I see that many of you have mini-goals listed on your signatures. Have you found this to be a good motivator? What works best? - lbs lost, inches lost, or exercise gained?
I have been in a plateau for 2 weeks, which is a little frustrating - but I'm trying not to let it bother me, because I just added weights to my workouts, so I imagine I must be gaining some muscle, but it is hard to stay motivated when I am not seeing any movement on the scale.
Any bit of motivation right now will help!
Thanks.
I make mini goals for myself but they vary from week to week, month to month. I use them more as a guide within my overall plan to get to my long term goal. First of all, my long term goal is quite a way down the road so I need a map to get there. By making mini goals I am able to plan how I'll get there but also have plenty of flexiblity for adjustment when needed and still have accomplishments I can feel good about.
For example, my last little goal was 2 lbs in 2 weeks. Like you, I hit a plateau and didn't meet that goal. No big deal, I just adjusted my goal and instead of a weight loss I am striving to increase the intensity of my workouts over the next month. I'll still weigh and take measurements to check my progress in those areas but they aren't my focus. Doing this not only keeps me from getting bored but also helps me keep from getting to obessesed with the scale (okay, okay, MOST of the time it keeps me from getting obsessed with the scale).
So, for me, not only are mini goals a good motivator but they also ensure that I don't become compalcent as I progress or too frustrated during a plateau. After all, just becuase our bodies don't do exactly what we want WHEN we want doesn't mean we can't still make great strides towards our goal.
Good luck and keep up the great work. WOW! 60 pounds is AWESOME!
I was stuck in a major plateau fro over a month, then yesterday I finally saw the scale move, I lost 1lb lol So I thought, now that it's moving again, I think I'll give myself a little mini goal to keep me motivated, because after not losing anything for over a month I got really discouraged. my eating habbits became quite loose again. Then a couple days ago I decided enough was enough, started watching what i ate again, and that little bit was enough to get my body working again. So a mini goal is a good way to keep me on track.
I think mini goals should reflect what you are doing. My mini goals are not so much with the scale. (I have not lost scale weight in a couple months-but my measurements have gone down) The reason I don't focus on the scale alone is because I dance professionally and strength train religiously-so the scale isn't the best show of progress for me.
I think fitness based mini goals are more suited for me-like aiming to walk a certain amount of miles this month, or to get through all of the reps in a strength training video that I couldn't when I first got it-things like that.
It is important for me, because anyone can lose weight with diet alone-but getting FIT is another story entirely-and I want to be fit, not just thin.
For someone who exercises a lot-I think monthly measurements or going down a clothing size are better mini goals than concentrating on the scale so much.
Location: Doha, Qatar but I'm from Jackson, Mississippi
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I do the mini goals as well. It can be a bit discouraging if I dont meet it though. If I dont, I list all the reasons why I may have not met it. Then, for the next mini goal, I make it a little less. It has really helped me.
Thanks for the comments! I think it is a great idea to have mini-goals. Do you guys reward yourself for reaching them?
I think my first mini-goal will be to NOT check the scale for the rest of the week.
The more I focus on not losing on the scale, the harder it will be to remain focused on my long-term goals.
I still have over 100 pounds left to lose so I have mini-goals and medium goals. For every 5 pounds down (I don't set time limits on them) I give myself a small treat. When I get to 245 (I was at 250 but am back up) I will get me a nice set of earrings. Probably at 240, DH and I will have dinner and a movie, etc. I don't set these too far in advance so I strive for something I really want.
Now my medium goals, I've had from day 1. At 225, I will learn to properly ride a horse. At 200, Jeff will teach me how to team rope, 175--I will get a tattoo, and at goal 150--at least a weekend at some all-inclusive spa.
I'm sure as my weight loss will probably slow down even more than it is now then I will probably start using exercise/inches rewards to keep me motivated.
Great ideas!
I love the tattoo idea! I always wanted my naval pierced - but so far I can't bear the thought of showing someone my stomach. That is a great "medium" reward. So far I haven't really rewarded myself at all along my journey. I haven't even bought any new clothes yet because I don't want to spend any money (I am swimming in many of my clothes, it looks really bad). But why buy now when I fully intend to lose more.
I set mini goals as part of the monthly challenges, I find it really motivating. I have little rewards set up too, like a bottle of nice perfume for my first 20 pounds, and a day trip to a spa for 40 pounds....bring it on!!!! When you have a lot to lose you can break it down and it keeps you motivated. I can't remember who it was but someone has on their signature line "I can't lose a 100 pound but I can lose 10 pound ten times.
I set mini-goals because my main goal can seem so unobtainable at times. Of course, I also know that I may change my main goal once I get closer to it depending on how my body looks and how fit I am. For now, it's mainly about the numbers because there are so many numbers to go, but once I get towards the end of my goal, it will probably be more about the clothes I can wear, energy levels, etc.
One thing that helped me was taking measurements as well as using the scale. When the scale stopped moving for over a week (I've only been working at this for a month now), I was able to see that in 3 weeks time, I lost 3" on my waist.
Mini-goals
