Hello to the board! First ever post. I have a question about goal setting, and what type of goals people think work best.

I started out back at the beginning of October 2009 at 498.8 lbs. The goal I have started with is to hit 200 lbs. My doctor in early college put my target weight at around 205-210, friends have said 225 or so. My build firmly puts me into the "large framed" category. My plan right now is to hit 250 and then get a body fat percentage taken and using that determine my actual goal. Do you think it is more reasonable for me to set the goal mentally to 250, and then adjust? Or leave the goal at 200, and possibly stop early?

I'm sure I'll have more questions as I go along, but this was the one that first came to mind.

Thank you

-dNathan

dnathan,
First of all, welcome. This is a remarkable place to find support and encouragement. I guess it's really a personal preference, my son is book wyrm, you'll find him here on the boards. He's 6 foot 2 and weighs 350, he set his goal at losing 100 pounds, after that he'll see how he feels and where he wants to go. He also has a large frame, he'll never be able to have a "small frame", just not the way nature attended. He's more interested in getting the weight off first and then toning into muscle what's left. He'd rather be 250 then 200, but a toned up 250. My husband is 6 foot 4 (book wyrm's dad) and when he weighed 200 he looked sickly but I don't know how it would fit your body type.
Wow, I wasn't very much help at all was I? Sorry about that.
I hope to see you around the boards often, don't forget to join and post in our excercise thread-it works when you work it.
I'm so glad you're here.

If it were me, I would set my goal at 250 and then when the day comes that I reach that goal see how I feel. If I want to keep going then set some smaller goals until I'm confortable with where I am.
Congratulations on your lose so far by the way!

I think your "big" goal of 250 is a good idea...I would personally go for 10 pounds at a time or 10% at a time... don't think about how much just think I need to lose 20 pounds 10x's and that's it!

Thanks for the feedback, I think I will switch to the 250 as the goal. I've thought about the many smaller goals, I tend to use those as milestones in my head more than anything. Every 25 lbs I post a facebook update, I'm thinking every 50-75 I'll take a new profile picture. I take pictures weekly just to track my own progress, but I don't tend to share those as i'm in my workout clothes.

Again, thanks for the welcome and the feedback, it is appreciated.