~:+:~Gauging Mini Goals~:+:~
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~:+:~Gauging Mini Goals~:+:~
| Thu, 09-29-2005 - 6:07pm |
Hi everyone,
I was wondering about mini goals. How do you decide what way you want to gauge your weight loss mini goals? For me, I look at the mini goal as "Well, if I get there. that's nice, but I still have tons to go."
1) How do you gauge how much you need to lose for these smaller goals?
2) How do you gauge the time frame in which you'd like to lose that weight?
3) How many gauges do you have for your loss?
4) How do you keep it realistic and avoid let-downs and damaged morale?
5) How do you motivate yourself when the road before you seems to lengthen as you travel it?
Any help would be appreciated! I guess I'm in my seven-week slump, and am beginning to feel as though the mark is out of my reach.

Wow I hate to be the first responder and have a sucky answer.
In my previous attempts at weight loss I have never had mini goals, which could be why I have never acheived weight loss!
When I was a kid I gained a few pounds and got that off quick by working out like a horse! I went to Jazzercise at LEAST twice a day with weekends off.
I'm the type of person who has to workout a lot to lose weight. I hate to sweat -- so another reason I'm not good at this whole weight loss thing! : )
I am setting small goals this time. Since I am pregnant weight "loss" is not my goal. It has happened already though. My main goal to working out was to bring my blood sugar down, I am also diabetic. I have accomplished that, well sort of .. I haven't been to the gym since last week. Its back up now! I've been sick so I will be there next week. I PROMISE.
My next small goal???????? I've been tryin' to figure that out actually. I think I'm going to have myself measured at the end of next week and see if any area is smaller than before. If so then that will be my goal. Or really, if not that will be my goal. Of course my stomach will be getting bigger but my arms and legs should be getting smaller. I haven't been doing any weights so there shouldn't really be enough muscle gain to negate the fat loss. We will see!
I can't wait to see everyone elses goal stuff.
I know that 7 week slump, especially if you arent having much progress. But i once read something that said, "i cant lose 100 pounds but i can lose 10 pounds 10 times" and i just love that.
Mini goals for me, break up the trail. My mini goals are focused usually on clothes size, like i want to be able to wear my last winters blue jeans by Christmas but also, i celebrate every 20 pounds i lose. I dont set a goal date for that 20 pounds...i have decided that just sets me up to get disappointed if i dont reach that goal. So i am just happy if the scale is going in the right direction, no matter how long it takes.
This week i lost 2.2 pounds (my weigh in day is friday morning) so i am only half a pound away from my little 20 pound goal...HOORAY. When i reach that 20 pound goal i get a new pair of earrings.
Stacy
I think celebrating a certain weight goal but not setting a date is a good idea. I was planning on something like that. My gym has a spa also -- so I was thinking for every "how ever many" pounds I lose I could get some spa treatment. But once again since I am pregnant I can't really set a goal like that. So for now I'm just trying to FEEL healthy and keep my blood sugar down. Once I get this kid out then I will be ready to set actual goals.
I am so surprised that no one else has responded.
Well, I try not to do "pound" mini goals, and instead do "behaviour" mini goals. So instead of saying "I'll lose 10 pounds this month" I'll set a target like "I'll walk at least 5 times this week". I make each new "step" a three week goal (because I read somewhere that it takes 21 days to form a new habit - so my hope is that as I add each "new" goal I'll still keep doing the old ones). Right now I'm working on adding 2 more servings of vegetables and fruits per day. The BEAUTY of this is that it is easy to measure if I've acheived my goal, and it is "no fail" since the results are totally up to me. See- the way I figure it is that we can NOT control how much weight we lose, especially not in a given time frame. Our bodies will do what they will -sometimes I lose several pounds in a week, and other times I'll stall for several weeks even though my food and exercise haven't changed at all - so how can I set a goal for which I can not possibly be responsible? It's a bit like setting a goal about how tall my kids will grow this year! All I CAN control is my own behaviour, so that is what I have to focus on.
Stasia
315/286
Yeah, 10% was 300 for me, too! I'm 8 lbs away from that now, but it's still daunting! I lost 3.5 this week, making that 22 total, but I still think to myself that I have a while to go.
One way to mark a goal, I thought, was to celebrate when I have only a double digit to lose rather than a triple one. I should be 155, but I'm 276. Once I'm 254, that'll mean I'm in the double digits for weight loss, but that's another 22 pounds, and possibly another 6 weeks... maybe 5 if I work hard...? :D
Shoot, I can't think of anything I want to reward myself with. I've never been a material person. You have such a good idea, though.... Maybe I should treat myself to Sophora! Haha!
Thanks for your help!
Hey I'm on the dreaded 7th week too.
1) How do you gauge how much you need to lose for these smaller goals?
I just say 20 lbs. It's just a milestone so that the road doesn't seam that long.
2) How do you gauge the time frame in which you'd like to lose that weight?
Don't recommend to set time frames if this gonna get you down. I sometimes set a date but that's just to keep me from slacking. It is very hard to set a time for a specific loss because you go through periods of rapid weight loss, slowed weight loss and halts.
3) How many gauges do you have for your loss?
I have my 20 lbs mark plus some other non-weight related gauges like following my meal plan, getting in exercise, fitting in my jeans. So even if I don't lose weight in any given week, I still know I'm doing well because my other goals are met.
4) How do you keep it realistic and avoid let-downs and damaged morale?
I do that with the non-weight related things. If I know that I'm on plan, then I know that my body will eventually give in and get rid of the weight. I face plateaus A LOT.
5) How do you motivate yourself when the road before you seems to lengthen as you travel it?
I reward myself for the 20lbs mark. I reward myself for keeping to my meal plan and have a free meal treat once a week. I reward myself for exercising by going someplace nice in the weekend, etc
Mary
247/220/165