Could you always fathom reaching your goal weight?

katznkt

Could you picture it? Or was it a vague hope until you got there?

I'm almost halfway and finally feel confident that I will achieve my goal but I can't picture what I will look like. I remembered being at my current weight a few years ago, but I haven't been my goal weight since junior high. I can't picture what adult me after kids will look like at that weight.

I know it doesn't really matter. I'm getting healthy and that is what matters, but I like visualizing my goals and I'm having issues.

And yes, I've been to mybodygallery. Not really looking for pictures, just curious if most fully successful people knew what they would look like at goal and how accurate they were. Or if they couldn't visualize and were still successful.

I guess I'm just worried that a lack of visual mental goal means my brain doesn't really doesn't think I'll get there.

indianarunner76

Im just a few pounds away from my goal weight. Yes, I visualized it everyday. I even had a picture of myself at my heaviest and next to it a picture of myself at weight I was before. Since summer I have lost 64 total pounds and since I got very serious and systematic I have lost 47.

You will get there. Just say to yourself everyday it's possible. And visualize yourself already at your goal.

seltzermint555

I am not sure what my end goal is. My current goal is 180 and I do remember being that size when I was 14 yrs old, and I felt "chubby-normal" and liked my body a lot. Obviously I am 37 now and there are a lot of differences, some good (leaner face, neck, legs) some not so good (flabby arms from weight loss, droopier chest, some slight wrinkles forming) but I still think I'll like my body at 180. Whether that will satisfy me enough to stop there I do not know.

(FTR my HW was 307 and I'm currently at 204 which is the lowest I've been as an adult. Previous low weight was 227 at age 24)

Sreneesa

I can visualize my weight loss goal. That never been a problem even in the past. Always achieved it.

What is blurry is my getting toned and what I will look like once I replace fat with muscle. Excited. Still learning how to achieve that but at least I am being more consistent in my exercising....

nxd10

I had been at my goal weight when I graduated from college and actually after giving birth to both my kids (nursing takes a lot of weight off you). But no, I couldn't 'see it' in my mind, because that was years ago.

What really got me was looking in the mirror and seeing my old self. The face I recognized from the picture in my mind. I thought I looked different because I was older. I actually looked different because I was fatter. Now I can still see the age - a bit of gray hair and that less than perfect skin under my chin. But my first impression is the happy and energetic person that I used to see stares back at me again.

Shuuma

I have not been my goal weight in about 25 years, so I have no clue what it will even look like on me anymore. I DO know that I am currently my goal weight under too much fat, so I have to just keep chipping away at the me I know is hiding in there.

I know what I want it to look like and visualize that "look" every day. Every time I want to give up, I picture myself in those pants I want to buy. I suspect I won't look exactly like my mind envisions, but I keep picturing it and it keeps fueling my determination to get it done.

4ever420

I've never been at my current weight in my adult life so starting out I had absolutely no idea what I'd look like once I got there. I reached my original goal weight but honestly figured I'd look closer to how I wanted to by this weight and I now realize I have a little more to go (about 20 I think). That's okay though, the last time I weighed this little was in junior high so it was hard to judge where I'd be at this weight.

Starting out I did have a vague idea of how I wanted to look/feel at goal, I just didn't really know what my weight would be when that happened (and still kind of don't). I'm definitely getting closer though. :bigsmile:

Saramelie

I was 140 and toned 10 years ago, and I was 150 (not toned) 5 years ago... and I don`t remember what I looked like. I have pictures, but I have a hard time relating to them. I remember that I felt good, that`s it. My goal weight is - I think - 132.... never been that small as an adult, so maybe it`s too low for me anyways.... If I can just hit 150 again, I`ll see from there.

pkw58

I could envision it, but what shocked me was after I hit my initial goal, the weight kept coming off and I stabilized 11 pounds below my initial goal. Now I envision getting stronger with more energy!

sevsmom

Fathom reaching it.....yes. Have a good idea of what it would look like on me? Not so much. My ticker says I'm like 10 lbs away from goal, but I just use that to keep me "motivated" to keep pressing forward. My goal was 135. Now, that has me in a loose size 6. Which for a 40+ year old mom, is just fine and dandy in my opinion. I always weigh more than people think. For me to get below 130 will require significant muscle loss which is completely unacceptable to me.

Believe in your ability to make a plan and work the plan. Visualization is nice, but diligence wins the day every time!

rainbow198

There are some days I still can not believe I actually did it and mostly importantly have been maintaining with ease for almost one year! Other days I think to myself I have worked my butt off over the last 2 years and I feel fantastic. I'm still not used to be able to go in any store and buy cute clothes off the rack and not have to settle.

I did things a little differently though. I did not visualize, have a "dream celebrity body" visual, wanted to lose weight for an event and I didn't buy a goal dress or anything like that. I did that in the past and didn't want to set myself up to fail. This time I focused on fitness goals/eating better and being consistent with it and I continually got smaller and smaller.

It's not over though. I am working hard to maintain and stay focus and in control. Next year is my 20th year hs reunion and it feels great to look better and be in better shape than I was in high school.

Have a happy new year everyone!

tabbyxxcat

I have been fat all my life and have no idea what I'd even look like when I reach my goal weight. I think the reason I stopped after 40lbs lost before is because it was miracle enough that I reached the "normal" BMI category, but I could never be that one skinny, attractive girl! I was always deemed to be just flat out large (I'm 5'11" btw haha).
The reason why I came back was because I felt like my journey was unfinished, and here I am to finish it. One day at a time, as long as that scale moves in the right direction every morning ) excited to see what happens at least

amcsouth

I have been obese since I was a kid so I have never known what my body could look like. I'm extremely happy considering my previous size and it's sort of like getting a new present every day haha! I never thought I could look like this... it was always something I dreamt about but never truly believed it would happen. I thought so much weight loss was impossible & I would always look like Shrek... surprise surprise :laugh:

Still got more fat to lose and I'm excited to see the results

wmbrett

When i first started, I figure I'd drop from 230 down to about 205 and be happy at that weight - and in fact couldn't believe it when I hit 200 lbs. But when I got there, I realized there was nothing keeping me at 200, and why not keep pushing it to see what could happen. Now I bounce around 175 +/- 3 lbs and feel great. I know I could lose more weight if I really wanted to, but I've already dropped 5 waist sizes and 55 lbs and just about hit my high school wrestling weight. I'm done and just focusing on maintaining.

LauraBee96

I'm the same.. I have always been a heavy adult. I started putting on weight at puberty, so I'm not kidding when I say that I haven't been this weight since I was 12. And I'm still 3kg from goal!

I feel like I spend an obsessive amount of time looking at my body in the mirror, as if I'm seeing it for the very first time. I've never had a defined collarbone, for example. I always dreamed of having non-jiggly abs, but never considered the other interesting changes that would happen to my body. It's a journey, and an emotional one at that. I feel like I'm just waking up for the first time, with a new outlook on everything!

Grumbers

I have literally no idea how I'll look in another 38lbs time?

Being a very consistent guy who is never too up or down, I imagine I'll get there and be like wooh, celebratory cup of tea, move on.

Also, as I assume I'll see my body changing day by day, I doubt when I hit that last 1lb I'll think I look any different from before.

Even after 13lbs I can tell the difference in my clothes, but physically I really couldn't say how I've change. I can just feel I've started changing!

Guess I should try and be a little more celebratory!

nxd10

Grumbers - I didn't notice anything much for the first 20 pounds actually (11% body weight loss) because I'd put those last 20 pounds on in around a year. It was my 'fat' self I found surprising. But when I got much under that, all of a sudden I kept touching my arms or legs or torso and noticing how much smaller and, eventually, bonier they were. Because I also had been very stable in my weight, except for the last year, for a 15 years or so, that came as a surprise every time. Even now after the weight has been gone for a year, I wake up every morning and touch my ribs and am surprised at all those hard bones and muscle. No celebration (and yeah, I could probably lose a lot more if I was more body- and less health-conscious). But surprise. Every day.

Phaedra2014

Yes I can. I've been that weight in the past so I know exactly what I'll look like.

westendcurls

When I was 200lbs had you told me I'd one day be 125 I would have laughed for days then probably told it would be unhealthy for me to be that small lol. But I did see all my smaller goals. When I was 200 I knew I could get to 175. Once I was 175 I could see 155 I just kept going like that.

echofm1

I've been obese (not just overweight, but obese) my entire life. Like I wore a size 24 dress to my sister's wedding when I was 14. Since I stopped growing (probably about 13), I have been a size 24. Now I'm on the verge of a size 22, and it's really exciting. I can't imagine what I'll look like when I get even to 250 pounds, much less my goal weight of 180. I'm really excited to see though.

cwolfman13

I always was and still am far more obsessed with proper nutrition and fitness. I never really put too much emphasis on the scale...it's just a number with many, many, many meanings. Dropping weight and getting to a healthy BF% (way more important than some arbitrary number IMHO) and re-gaining my fitness physique were just awesome bi-products of rocking my nutrition and fitness.

In my experience, ultimately, it has to be about more than just some number on the scale of fitting into some certain size...your health, nutrition, and fitness are lifelong endeavors so you're not "done" when you hit that number on the scale...in fact, that's just the beginning of forever.

qtgonewild

im not there yet. but since day one I could picture it. today on day 170 Im very happy with where I am. And Trust me, I can still picture it. VERY CLEARLY.


***oh and I've never been that weight. Ive been overweight/obese my whole life. So its all in my mind.

perrinjoshua

I have to say I've never actually had a goal weight before. I was always a fat child, a fat adolescent, a not so fat but muscular teen, and an adult whose weight fluctuated between 190 to 135 pounds. Up and down, a steady, constant need to lose the weight, lose the weight. Even at my lowest I never felt comfortable in my body. This time, finally, I set goal weights (several times) and reached each. Now I am below goal which gives me the wiggle room I like and I FINALLY feel that I like the person look back at me. Maintenance is not easy but it is where I want to be for the rest of my life. My goals now are to maintain the weight loss, increase exercise and improve my strength. Being at goal is a good thing - everything else will happen over the course of the next few years. Good luck with your journey. You can get there!

cici1028

I couldn't recall what I looked like at my original goal weight so I had no idea what clothing size I would be or what I would look like. I just kept plugging away.

What I wasn't ready for was not being satisfied with my original goal weight and wanting to take it further. Which I did by a few pounds. The weight is a good starting goal but in the end, visualizing a clothing size or body type (muscle mass, etc) is probably a bit easier.

usmcmp

No. I didn't think I could reach my goal. I didn't think that I could become a bodybuilder. I just had enough discipline and drive to keep working at it until I got there.

I wasn't always obese, so I knew what I would look like. I still didn't think dropping that much weight would be possible. The key was to never give up.

TwelveSticks

In over 25 years of diets, I always had the same goal (180 lbs), but I got further and further away from that. However, I can honestly say that during all those diets, I NEVER really believed that I could get to that weight - especially as I always seemed to slow to a stop somewhere around 210 lbs (give or take a few). Those plateaux would always be the death of that diet and the start of the weight gaining cycle again.

However, THIS time, I sailed through 210, through 200, through 190 and onwards all the way to my goal. And for the first time ever, I never doubted that I would get there. Indeed now, I have no doubt that I could be any weight I wanted to be (I have since gone below my original goal and am sitting at 175 today).

The belief was a great help in staying focused. For me, that belief came from choosing to live the 5:2 lifestyle, but any way you can get it - try to get it!

tomwatso

I wanted to be 10% body fat. This morning, I am 10.09% body fat. I wanted to dress better and feel better. When I started in late May 2012, I was 238 lbs and had a 41 inch waist. Those numbers compute to 23% body fat. Now, I am 209.8 lbs and have a 32 inch waist.

I feel much better and I can wear the clothing I want to. People sometime say my av with suit is lame. I bought that suit as reward for getting my body back to where it once was. I wanted to wear stuff out of GQ. I visualized what I wanted to look like when the goal was attained. This helped me strive for the goal.

The women in my life appear to like the new look. So, I guess I got what I wanted.

fairygirlpie9

I've been overweight to varying degrees since my teens so I don't know what I'd look like at my goal weight in part because I don't know what it is. I think I want to lose another 30 lbs but I don't mind if its a bit less providing that I look fit healthy and toned and fit into my goal size of a UK 6 (US 2) I'm currently UK 10. Additionally I don't know how much I weigh since our scale broke.

JenToms80

The truth is at the time I had no idea just how big and unhealthy I was!

It was only looking at what I ate and hitting some classes and seeing the results that I realised

flumi_f

In over 25 years of diets, I always had the same goal (180 lbs), but I got further and further away from that. However, I can honestly say that during all those diets, I NEVER really believed that I could get to that weight - especially as I always seemed to slow to a stop somewhere around 210 lbs (give or take a few). Those plateaux would always be the death of that diet and the start of the weight gaining cycle again.

However, THIS time, I sailed through 210, through 200, through 190 and onwards all the way to my goal. And for the first time ever, I never doubted that I would get there. Indeed now, I have no doubt that I could be any weight I wanted to be (I have since gone below my original goal and am sitting at 175 today).

The belief was a great help in staying focused. For me, that belief came from choosing to live the 5:2 lifestyle, but any way you can get it - try to get it!

This is me, with one difference...I was always fat, even as a small child. So can I picture, what I will look like, no, because I've never been there before. Do I believe, I will achieve my goal....more than that! Since I found 5:2 for myself, I KNOW I will. Now I am just 8 kg from that goal and 1 kg above a normal BMI.

Though I don't know, what I will look like, I do like, what I see now, after shedding 24kg. I'm pretty sure, I will like what I see after the last 8.

sweetpea129

9 lbs away from goal and nope, never thought id get there. It was just some fairytale made up place in my head. Ive always been overweight or obese as a teen and adult so no, i had no idea what i would look like either. But i'll say that i quite enjoy how it looks now!