Question for people who set themselves goals

trinityrecgirl

All along my journey I have had little goals. None with time limits, because it is too hard to pinpoint what my body will do. I used target goals. I looked ahead at the next drop and realized ..ok, if I lose 10 more than I would weigh as much as this friend, or 10 more and I would weigh what I did when I started my job 15 years ago..10 more and I would weigh what I did when I graduated from High School. 10 more and I would weigh the same as when I started High School. I found with small goals, I could focus only on the journey and the little celebration moments, and not worry about the big picture. The 2 goals I have left is 10 more to normal BMI, and then 5 to 10 more until my highest goal. If one has a large amount to lose, it can be overwhelming unless you divide up into manageable chunks, but it is a danger if you set too high of a goal and limit the time you have, because the body is a bit unpredictable, and what a bummer if you miss your target.:happy:

amytag

I set aggressive goals for myself. I am a competitor by nature, so this helps me stay focused. Weighing in as a supportive group on here each week is similar to Weight Watchers. It gives you support, focus, and weekly reminders of the behavior that will keep you on track.

When I started on May 1st, my goal was to lose 50 pounds by Halloween, and I've lost 55. My next goal is 15 pounds by the end of the year. This goal will keep me focused during the holidays. If I don't hit a specific goal, then I look back at my diary and see where I can improve, but it hasn't derailed me yet.

JasonDetwiler

Goals need to be SMART

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time Bound

If you don't have all of those, your goal is BS. Most people struggle with achievability. They either go for way too much so that it's unrealistic or make such paltry goals that they don't have to work to get there, but they feel really good about themselves.

Specific to your question, losing x lbs in y weeks can be a really good goal, but too many times people will be so focused on the scale weight that they'll do silly things to make the number say what they want it to, like dehydrating on weigh-in day. OK, you made your goal, but you drink your water the next day and you really haven't made the progress you think you have.

It's important to have long and short term goals. Long term goals are not as specifically defined, like "I want to look like Stallone in Rocky 4." A short term goal toward that long term goal could be, "I want to reduce my body fat from 12% to 8% by 1/1/13." A series of well executed plans to achieve short term goals create progress toward successfully reaching the long term goals.

miadhail

To a certain extent, I agree that goals need to be SMART (as mentioned by JasonDetwiler above), and that many of the goals here may not be that. However, I am a strong believer in the motivation that one gets when one has a goal (be it SMART or not). People are generally a lot more motivated when they work towards something. Only downside is that if the goal is unrealistic, the person may get discouraged when the time comes.. But then if that's the case, then make another goal! A more realistic one and keep that motivation going. This goes for every other goal in life, sometimes it is not the goal, but the journey that is really enriching. You may not reach your weight goal by a certain time, but the true effort you put in exercising, eating right etc will show regardless and that's what matters; how you feel about yourself and not just the number on that darn scale.

In short, I am glad people are making themselves goals. People need purpose, and if they need some goal, SMART or not, to feel geared to changing their lifestyles for the better, then why not?

meshashesha2012

my goals are mainly fitness related goals but i do have some fat loss% percentage as well (not weight loss )

for instance between now and the end of the year my goals are to be able to run a mile outdoors uninterrupted, only need 1 band to do pullups in my crossfit classes (i currently need 2), increase shoulder flexibility, and lose another 2% body fat

T1mH

Goals need to be SMART

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time Bound

If you don't have all of those, your goal is BS.

I call BS on that. We all have different ways of defining and working towards goals.

giraffe4life

I have a goal to lose a total of 70 pounds. I have no deadline. What keeps me motivated, even if the scale doesn't drop, is that my blood sugar has. I am recovering from a nasty flu bug and cut myself some slack during my illness as I was too sick to prepare my 'clean' food. Back on track now and still motivated, even though it's Hallowe'en and there is candy everywhere.

whitelaurel

Hm... I LOVE those sorts of challenges. I joined one to lose 10 pounds in October and I lost 8. I did this by consuming 1200~1800 calories per day and getting out for at least an hour of physical activity per day-- usually either by taking a long walk through hilly neighborhoods or jogging (depending on my intake). I don't think that sounds extreme or unhealthy.

I love them because I'm the type of person who works best with a tangible goal. If I decide to lose 2 pounds a week, I will work my hardest to lose 2 pounds a week. I feel accountable to the people I'm doing it with and to myself. It helps me to know that I'll be reporting to somebody at the end of each week. Although before MFP, I just reported to my calendar in bright ink. ;D Also, it helps to set a high goal, because I work harder!! Although I'm not disappointed when I lose less than that. Let's be realistic. I wouldn't even be upset if I lost 4 or 5 pounds in a month. I'm just more dedicated when I set the bar high. (I would be disappointed if I lost way less than that, because for me, that would mean that I probably betrayed my fitness goals on multiple occasions that month. I know how to get my body to lose 1~2 pounds a week and still feel good, so if I don't, I feel like I fell short.)

Also, I love thinking about how I can creatively lose the weight to reach my goal, and I don't really get that thought process if I'm in the mindset of "It will happen as it will..."

Because I've never starved myself, overworked myself, etc. etc. etc. to reach my goals, I don't have problems keeping it off. Developing good habits, exercise, and counting nutrients is big for me. I do gain it back when I stop thinking about nutrition altogether, although not as direly as it could be. I gained 30 pounds over a year when I lived in Kobe, Japan, which I blame on their famous breads and pastries and their heavenly desserts. They have these little things called "mochi" which are to die for, which are basically made of some rice product with the consistency of taffy and filled with 1/4~1/2 c. of sweet red bean paste. So basically it fits in the palm of your hand and packs more than 300 calories.

Anyway, I did challenges before then and I've done challenges since, and they don't inhibit my fitness goals in the long term. It's stimulating. You just have to do it right.