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

aimeelouwhite

I am best with short term goals... I need to be able to check it off a list! So I have apart from my first goal which is 8.1kg - I've set 5kg goals - not sure how realistic my dates are but time will tell!

lovelee79

I was feeling the same way as you, I could not find my motivation and I felt very lost until I read this about 3 weeks ago, its from an Atkins email I received, I'm not doing atkins though. It made a lot of sense to me and sparked my determination to finally lose weight! Then just recently I found MFP. I've been on MFP for 2 weeks and have lost 5 pounds....and still going strong. Hope this helps you like its helped me !

S.M.A.R.T.: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely:

Specific: Just saying you want to lose weight is not specific enough to motivate or guide you during your weight-loss journey. Sit down and decide exactly how much weight you want to lose. As an example, setting a weight-loss goal of 30 pounds is more specific.

Measurable: Track your progress by weighing yourself once a week and using a measuring tape to measure your chest, waist and hips. Even if the scale doesn’t move every week, it’s still possible you are losing inches. Also, don’t forget to check how your clothes are fitting. Write all of these observations down in a journal every week.

Attainable: Your goals should be challenging, yet still possible to achieve with the resources you have on hand.

Realistic: It didn’t take you a week or a month to gain the weight you are trying to lose, so don’t set yourself up to fail by expecting you can lose that much weight in an unrealistic amount of time. Typically, you can expect to lose about one to two pounds a week.

Timely: Setting a deadline is a powerful way to motivate yourself to achieve your goals. If your goal is to lose 30 pounds, give yourself four months to make that happen.

Here are a few other suggestions for harnessing the power of goals and making the most of your journey:

Spread the word. Sharing your goals with others makes them even more of a reality and your friends, family and co-workers can hold you accountable.

Write them down. Record your goals in a journal. Writing them down makes them that much more of a reality.

Set multiple goals. What else do you want to accomplish besides losing weight? Do you want to be able to run around the park with your kids? Or lower your cholesterol or blood pressure by a certain number of points? Tackle a new challenge at work? Sit down and brainstorm all the possible things you’d like to accomplish and pick three to five of the most important goals you’d like to focus on first.

Set small daily and weekly goals. This keeps you moving forward and it also gives you a chance to see how all you’re doing adds up to help you achieve your bigger goals. For example, sit down each week and decide what you want to accomplish. Maybe your goal is to bring home-cooked lunches to work every day (instead of hitting the fast-food drive-thru). Write this goal down and check in at the end of the week to see if you were able to accomplish it.

Review your goals every day. Post them on your mirror, computer monitor or refrigerator or program them as a reminder in your smartphone so that you will see them often.

stephyy4632

my mini goals are clothing I purchase one new outfit in a size smaller than I currently am. I hang that outfit in the bathroom (so that I can see it all threw the day each day to keep me focused) and well we drink so much water that you know your going to be in there often kwim. Once I fit into that mini goal outfit I purchase a new one

currently working on a size 8 jeans ( I started this life style change at a tight size 16 jeans)

kandrews24

You've gotten great responses here. What works for me it to focus on the process rather than the result. I establish goals and rewards for the process = logging, staying under calorie goal, eating healthy, and exercising. After a period of time passes where I do one or all (or something specific like keep sodium low), I reward myself. When I set certain goal weights, etc. I often get off track if I don't reach them. I have control over the process. Nothing more.