Hello, as I said, I`m Ronja and currently weigh 260 pounds, I need to get down to 150ish and need help and encouragement. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and that hinders exercise plans. I am looking forward to chatting with many of you here.I just calculated my BMI, it is 42.0, Obesity, so I have some work to do.

How do i set goals and what should I be aiming for with my weight loss journey

Hi Ronja,

I am also from Ontario and the same height as you. Welcome to 3FC.

I see you have set an end goal...you could try losing in increments of 10 pounds at a time. You will see changes in yourself with each 10 lb lost, which is very rewarding.

I suggest aiming for a way of eating that will last you for the rest of your life. Forget the drastic, quick-weight-loss diets--you will get tired of them and revert to bad eating habits. I count calories because it gives me the most freedom. Nothing is excluded from my menus (except any form of meat as I am vegetarian), so I never get cravings for forbidden things, as nothing is forbidden as long as it fits within my daily calorie allowance. I plan my meals and have the food on hand for that day / week and stick to it as well as I can.

The other thing I would suggest is RIGHT NOW ditch the all or nothing mentality that so many of us have had: "I blew it today so I'll start again tomorrow to eat perfectly". WRONG! if you eat something not on your plan, get back on your day's meal plan right away and hold yourself to it. The perfect tomorrow has a way of never coming; start working your plan TODAY.

All the best on your journey to good health and looking great!

I agree with blueheron. I count calories, too and plan all my meals ahead of time. I also did the ten pounds thing, if I had known I was going to lose 90 pounds I would have said that is not possible, setting smaller goals made it much easier.

Sounds like good advice, so thanks to both to you.

Ronja,

My sister also has RA and I have had back surgery, so I can suggest some exercises for you. So my sister really liked Zumba. You don't really jump that much and most, if not all, of it is standing so it is less impacting on the joints. Also yoga or Tai chi/Qigong. They give your muscles stretching time, while helping your joints.

This! Couldn't have said it better myself

The only thing I would add is other suggestions for smaller "mini" goals. In addition to 10 lb increments, other goals I set were new "decades" (i.e., getting out of the 220's), BMI goals (getting to just plain old "overweight" was my most recent one) or % of the way to goal (i.e., if you have 100 lbs to lose, celebrate 25 lbs lost as the "quarter of the way" mark.) Also remember to celebrate NSV's or non-scale victories! Inches lost, new clothes sizes, temptations you managed to resist, physical achievements (for me, being able to comfortably cross my legs was a big one!). Sometimes those things really get you through those times the scale just doesn't want to cooperate.

Also remember (ok, I guess I have TWO things to add!) that this isn't about perfection, it's about consistency over the long haul. We all have days we overeat or skip the work out. That's OK. Just don't let it become a habit.

Best of luck to you!

Thank you for your advice, I really like the NSV idea!!!

Welcome Ronja, you've already gotten some great ideas. I'm glad you're here, and I look forward to reading about your success!

Awwww, thank you, I'm feeling very welcome here, thanks.

As another mentioned in her intro thread, I don't want to be ashamed of myself anymore and I too cringe every time I look in the mirror.I'm trying some self talk that it's just temporary, and that I am in control. That's something that I need to work on!

I have come across some motivational pix that i would like to share with you all!!!