How do you go about setting your goal?

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sumnerfan
sumnerfan Posts: 244 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I haven't set a long term goal. I've set plenty of short ones, but I don't really know what my ultimate goal is. So, how did you set yours? How will you know when you're there? Is it a number on the scale? The size of your clothes? An amount of time you run? The amount of weight you lift? I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Me thinks I'm making it too complicated.
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  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    I do have a long term goal but I rarely focus on it. I have small goals ranging from monthly, weekly, and daily that are easier for me to meet and keep. I know reaching those will get me to my ultimate goal.

    I also know that my long term goal may change so I try to stay flexible with it. I set my goal weight at 135 because I've been 145 and remember being almost comfortable with myself. (Clothing size seems irrelevant to me, because if I really looked, I could find something labeled size 4 even though I know I'm a 12!)
  • U2R2
    U2R2 Posts: 260 Member
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    Staring at 250 I initially chose 50lbs as a loss goal just because of it being a nice round number but amended that to 199 after reading of 'Onederland' on these forums.

    After much reading and some progress I now know upon reaching 199 I will reset my goal to 150 to get into the generally accepted 'fit zone'. I will then be able to *kitten* how I feel and set a final goal. Likely to be 170-180 with a reasonably defined muscle structure and level of strength.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    At first I chose a weight I approved of, then when I realized it was still considered overweight by five pounds or so I dropped it to something on the higher end of normal on the BMI chart. Once I get there I'll decide if I want to lose more.
  • pap3rw1ngs
    pap3rw1ngs Posts: 58 Member
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    My "end goal" is 140 because that's right in the middle of the healthy weight for my height. It's also 10 stone, which is a nice, round number. I figure I'll get there and see how I feel.
  • whippetwomen
    whippetwomen Posts: 35 Member
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    I kept to 1200 cals reccomended, put on 3 pounds. Also found it hard to eat so much. So now eat what I've always eaten, but less of it. I slice of bread instead of 2, substitute marmite on toast instead of butter, eat half a ready meal. Think about what you eat. My scales don't move much but my clothes feel much looser, had to buy a belt for 2 pairs of jeans to keep them up! Look slimmer, so I would say, don't beat yourself up, go easy on yourself, but think before you eat. Do you want that cheese or do you want to lose weight? I would say you have reached your ultimate goal when you feel happy with how you look and feel comfortable in your skin. However long it takes, it's not a race. Good luck
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    My first goal was to improve my health by eating healthy food. I was told I'd lose, but that was not the objective.

    Then I started losing! I was like, "Oh, if I could get to a size 20 again!"

    The goals kept changing. Under 200, size 18, etc.

    When I had to pick an MFP goal, I just pulled it out of my *kitten*. I picked my high school weight. I'd love to get there! But I don't expect to or even think I will. I just needed a number for the app and plugged one in.

    It's nearly impossible, when you're obese, to know the exact weight at which you will look and feel your best. I'm more than halfway there and still can't pick one. Too fat to know!

    My big goals now are 175 (two pounds to go), 150 and finishing up the journey. But I celebrate every time I get a 9, 5 or 3 in the ones place on the scale. I celebrate all the NSVs, which are better.
  • purplishblue
    purplishblue Posts: 135 Member
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    I want to get down to my high school weight. The irony is that when I was that weight in high school, I thought I was fat! Ugh.
  • jdt242
    jdt242 Posts: 106 Member
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    purplishblue wrote: »
    I want to get down to my high school weight. The irony is that when I was that weight in high school, I thought I was fat! Ugh.

    I think a lot of us felt that! You're not alone. Hindsight....
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
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    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    I will never reach it because I keep setting new ones. Once I lost the weight, then it was body fat, when I hit that, then it was endurance. Once I didthat, now it's strength. And, for that, I have to gain weight. So, the goal keeps moving around. I don't think I'll ever just say, "I'm done".

    This is my approach. I started with a weight goal in the high end of the normal BMI range for my height. As I approached it and realized that I was still pretty flabby, I set a lower goal and focused on doing more strength training to maintain muscle mass. I revised my weight target again a couple of times. Now I'm about where I want to be, and I'm shifting my goals to maintaining my weight (to figure out the whole maintenance thing) while improving my running and rowing, and keeping up my ability to do long bike rides.

    Weight goals are useful because weight is easy to measure. But once you're at a healthy weight, it's more useful to focus on body composition, strength, endurance, health, etc.
  • trungalung
    trungalung Posts: 45
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    I really have no end goal. I simply want to look the best I can. I do set up mini goals like hitting certain weight/body fat in an amount of time or be able to squat double my weight, etc...
  • legless11
    legless11 Posts: 21 Member
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    The smallest dress size i've been as an adult is 14 (UK), so my goal is to get to that again and see how I look/feel then. I might stop there or keep going.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    I had one weight loss goal: 5'6" 130 (based on a formula I had read years ago). I did that. It turned out to be a good weight. Now 13 years later I keep making fitness goals so I can KEEP that weight. :)
  • MamaRiss
    MamaRiss Posts: 481 Member
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    I set my goal originally to be my pre-pregnancy weight (130) by the time I turned 30. When I reached the point I only had 10 more pounds to go, I knew I wasn't going to be happy with it, so I lowered it a bit more to 125. I'm at 136 now and know it was the right move to make, I may even try for 120 eventually. It's silly but I want to look like I'm actually the mother to my two skinny kids
  • 50sFit
    50sFit Posts: 712 Member
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    I set goals in all areas of my life: relationship, career, financial, social, health, fitness...and so on...
    When it came to weight, I remembered my last best weight as an athlete, added 15 pounds, then decided I had to lose over 90 pounds. I also decided what size pants I needed to wear.
    I began my journey weighing 278 pounds in a size 44 pants.
    I am now at my goal weight of 185 and wearing size 32 pants.
    Setting goals that you can measure, track and achieve are the key to reaching potential.
    jm533enlj0q5.jpg
  • sumnerfan
    sumnerfan Posts: 244 Member
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    My high school and pre-pregnancy weight are the same. But I've been told I was too thin at 130-135. Also, there's the fact that I have more muscle now that I did then which makes a weight goal seem frivolous. Sizes are so wonky, they can't be trusted. I'm still not sure what to do. I wish women's sizes were like mens. Waist measurement, bust measurement, hip measurement. It might not be easy for some to swallow, but it would at least be consistent.

    I feel like I'm rambling. I know my next goal is to see a new number in the tens place on the scale. I know I need to lose at least 25 more pounds. After that, my goals will probably be performance based as some have suggested. I guess I'll just see when I get there.

    Would it sound silly if I said I wanted to look nice in a bikini even if I never choose to wear one in public?
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    I have the same bikini goal! I'm shy so I can't imagine wearing one in public, but I WILL own a bikini and look good in it! My birthday is in June so that's a big motivator for me!!
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    sumnerfan wrote: »
    I haven't set a long term goal. I've set plenty of short ones, but I don't really know what my ultimate goal is. So, how did you set yours? How will you know when you're there? Is it a number on the scale? The size of your clothes? An amount of time you run? The amount of weight you lift? I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Me thinks I'm making it too complicated.

    In my early 20's I easily maintained 136, which also happens to be the highest weight that's "normal" for me according to BMI. So I just went with that. There was a time, with hard work and dedication, that I reached 118. So, when I reach 136, I'll be happy. If I can get lower, that'd be great.

  • sumnerfan
    sumnerfan Posts: 244 Member
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    Cortneyrenee04 wrote: »
    I have the same bikini goal! I'm shy so I can't imagine wearing one in public, but I WILL own a bikini and look good in it! My birthday is in June so that's a big motivator for me!!

    My birthday is in June too. I think I see a mutual goal.
  • MsHarryWinston
    MsHarryWinston Posts: 1,027 Member
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    I want back the body that I had 4 years ago. So 150-160 lbs. I loved that body but didn't fully appreciate just how smokin hot it was. Once there my goals will probably change in the way of body comp. so more muscles etc. After I drop the fat it will be all about everything being nice and hard. I miss my bikini body, I want it back.

    I don't focus on the big goal though, 80lbs, or I'll go insane. I have my monthly goal of 10lbs so I focus on that. Then I have my short term goal of 30lbs by the end of the year. Then I'll probably set my second short term goal of 50lbs by June. By July if I havnt hit my goal I should be pretty freaking close. Right in time for bathing suit weather! Wooo!

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