Setting New Goals

So, I lost a lot of weight, but I'm still way out of shape. I'm at 30 percent body fat. Ugh. And I don't look at all the same as when I was younger and weighed the same. I feel so let down, it's hard to even motivate myself. I need some new, non-scale goals to reach for. Realistically, how long would it take me to get my body fat down to 25 percent? How much could I accomplish in one month? How long would it take to take am inch off my hips? I feel like maybe I could get motivated again if I set some new goals, but I don't know where to put the goal posts. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    I would suggest picking some goals that you can actually influence directly, rather than something that's dependent on lots of different factors, like bf%.

    With that in mind it's worth thinking about setting goals like lifting a particular weight, or running a particular distance or something like that.

    When I started this who thing about two and a half years ago I dropped from 29% bf to 19% by working up to a 55 min 10K, but the type of training you do depends very much on what you enjoy and what you can fit into your lifestyle.
  • henrycook88
    henrycook88 Posts: 5 Member
    So, I lost a lot of weight, but I'm still way out of shape. I'm at 30 percent body fat. Ugh. And I don't look at all the same as when I was younger and weighed the same. I feel so let down, it's hard to even motivate myself. I need some new, non-scale goals to reach for. Realistically, how long would it take me to get my body fat down to 25 percent? How much could I accomplish in one month? How long would it take to take am inch off my hips? I feel like maybe I could get motivated again if I set some new goals, but I don't know where to put the goal posts. Any suggestions?
    So, I lost a lot of weight, but I'm still way out of shape. I'm at 30 percent body fat. Ugh. And I don't look at all the same as when I was younger and weighed the same. I feel so let down, it's hard to even motivate myself. I need some new, non-scale goals to reach for. Realistically, how long would it take me to get my body fat down to 25 percent? How much could I accomplish in one month? How long would it take to take am inch off my hips? I feel like maybe I could get motivated again if I set some new goals, but I don't know where to put the goal posts. Any suggestions?

  • henrycook88
    henrycook88 Posts: 5 Member
    During my yearly dot physical in February I found myself 298 pounds so I set my goal weight at 235 I have past that now at 214 thinking maybe time to maintain I haven't seen my weight this low sense high school body fat at 21.5 don't have a clue what it was in February when I started take it one day at a time one pound at a time this is no race

  • But that's the thing. It's not about pounds anymore. It's about body composition. I want to mostly focus on strength training. I just need to set goals to keep myself motivated, but because I'm in uncharted territory, I'm not sure how to go about doing that.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    I want to mostly focus on strength training. I just need to set goals to keep myself

    So presumably you have a plan that you're following?

    Many will start with a session to identify what you're currently capable of. Once you know that you can set yourself improvement objectives.

    As an example once you know what your current 1 Rep Maximum is for the squat you can set yourself a goal around improving that.
  • Thanks for the suggestions. Turns out, I could have just used Google. Ha. I now have a goal. Lose 5 percentage points of fat in two months. Using the magic machine at the gym as a measurement. I can do it!!! :D
  • GreenValli
    GreenValli Posts: 1,054 Member
    My current goal is to get out of the "obese" category. I think I have about 20 more pounds to go toward that goal. I have lost 38 pounds in the last 14 months with MFP, but also 26 before that. I feel good about 65 pounds gone in the last 5 years. My knee pain is gone.

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  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
    As others have suggested determine your strength ability now and make a goal to increase it by a certain percentage over the next 8 weeks, or set a distance goal for running and work towards that. Both strength training and running will help you in changing your body composition and to lose the 5 percentage points of fat over the next two months.