Hit a goal today, but there's no joy there.

Kev_22
Kev_22 Posts: 17 Member
in Motivation and Support
I wanted to hit a certain weight by the end of the year and on the last day I finally hit it. I still have a few more pounds to drop for my ultimate goal but when I read the scale today there was nothing...no excitement, no sense of accomplishment, just nothing. It's somewhat disappointing and my fear now is that my motivation will die off. Has anyone else experienced the same thing? How did you stay motivated?

Replies

  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I wanted to hit a certain weight by the end of the year and on the last day I finally hit it. I still have a few more pounds to drop for my ultimate goal but when I read the scale today there was nothing...no excitement, no sense of accomplishment, just nothing. It's somewhat disappointing and my fear now is that my motivation will die off. Has anyone else experienced the same thing? How did you stay motivated?

    Look at it in this moment.... you are probably looking at your next goal (as you mentioned) and not regarding this one as an accomplishment. It's a series of steps and you need to celebrate each step on the journey. You hit your end-of-the-year goal, so you obviously have stuck very well to your daily allowances! Look at how successful you've been already! And if you made it this far, just keep doing what you're doing and you'll make the next goal as well.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You'll likely need to have reasons beyond just some arbitrary number on the scale for doing what you're doing.

    People put all of their stock into this arbitrary number...and then realize when they hit it that it's just an arbitrary number and has little to do with their actual happiness, their health, their fitness, or overall well being.

    Putting all of our stock into this number is like looking for the finish line that doesn't exist. When people realize that their is no finish line and that health, nutrition, and fitness are life long endeavors...that's generally when they truly make a "lifestyle change" and have long lasting and sustained success.
  • Kev_22
    Kev_22 Posts: 17 Member
    Look at it in this moment.... you are probably looking at your next goal (as you mentioned) and not regarding this one as an accomplishment. It's a series of steps and you need to celebrate each step on the journey. You hit your end-of-the-year goal, so you obviously have stuck very well to your daily allowances! Look at how successful you've been already! And if you made it this far, just keep doing what you're doing and you'll make the next goal as well.

    I may be a little to focused on my next goal, which right now seems extremely hard. I know I'll eventually get there, but it's hard to hit that starting line so soon after finishing a big race.
    Putting all of our stock into this number is like looking for the finish line that doesn't exist. When people realize that their is no finish line and that health, nutrition, and fitness are life long endeavors...that's generally when they truly make a "lifestyle change" and have long lasting and sustained success.

    I've always had this idea in my head that it would one day end...I'd hit my target weight and I could just relax. I know I can never go back to my old ways but I always assumed I'd indulge more once that goal has been hit. Maybe I'm deluding myself, but it's hard to imagine continuing without any sort of number based goal.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I've always had this idea in my head that it would one day end...I'd hit my target weight and I could just relax. I know I can never go back to my old ways but I always assumed I'd indulge more once that goal has been hit. Maybe I'm deluding myself, but it's hard to imagine continuing without any sort of number based goal.

    I think that's a common misunderstanding and one the previous poster was addressing. It's a lifestyle, lifelong, and not just one goal with an endpoint. Once you reach your weight loss goal you'll move into maintenance mode and need to count the calories you take in and burn to make sure you are able to keep your weight stable. You'll never be able to go back to that indifferent, eat-what-you-want lifestyle. You'll be aware that when you make a choice to eat something, it will have consequences, or at least that you'll need to do some exercise in order to adjust for the calorie intake.

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