goals

happymum37

Hi, I've got about 96 pounds to lose and am in my first week of trying to shift it. This seems really daunting to me right now and wondered how other people handled this. I've been told to break it down into smaller goals but neither do I want to make it too easy and give up once I've reached my first goal. What do you do? Do you set yourself goals in terms of weight lost or goals in terms of time. Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks x

kelly101386

I set myself a goal not weight wise but using other means ie to fit into a certain size pant. I was an 18/20 UK, I am now a 16. I have set a new goal of 14. I don't really care about the number on the scale. It's also little things like if you're exercising how many minutes you can run, number of reps you can do comfortably if you lift. My current weight goal is listed, but it's the little milestones I celebrate more

pippywillow

There's nothing wrong with making it easier on yourself. If having small goals makes it seem less daunting than that's what you should do. I don't believe you'd give up once you get to your first goal. It's exciting to reach a goal, and it will only make you want more.

I know for me I don't even know what my ultimate goal weight is right now, I've never gotten there before. But I know that I want to get to 230 so that I can go skydiving so that's what I'm shooting for right now, and when I get there I'll set a new goal.

It is a great idea to have other goals besides weight, like fitness goals or clothing goals.

khall86790

Definitely smaller goals.
First of all I set myself a final goal and then I set mini ones e.g. I wanna lose 5kgs by the time I visit home for Christmas, I wanna lose 2kgs before my trip next month, etc.
Also I found it helped to take part in different exercise programs such as Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, Ripped in 30, etc. You could also use Insanity or the Couch to 5k programs. It gives you a fitness goal as well as a weight goal and if you complete 1 month of a program PLUS lose 5-6lbs from it, you'll feel good for that month for more than just the loss and you will be closer than you were before.

I also experiment with styles of eating e.g. low carb for 1 month, no carbs for 1 month, low fat for 1 month, clean eating for 2 months, etc. to see what works best for me and to see the differences it makes to the way I look and feel.

Definitely, give yourself small goals/experiments.

happymum37

Thanks everyone. I will have a think about some mini goals. Im so glad I joined mfp, everyone is really supportive. Help is really appreciated

_thirtytwo

I have minigoals to keep myself motivated and to remember to give myself (nonfood) rewards for making progress! I was told it's best to have different kinds of minigoals so that if you stall in one area you are still seeing progress in another - so I have lbs lost goals, pant sizes, running times, yoga stances (the arm ones), finishing the c25k program, etc. It's a lot of fun and has really helped me - a few weeks ago I didn't lose anything on the scale but I had dropped 3 inches in the waist down to a new pair of jeans - made what would have been a disappointing day a really excellent one!

icimani

I've lost just under 100 pounds but I still have about 75 to go. 75 still sound slike a huge number and can be daunting especially at only a pound a week, so I do keep that bigger number in mind, but I also set myself smaller goals that mentally are much more attainable. If you're worried about those smaller goals being too easy, just make your goal a bit bigger. Some people set their small goals in 10-pound increments, but you could always sset yours to 15 or 20, etc.

I also reward myself for meeting those smaller goals with things I wouldn't normally have to buy. A lot fo people reward themselves with workout clothes, a new pair of sneakers, new clothes in the smaller size but I feel like I'd have to buy those things anyway so I reward myself with things not related to weight loss - new books, motorcycle gear, etc. I have to be careful I don't reward myself with food. Some people do, but for me it always seems to start a downward spiral.

kpk54

My goal is to go to sleep every night knowing I ate a proper amount of calories and got some exercise. I goofed on 2 days but got it right on the other 35 or so. I'm down 12 pounds and already feel better.

herblackwings39

I've had various goals, but the easiest one is every 5 lbs. I don't look at how far I have to go. I just have to make it down 5 lbs. Once I do that I start aiming for the next 5 lbs.

shadow2soul

My goals are all fitness related. Currently:

Finish Zombies 5k (Only recently started running again for the first time in 4 years)

brookielaw

Smaller, manageable goals do make it easier psychologically, but it doesn't change the fact that you are seeking your end result, nor does it take that accomplishment away. What about a goal of losing 10% of your overall body weight? You can certainly feel the health benefits and see the results.

Sometimes the goal is a milestone on the scale, like being under X lbs for the first time since 2006, or my first 100 (I have a very long way to go) but it all adds up. Whatever keeps you encouraged, IMHO.


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ClumsyArtist

I think rewarding yourself for hitting small goals is so important! It gives you something to look forward to that's not going to take a year or so to accomplish. I'd recommend rewarding yourself for every 25lbs lost. I'm planning on getting another ear piercing when I reach 25 lbs lost. So excited!!

psuLemon

One thing that has helped me is setting goals that aren't weight goals. Since weight loss isn't linear if you can hit other goals, it helps to stay more motivated.

SummerLovesPhil

Process goals are best for me at this point. Process goals are different from product goals in that they are entirely dependent on what I do, not on how my body responds. My goal for this week is just to track my food and exercise. From there, I plan to set other process goals based on what I find out. The number on the scale is likely to change when I do these things, but I really don't have control over that, so I'm not making short-term goals based on weight.

It's also worth remembering the SMART goal-setting model. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-limited. So instead of just saying "I'm going to start writing down what I eat," I'm going to say "I will track everything I eat and drink for one full week. I will do this by taking a picture of everything I eat before it goes in my mouth, then logging it in MFP by the end of the day." It's specific, because I know exactly what I need to do. It's measurable, and I've set up a way to measure success (the tracker on MFP). It's achievable, but still challenging. It's definitely relevant to weight loss, and it's time-limited to this week.

Cheers!

shmoony

You started your original post with "I have 96 pounds to lose"

You have already established the amount of weight you have to lose, so you have already set your goal. You don't need any mental and emotional strategies other than be strong, patient, and disciplined. It's not as daunting as you think. If someone were to tell you that there's a million dollars waiting for you in Alaska, the only catch is that you have to walk there, I bet you would start walking right now and not stop til you got there.