Staged goals or one to rule them all...

bidimus
bidimus Posts: 95 Member
in Getting Started
When I started MFP I set my goal weight to the lowest I've ever achieved prior to MFP. Long story, but I had put on a bit of weight since then over the last year. So my initial goal is to hit 190. Once I do, I plan to set a new goal for something reasonable that will help improve my running further. Perhaps in the 160s. After that I may figure out my idea body weight and go for that next.

I didn't want to set it to an "end game" goal right away because I enjoy the shorter victories and they help me stay motivated knowing my goal isn't that far off. Does anyone else handle their goals this way?

Replies

  • sithiria
    sithiria Posts: 16 Member
    MFP and accepting little victories is the only thing that has ever worked for me. I was defeated and apt to thrown in the towel, which I did, for decades.. but then I forgave myself and said that I was correct. 'You are too fat and need to lose 65 lbs, yesterday" -was- too much with no support, no self-esteem, no partner..2 kids, yes, that was absolutely too much for anyone to handle!
    So! I re-assessed. That goal is unattainable and will make me worse off. What is reasonable? 5lbs. Not 65lbs! Just 5. And wouldn't you know, those 5lbs went. Ok 60lbs! No.. 5 more. Now, I have lost those same 5lbs, over and over and over. They added up and I am down 45lbs, but today.. I still need to lose just 5lbs. Major flop months, I beat myself up for gaining 2lbs, but they fall right back off. I am on that scale and track as best I am able, have caught disastrous patterns and gave up forever many of my former "Go-tos" because wearing a 14 is better than wearing a 24. period. We are in competition only with ourselves to meet personal goals. I demand of myself only to do the best I can and try to do better than I did yesterday, that's all. Everyone has to make their own goals, but mine is 5lbs. I wish you the very best meeting your goals, whatever they may be.
  • mysmileighs
    mysmileighs Posts: 103 Member
    I have my final goal set as my goal here on the site as the big picture, and I keep track of smaller goals on sticky notes. 5% increments. Lose 5%, recalculate, repeat. I'll get about 7 of those to hit my big goal.

    :smile:
  • bidimus
    bidimus Posts: 95 Member
    You know, there would be a cool feature. It would be nice to be able to set a goal and separate milestones.
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
    You know, there would be a cool feature. It would be nice to be able to set a goal and separate milestones.

    I agree.

    I'm also using staged goals. On RunKeeper I'm using 10 lb increments. Here I'm aiming longer--from 219 where I started to 170. But since I'm female, 170 is unlikely to be my final best weight. I figured it would be a good point for a body composition analysis so I could target my final weight based on fat %.

    If I tried to estimate what my final weight should be now, my lean body mass is probably too high because it is 'weightlifting' just to carry around all the excess fat, so multiplying lean body mass by 1.22 to set my final target would also be too high. (20-22% fat is the "good" range for women). (add: I just did this calculation for ****s and grins, the answer was 145 lbs).

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