Will setting a small goal make more sense?

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  • Seeyoubabyweight
    Seeyoubabyweight Posts: 49 Member
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    Thank you for the tips. I like the small not scale related goal idea alot. I've done my best this week with two simple goals. #1 log my food (ALL of it) each day and #2 focus on keeping the healthy choices and staying on or slightly under my count. Since I'm set at 1lb per week the scale should drop simply because I'm sticking to it. So far I am six days in and since I'm only focusing on one day at a time its working.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Seeyoubabyweight wrote: »
    Thank you for the tips. I like the small not scale related goal idea alot. I've done my best this week with two simple goals. #1 log my food (ALL of it) each day and #2 focus on keeping the healthy choices and staying on or slightly under my count. Since I'm set at 1lb per week the scale should drop simply because I'm sticking to it. So far I am six days in and since I'm only focusing on one day at a time its working.

    Great job, go get it!
  • frksfrau
    frksfrau Posts: 108 Member
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    I wholeheartedly agree with the mini goals. Easier to achieve and at some point you will look up and realized how much you've lost. When I reached 195, I did a little dance and then set my sights on 190. I'll eventually get down to my goal, but I will do it in 5 lb increments.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    It really depends on your personality. Some people do better with bigger, long term goals, others do better with a succession of smaller, quicker goals. Neither is wrong - just go with what works for you!

    Good luck!

    :drinker:
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    Try having goals that, instead of being "X pounds lost in X time" say "my goal is to eat at or below my calorie goal and work out X times per week." Make them be behavioral goals. To do your workouts, to try new forms of exercise, and such. That will bring the weight loss with it.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Seeyoubabyweight wrote: »
    Thank you for the tips. I like the small not scale related goal idea alot. I've done my best this week with two simple goals. #1 log my food (ALL of it) each day and #2 focus on keeping the healthy choices and staying on or slightly under my count. Since I'm set at 1lb per week the scale should drop simply because I'm sticking to it. So far I am six days in and since I'm only focusing on one day at a time its working.

    Great job. I really find that this approach works for me. I might have various result goals on paper or in the back of my head, but what I always write down and focus on are these smaller and behavior-related goals.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    Setting too aggressive of a timeline is the second biggest mistake I see folks make (inaccurate logging / counting being the biggest)

    Why add that pressure and discomfort?

    There are NO mini-goals that will compensate for ridiculously out of line longer-term goals.

    Baby steps are fine, as long as The Big Picture is fine, too.

  • romachel1978
    romachel1978 Posts: 36 Member
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    Why not try setting non scale related goals for a while? That's what worked for me. I found if I tried to do it all at once, it was simply to overwhelming. Each week, I would set a new goal (while sticking with the previous goals I set) by the time I got through 5 or 6 goals, I had dropped 10 pounds and hadn't even been focusing on the scale.
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
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    I have kind of a roadmap for my ultimate goal, divided up into phases (1, 2, 3, etc) and then mini-goals within each phase. There is not really a timeline, per se, but it is linear, and the mini-goals pertain to the phase I'm in. For instance, one mini-goal I had was for my Driver's License weight to actually be true. I had to be in phase 2 of my plan for that mini-goal to be reached, I've reached it and then some, now my Driver's license weight is untrue again because I'm 20 lbs less than what it says instead of 35 lbs more.

    I need to know where I'm going, but I also need to enjoy all the scenery (accomplishments) that have come up and will continue to on the way. Weight loss is too painfully slow, and involves too much discipline and focus, to not celebrate every victory no matter how measly of a victory it may be. :)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Lourdesong wrote: »
    I have kind of a roadmap for my ultimate goal, divided up into phases (1, 2, 3, etc) and then mini-goals within each phase. There is not really a timeline, per se, but it is linear, and the mini-goals pertain to the phase I'm in. For instance, one mini-goal I had was for my Driver's License weight to actually be true. I had to be in phase 2 of my plan for that mini-goal to be reached, I've reached it and then some, now my Driver's license weight is untrue again because I'm 20 lbs less than what it says instead of 35 lbs more.

    I need to know where I'm going, but I also need to enjoy all the scenery (accomplishments) that have come up and will continue to on the way. Weight loss is too painfully slow, and involves too much discipline and focus, to not celebrate every victory no matter how measly of a victory it may be. :)

    I love this. I do something similar, but mostly I can totally relate to the driver's license thing. I was so pleased when it became true again, and now it's 35 lbs too high. I just realized (when flying, oh joy) that it expired on my last birthday, so I have to get it replaced ASAP and am wondering if I should just give my goal weight (less than 10 lbs off).
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    Seeyoubabyweight wrote: »
    Thank you for the tips. I like the small not scale related goal idea alot. I've done my best this week with two simple goals. #1 log my food (ALL of it) each day and #2 focus on keeping the healthy choices and staying on or slightly under my count. Since I'm set at 1lb per week the scale should drop simply because I'm sticking to it. So far I am six days in and since I'm only focusing on one day at a time its working.

    That's fantastic! Along the lines of this goal, making sure your logging is as accurate as possible (are you using a food scale?) will keep your loss on track and further your progress towards your other goals.

  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
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    Seeyoubabyweight wrote: »
    Thank you for the tips. I like the small not scale related goal idea alot. I've done my best this week with two simple goals. #1 log my food (ALL of it) each day and #2 focus on keeping the healthy choices and staying on or slightly under my count. Since I'm set at 1lb per week the scale should drop simply because I'm sticking to it. So far I am six days in and since I'm only focusing on one day at a time its working.

    You got this! As others have said, focus on the behavior and the results will follow. Keep it up!
  • NoelFigart1
    NoelFigart1 Posts: 1,276 Member
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    I would ask what keeps you focused on a daily basis. While results happen over time, they are a function of what you do day by day.

    It does seem that long-term seems too abstract for you. Honestly, it kind of is for most people, which is part of why when you open project management software, you see a lot about dependencies and milestones.

    The thing is, there is stuff that you cannot control. Weight does tend to fluctuate when looking at a granularity of daily or even weekly (see anyone's chart who has been weighing regularly and has more than 90 days of data!)

    Things you can control:

    1. The number of days you eat within your target calorie range.
    2. The number of days you work out a week.

    I would say that maybe your goals would work better if they are behavior based, as you can focus on them on a daily basis.
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »

    I love this. I do something similar, but mostly I can totally relate to the driver's license thing. I was so pleased when it became true again, and now it's 35 lbs too high. I just realized (when flying, oh joy) that it expired on my last birthday, so I have to get it replaced ASAP and am wondering if I should just give my goal weight (less than 10 lbs off).

    Yes, definitely you should! I plan on getting my DL replaced as soon as I think I can get away with putting my ultimate goal weight on there without raising any eyebrows at the DMV. B)

  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    I have several plans. The day to day one focuses on me reaching the tragets for the day, just focus on that and the larger picture will take care of itself. What you wnat to do is be honesy log everything so you have an idea whether the effort/ deficit you think you are running gets you the results you can expect.

    Your plan has to be realistic and sustainable. If you have short term realistic tatgets then you know you can make a difference and this keeps you at it. getting the right mindset and commiting to all the stuff that comes with dieting is what you need and it makes everything else straightforward. Focus also stops you worrying and wasting energy on things that dont matter and which you can do little about.

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