so i want to set a realistic mini goal for jan... i know they say 2 lbs a week that only has me at 8 lbs for the month.. i am wondering if 15lbs is a realistic amount? or maybe 20lbs? i am 27... 236 ( i lost 4lbs) i have had 4 children and my goal is 165... i would like to be down to 215 by feb 1st.... and then 200 march 1st and then 185 april 1st and then 170 may 1st and by june 1st i want to surpass my goal by ten pounds.. is this realistic?

Honestly - no. It's never realistic to try to set time lines with weight loss. It just doesn't work that way, weight loss is an unpredictable, wild and untamable beast.

I find them to be motivating though and will do them. I don't care if I meet them or not because I know the act of staying on plan is more important than consistent results. If you're the type to get disappointed and ultimately quit - then definitely don't or try to set up smaller more realistic numbers - under promise, over deliver is my motto!

In my opinion no, in order to do that you would have to make drastic and unsustainable dietary and actvity changes. Changes that you can live with for life.

And you risk being dissapointed if you "only" lose a truly realistic amount of weight.

If by february 1st you weigh 229 are you going to consider it a failure or a success?

no no i would def not consider it a failure if i didnt meet it.. but i also have much faith in me that i can make it happen... and if i cant then i cant... its not the end of the world.. but it gives me something to drive for

You can set goals and timelines and if you achieve them thats awesome but for me that just hasn't worked. My body has its own ideas about when and how it wants to lose weight. I do have control over how much I diet and exercise but one of the interesting things about the weight loss journey is seeing how that happens. I wanted to lose 26 lbs which might not be much to some but is a lot for me, I had this schedule all set up with a timeline for weight loss. I have had to adjust things quite a bit because things have gone way different than I figured they would. At times it has been disappointing but my body has settled into a pattern and I now know what to expect.

I think initially it would be helpful to set a goal 2 lbs a week seems very reasonable and falls into the category of healthy weight loss. If you lose faster than that consistently then you might have to adjust your goals. I guess its one of those things you'll discover along the way. I definitely agree that staying on plan is key b/c I've done that consistently the overall trend has been downward despite periods of very little to no loss.

i totally agree with you jackie ! thanks for the encouragement!

I would set a goal for January (like 8 pounds). Then at the end of January, see where you are at and make a new goal for February.

That's close to 3.5 pounds a week, for 6 months straight. I really don't think it's realistic at all, to be honest.

I understand the feeling though. When I started, I knew what was realistic, and it just seemed like that would take so very long. But once you're well into it, it stops feeling that way.

1% of your body weight a week is considered safe, sane weight loss. That means for you, right now, that translates to 2.36 pounds a week, and that is pretty optimistic, I think. Although early in weight loss it is often easier to lose than later on...so it is, possibly, achievable. So 10-11 pounds is pretty ambitious, but still safe for you -- 15 is a bit on the high side, in my opinion. But I am not one to talk, because I lost 15 pounds my first month, but I didn't have all the info about what was "safe" and a good idea until my second month...from then on I tried to stay in the 1% of body weight range...I came in a little higher than that, averaging around 2 lbs. a week, but not more than that when it was averaged out...there were weeks of no loss and weeks I dropped 4 lbs.

Anyway, that is my two cents worth. Except, one last piece of advice...setting goals is good, but everyone loses at different speeds so don't get upset if things go slower, etc. I used mini-goals. They have their place, but just don't get too caught up in them.

What Schumeany said.

I think 20 pounds is a totally unreasonable goal and pretty unhealthy, IMO. I think 15 is within the range of doable, but I wouldn't set my heart on it. I think 10 would be a much more reasonable goal. Then if you achieve more, you have reason to celebrate (not with food! ) and if you don't make it, it's not a huge disappointment.

But as with what everyone else has said ... goals are great, but don't get locked into a certain amount in a certain time frame. Any loss is good loss.



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I'd have to agree with these comments. I'm about the same weight as you, and I lose about 8 pounds a month (I used to lose about 10 when I was heavier, but that's about as good as it gets for me).

Losing weight is a long term commitment, you can't rush into it. But trust me, the time rushes past you anyway, before you know it you'll be meeting mini goals left and right.

I'm sure I've heard it suggested here on the forums previously that it is actually more workable to set behavioral goals than weight goals. What that means is setting goals like "Work out 3x per week" and "Eat between 1600 and 1900 calories every day" and "Eat 5 servings of veggies per day." Behavioral goals, properly crafted and then adhered to consistently, will eventually produce weight loss.

I do set weight goals on a timeline, but I don't really see them as anything more than fantasy and potential. My true goals are my behavioral goals, which I'm always testing and improving.

i cant commit to behavioral goals such as working out 3 times a week and stuff because i have a HUGE family and i am already very busy....

katiejames, you're learning a lot! And you have more to learn. This is a good thing!

Your goal is unrealistic, in my opinion, because losing weight that fast can't be done in a healthy way. I'm sure you'd rather not hurt your health while losing weight. I would aim for 2 pounds a week, set your calorie goal for that amount (a tool like FitDay or many of the other Web tools can help you do this), and see how it comes out. Bodies are really complex, and just because you can think it doesn't always mean that's how it will come out.

Second, you say you "can't" commit to behavioral goals like working out three times a week. Many of us have thought the same way! We all have very busy lives, many with big families with young children plus jobs, and it seemed impossible. But, come to find out, it is not, as long as you put your own weight loss first on the list.

I would encourage you to sit down and think about how much time you could spend on exercise every week. It might be 30 minutes a day, an hour a day, four hours a week, whatever. But that time is there--you'll find it if you look for it--and some of the things you're now spending time on, you can set aside for now.

So here's a suggestion for your minigoal: 8 pounds lost in January, and exercising for 30 minutes 3 times a week.

Think about what you can do instead of what you can't do...

Jay

i totally agree jay... i think that its the best option and if i happen to lose more than 8lbs great but if i dont then i will at least have no problem losing the 8... and 3 days a week at 30 min is no problem either.. i decided that the days i cant go to the gym i will stay up an extra half hour to go on the eliptical here at home... i usually do a half hour on the tread and the elip but on the days when i just dont have time... the half hour is SOMETHING!