goal question - what is "failure?"

BigDaddyRonnie

I have been seeing a lot of "lose XX lbs by Feb 14" and the like where groups of people are motivating each other to succeed. I think it is great that everyone is assisting, but I can't help but wonder if the total number is not met, are you thinking you failed?
Like if your goal is 10 lbs, but you lose 8 by the time or date comes around, do you become discouraged? I sure hope not and wonder how everyone is doing as the time comes and passes.

My goal is to adopt a healthier lifestyle. The weightloss is a benefit of the life change. I look at the groups and possibly want to participate, but I don't want to think I failed when I am really succeeding.

So, are you discouraged, or still happy? I am hoping happy because I think there is an acheivement in participating.

ltlemermaid

I look at every little weighloss as a success...it takes time to lose the weight so every bit counts for me even if its not as much as I set out to lose initially. I know that eventually I will get to my goal

rileysowner

Not part of a group, but I have my own personal goals both short term and long term. When I don't meet one but come close, say the 8 pounds instead of 10, I usually figure my goal was wrong, not that I failed. Failure would be to have my weight go up rather than down, not to lose less than I hoped I would.

Part of that thinking comes from seeing how losing 10 pounds in a month was not only easy, but something I would surpass easily when I started my journey. While now 10 pounds a month requires me to be diligent about what I do. It is still possible, but I can't neglect things and still make it. That showed me that while goals are good, you body is to complex an organism to expect it to run like a machine. There are many variables. So, as I said, as long as I keep losing weight, I am succeeding.

dlaplume2

I have been thinking the same question. I started out with one. it seemed a reasonable goal and to start out with I thought I could handle it. It's not over yet but I am on track. Then they wanted to start a new one for the next holiday. I see people wanting to lose 2lb a week every week. I just don't see that as mainitainable. I lose weitght very slowly. I don't want to set my self up for failure. I need to go by other milestones. I know sometimes you need to push yourself and not give yourself permission to slack off, but we need to make this a lifestyle. Not a 6 week goal.

I do have a long term goal and I have set myself some mini goals, but I do not want to set myself up for failure.

freerange

Let's see if you shoot for the stars and hit the moon have you failed?

I guess it depends on your personality. If your goal is to lose 10 and you only lose 9.5 and you consider that a failure, and it makes you want to give up? Well I think you have more than diet issues, just my opinion. Now on the other hand if you say “I missed my goal, and by God next week I’m going to work harder and make it”,,,,, well that is the attitude you want, just my opinion.

One reason to join a group is because of motivation, it’s a lot harder to let someone else down then it is to let yourself down. Let’s face we have been letting ourselves down for years (or else we wouldn’t be needing to lose weight). So if you have a feeling of “group” and you are trying to stay a part of that group, the motivation factor goes up. Most people learn this as youngsters playing team sports. However I do understand that not everyone played team sports as kids.

That is the reason you see so many people here claiming they have tried diets for years without much success, but they come here and it seems easy, or easier then when they tried it before. Most likely they tried to diet alone before, ashamed to bring in others, now they have this huge support group, that they don’t even know, but none the less they are part of a group now, a team, and if they “fail” they are failing the group.

freerange

I have been thinking the same question. I started out with one. it seemed a reasonable goal and to start out with I thought I could handle it. It's not over yet but I am on track. Then they wanted to start a new one for the next holiday. I see people wanting to lose 2lb a week every week. I just don't see that as mainitainable. I lose weitght very slowly. I don't want to set my self up for failure. I need to go by other milestones. I know sometimes you need to push yourself and not give yourself permission to slack off, but we need to make this a lifestyle. Not a 6 week goal.

I do have a long term goal and I have set myself some mini goals, but I do not want to set myself up for failure.

Please take this as it’s meant (kindly advise, not asked for), REALLY? You are being to timed, set you goals just out of reach, if you are losing 1lb a week now, set your goal for 1.5, and go hard, play with diet, play with exercise, don’t give up until you learn how to lose 1.5 a week as easily as you are now losing 1. Then reset it to 2lbs a week. NEVER, EVER, consider yourself a “failure” for not meeting your goal, you have only found one more way not to hit your goal, keep at it until you find THE way to hit it.

You say you don’t want to set yourself up for failure, I say you ARE setting yourself up for meritocracy,,,,,,,,,,,, set yourself up for GREATNESS!!!!!!!!!!!