Those who have lost weight, how do you set goals?

shellimus

I have decided many times that I was going to lose weight, but then it never happens. I see a pattern with those who are successful that they set goals and stick to it. They set short term and long term goals.

Those of you who have done this, please coach me. How do I set a goal to lose weight and how do I *remember* to follow through with it? Do you write it somewhere? How do you stay motivated to attend to it day in and day out? How do you break it down so that it really works?

Thanks!!!

jlowensby

I set a Final Goal Weight...then for the in-betweens I give myself lil rewards. For my first 10 lbs lost I allowed myself to buy some workout clothes from my favorite sportwear mag...then for the 15 lost...sexy lingerie..and so forth, just getting to these goals and allowing myself something I would never do keeps me motivated. Do I slip? Yes..just makes me work harder! You can do it, just realize it will take time, it will not be overnight...and probably not even a month! I do not reward myself with food though..Makes no sense to me to do that.

Shell_7609

I set mini goals for myself, on here, I've set my goal weight at 10% less than my start weight, then once I hit that goal, I'll change it to the next 10%. For me it seems more obtainable to say i want to lose 28 pounds than to say I want to lose 143 pounds (what it would take to get me to a 24 (normal) bmi).

sjtreely

I just reevaluated my weight goals yesterday. I'm a short term gal, so I went holidays to holidays since there is about one a month. I'm going now until Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then MLK, Jr., then Presidents' Day ... you get the picture.

I'm restricted from exercising for a few weeks, but once the doc clears me I'll focus on the next half marathon to keep me motivated. I told him at today's therapy session I'm going to pay for FL and LA and do both halves over MLK, Jr. weekend, so he better hurry up and fix what's wrong!

JMun

Just think about the reasons why you want to lose weight. For me being healthy and fit were top of the list...

I try to set constant fitness goals ie: Conquering the elliptical for an entire 20minutes. Being able to run for 5 minutes straight on the treadmill.

Increasing time and intensity of workouts. ie: Today I work out for 20 minutes tomorrow it'll be 22 minutes.

Create exercise challenges. ie: Completing a work out tape like 30 day shred.

DON'T REWARD YOURSELF WITH CHEAT DAYS OR FOOD when you reach your goals :blushing:

Good luck to you

azsuzi

I've lost nearly 50 pounds over the last 8 months. I didn't set mini goals and in the beginning, I didn't even set an end goal. My "secret" is that I decided to diary every piece of food that I put in my mouth - and I mean everything even if I overate by 1000 calories. I decided that I was only hurting myself if I "hid" what I had eaten by not logging it.

I learned portion control and I eliminated (for the most part) the chips, candies and other high-fat foods. I went on the internet and looked up healthy recipes and stopped eating out as much. For me, it was the change in my eating habits that did the trick.

Good luck to you!!

ItsMeMaryW

Personally, I set myself a final goal, then I set small ones. I had to because I had so much to lose that looking at the big picture was overwhelming, so I set 25 lb goals. I reward myself with things like facials, pedicures, clothes... Never Food! I have a lot of people watching me which motivates me to keep going. But honestly, I just want it so bad this time I would never think to stop. I've learn great life lessons along the way like you can mess up one day and get back to it the next. I have can't even imagine eating like I used to.. Have to really push yourself at first till you create a new habit. Also VERY important... Change your self talk to be positive!!!! Tell yourself you can... NEVER you can't!!! I hope this helps!

Kitiara47

I have pictures of my bridesmaids dress posted in my room and bathroom (even on my scale!) and as my phone's background. I see it every morning when I wake up, when I go to sleep, and every time I open my phone. It helps me remember my long-term goal.

As for short term, I set the date in my phone, and every 5 or 10 days I'll create an event as a reminder of how many days I have left or how long I've been at it. My recent goal is to avoid eating chocolate, candy and drinking soda. My phone told me yesterday that I've been at it for 15 days! I also set goals to weigh so much by a certain date. Like mine is 200 lbs by Halloween, and I'm 8.8 from it! Even if I don't hit 200 by then, I'll still be happy with my progress and how close I am.

It's as much mental as it is physical. You have to want to obtain these goals and keep a positive attitude. If you're thinking, "I'm not going to loose any weight this week, I'm going to see a gain on my weigh-in", chances are you will. This site definitely has some amazing and motivational people that will cheer you on every step of the way! :happy:
Good luck with your goals!! :flowerforyou:

sandislim

I have an ultimate reward of a new wardrobe - I have lots of mini goals on the way there and rewards for each one. I give myself some money each time I resist a temptation and I save that up to spend on my rewards. I also have a half way goal too. My ticker is set to my halfway goal at the moment.

havalinaaa

My first goal was to not gain anymore weight/go up another pant size. Then I wanted to see how difficult it would be to lose just 5 lbs, turns out 5lbs isn't that hard to lose! It took me about two months to really lose that 5lbs with minimal effort -mostly by not eating candy/ice cream and by not drinking soda.

After that I was hooked on losing and found it easier to make the diet changes I needed to lose more weight. I still focus on 5lbs at a time, and reward myself when I do that - usually with new clothes or a new kitchen item, my last reward was a salad spinner and the one before that was new pants (in a new, smaller size!). My next reward will be a new cocktail dress. My reward for getting down to my long-term goal weight will be a new tattoo, something that might not work for everyone but is really motivating for me.

My boyfriend recently promised to take me to the bath house every time I lose 5lbs, so that's a real motivator as well!

feydruss

I try to make my goals associated with times in my life that I was happiest at certain weights, so that I'm revisiting something "good" on my way down the scale. My first goal is the weight I was when I finally got pregnant after two years of fertility treatments. My second goal is the weight I was in 2006 when I was learning to run and do weights. The next goal is the weight I was when I started my PhD program. And so on. Ultimately it's not about the number, but feeling fitter, stronger, and more comfortable in my own body.

And I completely agree with what Sue said about logging EVERYTHING. If I feel shame or that I'm hiding what I eat, then I get in trouble. Honesty keeps me accountable!

JMun

My "secret" is that I decided to diary every piece of food that I put in my mouth - and I mean everything even if I overate by 1000 calories. I decided that I was only hurting myself if I "hid" what I had eaten by not logging it.

... well said.

riccoismydog

I've lost nearly 50 pounds over the last 8 months. I didn't set mini goals and in the beginning, I didn't even set an end goal. My "secret" is that I decided to diary every piece of food that I put in my mouth - and I mean everything even if I overate by 1000 calories. I decided that I was only hurting myself if I "hid" what I had eaten by not logging it.

I learned portion control and I eliminated (for the most part) the chips, candies and other high-fat foods. I went on the internet and looked up healthy recipes and stopped eating out as much. For me, it was the change in my eating habits that did the trick.

Good luck to you!!

^^^^^^
Accountability!!! Make it so you can't lie to yourself or live in denial.

I keep a list of reasons I want to quit smoking on the fridge, in my car, my purse, ect. Anywhere where i would want to smoke. You could do the same, only reasons you want to lose weight.

Visualization- work out, eat healthy and visualize yourself being healthy and fit!

Get help!!! Talk to some professionals, a trainer, a nutritionist, your doctor, get lots of help.


Oh ya, be accountable. And if you screw up, just keep swimming.

nygiantschick

I agree with all the advice you have received. I've lost 92 pounds over 22 months and I set mini goals along the way. Then I set smaller goals to help me meet those goals like workout 5 days a week, or walk 30 minutes a day, or drink at least 8 glasses of water, get 7 hours of sleep, etc. Although they are smaller goals, the payoff is big because you feel good when you accomplish them and they get you closer to the BIG GOAL!

amberdaniels

I usually do size at the same time as weight. I will set a goal of 5 lbs...once I reach that I set another. I also put something up that I really want to wear, as a visual reminder, and loose till I get to fit into it. Right now I am working on a size 12. I have a cute skirt that I really want to wear before thanksgiving, so it is hanging up on the door to the bathroom. I look at it daily as a reminder that I really want this. It has work awesome for me. I do have a long term goal. I want to be between 145 to 155 lbs...we will see what it is that I am more comfortable with once I get there.

LorinaLynn

My initial goal had nothing at all to do with weight. I was more or less ok with how I looked and knew my husband found me attractive, but I knew I wasn't very fit. I failed at so many weight loss attempts, I didn't think I could lose weight and just decided, "This must be my body's happy weight."

But I wanted to be fit enough to run a 5k. I thought, "I don't care what the BMI chart says. If I can run 3.1 miles, I'm healthy and that's all that counts." So I started training with the Couch to 5K running plan. And while I started training, the weight started dropping. I realized that regular exercise was my missing link. I wasn't eating all that badly, just not moving enough. And the time I did try dieting, I cut my calories TOO much. So eating well and moving a lot worked for me.

Plus, with the ultimate goal of being able to run, even during weeks the scale didn't budge, I didn't care. I was getting faster, stronger and able to run further. By the time I could run a 5k, I loved the way running felt and was addicted to the rush of running races. I started training for a 10k, and after it was postponed a few times, finally ran it a few weeks ago.

Now, I've reached my weight loss goals and then some. I never, ever thought I'd be this slim again. I can even get into clothes I wore in high school! That's motivation in itself, but now that I've caught the running bug, my goal is to keep getting faster. I've won a few awards, but I want a trophy. I've already shaved four and a half minutes off my 5k running time since March. If I can shave a few more off, I might be able to win a race! And even if I don't win anything, I'm still competing against myself and constantly bettering myself.

So that's what I'd suggest. Find something that has nothing to do with the scale or your clothing size, and have that be your goal. Doesn't matter if it's "I'm going to run a race," or "I'm going to do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred for 30 days straight," or "I'm going to get to the gym at least 4 days every week." Challenge yourself and stick with it. If you stick with the fitness goals, the weight loss goals will fall into place.

SoUnaware

It really depends on how much you have to lose.
Also, if you're really unmotivated (and thats not a bad thing), giving yourself a reward for each time you hit whatever mini goal you pick is REALLY motivating. Like, for example, once you lose a certain amount of inches, you're going to get a pedicure. Or a cute new hair cut. Or you're going to spend 50 dollars on new clothes. Or even that you get to indulge in your favorite dessert.
Mini goals are all SO different depending on the person.

I have to make mine 5 pounds because I'm so unmotivated and I get overwhelmed. I also make inches goals "to be under such and such a waist measurement" etc in between my various mini goals. And I give myself rewards for every few mini goals.

Mini goal ideas:
-rewards
-small amounts of pounds on your way to the main loss number
-inches (inches lost, inches measurements, etc.)
-important weights for your body (for example, a common mini goal is to finally be back in a healthy weight range, or an overweight range as opposed to obese.)

Melmade

I make sure to log in every day--as much as I can. When I feel myself start to veer off course, jumping onto MFP really helps. Lots of support here. Also, logging everything I eat--even the binges--and using the notes section in my diary. I think it helps me to analyze why I eat, and how I feel after I eat.

I try to have a regular routine--for breakfast and then a workout at least--I'm working on lunch. I have pretty much the same thing in the morning so I go on auto-pilot and don't leave room for imagination. That helps me not to start out eating the wrong thing, and derailing my day.

I make sure to exercise at least 5 days a week--even if it's only going for a walk. I log it in and it helps offset any time I go over my intake.

I allow a couple days to go over--partly so I don't feel deprived, and partly so my metabolism doesn't get stuck. (Check out Zig-Zag dieting--I don't exactly do this, but eating more--within reason--on the weekends is what I do. So far it's working.)

Water--lots of it! I never knew how much it mattered, but it really helps the weight come off. Plus it lubricates your joints, flushes toxins, and makes exercise easier.

ONE DAY AT A TIME. I have to go day by day or I get overwhelmed. I know I'm setting myself up for failure if I try to plan out each day before it happens, so I log in as I eat, as I exercise, as I have temptations, etc. I've never had the self control to monitor myself constantly--so I let MFP do it for me.

I also have an indoor option for exercising if the weather is too bad to get outside. This has helped a bunch. I get Netflix instant watch and figure if I can spend time watching, I can spend time exercising.

Additionally, use a measuring tape! When the scale doesn't show progress, the tape measure will.

czechsmate

Personally for me I have only set one goal...and thats what I am doing now, I have made a lifestyle change. I will always strive to eat healthy and get exercise on a regular basis. This is now my life

dlyeates

I set my first mini goal and and ultimate goal and then broke down the mini goal,into smallet goals so I could see some progress. I akso entered into some challenges to see if I could actually succeed. I try to challenge myself and try to win.

As for the secret to success.....being honest with myself and tracking everything that goes in my mouth. This is the first time I'm being intentional about taking control of my life and being healthy. I consistently log in here daily, plan my meals for the whole day at the beginning so I know how to space out my food with exercise calories, and try not to get discouraged.when I gain some weight from TOM or starting to exercise.

The support on here is amazing as well!!!! Feel free to add me as a friend!

kyle4jem

My goal is simple... get fit by 50 :happy:

When I started on MFP my goal was to loose 14-20lbs before my friends' wedding so that I would fit comfortably into my kilt. I wasn't really thinking long-term goals back then... he laughs as it was only 11 weeks ago!

Since then, once I'd seen what I could achieve by following a very simple plan... eat less, move more! ...I have reassessed my goals.

By the end of this year I want to be 95kg (209lbs). I will hopefully be well on my way to a 40" waist jeans and between XL and XXL in shirts.

Then in January 2012, I'm going to slow things down a tad by moving on to maintenance Calories for my ultimate goal weight of 65kg (143kg). That should give me around 1850kc a day or 12,950kc a week to play with. By doing this I should then be on track for my Fit for 50 plan at the end of 2014.

Ideally I don't want to lose more than 1lb a week through out the next year and half as I need to make sure my body shrinks with me and doesn't leave me with too much saggy skin. I think that would be worse than being fat. :sad:

I should hopefully achieve my ultimate goal at least a year earlier than my 50th birthday, but have also factored some maintenance periods into the schedule to ensure I can live with the life long-programme. But I have also factored some realistic lifestyle goals into the program.

If I can maintain at 75kg (165lbs) and can fit comfortably into 34" waist and size L shirt, then I shall be very happy. But if I can do better, then that will be a bonus.

My motivation if any is really being able to look better in smaller clothes sizes and to feel fitter and flatter on the tummy :happy:

But yes, 95kg and a 40" waist by Xmas would be lovely

Cosmic_Unicorn

I chose 160 as a long-term goal down from a starting weight of 208 simply because that's how much I weighed in middle/high school and I couldn't really remember what I looked like any smaller than that. I met that in August and chose 145 as my next goal arbitrarily. I'm still 10 pounds away and I'm not sure if I'll get there, but it's all good. I'm happy now too.

jukramer

The goals I've set for myself before were tangible things, like shoes or a massage. Somehow, they were never enough motivation, and I would fail and just end up buying whatever it was anyway and then feel guilty about it. This time, my goal is to tackle the issues I have with food. My first goal is to stop eating when I'm full. (I have noticed that I just keep eating at meals because it's there and it tastes good.) When I feel like I have a handle on that, I'm going to try to stop my "emotional eating".
It's only been a few weeks, but I'm feeling much better about these goals, and I don't feel like I'm in a hurry or rush.
Just my two cents.

yogavegan

i have always had a pair of jeans that are too small for me, hanging over my bedroom door, so they are the first and last thing i see in the morning/evening. they motivate me to get it done that day, and reset for the next day. slowly these 'goal jeans' have come to fit. the most recent pair is now hanging off of me and i have to buy a new pair, cuz my door is empty!

bloodbank

I set a final goal. I want to weigh x number of pounds with x % body fat. Then I put that goal away, because starting out wanting to lose half my body weight looked impossible. Just completely overwhelming. So my mini goals (which I don't 'celebrate' other than buying new clothes as needed) are always the next 10 lbs - a totally attainable goal. Every time I hit the next mark (Oh yay, I'm 249! or... Yes! I've hit 179! or whatever) I give myself some lame fist bumps in the privacy of my bathroom and then it's on to the next 10 lbs.

I also find setting fitness goals in there takes the scale worshiping down to a minimum. For example, this week I'm trying to put another 5 minutes on the time I'm able to run as well as a few other small fitness goals - which are things that honestly feel just as good as seeing the scale drop.

azsuzi

And even if I don't win anything, I'm still competing against myself and constantly bettering myself.

/\ /\
That too. I don't compare my progress against anyone else and I'm not doing this because someone else thinks I should. This is for me. The only competition is with myself!

misssiri

bump

chikachic817

This time, my goal is to tackle the issues I have with food. My first goal is to stop eating when I'm full. (I have noticed that I just keep eating at meals because it's there and it tastes good.) When I feel like I have a handle on that, I'm going to try to stop my "emotional eating".

This is my biggest struggle. Even though I know I am full, I keep eating just because the meal tastes good, or because I can't take it home (I hate throwing away food, even if I'm full). I am trying and so far it's been going good.

tameko2

I've lost nearly 50 pounds over the last 8 months. I didn't set mini goals and in the beginning, I didn't even set an end goal. My "secret" is that I decided to diary every piece of food that I put in my mouth - and I mean everything even if I overate by 1000 calories. I decided that I was only hurting myself if I "hid" what I had eaten by not logging it.

This is pretty much me too - I don't have a set goal and I don't have mini goals. Its just not my personality type I guess - it seems to work well for some people and others don't care at all. I've lost about 40 lbs in 5-6 months but the first 10 lbs were almost entirely due to a really nasty flu that had me sick for 10 days (plus the first 10 are easy).

The "secret" for me is not goals - its to make a plan where I never FEEL like I'm dieting. I don't walk into a restaurant and think "oh god I won't be able to eat anything here!" and on free donut day at work (only once a month) I have a donut. I try to stick to some very basic things like getting as much protein as I can without feeling like I am forced to eat food I don't really like (I do have to supplement with protein powder but its only 150 calories for 30 grams of protein so its not a huge sacrifice).

I also have my weekly weight loss goal set relatively low - I started at 1lb a week and I dropped it down to .5lb/week. Meaning I eat a LOT more calories per day than some people do - an average day for me (with some exercise in it) is about 1850 calories which gives me a lot of food flexibility

As soon as I feel like I can't eat X or do Y because I'm "dieting" I get very unhappy. As long as I do things that keep myself from feeling that way, the weight is coming off slow and steady.

That's just me though - otehr people seem to be much more successful when they are very restricted and couldn't follow a diet liek mine.

hazelnutflav

take it from someone who has been "dieting "for more than 25 yrs, posting your goals and setting mini goal work.

since i joined mfp i have been posting all of my goals.

i read somewhere that athletes. professional or not ALWAYS post their goals, seeing it is half the battle and its a constant reminder ow why you do what you do and what your working so hard for.

you asked:
How do I set a goal to lose weight and how do I *remember* to follow through with it?
a.set mini goals post them were you can see them daily that is how you" remember", now that your looking a it, do what you set out to do.

Do you write it somewhere?
a.i create posters and put them on my wall at home and smaller ones at work in my cubicle where i can see it daily.

How do you stay motivated to attend to it day in and day out?
staying motivated is easy for me because there is no turning back, this works, i have been successful on my journey since i started and im still going strong, and a friend once told me "Motivation comes from doing".

How do you break it down so that it really works?
start out small, i have 60lbs to loose so i broke it down into 4 mini goals of 15lbs (1 down 3 to go)

i also have a chart on my wall and for every lb i loose i color it in, as the arrow gets closer and closer to the 15lb mark i get so excieted, i often feel like kid the closer i get to it the more i WANT TO stick with it because its working, its like running in a race your almost there YOU CAN SEE the finish line.

every-single-month i set fitness goals for the next month, right now im looking at my goals for november.
burpees 10 daily
increase cardio workouts by 5 min
walk 30 min or more after dinner daily
run 2 min longer than you did last month
50 jumping jacks daily
20 push ups daily
etc... i could go on but you get the idea, another word of advice is to do what you like and then increase that time by 2 or 3 min and every month post it where you can see your progress it will help to keep you accountable.

hope this helps.

fteale

I just set myself a goal weight and ate what MFP told me I could eat. I don't have cheat days, I don't go over my calories. I usually aim to be significantly under, even now I am maintaining. I just stuck to it. At times I was cold and tired and miserable and just wanted toast with a ton of butter, but I don't. There aren't any tricks or tips. You just have to set a goal and stick to the calories it takes to get you there. Change the way you think about it. These are your rules now.