2008 Hopes, Dreams, Plans, Resolutions and Goals

[goalsuccess]

I feel like I'm struggling with what it means to maintain a weight loss--it's all so new. It seems like it's so much easier to lose weight, so

1. Determine what "maintaining" means to me
2. Keep a daily food, exercise, and weight record
3. Exercise at least 5 times a week for at least one hour
4. Find the foods that make me happy, full, and feeling satisfied, rather than still wanting more and feeling ravenous
5. Work with a personal trainer as I begin the year to push my inches down a bit and learn how to work out smarter and harder
6. Maintain a weight of 185 or lower
7. Remember that if weight goes up 3 days in a row, I return to my weight loss plan
8. Post at least on a weekly basis with my new weight maintenance forum--you all
9. Learn to accept the new me--I am a much finer looking lady than I used to be !

[goalsuccess]

What's a PM?

[baffled111]

Private Message.

[Mary from Maine]

I hope it's okay that I'm revisiting this thread. One-quarter of 2008 is gone already and I wanted to review my plans and goals for this year.

I've managed to lose 10 pounds so far this year (for a total of 50-woohoo). I knew the rate of weight loss would slow down, but I'm happy with 3 pounds or so per month. My next milestone will take place at a weight of 141, when I'll no longer be overweight (according to BMI) for my height. That should happen in May or early June. After that, any loss is basically gravy!

Hope everyone else is right where they hoped/planned to be by this time this year. Best of luck to all!

[paperclippy]

Thanks for bringing this one back up!

So far I'm making headway on getting back to below goal. I'm at 137 now and hoping to be back at goal by swimsuit season. I lost 3lbs in January, none in February (when I ate lots of junk), and 3lbs in March. If that 3lbs/month continues, I should be back at goal sometime in the beginning of June!

I'm also making progress toward getting my joint pain healed, and I have been taking my vitamins and going to the gym regularly. Eating fish -- well, it's happened a bit more than last year, but not as much as I'd like. Most of my other goals are contingent upon the success of my joint pain treatments.

[denialisnthappiness]

I have this thread on subscription I figured it'd be easier to review it as/when then! I've been up and down the same twenty pounds since the start of the year. Perseverance I guess

[rockinrobin]

Hey folks. Hard to believe that it's that time of year again, but lo and behold - it is.

I thought I'd bump this up and then I guess it's time to start a thread for the upcoming year. Too crazy. It seems like just yesterday we were all abuzz about the new century and here we are - 2009.

This is what my last year's post read:

My goals for 2008, weight wise, look like this:

-I'd like it to be that when I go "off plan", that I don't go CRAZY off plan.
-I'd like to continue exercising, perhaps even increase it a bit, though I'm not sure in what capacity.
-I'd definitely like to cut back on my use of Splenda. I know it can't be good for me. I know everything in moderation, but sadly, I have not been using it in moderation. That must stop.
-Most importantly, I'd like to end the year 2008, begin 2009 (yikes! 2009?), being somewhere in the 120 lb range. In other words, I want when the year passes, that it would have been one in which I was able to maintain my weight loss. Get a good year under my belt. Get stronger and more confident in my ability to maintain. I want to be a longterm maintainer. Having lost the weight is no where near enough. I need to maintain this loss. (Well, duh )

Report card time:

I'm not so sure how I did with the first one. In some ways I have improved that. But I still think there's room for improvement. Like for instance, Thanksgiving turned into a 4 day off plan fest. Not good.

I did not increase my exercise at all. It's been exactly the same. Exactly.

My use of Splenda is still high. Though the past 2 weeks I have definitely been working on it and it is down. Does a measly 2 weeks count?

And I think I get an A+ in the last category. I've maintained my weight! I'm not at my lowest (122), but I am still very much in the 120's!!!! So, I think that is cause for celebration. And without a doubt I AM more confident that I can remain doing this for years ----- and years ----- and years to come. I've certainly had my downs, but they are always followed by ups. And I've come to learn that that is PART of maintaining.

[paperclippy]

Thanks for brining this up Robin!

My 2008 goals were:
1. Get down to and maintain at 125-129
2. Get my wrists healed!!! And my knees.
3. Assuming the previous is a success, resume weight training
4. Find a gym with group classes and go at LEAST 3x/week
5. If my knees can handle it, slowly start building up to try to break that 10min/mile barrier that has taunted me since I was 12.
6. Take vitamins EVERY day.
7. Eat more fish.
8. Get back in the shape I was two summers ago.
9. The main one: end 2008 healthier than I started it.

Results:
1. FAIL. I weigh about the same as I did on Jan 1, 2008 right now.
2. WIN!
3. WIN!
4. This one got weird with the dog, but I am happy to report that I'm working out regularly.
5. Working on it, I'm at 12:30 right now.
6. Doing pretty well with this.
7. No so good. Although I did have sushi yesterday...
8. Making good progress!
9. EPIC WIN! I may not be in perfect health, but I am WAY better than last year.

[WaterRat]

I too am not putting number to my goals but here's what I want:

- to reduce my weight enough that I have a lower A1C test next time (way too close to having diabetes for comfort last time), and along with this

- to eat "clean" most days

- to continue to keep my gym routine and be very cardio-fit for hiking in Grand Canyon in April

- to continue to improve in the weight-lifting area (I know this is too vague)

- to get enough sleep, and not neglect the eating/exercise when work/life get stressful (considering my promotion is to a waaaay more stressful position)

Well, I hadn't looked at these for awhile, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how well I did.

A1C tests continue to be good
Eating "clean" varies, but happens most of the time
I was not as cardio-fit as I'd hoped for the GC hiking trip, though how much of that was altitude vs. fitness I don't know. It was a fun trip though.
WL comes and goes. I've been ill for nearly a month now and it's not happening often
As for the last, I've been doing bettter. I'm nearly 95% there on getting enough sleep, and catch myself more quickly when my exercise and food start going by the wayside due to "life."

I've been thinking about 2009 and I have some ideas of what I want to accomplish - just need to get them articulated in more measurable terms.

[alinnell]

Okay, so I RESOLVED to lose the weight but instead I maintained the loss. I can't really complain about that, but this year I really need to lose these last 10 pounds. I hope that getting DH to join the gym will help in this matter.

Well, I did join the gym but did not get DH to join with me. But he is working out at home, 20 minutes a day on the NordicTrak. That high cholesterol thing got us both and his doctor said to DO IT. Funny how he listens to the doctor and not me!

But I'm still hanging onto those last 10 pounds. Again. This is the third year. Must. Lose. Weight.

[Megan1982]

Originally Posted by Megan1982

Health goals for 2008:
- get back to my maintenance weight, or at least maintenance pants size - size and weight are not always the same, and I have more muscle I think.
- Continue cardio and vary my weight/strength training a bit.
- I believe in 2006 I learned more food self-control in social situations, and I went backwards in 2007. I want to reverse that.
Elsewhere:
- I would like to start a new project at work this spring that I've been thinking about for a while.

1 - I'm not at my maintenance weight, but am closer than I was last year. I went into the Christmas holidays in 2007 weighing around 150+ (I have to check my weigh tracker at home), and I remember very clearly weighing 153 lbs (not water weight) January 1, 2008. Today I'm at 146, and I really fought for those 7 lbs this year!
2 - I definitely started weight training more heavily and love it! My workout regimen is always changing and could always improve, but this is one goal I definitely succeeded in.
3 - Not really sure. I flip-flopped a lot this year... maybe less than in 2007? Hard to say.
4 - Definitely didn't make any progress at work.

2008 was a mixed bag. Hmm, what should I plan for in 2009?

[AnneWonders]

Looking back...

Originally Posted by wndranne

2007 has been a rough year for me, but I'll cut myself some slack. I think I did great, considering.

2008 is likely to be a chaotic year as well, with the new baby in June. So I have more aspirations, rather than actual goals, with goals being measurable.

So my aspirations are:

• Eat as well (healthy) as possible, and not worry so much about weight itself until June. Mostly.
• Barring complications, walk most days during my second trimester, and at least the first half of my third. Not even close!
• Continue to offer DD healthy food, but not worry too much if all she 'eats' one day is chocolate milk. Yep.
• After the baby comes in June, start walking as soon as possible and ease back into running when medically ready to do so. Yes, then sidelined with a foot injury.
• Breastfeed for at least 3 months, trying for longer. Yes, made it 4 months exclusively, still nursing part time at almost 7 months.
• Pay attention to fatigue levels and sleep when needed (and possible) to help manage weight and keep life sane. Yes, but the "and possible" part is kicking my behind!
• Actively manage weight again (guessing weight loss will be needed) when cleared to do so (~6 weeks post-partum), in a sensible and gradual way. I've got the gradual thing down..
• Run a 5K by end of 2008. If we interpret the word "run" sort of loosely, yep, did a couple, and a couple sprint distance tris.

These are just my weight management and fitness goals. I will obviously have to strive to find a new balance in my family and with work as well. LOL, I'll let you know when I accomplish this!!

Anne