Making obtainable goals

[Odyssey13]

A friend wanted to lose fifty pounds. A few years later, he needs to lose eighty. He tried various diets, even fasting, with little result to make him want to continue.  Now he's struggling and feels lost.

It was hard enough for him to admit the fifty, but how often do we set goals that are just too lofty? Had he tried to lose two pounds a week, instead of looking at fifty, he could have done it.

When making a goal, it ought to be one that isn't so high that we fall before we can reach it. It's easier to achieve a smaller goal than to make a larger goal only to feel it's beyond your grasp.

In order to get where we want to be, we need to be like the tortoise. "Slow and steady wins the race."

Here's to all us tortoises!

[Jim_M]

I knew I had to lose some weight last december.  And I knew what I wanted to lose.

But I set my goal not at the final goal, but 5 lbs at a time.  That way I always had a goal "within sight".  It was easier to reach, and made me ready for the next one.... "Only 5 more.... "

[SunsetRunner]

Jim, I find the Fitbit badges help with the small goals. I started with 80 lbs to lose. It was like looking at an insurmountable mountain. My doctor suggested my first goal should be to lose 10% of my body weight. That sounded more like what I could do. Other small goals of mine included
- Follow the diet plan, recording every bite for one week,
- Make it to 5,000 steps/day, every day, for a week.

It goes back to a joke one of our other posters mentioned. "How do you eat an elephant?" "One bite at a time."

[WendyB]

I have always set small goals for myself. Never time dated. Then I reward myself with something like a new DVD:smileywink:

[Carena]

I started walking when I was a couch potatoe and fitness levels were are a all time low to the point when even taking a shower and getting dry was making me puff. I had dug myself into a very deep whole and was facing a choice of filling the hole in over myself or climbing out.  I decided it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and start climbing out.  

My journey started with my fitbit end of June 2013 and today I've lost 26 kg's and have plateaued much to my distaste. See Plateau discussion for more on that.

When I started - I did 20 minute walks (need to stop 3-4 times in that 20 minutes for a break because my muscles in my legs hurt).  I did these walks morning and afternoon without fail. For me it was Winter time, cold and sometimes windy and not always pleasant.  Eventually I didn't have to stop 3 and 4 times and could get around without stopping. I increased how long I walked and continued to increase all the time. It was VERY HARD Work keeping motivated but my fitbit was brilliant for that. I made sure I did the 10,000 steps a day and soon after a few weeks - I could increase on that - oh, just another 10 minutes more. Was even walking up and down our little street in the dark at night to be sure I achieved the 10,000 steps before bed.

Soon I found I could do it easy - so I increase again and all the time loosing 1kg a week. Brilliant, I loved to see the results and it pushed me on to do more and better all the time.  Soon I increased and started hitting the badges for 15,000 steps a day, then I pushed to 20,000 steps. Then 25,000 and now I can do 26,000 a day and have done the 40,000 in a day.  My house on the other hand is not so tidy and clean anymore but I am so much more fitter. I've put my entry in for a 1/2 Marthon Walk for Feb 2014 and looking forward to doing it I believe in about 3  1/2 hours.

My weight goals have been in 10 kg's steps.  times by 2.2 for lb's I think it is.

I walk hills now that in the past would have been like mountains and I feel the best I have every felt about myself and fitness levels. WOW, I wish everyone could feel as great as I do. 

So, keep on setting small goals and feel good about achieving them. After reaching a small goal, push on to the next one.  When you are feeling down, talk to people and they will help you thru. Don't give up - NO EXCUSES.  I never liked sports and such. NEver seen what people seen in it. But now I get such a BUZZ and rush from climbing that hill and when I see I can do that hill faster than I did it a week ago. WOW. Awesome. I just want to climb it again. Good luck to everyone. Push yourself but within realistic goals and expectations of yourself. Most of all - be totally honest with yourself. Counting calories although may be a pain to do - really helps see where they are coming from and you soon learn what foods are the enemy and which aren't. I love my fitbit and would never have had the succes I have had without it.

[jaycatmac]

I am in a minority here: I decoupled my weight from my fitness.

  I chucked out my scale and I have never been more happy AND motivated. The scale was depressing and was a hindrance to keeping myself motivated. If the scale NEVER goes down: why even bother?

Now I am upping my steps, eating right, I have taken up running (although Im walking until my injuries subside... and the ice melts). 

I'm less stressed. I think that counts towards good health.

[Pricila]

Nice!

[Odyssey13]

Jaycatmac, you're so right about the scale. When I had one, it was the worst thing in the world for me to get near. So I decided to just go by the fact that I had to buy smaller pants every few months. It's hard when that scale is looking right at you. Although I've read some good things about people using the Aria scales from FitBit. If I ever get another scale, it would be that one.

[Jim_M]

I's just the opposite for me Odyssey...  I've only dropped one pants size after losing a bunch of weight the last year. (that "beer belly" thing..  I'm from Wisconsin and was born with one )

I actually pay more attention to my weight data (via an Aria) than I do with my step data.  I want to make sure my weight isn't drifting back up.

[Odyssey13]

Jim, the main thing is you're making a difference in your life. When losing weight, the body seems to reposition itself, so some people go by inches lost. I wish my Flex had been around a few years ago.

[LEA]

Yae tortoises. 

[PastaLuver14]

I think the "smaller" goals need to come first always. It's like with running a half marathon. You don't just go that day to run 13.1 miles. You gradually slowly work your way to get there with proper training.  You take bitty steps & eventually add in more miles in such.

[BruceM]

I'm replying to Oddesy's first post and I agree wholeheatedly that taking things slowly is the best long term way to lose weight. I have to admit that I've always been in shape but in the 90's I gained about 30 pounds and I weighed 185 pounds. I decided that I would take it off in 2001. I was successful but much of it came back in 2002 and I weighed almost 180 again. 

So, at the end of 2002 I decided I would weigh 155 in 2012 - ten years later. I looked at what I was doing and reliazed that every Sunday I would make coffee for church and have a donut, and a second when people came in for hospitality, and a third when we were cleaning up. That was about 750 calories that I didn't need. At the end of the year I decided to give up donuts. It worked, my weight dropped almost to 160 at the end of 2003. 

Since then, I've given up something that "bad" for me every year, soda in 2003, McDoanld's in 2004, frozen dinners in 2005, (If you look at labels there is generally a lot of salt and fat in even "healthy" forzen meals) all fast food restaurants in 2006, chain restaurants in 2007, potato chips in 2010 (Ihave to admit I haven't been able to give them up completely but I rarely have them any more). I finally hit 155 at the middle of 2012. This year my weight has bee under 155 for much of the year and I haven't weighed more than 160 for more than a year and a half. 

The biig bonus is that I cook and eat very well, and this healthy lifestyle is now my lifestyle. As it advises in the book "Younger Next Year", I "don't eat crap", and I enjoy my exercise! I'm very healthy and active in my 70th year. It's never too late to start. 

Take it slowly and change your lifestyle gradually. It works.

[SunsetRunner]

What a great plan, Bruce! And congratulations on maintaining a healthy weight and life style.

[Mary]

I think goals should be focused on your 'inputs', or the things you have 100% control over.  Like make a goal to hit 10,000 steps 6 days a week and log all your food for a month.  The scale shouldn't be our report card.  Sometimes it reflects our efforts, sometimes not.  

[tdfischer]

I just wanted to pass along my sincerest congrats to every single one of you who have posted on this board!  Not only on your weight loss successes but on your life's philosophies!  After getting out of the military, my life took a turn for the worse and I was on a downward spiral.  Alcohol, depression, drugs, etc. the whole nine yard... I ballooned up to about 280 pounds.  Realizing I was in a world of hurt and might not be able to grow old with my wife or live long enough to see my kids graduate - I also made a change and am now running 50-100 mile ultra marathons and maintaining at 205lbs.  That aside, my outlook on life is much like those sentiments you have all expressed here - one step at a time, keep things in perspective and tomorrow will be another day!  Congrats again and be true to yourself!

[Odyssey13]

td, thank you for your service to our country. What you've done in turning your life around is incredible and your family must be pleased. You're right that it takes a better attitude for us to carry on.

Ultra marathons? You have come a long, long way!

[WUA]

Good advice.

Ok, I know your Avatar right away. How do I set up one. I've done it for other sites but I haven't seen it here yet. Can you give me a tip??

[Odyssey13]

WUA, click this link for information on how to add an avatar.

[tdfischer]

Thanks for the continued encouragement Odyssey!