving up.

Set short and long-term goals
An excessive weight loss of 20 or 30 kilos in one month is unreal and unhealthy. However, you can set short-term goals, such as losing 3 or 4 kilos a month, until you reach your goal of losing 30 kilos, which should take you around 8 months. Remember that you needed many months or years to gain weight; therefore, you need to take your time to lose weight as well.

Change your attitude and enjoy the changes
If you see healthy habits as a sacrifice, it will be harder for you to reach your goals. On the other hand, enjoy your meals and concentrate on their health benefits.

Have the following in mind before setting your goals:

• Define your final goal: the total number of kilos or pounds you want to lose.
• List the habits you need to modify in order to reach your goal and put them in order of importance.
• Set realistic lengths of time for losing weight, for example: 2 pounds a week.
• Make a list of strategies you're going to use to achieve these changes.