How to set a reasonable mini goal

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  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    I would set a midterm goal in my ticker, but each 5 pounds was a mini-goal. When I started (178.5) I looked forward to getting under 175. Then under 170 and so on.

    Also set goals for non-weight items. Like to walk for x minutes a week, or to eat so many fruits/veggie servings a day. Find tools that help you. I use a Fitbit and several apps that keep me motivated.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    The problem with setting goals like lose 2lbs a week is that your body is very adaptable and at some point you are not going to lose weight (you might lose fat, build muscle etc). That will just drive you crazy and make you want to quit. In addition weight loss isn't linear. The beauty of MFP is the logging. I pull up the reports and look at the weekly net calories and if I see > 3500 I am supper happy because that is approximately 1 pound of fat. If I see over 300 minutes of exercise, I know that my heart is getting twice what it needs.

    I can't control when the results happen so I'm not going to drive my self batty by putting a time based milestone. All I can do is focus on my activities to get me there and go to bed with a smile on my face everyday knowing that I beat my MFP goal for the day.
  • maoribadger
    maoribadger Posts: 1,837 Member
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    Ive set myself a whole bunch of mini goals from now to 4 stone lost and they range from 2lb to 5lb ie im 17-7 atm working on 17-6 (closer to 17 than 18) after which I will aim at 17-4 (2 stone lost) followed by 16-13 (under 17 stone) and so on til I get to 15-4 which would be 4 stone lost. I've not given myself a time frame to do it merely DL a goal setting app so I can tick them off. I'm also in the process of setting some fitness goals on there too ie Start Running, run 100, run 500m and so on that I can tick off. It helps me to have the small victories to focus on each week or cpl weeks so I dont get overwhelmed by the big picture
  • 12_oz_Curls
    12_oz_Curls Posts: 140 Member
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    I am a firm believer in short/medium/long term planning. Therefore I picked a long term goal of being a sexy beast! Now I had to figure out how to get there. short term was getting back down to my natural maintenance weight. Medium was signing up for a 1/2 marathon. Figured the cardio and such would benefit the short and long term goals. As I got down to my first goal weight I started aiming for another 10 lbs. down.

    Here's the thing with long term planning. It will restructure short term goals. Now I really that being a sexy beast isn't just hitting a weight on a scale. It's having the confidence in yourself regardless of your physical condition. I also realized that the extra 10 lbs didn't need to come off. I was at a good weight, I just needed to start losing fat. So I am eating at just below my current TDEE now and lifting. Why? because muscular physique was what my long term goal entailed, not just losing weight. And guess what, I found out that the physical aspect still changed my definition of sexy beast. Now it's the ability to pick something I want to do, and just go do it. so I guess that while I haven't reached the physical goal I had set, I did accomplish the long-term!

    So goals change, and as long as you keep your eye on the long term end, you can tailor the milestones however you need, and adjust on the fly.

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