Setting goals

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baraccus
baraccus Posts: 85 Member
So, I've had a target weight in my head for a long time, and have recently realized said target is going to have me at a pretty low body fat %. Now I know the last few percent are the hardest to accomplish so my question to everybody is...do you set your target at something that is going to be really difficult to obtain? I thought about setting my target a little higher with the intention that I will re-evaluate when I get to said target. I don't want to feel like I'm wussing out, but raising that bar a little makes it feel so much closer!!

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  • TheKitsune6
    TheKitsune6 Posts: 5,798 Member
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    Honestly my goals have changed so much that it's become ambiguous. Now I am focusing more on working out than anything because while I would like to look like Private Vasquez from Aliens, I don't know that I want my entire life to be fitness/diet centric. So really I'm just going with "Make good decisions and lose weight until you're happy" type mentality haha!
  • dbrightwell1270
    dbrightwell1270 Posts: 1,732 Member
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    I started out with a specific goal that put me right about where I was when I started college. I am about 30 pounds away from that but have changed my goal to eat 2000 Calories + most of the Calories I burn from exercise on a daily basis. What ever weight I stabilize at is fine.
  • fullofwhimsy
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    I have soft and attainable goals that I feel will be realistic for me to hit and maintain. For my height I think I am supposed to be 140-145. Haha! No. My goal is 175 or 180. At least for now...but probably forever. I don't want to compete or be completely fitness focused. Many women would like to be a size 4 or 6... for me a 10 or 12 would be great.
    I don't think it is wussing out to give yourself stepping stone goals at all.
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
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    I think goals need to be realistic and attainable. To push yourself beyond that becomes counter productive.

    They're YOUR goals. Be happy and confident with them. You have nobody to answer to but yourself :flowerforyou:
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
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    I like to set mini goals and an ultimate goal.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    I never cared about the number on the scale. Never until I found all the health issues I had. I don't really have a set number. Somewhere in the 200-220 lb range. But even if I never get to that, I'll be happy not having to take all the meds I was in the past. I'm am happy with staying active and eating healthy, most of the time.
  • nhsoprano
    nhsoprano Posts: 129
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    Honestly, I kind of stopped caring about how much I weigh. When I first started out, I wanted to weigh around 135. Ha! Not gonna happen. Really I care much more now about muscle mass and overall health as opposed to the number on the scale. I'm an opera singer, not a fitness model. I want to be healthy and attractive without having this part of my life completely take over everything else.
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 Member
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    When I first started out I had a weight goal in mind - 155 lbs - but the closer I got and the harder it got to lose weight I decided I wanted to stop being so nazi'ish with the scale and food, and enjoy life.... (ok so I went a bit too far and I am trying to get it back under control).... none the less the scale really hasn't moved much since last August, but my pants are bigger - I need a belt - and I have gone down a shirt size in some cases, I attribute this to all the weight lifting I have done since December. I like the way my body looks more, and have decided to start focusing on that, not as much on the scale. But being honest that scale owns me, it does. I would like to see the 150's and stay in the 150's but at the end of the day... isn't how you feel in your clothes and how you look better? I don't know, I am far from answering your questions... but I would set small attainable goals, and then make new ones when you tackle those. When our goals are too big, too far away, or seem a bit unrealistic we give up, get frustrated, or whatever.... you have done an awesome job Dave, keep it up!
  • baraccus
    baraccus Posts: 85 Member
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    Thanks for the positive thoughts and feedback :) I always had 230 in my head, but my trainer and I calculated the other day and that would put me around 9% body fat, which is pretty sexy but doesn't sound very easy to accomplish so I'm thinking a good mini goal for me is around 245 or 250 which is somewhere around 15%, assuming I don't gain more muscle mass (which I probably will haha)
  • TheKitsune6
    TheKitsune6 Posts: 5,798 Member
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    Thanks for the positive thoughts and feedback :) I always had 230 in my head, but my trainer and I calculated the other day and that would put me around 9% body fat, which is pretty sexy but doesn't sound very easy to accomplish so I'm thinking a good mini goal for me is around 245 or 250 which is somewhere around 15%, assuming I don't gain more muscle mass (which I probably will haha)

    DAmn, how tall are you?
  • baraccus
    baraccus Posts: 85 Member
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    Thanks for the positive thoughts and feedback :) I always had 230 in my head, but my trainer and I calculated the other day and that would put me around 9% body fat, which is pretty sexy but doesn't sound very easy to accomplish so I'm thinking a good mini goal for me is around 245 or 250 which is somewhere around 15%, assuming I don't gain more muscle mass (which I probably will haha)

    DAmn, how tall are you?

    lol only 6'2" but a decent frame size and a lot of lean mass :P
  • nhsoprano
    nhsoprano Posts: 129
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    Thanks for the positive thoughts and feedback :) I always had 230 in my head, but my trainer and I calculated the other day and that would put me around 9% body fat, which is pretty sexy but doesn't sound very easy to accomplish so I'm thinking a good mini goal for me is around 245 or 250 which is somewhere around 15%, assuming I don't gain more muscle mass (which I probably will haha)

    DAmn, how tall are you?

    lol only 6'2" but a decent frame size and a lot of lean mass :P

    Nice ;-)
  • JanieJack
    JanieJack Posts: 3,831 Member
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    Thanks for the positive thoughts and feedback :) I always had 230 in my head, but my trainer and I calculated the other day and that would put me around 9% body fat, which is pretty sexy but doesn't sound very easy to accomplish so I'm thinking a good mini goal for me is around 245 or 250 which is somewhere around 15%, assuming I don't gain more muscle mass (which I probably will haha)

    how tall are you?

    lol only 6'2" but a decent frame size and a lot of lean mass :P

    mmmm 6'2" and 245 with a lot of lean mass sounds good to me!!

    BB is 6'4" and 245. He was 255 when we first met and I told him the other day don't lose TOO much more weight. lol!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    reaching a certain goal weight is not automatically inclusive of a lower bodyfat %.

    at all.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    heh - wouldnt that be nice.
  • RunIntheMud
    RunIntheMud Posts: 2,645 Member
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    I prefer to just set fitness goals.... run such & such distance, do this competition, eat less of this, etc.
  • baraccus
    baraccus Posts: 85 Member
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    reaching a certain goal weight is not automatically inclusive of a lower bodyfat %.

    at all.

    True, but the weight has to come from somewhere, so unless I lose muscle mass it has to be fat.

    Had a good workout session with my trainer on Thursday and he encouraged what a lot of you said, that feeling better is the most important part. Though he immediately followed up with saying he thinks with as hard as I work hitting 9% body fat isnt out of the question if I want it, it just depends what i'm going for (showing off my abs sounds mighty tempting..haha).

    I like the fitness goal idea as well, I've always thought that my first time in Hawaii should be to do a Triathalon..hmmm
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    k
  • dbrightwell1270
    dbrightwell1270 Posts: 1,732 Member
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    Thanks for the positive thoughts and feedback :) I always had 230 in my head, but my trainer and I calculated the other day and that would put me around 9% body fat, which is pretty sexy but doesn't sound very easy to accomplish so I'm thinking a good mini goal for me is around 245 or 250 which is somewhere around 15%, assuming I don't gain more muscle mass (which I probably will haha)

    DAmn, how tall are you?

    lol only 6'2" but a decent frame size and a lot of lean mass :P

    I can see that. I'm 290ish in my profile picture. My goal original goal was 265. That would give a 200 pouind total weight loss and put me at the weight I was when I started college.