Mini-goals question

courtneymomofone

So for those of you who've set mini-goals along the road to your big goal weight, how did you decide on how to break those down? And what kinds of things are you doing to reward yourself along the way? My husband and I are on a super-tight budget trying to pay off debt, so trips or big expenditures are out of the question. And obviously, we're trying to stay away from rewarding ourselves with things like dinners out to Olive Garden. :laugh:

Pappabacon

I don't have any money to treat myself to anything so I gave up on mini-goals.

shorty276

Why don't you set mini goals for yourself and if you achieve them float on a huge cloud of happiness which in my opinion is the greatest award you can give yourself!!!

Gigi_licious

I set mini goals....like super mini goals....like 10lb increment kind of goals. My reward is my sanity and the knowledge that I don't have to rush things or get it all done at once.

NaomiLyn15

We are also tight on money right now, so I pick an activity (free) that I want to do when I meet a goal. For the last goal that I met we took the dogs down to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs and had a picnic. I got some additional exercise and got to see a beautiful place. There are plenty of exciting things that you can reward yourself with when you meet them. Definitely set them, and be creative with your rewards.

Jentorres2024

my mini goals are every 10 lbs down. For every mini goal I hit I am able to pick somethign that makes me feel good like getting my nails done..or buying that cute shirt I've been eying. I don't hit my mini-goals quickly so I am able to stash away 20 dollars here and there. But If I had to make a reward that costs no money I would prob have my husband give me a deep foot massage or let me sleep in on Sat morning, having the hubby get up with the kids...My husband is really supportive. :laugh:

Jentorres2024

my mini goals are every 10 lbs down. For every mini goal I hit I am able to pick somethign that makes me feel good like getting my nails done..or buying that cute shirt I've been eying. I don't hit my mini-goals quickly so I am able to stash away 20 dollars here and there. But If I had to make a reward that costs no money I would prob have my husband give me a deep foot massage or let me sleep in on Sat morning, having the hubby get up with the kids...My husband is really supportive. :laugh:

ACook42

I deducted 10% of my CW to set a mini goal.
That way you have say- 22 lbs to lose, and then 20 lbs to lose, 18 lbs and so on. The goals start out big but as you lose more the goals are smaller due to the new CW being lower.
I don't have extra funds to reward myself either but I do celebrate when I meet a mini goal. More like a "Happy Dance" then any food reward or anything else. I have splurged once or twice to buy a new pair of jeans because the ones I was wearing were falling off of me. LOL

DannyNovela

My main goal was to lose 99 pounds in 1 year. at first i set five pound goals but because i was at 299 i was losing the weight rapidly so i adjusted my goal to 20 pounds per reward so i wouldnt go broke rewarding myself every two weeks. so at 20 pounds lost i bought myself an xbox 360 with kinect sensor so i could do the Fitness evolved: Your shape exercise game. i know it is a big expenditure and you are looking for ways not to spend more money but if you set medium to medium-high goals instead of short term goals you might be able to squeeze and save in the short term intervals for the longer term reward. but in all honesty now that i am down almost 50 pounds the reward comes from within. Also, the compliments from co-workers, peers and even strangers are far more rewarding than something you can buy at a store.

good luck and keep on keepin' on.

EososRay

Keep setting the mini goals, just don't buy yourself anything. I set them to keep me going, looking at the long term goal can be daunting and meeting the mini goals keeps me heading the right way.

My reward is always that I get to set another goal to meet, kind of like an exercise goal. I can run another .5 miles longer than last time, rather than the long term goal of running for 10 miles.

doublechins1

Sometimes I just plan my mini goals around events that will give me my reward and motivation all in one.

For instance, my first mini goal is a 15 lb weight loss (which would put me at 130 lbs). I hope to be there by October 23 since that's my 21st birthday and I'd like go out feeling better about the way I look! My second goal is 127 lbs by Halloween so I can wear something cute instead of a large white sheet over my body!!

You can even do it with things like Thanksgiving; being able to go see friends and family feeling sexier and more confident over the holiday.

I think that doing little things like this can help a lot! It breaks the weight loss down so it's not so overwhelming and it gives you motivation that a goal is in reach and attainable with a big reward at the end!

Hope this helps!

courtneymomofone

Thanks everyone for the ideas! I'm just trying to find ways to keep myself motivated and not lose track of the finish line along the way, since I've got almost 100lbs to lose, and I tend to lose weight slowly, so I need some more immediate gratification