What are your non-scale related goals?
 

Just curious, because I was thinking of how odd and random mine seem to be. For instance, mine include:

• jogging a mile without stopping to walk or rest
• buying myself something REALLY nice at Victoria's Secret
• being able to keep up with an instructor during a workout class
• seeing my collarbones again
• being able to fit into roller coaster seats again
• being able to hike in the woods without wanting to die
• wearing a short skirt
• being a healthy-ish weight before I have a baby
• being a healthy-ish weight when I get married

I think overall, it's not so much about the weight anymore (even though that's a big part of it) as it is that I want to look at myself in the mirror and feel good about myself and the choices I make. How about y'all?

This is a great topic, it let's us focus on other accomplishments we're making along the way.

I'm trying to track every meal every day. I've been good so far for this week, and for me it really makes a difference in how much I eat.

Also, making better choices is making me see this as a way of life, and not just a temporary thing. The more healthy protein I eat, the less junk I want.

A few more:
Feeling in control
Being able to walk further and faster every week
Feeling my clothes get looser

Thanks, good topic!

Okay, I've got a few:
1. Be able to repaint/remodel the home H & I are moving into without killing myself.
2. Be able to walk 2-3 miles without having to break, like I used to do.
3. Hiking. Miss it! Have quite a few walking trails around here...want to use them!
4. Get off my prescription medications for HBP & diabetes.
5. Be healthy enough to do something really fun for our anniversary in April.
6. Feel more like the age I am, instead of older. It's sad when my mom has more energy than I do & she is 35 yrs. older than I am!!!
7. Ride roller coasters! Love them! Would love to be healthy enough to go back to Disneyland & have a great time.

Thanks for this great topic! Thanks, DreadPiratePanda!!!

Y'all bring up some great perspectives - medical and daily/weekly goals! So to add to mine, I'd say:

• to never get type II diabetes like the women in my family
• to not be on HBP meds like my dad
• to not be so darn TIRED all the time
• to eat right for just a few days in a row to show myself I still have reasonable self control!

I like talking about this topic because it brings up all the deeper reasons for wanting to lose weight and getting off the laser focus of just the number, you know?

Ok, I have a lot of non scale goals, haha.

1. More energy!
2. Slim cut jeans
3. Losing the spare tire from my stomach
4. Strengthen my muscles
5. Drink more water
6. Release more endorphins from exercise

Ok, that's all for now. :)

LOVE these goals!

One thing though...be sure to see a doctor. Make sure that you are in okay health. Before I really started my journey (again) I saw my doctor. BOY! Did I get a big surprise!

First I must say that I hadn't been able to afford to go to the doctor for about 6-7 years...big mistake. But I went in for a complete physical. That is when the doctors found a huge cyst in my female organs. When I say huge I mean load of bread huge. No wonder why I felt horribly firm (& not in a good way) in my belly.

I know many women, especially those who are overweight, do not want to see a doctor. They don't want to be told the obvious (lose weight/exercise/eat healthier), but go in. Make sure there is no underlying issues with your health. Who knows it may make you feel better & make it easier to loose the weight.

PLEASE GET A PHYSICAL! Protect what health you have & give yourself a starting point to make your health better. All it takes is a little time & maybe a few samples of blood & such. Thank you!!

I completely agree! As a nursing student, I get poked and prodded and tested on almost a daily basis (as we practice on each other), and I have to see the doctor at least once a year. So far, so good. :)

1. To be able to wear my wedding ring again comfortably.
2. To wear a size that doesn't start with a 2_.
3. To be able to have the zip to chase my two kids round the yard for a lot longer than I am now.
4. To not have everything hurt like it does when I walk or stand.
5. To teach my kids to not turn to food when stressed.

Love you put this up. I've celebrated a lot of non weight goal here, like getting out of my wheelchair & walking with walker ( BTW-now I've progressed to my cane & not even that around the house. and being able to buy the lowest size they have at Lane Bryant-Catherine's. It's made me take stock-what are my unmet goals& 1st Thanks lemonthyme. I started to add being able to take off my wedding band (just to see if it's not stuck there-OK if it is) and YEAH! It came off. Sooo-What now?

*Buy pants in "regular" stores
* Walk a mile-heck, just to end of street would be nice
* Dance!
* walk out to little league to watch grandsons
*Be smaller than my husband!!!
* be able to properly clean my house
* be able to get my whole garden weeded at once and keep it up!
* be able to stand for an hour giving Reiki ( I have to sit now).

Am I asking too much of the 5o pounds I have left LOL!

FairyGala: Good for you! The ring is always my indicator if I am loosing weight. Usually when I am up in this range it goes on but is not comfortable. If I drop down about 15 lbs I will be back to wearing it. There is no way I want to have it resized larger. Forget it, that admits defeat! Yeah for you in regards to fitting in smaller sizes. Thats always a good feeling. My one after my ring would be shoes that are back to my normal adult size - right now I am a 1/2 size bigger. How about that goal?

Fit in the Harry Potter rides at Universal Studios.
Get off Blood Pressure medications.
Not fear having a heart attack every day (my dad died from Heart Disease)
Try for a baby at a healthier weight
Not hate myself (sounds dramatic but it's true)

lemonthyme: I have a ring my mom gave me about 5 years ago I love and can't wear comfortably at all anymore. That's a huge goal for me too that I forgot about! And the kids teaching thing is huge too...when/if I have kids, I want to be in a good mind-set by that point and be able to teach them healthy ways instead of some crazy emotional crutch or obsession like I had. And OMG I would kill to be able to wear high heels again.

FairyGaia: Thanks! And HUGE congrats on getting out of the WC and walker and onto the cane (when you need it!). That is absolutely fantastic!!! You're doing awesome!

tongirl02: I love Harry Potter! I would cry if I went now and couldn't fit in the ride. New goal! And not hating yourself is a huge step in all this. To people who haven't struggled with self-loathing, it wouldn't make sense at all. I totally get it, though. I used to hate myself and my body, and took it out on myself by not eating for days and then binge eating until it felt like I would explode. Tbh, I'm 100lb heavier now than when I was doing that, and I finally found peace with myself. I'm not happy with how out of shape I am, but I don't hate myself anymore either. You can do it!!!

I've pondered this for a couple of days and realize I have several, although I wasn't thinking of them in terms of goals. I like that positive spin. In my head they usually sound like "I wish I could..." which is not as positive as working toward a goal, and implies that I cant. I can and I will. A few of mine are:

*Buy clothes that I feel good in. I've gotten better about this, but still don't feel great in what I wear all the time.
*Hike! I have two boys who need to be in the woods. Starting this weekend, we are going hiking. I hope to continue to do more hikes and more difficult trails.
*Participate in a 5K. This is actually going to happen sooner rather than later. My coworkers and I are walking a 5K on Nov 1st. I need to get ready for that. Thankful the weather has started cooling off some.

I know I have many more but I'll start with these.

I did it last night! I biked for 45 minutes. Now, the plan is to do it most days.

DreadPirate: Isn't it funny the thrill or smile we may get when we think of a pair of heels? I have some I haven't worn as my feet have gotten wider, not sure if that was also pregnancy related and heavy or just heavy and they stayed that way. Keep the goals going!

toni: Sometimes those baby's just come when they do and diets be damned. But, hopefully you are comfortable w/the tools you have in place for good eating when that time happens for you. And love yourself! Do you treat yourself w/something nice for no particular reason? I find the hardest thing to do when I am feeling low is to try smiling at yourself in a mirror. Harder then heck to do but smile away and tell that beautiful face looking back you that you are so worth it!

I want to add a few to my list:

1. to be able to ride the recumbent bike without my belly feeling like I have a pillow there

2. a smaller bra size - nothing is worse than seeing your new cup size look like a hat for a small child

3. I sew, so not having to add inches to the patterns to fit my body correctly and to be able to do it right out of the envelope less adjustments for length.

1. a. To add to that: and not to waste fabric because I didn't add enough or make a muslin to fit - I don't have time to make the outfit twice.
2. b. To wear an outfit that I made that shows off what I have rather than conveniently making something less showy and conservative.

4. I know my sister would be rolling her eyes - but the last time I wore a bikini I was 4. I'd like to have a body I could that just once and prove to myself that the work going into weight loss is something to show off, even if just to boost your pride and make you smile and say I did it.

Great thread!

1. To not be at risk for diabetes, HBP like everyone in my family.
2. To be able to comfortably complete a day hike we are planning in December.
3. To have more frequent, better sex with my husband. (My husband still wants it, but I never do at my weight)
4. To wear high heels! Not even sky-high, but maybe 3 inches?

My number one all time goal is:

HORSEBACK RIDING!! All the stables around here have a 225 lb limit so it was out of reach for so long. I finally got to 223 today and it's going to be my reward when I make it to 190. My coworker's daughter does beach rides and I'm super excited!

After that:
1. shopping the normal section
2. wearing a dress without looking like a whale
3. BOOTS, the high calf ones that I used to LOVE
4. Going back to the local water park next summer
5. comfortably sitting anywhere in any booth in any restaurant
6. cutting my hair short without my face looking puffy (stylist always talk me out of it)
7. just getting some self esteem back

Great thread!

-To be able to wear a wide variety of shoes, and not get plantar fasciitis from every pair of shoes that is not sneakers or Danskos
-To wear a few favorite items of clothing from college years
-To be conscious of my eating decisions, but not obsessive
-Enjoy exercising (I think I am there!)
-To have the confidence to wear short hair

Enjoy exercise is a good one, HaveDogWillDiet! I am definitely not there, but I can't wait to get to that point. I have always hated exercise, sports, P.E., etc. I am liking swimming so I guess it's a start!

Here's another one I thought of that I'm not sure I'll ever get to: Tank tops! I haven't showed my upper arms in public since I was a kid. Hopefully one day!

gagirl1: It took me a long time to figure out that weight loss didn't have to be all doom and gloom; that instead of being depressed and angry about not being able to do certain things, that I should just be positive and look forward to the day I could! You stated it perfectly - a goal means that it's attainable and that I can do it, versus I'm a failure by not being able to do it now. And I REALLY, REALLY want to do like a mud run or a foam run 5k! Those look awesome. Feel free to add goals as you think of them. :)

lemonthyme: Congrats!! The first time is the hardest...making it a habit is the second hardest lol. But you're halfway there! There's just something about heels that makes me feel super sexy and adult and put together. Kind of like when your bra and underwear match and you're like, "YEAH BUDDY. I've got my life together now!" And I'm a little too intimidated to put "wear a bikini" on my list, even though I kind of desperately want to wear one at least once lol.

leopardspots: Thanks! I love your goals! Better sex comes with confidence...and confidence comes from feeling good, looking good, and maybe a nice pair of high heels. :D

FickleHearts: I'm scared of horses! I dunno why lol. And being able to wear the cool knee/calf high boots is definitely up there with wearing heels for me!! And on the cutting hair short, just do it! I cut my hair into a pixie cut (Ginifer Goodwin circa Once Upon A Time style), and I never felt better about myself than I did with that haircut. I was also only about 10lb lighter than I am now and got complimented and hit on all the time (all about the confidence!). Rock it if you want it, girl! Don't let something as silly as weight stop you!

HaveDogWillDiet: Wearing clothes I used to have would be just the biggest confidence boost ever! And read what I said to FickleHearts about cutting your hair short. I legit cut off about a foot of hair when I got that pixie cut, it had been down to my bra strap. I loved my short hair!

LesGetFit: Swimming works EVERYTHING, it's crazy. That's a great start! I wear tank tops even though I hate the bat-wings under my arms lol. It's WAY too hot in Texas to worry about arm fat! :P

I love this thread! It was so encouraging to read all of your posts. My non-scale goals include

*being able to jog for exercise
*to consistently exercise because I want to
*to shop in the regular sizes (almost there)
*to be able to be on my feet all day in my classroom
*to wear smaller (and pretty) bra/undies
*to not judge myself for the way I look
*to consistently make healthy food choices & drink water all through the day

Good luck, ladies. We can do this!

desertemerald: It is inspiring to read other people's goals and watch them achieve them! I love hearing about other people and what they hope for/dream of. I love your goals and I can completely relate to the being able to be on your feet all day! I'm going to have to invest on some compression stockings soon for my clinical shifts!

To have better test results like I had a couple of months ago

To be able to ride amusement park rides cause I'm pretty sure I wouldnt fit on any of them right now

To be able to use the bathroom like a normal person

To be able to put on my socks without having to use my sock thing

Having an easier time having sex

Not being close to getting diabetes

Ohhhh!! Good question!

Hmm...

*having something other than yoga pants to wear, because I currently refused to buy biggers sizes; I miss being able to fit into the rest of my wardrobe!
*being content with my body <-- I had been at a point where there wasn't one single activity or experience that I felt uncomfortable in my body doing. I cannot wait to get back there!
*FEELING healthy! Its so odd, I can actually feel my body (esp. my immune system) as weaker.

Todays thought on goals:

To get out of the car/chair etc easily without my ankles or hips saying we aren't moving!

To not have to readjust the boobs when putting on my bra daily.

To be able to paint my toenails easily without having to contort around my belly to do so.

To put on a fitted shirt without it being too tight through the upper arms and across my upper back. Not sure this will remedy w/weight loss, I have always had broad shoulders for a gal.

To enjoy the body I have when I see it in the mirror. I think too often we always look w/a critical eye when we should embrace the parts we do like, kind of like love the good things and the rest will follow?

Like the other responses from you all, so my list becomes fluid and makes me think a bit more on what I'd like to see happen on this journey. I guess it's good to keep your goal list growing as you move the weight off. Venture into things you haven't thought of in years, or I guess, what you have grown accustomed to doing to compensate, it's a crazy thing when you stop to think of it. How have you adjusted your life/your movements/your days to accommodate for your body. So thank you for posting and making me think a bit more each day what I hope to be doing differently soon enough!

My list is:

To reach onederland and stay there.

To fit into EVERYTHING in my closet.

To be able to go places without being the heaviest person there.

To just feel good in my own skin.

To fit in wherever I go.

Finally but most importantly to live my life to the fullest.

Oh, I thought of a good one today! To be able to tie my shoelaces without having to either suck it in and not breathe for a minute or having to do some crazy move to get around my belly and knee!

So, as planned, I took my two boys and two others for a hike on Saturday. It wasn't the most demanding hike in the world, but it was a start. The trail was 1.1 miles, so we did 2.2 on the trail, up and back, then walked around some of the other sights for a while. We can't wait to go back and do it again, even though we encountered a huge timber rattlesnake! Thankfully, he was happy lying where he was and we calmly walked right past.

OOOO!!! I saw someone on here said something about shoes!
1) TO NOT HAVE TO GET WIDE WIDTH!!!
2) TO ACTUALLY BIT INTO BOOTS!!!
3) to be able to shop anywhere I want (not have to buy plus size trendy clothes online only)

How about when you exercise that nothing is flapping, rolling, jiggling, wiggling as you move? I feel like I am a person of jello when I bike, so I'd like to abandon that feeling and make it a goal!

To not feel like a giant jiggling Jello blob when I run! Seriously, I can feel all my bits flapping around like crazy when I'm trying to jog, I feel like a Jello commercial LOL.

Yes, but think how sweet it will be (no jello pun intended) when everything is toned and good and no extra see it wiggle see it jiggle going on. Now I have the jingle in my head. Oh my!

I love your comment about wanting to run a mile without stopping. This was something I thought I would never be able to do, but as of yesterday I can now manage 2.2km without stopping and i reckon if i pushed myself I could probably do 2.5km and my end goal will be 5km without stopping.

My other goal is to fit nicely into my little black dress. I tried it on this morning and it does fit but its too tight and the target is for it to fit nicely for Halloween.

Something I hadn't thought of, and actually pretty trivial, but...being able to wrap a normal bath towel around myself after a shower without that huge gap around my hips. A really good feeling when I realized I could!

Oh I love these! They make me focus on things that matter and forget the scale :)

• Having my back fat be so minimal that the roles do not show.
• single digit size between 9/6 depending on how my body sits.
• jogging outside without sounding like death!
• seeing the curve of my body and not just the bulges of body fat
• when I crave cardio and not just do it because it is required
• Start enjoying hiking and physically demanding activities
• participating in sports without feeling insecure about how my body moves

Hmmm those are the ones that came to mind.

Diamond great ones!!! I haven't hit single digits for clothing yet, but looking forward to it

Todays is to be able to run with my kids easily and without things hurting!

Seeing more definition in my legs and feeling the bottom of my rib cage

* To be able to walk up at least 6 flights of steps without becoming winded (I am up to 3 flights right now)

* To take Belly Dancing class (Something I have always wanted to do)

* To fit in the seats of any ride at any amusement park

*To wear clothes in the single digit sizes

* In May I will turn 50. I want to buy and becomfortable wearing a bikini in public. Not some little bitty string bikini. I am looking for something more age appropriate with some support....Think pin up model style bikini!

Good things to strive for!

Today I am thinking about the following:

• Being able to fit into my shoes without feeling stuffed in them.
• To be able to look at sugar laden items and say no thanks easily. Right now they are still a bit loud in the tempting department.
• To wear any shape of dress and have it not look like an upside down umbrella on my bottom half.
• To give my adult body a chance to return to what it was once.
• To not hurt because of the weight I carry and enjoy the things I once did easily and without pain.
• To enjoy the lady smiling back at me in the mirror for making this journey.

not bad !