Setting Goals - Any Advice??

Potts1024 · November 2012

I am still new to making life changes... I still struggle - DAILY! I've been spending a lot of time focusing on my eating habits, as they truly SUCKED. as I am starting to get a handle on that, I really need to step up my game and get my *kitten* in gear!! I completely lack willpower, motivation, any of that.. I find that I lose interest in everything very quickly. It is my weakness. But I also know I WILL overcome that.

I would just like to hear what everyone does to help keep them on track, keep them motivated. Do you make charts? Lists? Obviously, tracking helps, which I plan to do, just looking for ideas. Thanks in advance!:happy:

ddavies919 · November 2012

Well, you're doing something just by starting! Congrats on that! We all struggle and it's not easy at times but keep focused on your goals. What do you want to look like? Feel like? Any clothes you want to wear? Find an outfit or a piece of clothing that you have always wanted to wear; hang it up where you see it daily or take a picture of it and put it somewhere you'll see it daily, like the bathroom mirror!

I workout at home so I have pictures of fit women and motivational quotes hanging on my wall. And from time to time, I will go online and look at before/after pics; that helps me stay motivated and on track.

Another biggie......write down your goals! I can't say that enough! Thinking of them is not enough, write them down! Look at them daily!

Feel free to add me as a friend if you want and we can keep each other accountable!

And whatever you do...............DON'T GIVE UP!!!!

cebreisch · November 2012

I've always had trouble setting weight related goals. I was never sure what an appropriate time frame was and/or how much I should lose in that time frame.

In September, 2011, Dr. Oz did a transformation nation thing to lost 10% of your body weight in 6 months. I hesitantly signed up, but actually hit it, and then some. So I re-set the goal for another 10% by end of September - hit that and then some too. SO - re-set the goal again, and now some of the people in the office are on board too.

I do have intermittent goals too. My next one is to hit 100 lbs with Weight Watchers....I joined after I had lost 11 pounds, so their number is 11 pounds behind on my total amount lost. I have about 4-5 more pounds to go to hit that - then I'll be at 265. Then I'll want to get into the 250's. THen I'll want to get to about 247-248 by first/second week in April.

I also got a Fitbit, which syncs with MFP. I try to make sure my calories burned are more than the calorie intake and that my general numbes for number of steps are increasing. They've increased a lot over the last 8 months that I've had it. It's a great device.

I haven't been working out yet - but plan to incorporate that soon - it's just so hard for me to "want" to go do that. It's definitely something I'd have to be making myself do until it becomes something I "want" to do.

holly78 · November 2012

Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals.

S: Specific

M: Measurable

A: Achievable

R: Results-focused

T: Time-Bound

I have found if you set a lot of small goals, you will be able to meet them and it will give you the satisfaction of achievement you will need to accomplish larger goals For example my goals today are:

1) Drink at least 64 oz of water

2) Go to the gym, do 3 sets of ab exercises, and 3 sets of chest and tri exercises, and do 20 minutes of Cardio

3) stay under my calories.

Jlobe114 · November 2012

Write down EVERYTHING that goes into your mouth - and don't estimate with your trouble foods - either measure, weigh, or count. I was definitely under estimating what I was eating. When I log it here - I really know whether or not I can eat that one more thing and still stay within my calorie GOAL. I like the "If you eat like this you'll weigh <> in <> weeks" messages. Have to keep them in mind when I want to stray.

Second - is that I sit at a desk all day - 8 hours - and I was finding that when I'd get out of work i'd then be sitting at my daughters soccer practice, cross country races and I couldn't take off to walk or get any sort of exercise. And i'm not going to pass on being there when she wants me to because we all know that time can come at any point. However - because of that I work very hard to be sure I do something - even if it's at lunch. I'll wear slacks to work and then put on a long sleeved workout shirt + a fleece + hat/gloves and sneakers and go out walking at lunch. Sometimes it's hard to get myself out there but I don't allow myself many excuses because when i'm done I feel tremendous!

BonyToni · November 2012

Whatever you do, don't fall into the trap of setting yourself too many goals. And, never set goals that are not realistically achievable. You want to feel successful so don't set yourself up to fail. I have seen too many people do that.

I also use milestone goals. I have 3 pounds to go until I reach my next milestone. Then I will set the next mini goal.

Finally, don't obsess. If you are trying to lose weight, the last thing you want to be thinking about all the time is food!!

Best of luck everyone in setting and achieving your goals

:drinker:

hugsee · November 2012

For me it is sizes my sister luckily enough has also done the weight loss and has her old clothes to hand to me (not that she was in them long)

I have come down gradually starting with size 24 I am now in an 18 so of course my next goal is16. Also just the thought of going into a proper shop that caters for these sizes keeps me going as well as the compliments....I think that was the hardest thing to accept as for a long time I was wearing the fat suit when I looked in a mirror.

BlackKat75 · November 2012

I would just like to hear what everyone does to help keep them on track, keep them motivated. Do you make charts? Lists? Obviously, tracking helps, which I plan to do, just looking for ideas. Thanks in advance!:happy:

One thing that I started doing a few months ago was writing a MFP blog post at the start of each months, setting forth my goals for the month. You can see my post for October here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BlackKat75/view/october-wrap-up-440857 I've found making mini-goals for a month (not all weight-related) and being self-reflective at the end of the month has been really helpful. I truly think that so much of weight loss is *psychological* rather than physical, so it's great that you're thinking about that aspect of things.

As for keeping motivated, part of it is just getting up and doing it and making it a habit. One thing that helps keep me on track is pre-logging my known food for the day in the morning, so I know what (if any) wiggle room I have during the course of the day or at the end of the day. One final thing, be as accurate as possible with your logging, which means *weighing* everything - not measuring by volume. Once I started weighing everything, I found that measuring by volume rather than weight dramatically understated calories (by between 25 and 30%). For example, my 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats weighs 51 grams for 191 calories, not 40 grams for 150 calories!

Good luck. You can do it!!!

cbk93 · November 2012

I surrounded myself with people who had either made a healthy lifestyle change or were in the process. I found an accountability partner, which helped tremendously. When I hit a certain goal, I would treat myself to something that was non-food related. In March of this year, I began running. I found it wasn't only a way to lose weight and tone, but a stress reliever as well. Not only do I feel thin, but healthy and strong...all the motivation I need these days :-) ** In the past 2 1/2 yrs, I have lost 52 lbs! Hard work, but totally worth it!

Setting Goals - Any Advice??

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