How many times have you driven home from work and can't remember the trip? This happens quite often in life, where you get stuck in a routine or habit and have no idea or control over what you are doing.

Everyone goes about their daily activities, be it work, looking after the kids, going out or studying and often don't give much thought to how much control they have over their actions and, more importantly, their thoughts and attitudes that change and develop each day.

Setting goals and keeping records might seem like a tedious and boring job, however it could be what is preventing you from losing extra weight, getting fit or changing part of your life; things you might have unsuccessfully attempted in the past.

If you go through the process of setting goals the chance of reaching them increases. When you keep a record of your daily activities and pattern changes your chance can increase further.

When setting goals for weight loss it is really important to be realistic and to create goals that are attainable. The faster you lose weight, the less time you have to create life long patterns that change your relationship with food, exercise and your body.

If you spread your weight loss over a longer period of time it can be much more beneficial, as you will have a longer time to change eating patterns and ease yourself into a long-term exercise program.