Should I lower my goal?

kfitz10103

So now that I am closer to my goal I should change my goals from losing 1 lb/wk to 1/2 lb/wk, but now that I am so close to my goal I don't want to slow down. I have 14 lbs to lose and I am at a normal BMI (24) now, I just want to be at the middle of my ideal weight range. So if I continue at my current rate I will be at my goal weight by my vacation in September, but if I lower my goal it will take until Halloween. Anyone want to weight in on the risks or benefits of either? I know at a healthy BMI I should really be tying to lose, but I am only 7 lbs away from being overweight again.

mommyoftwins05

I think you should wait till your like 5lbs away..

Oliverseanj

I'd always suggest striving to challenge yourself. go for it.

one thing that you have to remember is that weight loss gets harder as you become more fit, if you do lower your goal make sure you increase the intensity of your workouts (if not you will find yourself scratching your head as you plateau).

Good luck.

baisleac

I switched to 1/2 lb a week at 20 lbs from goal. It never hurts to slow down a little, but may cause issues to go too fast for your current level.

LorinaLynn

I'm a big advocate of eating more.

When I ate more (especially more protein), I had more strength and energy when exercising. I could run faster and longer, hold planks longer, do pushups from the toes instead of the knees, etc. And with that, more of the weight I've lost has been from fat, and I'm seeing much more muscle definition. I'm getting abs! And biceps! It's awesome! And I'm able to wear clothes I haven't worn in about 13 years. I weight at least ten pounds more than I did then, but since I have more muscle, I'm the same size.

So that's my take on it. It might take you a little longer to reach your goal WEIGHT if you up your calories, but you'll probably reach your goal BODY before then. And when you get as close to your goal as you are, the number on the scale becomes meaningless.

momofJandA

I'd probably keep it where it is- it gets harder/slower the closer you get to goal so there's no real harm in trying to push yourself. As long as you're still above 1200 calories a day and getting all your nutrients there shouldn't be a problem

ajbeans

It never hurts to slow down a little, but may cause issues to go too fast for your current level.

This.

There comes a point where it's not realistic or healthy to continue losing weight at a rate of 1 pound per week. And if you haven't been updating your calorie goal as you go along, you may find that you won't lose that quickly anyway, because as you get lighter you require fewer calories to get through the day, so your deficit gets smaller. I've re-evaluated about every 5 pounds or so -- sometimes I change my goals, sometimes I don't, but I always take a look at it and see what's going on. If you drop the last few pounds too fast though, it will be harder to maintain that weight loss. Not impossible, but harder. So that's something to keep in mind. Do you want to be at goal faster but have a harder time maintaining it, or do you want to take it a little more slowly and keep it off for the rest of your life?