Setting realistic goals for yourself!

tripledipped13

Hello all!!!

I have been reading a lot of post lately about people setting goals and have noticed that some of the goals being set are unrealistic. I am by no means attempting to be hateful or hurtful, rather just want to offer some assistance and guidance with goals setting. As a RN for a home care agency for the past 7 years I have had to set many goals related to many different issues with my patients and have learned a great deal regarding setting goals.

First, goals must be obtainable. If you set goals for yourself that you are never going to reach than you will be more likely to quit before you even get started or will start, realize you cannot reach the goal, get disappointed, than quit. It is not at all realistic to think that you will be able to loose 4 pounds a week for the next 6 months. This website is set up with goals from 0.5 pounds a week to 2.0 pounds a week with 1.5 pounds a week being ideal. These are realistic goals to set for your self.

Second, start small. You are making a lifestyle change. Think about it—if you are overweight why did it happen? Did it happen because you were eating healthy foods all of the time or did it happen because you ate foods that are bad for you all the time? Did it happen because you spent an hour a day working out or did it happen because you spent 4 hours sitting on the couch watching television? Realistically you cannot expect yourself to go from eating fast food 7 days a week to never eating fast food again…it will not happen, you will feel like you are depriving yourself and will quit. So, start out with small goals—you will only eat fast food 3 days a week instead of 7 and the other days you will eat lower calorie foods, you will walk 15 minutes every other day.

Third, begin to increase those goals. You have been eating fast food 3 days a week now for 6 weeks and have seen a decrease in your weight, you have been walking 15 minutes a day every other day for 6 weeks and are no longer getting short of breath while doing it…time to increase your goals. Now only eat fast food 1 time a week and start walking 15 minutes a day everyday. Once you are comfortable with these and are able to maintain these increase the goals.

Forth, have short term and long term goals. We all know exactly how much weight we want to loose over all but do you have a goal weight to reach within 6 weeks? Remember this goal needs to be realistic…so let’s say you want to loose 1.5 pounds a week on average. In six weeks you would want to have lost 9 pounds. Is that realistic for you?? Are you certain you will meet this goal?? If so, than you have your 6 week goal.

I know this seems like it is a very slow process for losing weight, but it has been proven that people who lose weight fast do not keep it off and people who lose weight slow will keep it off. I am sure that if you are here wanting to loose weight you want to keep it off; then the ONLY way to do that is to change your lifestyle. Remember you did not gain the weight over night and you will not lose it over night!!!

If any of you would like help setting realistic goals for yourself, feel free to add me and message me and I will gladly do what I can to help!

FantasticKitty01

Great post! I think I was ok on all points except short term goals. I haven't really set any short-term goals mainly becuase, for me, this is a lifestyle change and I've been taking baby steps. I used to feel that short term goals might make me obsess about calories, weight, etc. but now that I think about it, I think they would be a good gauge to where I am and how I am doing.

Goal for tomorrow: Weight myself and set a short term goal

Thanks!

aspmg5

All good points! I'm approaching weight loss this time entirely different thanks to this site. Slow and steady for a whole lifestyle change.

SkinnyMel78

Love this!! It is the truth! I have been dieting for a little over a month now and have lost 12lbs but I have increased my excercise from almost non existent to working out 4-5 days a week. And I am trying to completely change the way that I eat. Small goals are the best. I know that it took me 10 years to put on this weight so I am not expecting it to come off over night! I'll be happy with a loss each week even if it's a tiny one!

tripledipped13

I am very glad you guys were able to get something out of this! I know it is hard to focus on the short term goals rather than the long term one because you REALLY want to be down to that size, but it takes time and you have to allow yourself that time. Short term goals allow you to realize that you ARE making it to that big goal!!!! :happy:

mamosh81

great post! Thumbs up

TheRunningGuppy

This is it exactly! I agree with everything you said. When I started on here I wrote out a list of my goals for this year, and it's broken down in to daily, weekly, monthly, and every 6 months goals.

GormanGhaste

Thanks for this. I know I can get off-balance when I start comparing myself to others. The important thing is to gradually improve my own diet and exercise and not worry about other people. I know I am already stronger and more flexible than even just two weeks ago.

Mbcast29

Great ideas/tips/thoughts. I totally agree with everything you said but its encouraging to hear it from someone else. Especially someone who has no interest in me personally. Thank you.

tripledipped13

I am glad this is helping!!