Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

[Waterbabe_Helena]

A sort of poll ....

Is it better to have a definite weight loss goal for example "I am going to lose 100 pounds by September 8th", or is it better for one's goal to be to stick to Atkins and find out on September 8th (say) how much your body has lost?

Love to hear your opinions and experiences please!

Helena

[Lady_Hawke]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

A sort of poll ....

Is it better to have a definite weight loss goal for example "I am going to lose 100 pounds by September 8th", or is it better for one's goal to be to stick to Atkins and find out on September 8th (say) how much your body has lost?

Love to hear your opinions and experiences please!

Helena

I think everyone is different.
I usually just go with the flow and what I lose I lose. I know it will all come off and I will make goal. However.....I have stated that my goal is to be in the 200 club by my birthday this year(Nov).

[CaliGurl]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

im Very new here - but im going to take it (1 day at a time)... im going for maybe 2lbs a week and if i lose MORE, then Whooo Hooo!!!

i know that one day I WILL BE 150lbs...! its all up to me!

[not2late]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

I would set a long-term goal, for example, Lose 100 pounds. But I hesistate to set a goal time limit, for example, lose 100 pounds by June 22, 2007, because you don't know how fast or slowly you will lose the weight.

If you do choose to set a goal date, then get it into your mind that even if you lose 50 or 75 of those 100 pound by June 22, you still are a success.

[soliwit]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

I have my mind set on losing the weight and since I chose atkins, which I consider a way of living, it doesn't matter when that weight is going to be off, I'm a work in progress
So the only thing that is set is that sometime in the future I will weigh 150-152, when that is going to be is not important to me.

[kacey1]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

I set a monthly goal to lose 6 pounds of body fat. That might mean that the scale doesn't go down by 6 pounds because of muscle. But that goal helps keep me on track with both my exercising AND eating as each month progresses. No matter what (If I lose 3 or 10 pounds of body fat) - I start the next month over with the same goal again....

[ttdriver]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

What a great plan, Kacey!! I love it! Good for you!


Betty

[ValidRouge]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

I set goals, but sometimes they are NOT concrete and they definitely don't have time limits attached to them. My body doesn't usually cooperate. It's fun trying for them though.

As I get close to goal, I absolutely CAN NOT use lbs lost or inches lost as intermediary goals. I have to use exercise goals and maybe body fat percentage goals.

If you are the type to see that you won't make a goal and then allow yourself to give up on everything, then please don't put too ambitious goals on yourself. Don't set yourself up for failure. Set yourself up for wins.

[Kate113]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

When I started Atkins, I had the goal of losing all my weight by a certain date. Well, my body didn't want to work with me on that. So what I do now is see how my body is reacting during good months and bad months and then I set mini goals for myself. Some months my goal may be to lose 5 pounds. Other months my goal may be to add a new exercise. Had I stayed with my original goal, I'd be severely disappointed. So my advice would be to set several mini goals that you know are doable. That way you have many more opportunities to pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

[Hudson]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

Make your goals something you can control.

I will not have one cheat during Induction.

I will exercise 200 times this year.

I will stick with Atkins for 6 months then evaluate.

As has been mentioned how fast you lose weight is do a degree out of your control.

[julirama723]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

Hudson--fantastic post!

Weight loss is not linear, and while we can control if we gain or lose, we cannot control HOW FAST we lose. Keeping this in mind, I do think it is important to set goals--as long as they're realistic ones.

I have 4 minigoals and my "MAIN" goal weight in my signature. Thus far, I've only met one--and that was a day I TRULY celebrated! I don't have a specific "date" when I wish to reach each minigoal. I just know that I'd like to accomplish each one as soon as my body is ready!

I had set a goal of losing 20lb. from Nov to Jan 1st...but what I didn't account for was muscle gain vs. fat loss. My scale was static for the last two weeks of December...but I lost inches. So once again, though I indeed lost fat, my scale does not reflect this change. Should I throw my goals out the window? No! I just realize what I had overlooked when making my goals, and now I know to make them more realistic.

I also have a goal of exercising at least 5x a week. However, if something comes up (like a couple weeks ago my schedule was CRAZY!) and I don't do 5x a week, I don't lose sleep over it. Because it's something I really love to do, I know I'll continue to do it!

[dreamof145]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

I've learned over the past few years that I can only control my actions, not the numbers. When I first began, I vowed to lose 145 pounds in a 1 1/2 years. Well, its been over 1 1/2 years into the program and I've lost 115 pounds. I'm not complaining tho, my goals haven't changed, but the time-frame has. I'm still going strong on my WOE and I have no doubts it will happen....as long as I keep going. So, I'd say to make goals...strive to achieve them, but don't put time limits on them. Instead stay on the path that will eventually get you there.

[Brook]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

I'm an advocate for controlling the things you really can control. Losing X amount of pounds in X amount of time is *not* one of those things.

You can always control what you eat, how much you eat, how much water you drink, whether or not you exercise X amount of times per week, whether or not you're taking your vitamins, etc etc. In other words, you can control how closely you stick to plan and how hard you work the program. You can't control how fast your body will respond to those things.

Whether or not you reach your weight goal (which tends to change over time for a lot of us anyway) in X amount of time shouldn't really be the point. Working as hard as you can for that amount of time to get you as close as possible to where you want to be is the ticket!

So, I'd say to make goals...strive to achieve them, but don't put time limits on them. Instead stay on the path that will eventually get you there.

She's a smart sugar-free cookie, she is.

[Elizellen]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

I have never set myself a time/weightloss goal, so I too am in the 'set goals you can control by your own actions' camp..

My goals have been more like:
stick to induction-only eating for x days
drink x litres of water a day
exercise for xx minutes x times a week
eat one new-to-me vegetable each week
try one new lowcarb recipe a week
etc

These are goals I can control by my own decisions.

[Waterbabe_Helena]

Re: Definite Goals - Good Or Bad?

Thanks to all my girlfriends for responding. I was prompted to ask by another ADBB member who asked me this question in a private message, but am, of course, as interested in the responses as she is.

So far the consensus is that

1 setting specific weight goals could be setting yourself up for failure because we cannot control how much fat our bodies give up in a specific period of time

2 therefore, it's better to set goals that we have control over - what we eat and drink and when and how we exercise

Does anyone have anything to add to this?

Helena