Now that you've reached goal....what's next?

[Wyatt]

Thanks 2big for pointing me in this direction - maybe you guys have some advide?

My opinion is that men do very well in situations where we see things as tasks that need to be completed.

I have completed my task with Atkins, weighing in Christmas morning 1 pound under my goal weight.

That being said, I created a new task - my body fat percentage, which requires me to maintain my dedication to exercise. This is a temporary solution, as soon enough I will reach that goal and be at my "ideal" bf.

I'm looking for advice from you long timers that are at goal... how do you change your mentality from this way of eating being a means to your goals?

I realize that as my Atkins journey progressed through OWL quickly, my eating habits have changed, the foods I enjoy have changed, etc. Now when I have a slice of whole grain toast with my eggs, it's a pleasure to eat it - rather than sucking down 4 slices of white garbage with no flavor simply because it's there..lol.

So you do you do it? Now that the "rules" are relaxed and you are in maintenance - what boundaries do you set for yourself? How often do you weigh to make sure you aren't gaining, or do you go on clothing feel?

Lol.. I guess this is a good problem to have. I expected to have several more months to work through the mental side of making goal, but holiday and family stress = extra workouts for me, and bam here I am.

Thanks in advance for your wisdom!
Wyatt

[Nik04]

Time to set a new goal!


Never stop improving yourself, like me, a long time goal is for me to be able to hike 100 miles within 48 hours. Its gonna take a while but like I said, its worth shooting for.

[BikerGoddess]

Wyatt, I understand your question, but I'm not sure I can answer it. Things do change when you're not actively focused on losing weight. But, I'm not a goal setter. I aim to eat well, endulge occasionally, and not gain more than 5lbs back before I start doing something, but it's more of an autopilot thing now.

Perhaps you can set time goals now? How many days in a row can you exercise, drink your water, stay on plan, etc kinda thing. Maybe set goals on increasing strength or endurance.

If you find something that works for you, let us know

Laura

[amoses]

Hi Wyatt -

I'm pretty goal focussed too, and I especially like goals with numbers. So I had similar quandry when I hit my goal weight last fall. My first shift was to body fat %, with a goal of keeping the same weight and gaining muscle. Since I was using weight machines at the gym to to this, I also had the feedback of the amount of weight I was pushing on each machine: can I do 8 reps if I add 5 lbs., etc.

That kept my interest for about two months, at which point my thinking started changing, and I've ended up at a different place altogether. My goal before "lose the extra weight" was "be healthy as I approach 50." It took me a couple months to pose the question "now that I'm at a healthy weight, what should I be doing to continue this path towards being more healthy?"

For me, that led to the following ideas with associated goals: first off, more important than the pounds I lost is the fact that I'm thinking about nutrition whenever I eat. "Eating consciously" is an ongoing goal, and I have the Atkins WOL to thank for getting me into that way of thinking. It doesn't mean I'm counting carbs with every meal, but I sure have a general sense of the numbers behind what I'm eating, and I keep a focus on how I feel and eat to feel good. Feeling good is a goal.

I'm still working out, but more strength or more muscle mass aren't explicit goals for me. I like the routine enough to continue, but I'm pushing myself less and actually feel better. My main focus at the gym is the cardio; heart health is a goal, and the weights are an adjunct to that. And the walks, hikes and bike rides that I enjoy for their own sake are a part of that goal.

When thinking about overall health, the missing piece for me was balance and flexibility. Since my wife has been doing yoga for five years, it was pretty lame that I didn't notice this absence earlier. I've started in on that, substituting a yoga class for one gym session per week, and I am enjoying it a lot. I expect that to be a real growth area for me in this phase.

This has definitely been a personal exploration, and I'm not recommending my conclusions as much as recommending the guiding question of "what do I do to be more healthy?"

Of course, as you may notice, what I've lost are the goals with numbers. That's a big absence for me, but I'm working on it. My wife is still actively losing weight, so the scale is out and I admit weighing myself pretty much daily to see the numbers , but without a numeric goal in mind. Your post really brought out for me how much my current phase involves losing goals with numbers as a motivator, and will help me focus on being aware of how well I do with non-numeric goals.

-alan

[Wyatt]

Alan,

Awesome post man - thank you for the insights, I hope to be able to use them in my journey as well!

[ttdriver]

I'm looking for advice from you long timers that are at goal... how do you change your mentality from this way of eating being a means to your goals?

Hi :wave

I reached my goal in December 2002 ... weight goal, that is .. and yes, it was difficult at first not having those "LOSSES" any more ... BUT, I quickly adopted a new GOAL which is lifetime fitness ...

I started exercising the day I started Atkins, January 19, 2002, and I still workout every day in one form or another. I began by walking a mile or two everyday, then increased it to power walking daily for a year or so, then transitioned to jogging. I am now a full-fledged RUNNER AT AGE 49!! I typically run 25-30 miles a week now and also do weight training at home and alternate that with a very intense exercise ball workout. All in all, my body fat is 13%, my energy is through the roof and I am now focused on preserving my body and protecting it from those so-called inevitable age-related weaknesses and illnesses!!

Great job achieving your weight loss goal .. now make FITNESS your #1 priority so you can truly enjoy each day to the max!!

Betty

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