Why Do People Set Mini Goals?

OldAssDude

just wondering.

Why not just set your goal to somewhere in the middle of your healthy weight range?

_Justinian_

I want to know the answer to this, as well.

kyrannosaurus

Because when you have a lot of weight to lose it can be intimidating. I always had an ultimate goal weight in mind, but mini-goals gave me something closer to focus on and celebrate throughout the process.

VykkDraygoVPR

Yeah, some people just find it more manageable that way. I personally can't approach it that way, but I understand the thought process.

CoffeeNCardio

I have both mini-goals which I celebrate and a final goal. I don't change the goals in MFP to show my mini goal, just the end-all-be-all goal, but I have the mini's marked in my calendar. One is the weight I'd like to be by our anniversary. Another is Christmas, another is my birthday in February, and then final goal. So I don't pick a poundage per say, but I have an idea where I'd really be happy to find myself by certain milestones in my life.

OldAssDude

CoffeeNCardio wrote: »

I have both mini-goals which I celebrate and a final goal. I don't change the goals in MFP to show my mini goal, just the end-all-be-all goal, but I have the mini's marked in my calendar. One is the weight I'd like to be by our anniversary. Another is Christmas, another is my birthday in February, and then final goal. So I don't pick a poundage per say, but I have an idea where I'd really be happy to find myself by certain milestones in my life.

Interesting. I never thought of it from that perspective.

Obnoxa

Same reason you run through every colour in the rainbow before getting a black belt, really.
I started out at 290lb. I am looking at an end goal of 140lb. That's a *lot* of weight to lose; quite literally an entire extra me. Patting myself on the back and feeling successful as I hit mini goals is less overwhelming than just waiting for the however bloody long its going to take me to get there.
That sense of achievement is motivating to me in itself

OldAssDude

When I first started this I was 225 lbs. and chose a goal of 170. Once I learned enough to find a healthy weight chart and realized that my healthy weight was 128 to 168, I changed my goal weight to 150. I am at 170 now, and only have 20 lbs. to go.

CoffeeNCardio

bcalvanese wrote: »

CoffeeNCardio wrote: »

I have both mini-goals which I celebrate and a final goal. I don't change the goals in MFP to show my mini goal, just the end-all-be-all goal, but I have the mini's marked in my calendar. One is the weight I'd like to be by our anniversary. Another is Christmas, another is my birthday in February, and then final goal. So I don't pick a poundage per say, but I have an idea where I'd really be happy to find myself by certain milestones in my life.

Interesting. I never thought of it from that perspective.

Oh it's completely shallow, that's just the days people are most likely to take photos of me, I feel the need to be ready this time:):):) (he he he)

Unknown

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BurnWithBarn2015

Maybe so they dont get discouraged? So maybe over see things better ( overwhelmed or impressed by it all)
A lady here in the community does it in steps too. And every goal is a party for her... i love it. As long as it works for people

For me i just said i am going to lose the excess weight. Had to set a goal weight (145 lbs) but it is just a number...

At this point searching for maintaining level and still not really interested in the goal weight..i see it more as a range.

My goal was healthy and fit as possible for a "senior" woman lol

And at this point i am exactly where i wanted. Feeling good/happy/fitter and healthier
Still a work in progress but that is with a whole other purpose/goal in mind.

RetroPolkaDot

I have a mini goal set because it's less overwhelming to think of losing 7 to 10 pounds instead of 45 pounds. My doctor suggested it because I mentioned that I'd start and stop as I got discouraged.

mysteps2beauty

Simply a mental trick....it keeps one motivated and self encouraged. I recently changed my goal weight here at MFP from 160 to 200. Know what happened? It actually increased my calorie deficit requirement. I'm okay with it. I'm closer to my goal(s).

Being of advanced age (55) I've seen quiet a bit of approaches to same intentions. At the end of the day, we are all individual, all different. What works for the goose may not work for the gander. I mean why don't you have mini goals? See how questioning another's approach to a personal goal is unthoughtful if they achieve their goals?

Machka9

When I started here, one of my motivating factors was a relatively expensive blue waterproof breathable cycling jacket. I had purchased it in 2011, and it fit nicely then. Gradually, I grew out of it. So I decided I would just get another one ... but I had a small coughing fit when I looked at the price. It had gone up significantly. Or perhaps I got the jacket on sale. Nevertheless, I had another look at the jacket and it is still in really good shape. I haven't worn it that often. And I figured that if I lost a bit of weight ... maybe even just 6 or 7 kg, I might be able to squeeze back into it.

So that was my first goal.

At the same time, I also figured that I would stick with this whole calorie limit and logging thing until mid-June (4 months after I started). Mid-June I was going to Canada and the diet would be off! But if I could lose a bit before I went to Canada, that would be nice.

So that was my second goal.

About 7 weeks in and 7 kg lost ... I could wear the jacket. If I didn't do anything foolish like breathe. 10 weeks in and 10 kg lost ... the jacket was mine!

By then, I realised that I might be able to hit 15 kg lost by mid-June, and that would place me comfortably within the top end of my BMI and back to what I was in 2011.

So that was my third goal.

Mid-June ... I hit 15 kg lost and was off to Canada!! Complete diet break. No logging for a little over 3 weeks.

However, just before I went, that little message which appears at the bottom of the food log when you complete it for the day was hinting that in 5 weeks I could be a weight I hadn't seen since about 2008. Hmmmm ... something to think about.

Mid-July, I decided to resume the process and keep it going to the end of September, and just see what might happen. I kind of vaguely hoped for a 5 kg loss in that time ... and got it.

OK, now that little message was suggesting I could potentially be a weight I hadn't seen since about 2003. So I decided to stick with it until the end of October. And dropped another 4 kg.

I'm now about 2 kg away from a weight I would really like to be ... a weight I used to be much of my life up to about 2004. And of course that little message is encouraging me to pursue it! So I'll keep going till the end of November ...

Alatariel75

Because different things work for different people. Some like the motivation of mini-goals, some are big picture thinkers. If everyone did everything the same, the world would be a very boring place.

amberlyda1

i have both. I have to loose about 80 pounds total and I dont expect to be able to realistically do that until next year. My first goal was to break 200 pounds. I got on the scale after a workout (yes I know it was water weight but I was still happy) and I was 199.2. I was so happy. I had officially lost the first 20 pounds, now I only have 60 to go. If I only thought about being able to fit into my old jeans sometime next year it would be easy to get discouraged. My mini goal right now is to loose 5 pounds a month until I reach my final goal. It just seems more manageable for me; but everyone is different

scolaris

I like mini goals. I never tell myself I have to lose X pounds by y date. I think that's totally disrespectful to my body & its own subtle wisdom. My job is to do MY work: calories, sleep, exercise... and it's job is to synthesize that work through a whole series of mysterious & arcane metabolic processes. But I definitely look forward to little milestones that crop up along the way. This week I gave away a stack of size 12 jeans & started wearing another girls hand me down size 10s. Changing sizes is a milestone. And today I hit a BMI of 29.9 making me now officially just overweight rather than obese. Huzzah! Another milestone! It's enjoyable to see progress.

wrenak

I am a 41-year-old 5'0" female. My highest ever weight was 272. My starting weight for MFP in April was 261.2. I set my ultimate goal at 130 (5 pounds under my lowest-ever adult weight where I was feeling great but still 5 pounds over the top end of my healthy BMI range). When I look at the fact that I need to lose more weight than I will ultimately be, that gets pretty damned overwhelming. When I look at it in 20-pound chunks it's a lot easier to deal with. So while I do have MFP set to show my end-goal target, which may change once I get close and know how I'm feeling, I celebrate the mini-goals.

First 20 pounds gone was a Fitbit Charge HR. I cannot wear it, but it was what I wanted and I got it to celebrate. Second 20 pounds gone was going to be a Gazelle; alas, I could not find one locally so I got myself an Outback Oilskin hat - which will make walking in the rain more pleasant!
Third 20 pounds gone will be close enough to "under 200" that I am going to mash those two things together and celebrate by going on a horseback ride.
Fourth through Seventh 20 pounds gone? Not a clue yet. BUT!
Ultimate Goal will be a trip to Scotland, somewhere I've always wanted to go! I'm gonna get there even if it means I don't eat for the year following. lol

misskarne

Because if I looked at it as a whole number, as the 35kg that I still have to lose (and after losing ten already), I would cry.

It's that simple. I can't handle the bigger number. It's a Mount Everest (and I recognise that there are others with more to lose, but for me, this is a lot).

Dealing with it in five kilo/mini goal increments is much more manageable. For the moment, my goal is to get to 95. Then, it'll be to get to 89, at which point I will no longer be classified as obese. Then 85, then to get under 80. At 75 I will be in the "normal" range. At 70, I will be a weight I haven't been in years. At 65...well. That's the goal.

Sued0nim

Because it suits them?

Sued0nim

wrenak wrote: »

I am a 41-year-old 5'0" female. My highest ever weight was 272. My starting weight for MFP in April was 261.2. I set my ultimate goal at 130 (5 pounds under my lowest-ever adult weight where I was feeling great but still 5 pounds over the top end of my healthy BMI range). When I look at the fact that I need to lose more weight than I will ultimately be, that gets pretty damned overwhelming. When I look at it in 20-pound chunks it's a lot easier to deal with. So while I do have MFP set to show my end-goal target, which may change once I get close and know how I'm feeling, I celebrate the mini-goals.

First 20 pounds gone was a Fitbit Charge HR. I cannot wear it, but it was what I wanted and I got it to celebrate. Second 20 pounds gone was going to be a Gazelle; alas, I could not find one locally so I got myself an Outback Oilskin hat - which will make walking in the rain more pleasant!
Third 20 pounds gone will be close enough to "under 200" that I am going to mash those two things together and celebrate by going on a horseback ride.
Fourth through Seventh 20 pounds gone? Not a clue yet. BUT!
Ultimate Goal will be a trip to Scotland, somewhere I've always wanted to go! I'm gonna get there even if it means I don't eat for the year following. lol

If you can't wear your charge I'd suggest you get a much cheaper, smaller and less intrusive zip or one ...they do the same thing without the misleading HR information and will get you used to upping your activity

wrenak

rabbitjb wrote: »

If you can't wear your charge I'd suggest you get a much cheaper, smaller and less intrusive zip or one ...they do the same thing without the misleading HR information and will get you used to upping your activity

My dad actually gifted it to me. One night the charging contacts burned me and once it had healed I tried wearing it again with the contacts covered, but the material of the band gave me a rash. Thought it might be a one-off, so I cleaned it with peroxide and made sure it stayed dry. Got the rash again. It now sits on my table between my knitting needles and my odds-and-ends kit. I make sure I track my walks with MapMyFitness and that's all I've done so far.

xX_PhoenixRising_Xx

bcalvanese wrote: »

just wondering.

Why not just set your goal to somewhere in the middle of your healthy weight range?

Because the middle of my "healthy weight range" is around 150lbs and my starting weight was 329. As others have said, it's somewhat intimidating to know you need to lose nearly 180lbs, not to mention the effort that would be put in to only celebrate reaching a goal several years later. How bleak would that be?

rainbow198

When I first started, I had no idea how I would look at a certain weight so I did not have a goal weight. I took things a pound at a time.

Also I did not say I wanted to lose a certain amount or weight by a certain time. Again, one pound at a time.

I stayed consistent, had lots of patience and knew I would get there, one day. I ended up being happy losing 80 lbs. Looking back if I would have known I needed to lose 80 lbs, I think it would have been tough on me mentally.

Lastly, the middle of my weight range is too low for me as I have a lot of muscle mass and have an hourglass shape.

melonaulait

I think maybe I'll be satisfied when I reach -20kg, but so far I'm definitely not satisfied at all, and I don't think I will be at 20 either... But I know I would feel worse if my only goal was getting to my ultimate goal, which is so painfully far away.

lisalsd1

It helps keep you motivated; you accomplished your "mini" goal, and you should feel positive and able to reinforce good behaviors and a good mindset to hit your next "mini" goal, which gets you that much closer to your long-term goal.

Google "SMART"goals. This is a good way to think about goal setting.

Liftng4Lis

Preference.

Sued0nim

wrenak wrote: »

rabbitjb wrote: »

If you can't wear your charge I'd suggest you get a much cheaper, smaller and less intrusive zip or one ...they do the same thing without the misleading HR information and will get you used to upping your activity

My dad actually gifted it to me. One night the charging contacts burned me and once it had healed I tried wearing it again with the contacts covered, but the material of the band gave me a rash. Thought it might be a one-off, so I cleaned it with peroxide and made sure it stayed dry. Got the rash again. It now sits on my table between my knitting needles and my odds-and-ends kit. I make sure I track my walks with MapMyFitness and that's all I've done so far.

Fitbit customer service are excellent - I'd email them - they might change it for you

ki4eld

vinegar_husbands wrote: »

Small frame and high standards.

Yes!

DeguelloTex

When I run seven miles, I try not to take the first step thinking, "Oh, Zod, save me, seven miles is so far." I know where the first mile is. I try to get there. Woot, made it, 14.3% done. I know where the second mile is. I try to get there. Woot, made it, 28.6% done. And so on.

I'd imagine that mini goals for weight loss work similarly.

PeachyCarol

DeguelloTex wrote: »

When I run seven miles, I try not to take the first step thinking, "Oh, Zod, save me, seven miles is so far." I know where the first mile is. I try to get there. Woot, made it, 14.3% done. I know where the second mile is. I try to get there. Woot, made it, 28.6% done. And so on.

I'd imagine that mini goals for weight loss work similarly.

I do the exact same thing when I run. Except I can't run that far yet.

I don't eat my food in one big bite, I consume it one bite at a time. Achieving goals one bite at a time builds a framework of success that breeds a feeling of accomplishment.

I don't just have weight loss goals (or call them milestones), I have fitness goals too.

I like feeling accomplished rather than always striving for something so far out of reach. It's more fun to be able to see a target and know you'll get there because you've got that framework of success shoring you up.

That's my preferred way of doing things.