Erika, first of all, welcome! I've read several of your posts and it looks like you are on your way...good for you!
I get where you're at mentally. I, too, started this without really knowing what to expect or where to go from step one! I found what worked best for me was just short term. I wanted to lose that first 10%, and that was part of my focus. My main focus, however, was just weekly ~ the weigh in. My objective was to lose something every week, even if it was only a tenth of a pound. My second goal was to get off my duff and exercise. I started with what I thought was a reasonable target....walk a mile a night. After a week of doing this, I added a little more distance...one more block in my subdivision. I added on periodically, and now do just under 3 miles a night OR 30 minutes on my elliptical. Period. No excuses, no skipping it. Now, here I am 3 months later and 39 pounds lighter. Just this week I changed my ticker to show a goal of 140. This is the first long term choice I've made.
I don't know if this type of goal setting will work for you, but it did for me! Keep it small, keep it in focus, and you'll be there in no time!
As far as a certain number of pounds by a certain date, go ahead and try some small/short term goals. Maybe 15 pounds by Christmas, until you see how you're body will respond to your new lifestyle. Heck, try 4 pounds by Thanksgiving, anything is possible!
Mother Hen - do you go to meetings? They teach you how to story board which is basically what Kelly just described. Picture in your mind where you want to end up. It can be a short term goal, mid-term goal or long term goal. It can be about actual weight, dress size or some other goal. It can be your exercise or ANYTHING! Put the goal in the top box. Figure out 6 steps on how to get there and work it. It works, believe me. It works.
I know how slowly my body gives up weight. Very, very slowly. I am also no longer in my 20s so that's okay. Because I don't want to set myself up for failure right away and because it gives me great pride and pleasure to meet a goal, I set a 5 lb a month weight loss between September and January 1st. I figure that would give me time to get this program down pat and get me through the holidays. I also want to look better for pictures. That includes my weight, my outward appearance and how I dress. I really let myself go. I haven't been good about makeup, neat and nice clothes, doing my hair (which includes coloring the grey and regular haircuts). I promised myself that I AM WORTH IT!!!! No longer is everyone else in my life important. I AM THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE. So I am doing this for me this time. I want to live to be a healthy old lady and not one who hid in a corner and didn't live life.
Anyway, I ramble. If you need some help with story boarding, let us know.
Yup, I go to meetings! Actually, tomorrow is my first WI!
I know what it takes for me to lose wt. Just like alot of you have said, it's the whole enchilada...oops, bad expression...Uhmmm...the whole program! Journaling, measuring, exercising, etc...
So here are some of my short term goals. Tell me what you think!
By Thanksgiving: lose 5 pounds
By Christmas: lose 10 pounds
and after that we'll have to see how it's going...
Very very good Mother Hen - you'll get a better feel for how it's working for you as it goes. You'll get to know your body and be able to figure out what is a realistic and what is an unrealistic goal. Plus we do have the holidays coming up and those will be tough. We can hang tough AND make our goals. I have faith!
Since you are new to the ww program I would phase in challenges and start small... don't focus on pound losses at first until you know how your body will respond. Begin with trying to meet the ww program rules... hitting your points (if you are on flex), drinking water, tracking, measuring portions, eating fruits/veggies, etc. One week a goal could be to try a new fruit or veggie every day or track all of your food intake ever day... it can be anything related to the program. After a couple weeks add in activity goals... the best method for me is to set a weekly or monthly goal of so many minutes of "intentional exercise". This month I set a goal of 900 minutes and joined one of the exercise challenges here at 3FC and wow it has been very successful! Every couple weeks add a new goal and the weight will continue to come off. The beauty of the WW program is that if you follow it, you will lose weight! Good luck!
Help me set some goals!
