Weight-loss goals..?! And have you given yourself a "goal" date?

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Replies

  • ettaterrell
    ettaterrell Posts: 887 Member
    bri170lb wrote: »
    I have a date goal. I think i am in the minority here, but it works for me. I need to know where i am going i order to know how to get there, i guess.

    I started really working on my weight loss in ernest on 1/7/15 and my goal is to lose 100 pounds by 1/7/16. (I will have lost a total of 130 pounds because I lost 30 pounds during 2014 also.)

    I broke that big goal into lots of smaller goals and I even scheduled a 1 month vacation time where I maintained my weight during the summer.

    I have had some better months and some difficult months because of health and work issues but so far I am pretty close to being exactly on track.

    If I miss my date by a few days or weeks, I won't be unhappy. How can I be unhappy when I have come sooooo far!

    After that goal, my next BIG goal will be to lose my last 20 pounds by May 30, 2016. I ran in my 1st 5k race on that day in 2015 and I plan to PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999!!! WHEN I REACH MY ULTIMATE GOAL.

    I have had lots of goals of all kinds along the way. Like, I am entering 1 5k each month since last May. Also, just sticking to my calorie goals 1 meal at a time. Or making a really good choice for MYSELF each day.

    I have kept track of everything on a calendar and have a regular journal, a 5k journal and a JOY journal where I write down all the places where I see joy in my life.

    I hope this inspires some of you to keep moving forward and keep making good choices for yourself because you really are worth every ounce of effort!

    Love this! Thanks for sharing very inspiring... And great ideas
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    robertw486 wrote: »
    I haven't set a goal date, as I've already changed my goal weight once, and weight alone isn't going to dictate my goals. Since I have the rest of my life to make those decisions, my only real current goal is to not slip in either weight or fitness level. As long as things keep improving, I'm heading the right direction.

    This is really important and I think hasn't been said enough on this post. Weight is a number, health is a whole other thing, and LOOKING how you want to look is a completely out of this ball game other thing on top of that. Don't put all your mental energy into the number. Lots of people in the success threads get to goal weight and they still aren't happy with how they look (although of course they are immeasurably happy about their weight loss of course, and should be), so they end up starting on body recomps and weight lifting to tighten up the parts of them that didn't take well to shrinking. I'm not saying don't have a goal date/week/month or anything, and I would never in any scenario say not to be totally thrilled when you get to your goal weight. I would just caution anyone to make sure they aren't tying their entire weight loss journey to the number on the scale, and to make sure you are allowing emotionally and mentally for the possibility that getting to goal weight may not be the end of your journey, dates notwithstanding.
  • kellellie
    kellellie Posts: 109 Member
    I have a goal date and a goal weight, but only because my goal was to be inside a healthy BMI before we start trying to have kids in january. I'm currently 3lbs away from being just inside the healthy range, which I should hit easily by the end of november, and i'd be nice to get another 5lbs into it before january. But I have no set number for the weight I want to be at, really, mostly because I have no idea where I'd be most comfortable, or how much muscle will alter a goal. I dont want to be sitting there going " well yeah I look better, but I want (insert number here)" that sounds frustrating.
  • callmeAl19
    callmeAl19 Posts: 9 Member
    I'm just starting to track consistently again and decided to set a goal date, but am giving myself more time than I have in the past. I'm shooting for 20 lb weight loss by my 35th birthday, which is mid-May. I know that if I really wanted to, I could lose this amount of weight sooner, but with a lot more restrictions on my calories. Trying to lose faster would make it much more likely for me to give up, because I would feel deprived. I think the key to setting a goal date is to make it realistic and build in a little extra time to allow for a setback or two.
  • mikethegrate
    mikethegrate Posts: 48 Member
    I didn't set a goal date, but I built a spreadsheet that tracks my average weekly loss and projects the date when I should hit my target weight. It fluctuates based on how good/bad my week has been, but it's currently tracking for somewhere in March of next year. It helps me to see a projected date for my big goal, though I know that's not the "finish line".
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
    I have mini goals and mini rewards. It helps me stay motivated and work towards something.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    It took me 20 years to get to the weight I was when I started this. I figure I can spend 20 more heading on the opposite direction. Setting a deadline doesn't seem realistic. Life can get in the way and slow you down or even reverse things on you for a time, and then how will you handle that?
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    I had a lot of weight to lose, I picked 60lbs based upon recommended BMI, and I wanted to lose it in a sustainable way. So I did not give myself a goal date. It took me 3 years. For me it wasn't about when, it was about how. I set goals for other things; first 5k, first 10k, 1 race a month, etc. Those small obtainable goals on a time table helped me, but I would have been frustrated with life if I had a specific weight deadline.
  • whatatime2befit
    whatatime2befit Posts: 625 Member
    Started this journey about 20 months ago with 87ish lbs to lose. Down 83 at this point. No goal deadline, just worked slow and steady to get here
  • swim777
    swim777 Posts: 599 Member
    KT_3009 wrote: »
    So I'm wanting to lose another 25-30lbs which for my 5'4 height and currently weighing 147lbs I think it's doable.. I want to lose the weight by mid February - early March and was wondering if having a set goal date is better with helping to get motivated and keeping on track?
    Any advice is great :)

    I have done mini goals. I've lost 60 lbs since last last February. I did five pound goals but now I am looking at 4 a month. If I'm not getting there, I try to push myself a little harder. My theory was that even if I only lost twenty, I'd be twenty pounds lighter... It was easier to celebrate and stay motivated with small goals. Everyone is different, so you need to do what motivates you. It is a journey and hopefully a new life not just..whew I'm done.

  • swim777
    swim777 Posts: 599 Member
    bri170lb wrote: »
    I have a date goal. I think i am in the minority here, but it works for me. I need to know where i am going i order to know how to get there, i guess.

    I started really working on my weight loss in ernest on 1/7/15 and my goal is to lose 100 pounds by 1/7/16. (I will have lost a total of 130 pounds because I lost 30 pounds during 2014 also.)

    I broke that big goal into lots of smaller goals and I even scheduled a 1 month vacation time where I maintained my weight during the summer.

    I have had some better months and some difficult months because of health and work issues but so far I am pretty close to being exactly on track.

    If I miss my date by a few days or weeks, I won't be unhappy. How can I be unhappy when I have come sooooo far!

    After that goal, my next BIG goal will be to lose my last 20 pounds by May 30, 2016. I ran in my 1st 5k race on that day in 2015 and I plan to PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999!!! WHEN I REACH MY ULTIMATE GOAL.

    I have had lots of goals of all kinds along the way. Like, I am entering 1 5k each month since last May. Also, just sticking to my calorie goals 1 meal at a time. Or making a really good choice for MYSELF each day.

    I have kept track of everything on a calendar and have a regular journal, a 5k journal and a JOY journal where I write down all the places where I see joy in my life.

    I hope this inspires some of you to keep moving forward and keep making good choices for yourself because you really are worth every ounce of effort!

    It sounds like you are doing great!!! So motivating to read!!
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    I have a big goal and many mini goals spread over 18 months, but I set them to be easy (my ultimate goal assumes I can sustain an average of about 40% of the rate of loss I had initially - which granted was a high initial rate of loss because I started in morbid obesity, but over the entire course of a year and a half, I thought it was reasonable.

    And I am not set on reaching it exactly. 21 months after my original start date I want to hike to the summit of Kilimanjaro, so I don't need to be at my goal weight per se - I just need to be fit and ready to go.
  • FitCurves1818
    FitCurves1818 Posts: 90 Member
    I don't have a date set for my ultimate goal, but I am a fan of setting dates for mini goals. In September I challenged myself to lose 10 lbs in a month. I got aggressive for that month and dropped 9.7 lbs. yeah I technically didn't reach my goal but it helped to keep me on track and served as extra motivation to add some extra workouts, have fewer indulgences and provided a bonus loss during that time period out of my total weight loss journey. My next goal is to get to Onederland by January 1st 2016. I base my mini goals on where I currently am and what I can achieve with reasonable effort in that amount of time. I know weight loss isn't linear, but I also know that I need to set goals for myself to keep myself accountable and putting forth my best effort. Sure a loss is still a loss but at my size and the amount of weight I still need to lose, if I look back over 2 months and have only lost 5lbs during that time, it means I need to make adjustments because I've been phoning it in but ymmv
  • heidiglaubitz
    heidiglaubitz Posts: 2 Member
    I'm 5'6", and I weigh 145lbs (roughly). I want to lose about 15lbs, and make my way down to a comfortable 130lbs. I hadn't really thought about a cut off date. But honestly, once I begin clean eating- my weight sheds like crazy... So I am thinking Christmas is a good date. But, I'm going to aim bigger, and shoot for December 11th.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited November 2015
    heidiglaubitz wrote: »
    I'm 5'6", and I weigh 145lbs (roughly). I want to lose about 15lbs, and make my way down to a comfortable 130lbs. I hadn't really thought about a cut off date. But honestly, once I begin clean eating- my weight sheds like crazy... So I am thinking Christmas is a good date. But, I'm going to aim bigger, and shoot for December 11th.

    Perfect example of what I described in this thread. That's a 1640 calorie daily deficit goal. Even aiming at Christmas it would be an 1141 daily deficit. For someone within her healthy bmi range and only 15 pounds to lose.
  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
    Thanks all for the great advice! I myself have a few small goals in mind than my big goal. I will probably stop stressing about having done them in a certain amount of time :) I also lose weight quite quickly if I stick with exercise and clean eating
  • brb2008
    brb2008 Posts: 406 Member
    Right now my goal is set to 200lbs, but ultimately I want to get down to 180 before I decide where maintenance is for me.

    So thats nearly 60lbs to onederland, and I hope to do it in 6 mos or less. I have previously lost 100total pounds so I know my body can let it go pretty quick if I stick to my plan.
  • KatieFerg95
    KatieFerg95 Posts: 11 Member
    I'd like to lose 13 lbs by New Year but I won't be upset if I don't quite make it.
  • Soopatt
    Soopatt Posts: 563 Member
    I am glad I did not set a time goal in the beginning because it would have been completely unrealistic. I was sure that I could lose all my weight by round about August and it is now November and I still have 6kgs to go.

    Now that I have got over myself, I think I have a better idea of how long it takes based on my experience since April. I think it would be safe for me to set a time goal now, but I would still want to do it very tentatively so that I am not hard on myself.

    I would like to lose my last 6kg by 20 Feb next year as that is my birthday. I will not beat myself up or take drastic measures if I don't though, I will just keep on going.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    I did not set an ultimate goal but I have set tentative "it would be nice if . . ." dates for my mini goals.

    I did this, and it worked for me. But I knew I wouldn't get unmotivated if I didn't make it and that I'd be happy and feel it was a victory to be close. It was more of a way of making clear to myself how much I could lose in 6 months or a year just being consistent and not aiming for any kind of crazy rate of loss.

    I tend to be into plans, though -- it's always been my way of approaching big undertakings. Also, it was very important for me that I included lots of process and fitness goals along with the weight goals, so I would feel I was making progress in things I had more direct control over.
    I really depends on you, and you know yourself. Will setting a goal motivate you, or will you get derailed if it looks like you won't make it? Only you can really answer those questions. If you can set a goal and are willing to revise it as you go along, go for it.

    100% this.
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    There shouldn't be a time line. Crap happens that will slow you down. And that's ok, it's life. And for those of you who are at the beginning of all this, there is no end date. When you reach goal, you go into Maintenance, which is a whole other life lesson.

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