We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Anyone Have Small Goals Set on Here?

Hotdawgnothotdog
Hotdawgnothotdog Posts: 179 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on and off here many times and usually I set my goal to be my ultimate goal so right now if I were to do that it would show a goal of 150 pounds lighter. I've decided to try something different and set my ultimate goals as little goals. Right now I'm 299 and my goal is 296 (that will be 10 pounds lost) ans after that itll probably be 290. Usually I see people have these big goals set for themselves and there's nothing wrong with that, but does anyone on here set small goals? How small and has it seemed to work better than setting massive goals?

Replies

  • mountainmare
    mountainmare Posts: 294 Member
    I have an old school scale with a dial--it's a good scale and I like the dial. I set my mini goals by putting a piece of tape (shiny red tape) down three pounds when I hit the tape for three days. I also journal a monthly review and set small reasonable fitness and food goals for the next month.
    I had 40 pounds to lose and am on my last ten, so not that massive, but this has made things very easy for me.
  • hroderick
    hroderick Posts: 756 Member
    My big goal is 160, my weekly goal is 2. My daily goal is 3 miles
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    There's a lot to be said for setting small, attainable goals. It can really do a lot to help keep you motivated.
  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
    I set my ultimate goal to set up MFP daily calorie limit. But along the way, I'd basically do a happy dance when I reached my mini-progress-goals. That is, every 5 pounds I lost, I'd reward myself with a new shirt from a thrift ship, new running shoes or exercise clothes. I like your idea of breaking down your goals into manageable parts.
  • tmccall1985
    tmccall1985 Posts: 3 Member
    I just started doing this strategy earlier this month myself, and it's going very well!
  • maureenkhilde
    maureenkhilde Posts: 849 Member
    I totally understand where you are coming from. As I too have a big goal. But really have not stated it, as it seems overwhelming. Instead I have broken it down other ways. My bigger small goal is 8%. I took my starting weight and said I will loose 8%, and I did so. Then I said ok I will loose 8% again, and I have made it. So I have hit reset again, just starting on it. This is making me feel like I have moved if not a mountain a good size hill. The other one I have done is the monthly mini challenge on here of lose 5 lbs each month since I joined. 5 lbs is very doable, and I have done more. But cheer others on, and they do the same for all who join in each month.

    And the other thing is changing my behavior, my thoughts around food. I now eat on smaller plates like picnic size no more dinner size plates. I have relearned how much I really different types of nuts, so I snack on them. As a diabetic I needed to tell myself you need to change your whole outlook with food from this day forward, get over yourself. I still have those conversations often. But I am winning more often. But totally agree need to break big obstacles into little goals that we can whip into shape. Good Luck!
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    To cut 5 seconds off my 5k time. Did my 5k run this morning in 36:04.... So close. Hopefully next month I'll get there.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,348 Member
    I agree with your approach. To attempt to lose a large amount of weight in one effort, is overwhelming and sets a person up for failure.

    I have reached my weightless goal. I've enjoyed my summer and have done pretty well holding steady, so now I'm back on my reduction plan, and I want to lose a few pounds under my now goal weight. After I get that done..it will be toning time. I feel I can achieve these things by breaking them down and taking breaks along the way. If I had tried to do it all at once, I would have burned out..and now I feel confident I'm going to achieve what seemed impossible when I started.
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    elisa123gal wrote: »
    I agree with your approach. To attempt to lose a large amount of weight in one effort, is overwhelming and sets a person up for failure.

    I have reached my weightless goal. I've enjoyed my summer and have done pretty well holding steady, so now I'm back on my reduction plan, and I want to lose a few pounds under my now goal weight. After I get that done..it will be toning time. I feel I can achieve these things by breaking them down and taking breaks along the way. If I had tried to do it all at once, I would have burned out..and now I feel confident I'm going to achieve what seemed impossible when I started.

    What is toning time? If you mean starting to incorporate weight training into your exercise, why wait?
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    When I started off I set my goal at 15lbs - I needed to lose at least 20 but I actually didn't think I would even be able to see a 15lb loss, but I did and went on to lose 30lb in total.
  • Evelyn_Gorfram
    Evelyn_Gorfram Posts: 706 Member
    amyepdx wrote: »
    elisa123gal wrote: »
    I agree with your approach. To attempt to lose a large amount of weight in one effort, is overwhelming and sets a person up for failure.

    I have reached my weightless goal. I've enjoyed my summer and have done pretty well holding steady, so now I'm back on my reduction plan, and I want to lose a few pounds under my now goal weight. After I get that done..it will be toning time. I feel I can achieve these things by breaking them down and taking breaks along the way. If I had tried to do it all at once, I would have burned out..and now I feel confident I'm going to achieve what seemed impossible when I started.

    What is toning time? If you mean starting to incorporate weight training into your exercise, why wait?
    Maybe because she has had success with achieving these things "by breaking them down and taking breaks along the way;" and that if she "tried to do it all at once," she might burn out.

This discussion has been closed.

Categories