I've been over weight for about 10 years. I slowly put on and on until recently. I know my ideal body weight should be about 175 for my height and frame, can't really think about being that small again.

Not sure what my mini goals should be. How did everyone pick theirs?

I think part of my problem is, I've always been good at setting immediate goals vs. Long term goals.

Thanks in advance for all responses.

I'll be watching this thread as well... I have no idea how to set minigoals, but I'd like to try it out. Thanks for posting this.

I saw this quote recently and it really helped me. I am always setting goals that it takes weeks/months to accomplish so when I saw this quote it seemed to almost make things easier for me. I know this is probably not what you are asking for though :P

I look at it like this: Today I WILL walk a mile, or today I will stay on goal. It's a lot easier for me than saying: For the next 6 months I am not eating anything bad for me.

Hi busy, I chose most of mine based on weights I remembered being, and other milestone losses. I don't have them in my sig anymore but they were:

247 - 10% and no longer morbidly obese
234 - wedding weight 1999
224 - 50 lbs lost
212 - halfway to goal
199 - one hundreds
184 - no longer obese
174 - 100 lbs lost

Tonyia, I liked the quote. It is frustrating thinking I need to lose as much as some of my friends weigh! I noticed yesterday, I wanted to eat desert but i don't want to have "buyers remorse" so I didn't. This is the first time in my life that trying to eat well and control my intake hasn't made me angry or depressed. I actually feel good when I reflect on the day and think 'good job controling portions' etc.

ELBS , I decided to look up my bmi at various weights, looked for targets that I think I can reach etc. I may eventually change them, bit for now I have something to look forward to.

Juliana, your journey is so inspirational. You're start weight is very close to mine, wedding weight too. It's good to know that with time, it is possible. Thank you.

I hear that 20 lbs is the best marker-enough for it to be real weight, even make a slight difference (depending on your frame/starting weight though) and doesn't seem overwhelming.

I second the idea of setting process goals as well as weight goals. You have a fair few pounds to lose, so you might as well figure out how to enjoy it.

Set yourself exercise goals which you gradually increase (like, begin with a mile walk 3 times a week and increase your distances/time).

You can do the same with your diet: Set yourself goals like: Today I will include lean protein in every meal I eat. Or, today I will eat 7 full servings of veggies. Or whatever. Little mini-goals like this allow you to congratulate yourself every day for your accomplishments. And that is very nice.

Yes, it does get overwhelming to constantly think of your long-term goal. I like to break it up into 10-pound chunks, aiming for that three digit number that ends in a 9 as each mini goal: 189, 179, 169, etc... Just seeing the number on the scale go from say 190 to 189, even though it's only a pound difference, makes me feel like I just dropped 10 pounds overnight for some reason. Also, when I see that I've reached that mini goal, it gets me even more motivated to stay on plan because I want to be done with the 190s and so on. It's a little mind game I play with myself.

I do love Tonyia's quote, too. We really only can take it just one day at a time and those days tend to go by faster and faster the more we stay on track and, without even realizing it, we've made a habit out of our good habits. Then, before you know it, you've hit another mini goal and then another. Just put one foot in front of the other and keeping making those baby steps forward. That's all we can do.

My mini goals are pant sizes! My first one is next size down! I love it because its such a visual goal. Once i fit into a pant size i was too big for a few weeks/months prior, i feel proud and i keep going down to the next one.

I love that quote Tonyia, i do that too. I like to think "Its only 24 hours and im not awake for all of it, i got this"

I set long-term, mini and immediate goals for myself. And they have helped me tremendously!

Long-term include:

• ultimate goal weight of 139 lb
• goal size of 8/10

Mini goals included:

• Getting under 200 lbs
• Hitting 185, which put me in the "overweight" BMI category
• Trying to hit 180 lbs before a big trip in May 2011
• Losing the weight I gained on our May 2011 trip before our summer trip in July 2011!
• Getting between 0.81 to 0.85 hip-to-waist (fat) ratio
• Hitting 154, which would put me in the "normal" BMI category
• 0.80 or below hip-to-waist ratio
• Hitting 149 lb before our big trip this May!

Immediate or daily goals include:

• Staying in my WW point range
• Exercising every day
• Drinking all my fluids
• Getting enough sleep
• Trying new activities at the gym
• Trying new foods
• Hitting specific calorie-burn goals during cardio classes (I have a heart-rate monitor)
• Upping my weight during strength training

I try to make only a few long-term goals and a lot of daily goals -- when I attain them it only builds my confidence, so having lots of daily goals really helps! Some are event-driven (i.e., my vacations) and some of are health-driven (waist to hip ratio, weight) and some are more vanity driven (specifc sizes, measurements).

I reward myself after every 5 lbs. I loose. I don't reward myself with food.

Weekly goals:
Going to the gym 3x per week.
Taking all of my vitamins.
Tracking all of my food/drink even on bad days.

I refused to get on the scale when I started so I used workout videos as goals...

Jillian Michaels Level 1 of the 30 day shred was TORTURE - I needed to take several brakes, modifications etc. etc. the first several times. So, I started there - making it through level 1 was like the biggest accomplisment ever. Then I started w/ her longer videos, then running. Most of my accomplishments are either exercise related or clothing size related - just an option if you are looking for nsv's!

I am one of those people who get very overwhelmed if I find the task is too big to the point that I can't function.

I'm a teacher, and the new "buzz" word we have for the kid's goals, which I think is also popular in the corporate world is S.M.A.R.T. goals
S for specific. Instead of saying I will walk. Say I will walk 5/7 days
M for measureable. Instead of saying I will eat less, say I will eat xxxx calories per day.
A for attainable. Instead of saying my goal is to lose 50 lbs by Memorial day, say something you know you can achieve, maybe 15 by Memorial day
R for realistic. sort of the same as above. Instead of saying I will run a marathon, say I will run a 5K
T timely. Set a goal date. Instead of I will lose 50 lbs, I will stick to my plan without cheating for 6 weeks.

It depends. For some people, X weight by Y date is a great motivator. For others, not so much.

I like a combo of short term and long term goals. I even make charts for them. But I don't hold myself rigidly to time limits - sometimes my body just isn't ready to lose on my timetable, so I adjust a little.

One of my favs is ticking down pounds until I go down a BMI point. I know, BMI isn't for everyone. But it's ONE measure (like a scale) and it's just a type of measure I use for one aspect of weight loss.

For example, right now a mini goal I have is working my way to ~155 lbs, which is a reasonable goal of ~5 lbs down. At that point, my BMI will be under 26. I want to do this in the next four weeks (a reasonable 1.25 lb loss per week). Then after I hit that, I aim for 149 (BMI of under 25). Etc., etc. It ain't fast, but it's steady.

It's small amounts of lbs, and it can achieved in just a few weeks for most people. But I'd figure out what works best for you. Try a few different things out.

I started off with 5 pound goals. I just refused to look at the big picture because it was too discouraging. Also, I keep a list of things that I wanted to do such as walk from my car to my office without getting out of breath and being able to sit on the floor and play with my grandchildren. I add to the list as I think of items. I occasionally look at it and realize that I have accomplished many of these goals.

It makes me feel so good to realize that I don't have to wait until I get to a "goal" weight but reap the benefits of weight loss as it happens.