[OnMyWayDown]

I restarted my journey to a healthier happier me on January 10th 2012. I went into it this time with the I have to be down to 165 by November 1st 2012 which is my 30th Birthday. Well as the days and first couple of weeks went by even though I lost a fair amount I kept looking at the bottom number going how on earth am I ever going to get to there???? Well about two weeks ago I realized that the answer was right in front of my face..... I was going to get there one pound at a time however, I was no longer going to look at the bottom number every day and just going to work on each ten pound marks. Ok so I would be lying if I said that I don't occasionally think about larger marks for events or even just the heck of it but I feel a lot less daunted by making it to the 280's than I do about making it to 165. Anyone else feeling a little daunted by such large numbers? I can't even remember the last time I was 200 yet alone under it.

[Beverlyjoy]

I totally understand how you are feeling. The big number seems impossible. What I have done is break it down into five pound 'goals'. How ever long it takes for each.

I have this in my ticker area: I can't lose 100 pounds, but, just maybe I can lose five pounds twenty times.

You are doing GREAT. Carry on.

[rachaelm]

We have very similar stats OnMyWayDown. I do understand what you're saying, but I think you've got the right idea. I mean, I truly can't imagine what I will look like at 155#, but I'm going to find out. It may not be this year, but I'm going to be a lot closer to that goal than I was in 2011.

I posted last week or so about dreaming that I'd lost 130#. I looked the same as I do now. My consciousness does not have an "image" to substitute for this size me. LOL

[baker23]

The number as a whole seems to daunting...for any of us. Breaking it up into smaller goals is a wonderful idea. It also helps not to set time goals for yourself too. You're going to lose the weight but why add the extra stress and the feeling of failure if you don't make it by that date?. I've actually read a few post where people stay that they go on binges and gain some of the weight back just because they didn't meet their goal in a certain amount of time.

Just take it a day at a time and keep it up Great job on your loss so far

[berryblondeboys]

First of all, don't think of it as "I HAVE to get to 165 by my birthday" because really are you going to be mad at yourself if you weigh 185? or 195? I would only be mad at myself if I was just where I started - making no progress. While I think it is good to have a goal. It can be bad if you give up if/when you realize you might not make your goal.

For me, I had to break it down into 10 pound chunks. I started this time at 255 and wanted to get to 175. That is 80 pounds. So, I found a pizza gif and for every 10 pounds, I would erase a slice of pizza. I 'ate' that pizza one slice at a time and never did I again think of "42 pounds to go", but "2 pounds to go until I can erase that slice!" It worked for me.

When I got to 175, I realized I wanted and could lose a bit more, so I am shooting for 15 more. 15 doesn't seem so daunting, so I am not breaking it into chunks, but I wouldn't have survived if I would have done the whole picture approach.

[astrophe]

Yup. That's why my ticker goes to 200. I'll worry about getting to that milestone first.

Then I'll worry about the rest.

A.

[runningfromfat]

I felt the same way too when I was starting. But you know what? I just picked a TON of mini-goals (most are in my signature but I had some others too that were just in my head ) and it helped so much whenever I hit a new one! I have to say whenever I was able to add the date to a minigoal in my signature it felt like a HUGE victory.

Another thing that I've been doing now (starting a little over 20lbs ago, and I WISH that I did this earlier!!) was to take progress pictures in the same outfit every 10lbs. I love to compare them and I've made some nice collages of them too that I put on my blog. It's great for my motivation and I only regret that I didn't start it earlier!!! I picked a spandex workout outfit because I figure I can wear it for a long time and once I shrink out of it, it'll be pretty easy to find an almost identical one.

[kateleestar]

Yeah, my ticker used to say 199. But then I got to 250, and I moved it to 175. When I got to 215, I moved it to 165, which I think I'll be happy at. But I'll see when I get there...

Thing is, putting that 'I HAVE TO LOSE X AMT BY X DATE!' is hard. I make mini goals for myself. Like I'd really like to no longer be obese on what would have been my mother's birthday, 4/14. It's 8.something lbs away. I have till april. I might get there, I might not, but it doesn't make my effort between now and then ANY LESS HARD nor does it make it easier. It's just as valid if I get to 165 by 8/20, which is right before a giant vacation, but as long as I get to like 180, I'll be totally happy. And I can do that. I just have to keep. going.

[SmallSteps]

I have broken my journey down into small goals. Once I reach 200 I will re-evaluate and decide what is going to be my comfortable goal weight.

[Underwater]

I mentioned a very similar sentiment to my skinny husband this is what he said to me-

You have to keep in mind that while the long term goal may seem far away, it's not like you won't get rewarded until you get there. Sure, I may have 90-100 lbs to lose, but even after losing 50, I know I'll look and feel much better.

If you still have 20 lbs to go at your birthday, so what? Think of how great you will feel at 185 or even 200.

I think it's important to realize that 130 lbs in less than 10 months is a very big goal, especially when you are considering that losing weight at 190 lbs will be much more difficult than it was at 290. I just don't want you to be frustrated if it doesn't happen.

[guacamole]

I so agree with the ladies here! The thought of losing 82 lbs was so daunting that for a long time, I just covered my eyes and plugged my ears and pretended I didn't realize I was over 200lbs. It was only when I started taking things 1lb at a time that the scale started moving.

I think that subconsciously, the reason that I post so often on the 100lb Club threads (aside from the great people and great support!) is because I really do want to lose 100lbs - even though that is not my initial goal. Once I get to 130lbs, we'll see where I am. I also don't have a set date as to when I want to reach my goal weight. I am pretty sure I will not reach my goal in 2012, based on my weight loss so far. However, I might be within 5-10lbs of my goal weight in 2013 if I keep working at this! I have already started 2012 in such a better place (physically, emotionally, etc.) than 2011, I would be just fine with simply weighing less than I do now come January 2013.

1 pound at a time!

[time2lose]

I also agree with the small goals. I let myself be discouraged too many times in the past by looking at the big picture. Now, I don't even have a final goal. I look at 5 pound goals and celebrate each one. They really add up and losing 5 pounds doesn't seem to be too difficult.

Even if I don't get to the "perfect" weight, any weight loss is a help and makes me feel better.

[ValRock]

I've broken my journey into chunks too. After I lost the first 70 lbs I stalled out and took a maintenance break for like a year... It was for my sanity and I told myself as long as I didn't regain it was fine, and I didn't. Then I dropped another 30 and maintained for another year. I'm back and ready to tackle those 30 last lbs now.

My goals change.... but what really matters is that 5 years ago I weighed almost 300 lbs and today I don't. I could have given up back then and said "OMG I'll never do this." and I'd probably have gained another 100 lbs by now.

Just do it, you CAN do this!

[HappyNurse2005]

I think like that too. 102 pounds is such a huge number So, i am trying to think of the "decades" of pounds.... like, out of the 200s and into the 190s, 190s to 180s..... so, im 201.9 today, and saying wow, only 2 pounds til i am 199.9, i bet i can do that in a week--- much less daunting than saying "wow, i've lost 6 pounds, but i still have 96 left to go"

[Arctic Mama]

The number seems big, I know that, but then you turn around and a few years have passed! I couldn't have imagined losing 80 pounds before I did it, but now that I stand here that much lighter, it wasn't hard at all! Day by day, choice by choice, one pound at a time. And I took breaks, regained a few and relost them, had a baby, traveled and ate on the road, you name it!

Thing is, if you don't start today and keep on, every day, you'll never get there whether it is ten or one hundred pounds that you need to lose. But if you enact the behaviors and attitudes that will help you lose, the rest is just time and time takes care of itself