What is better small goals or one big goal?

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llonka
llonka Posts: 76 Member
in Motivation and Support
What do you all think works better, small goals or one big long term goal? At my heaviest I was 250 pounds, I'm 5'3. Right now i'm stuck 229.8 pounds or so. I've struggled really hard for a month now trying to figure out why i've stopped losing weight. I figured out i'm going over my calorie goal too much. So it got me thinking. Instead of putting my goal weight as 140 pounds, should I be doing it in smaller amounts? I mean like change my goal weight to 180 pounds now, and when I get there, then change it down to 140 pounds?

Also I think i'm going to start giving myself little rewards for doing good in a certain time frame. This week if I stay at or under my calorie goal, I can have a SMALL piece of cake at my brother's high school graduation party. Then maybe i'll just keep adding weeks, like if i'm good for two weeks in a row i can have another small reward. Sound like a good plan?

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  • EmilyMarieMo
    EmilyMarieMo Posts: 67 Member
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    For the most part, (on days I'm really doing good anyway) I really try to just work things like small piece of birthday cake or whatever sugary/fattening thing it may be that I want into my daily calorie allowance. Also maybe try to get a good workout in to earn the extra calories! I really try to remind myself to NOT REWARD myself with food! But instead learn to make it all balance and make extra really good choices on that day I have some kind of party to attend and know I won't be able to just say no to the cake! :smile:

    And as far as your overall weight goal goes, make your goal the weight you really want to be that is ALSO a weight you truly think you can learn to maintain. Also ask yourself if you personally are okay with settling for less than what you COULD be. Meaning... if you are young and healthy and nothing is keeping you from accomplishing the full goal of no longer being overweight other than your food choices and/or activity choices, then why settle for less than the best health you can give yourself?

    Creating a life style change can be as effective as you make it. ...Change a few things permanently, a lot of things permanently, or everything permanently. But the key words are 'change permanently'. I personally believe in changing a lot of things permanently, but finding that balance in life that I believe I can live with. I’ll know the END number when I finally get there!  As for now… I’m sticking with 140 as my goal, and I’m 5’3! 140 is at the end of the healthy range for our BMI, so it sounds like a good number to shoot for! I don’t want to settle for less than what I know I COULD be!

    My previous lifestyle (before MFP) wasn’t giving me the results I wanted in life, even though I hate cooking, I hate healthy food, etc. But I decided that it was time for me to change that lifestyle if I was ever going to get happy with a new one! Dieting doesn’t make me happy… but learning that eating healthy can be a learned habit and a learned craving, and it gives me so much more energy than eating unhealthy… makes me want to keep finding happiness in the new lifestyle!

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