I've been reading a few threads around the place about average weight loss and the time it's taken all you lovely ladies to lose weight.

Now I've set myself a goal of losing 10 kilograms by November 15, the date I leave for Italy - but after reading a lot on here, I wonder if I'm setting myself up for failure?

I've upped my exercise from 30 mins of cardio 3 times per week to 30 mins of cardio 5 times per week (for the past two weeks). This is coming from a time mid-July and previous to then when I did no exercise and ate pretty much way too much food, way too often, and bad choices as well.

I'm planning on upping my cardio to 45mins for 3 days a week (treadmill) and doing my mini-trampoline dvd workout the other 2 days (it's 30 minutes).

Sorry to rant on a bit, I was just wondering if anyone could offer any encouragement or advice?

The goal is ambitious, but not totally out of the question. Though, honestly - it is probably a stretch.

That being said, I have found that much of weight loss is totally out of my control. I could exercise daily, stay PERFECTLY on plan and still the scale would not budge. And - sometimes - horror of horrors - it actually went UP!

So, why not make your goal a "target" instead. Stay ON PLAN, exercise faithfully - and see what happens.

Good luck! I'm betting that you will look and feel GREAT even if you don't lose all 10kg.

I had to translate to lbs!

So that's 22lb in 9ish weeks, which is a push. It's not outside of the range of healthy and is *technically* possible, but I wouldn't count on it.

As someone else said, you can't really predict that your loss is going to be consistent. Our bodies are weird things and even though you do everything right, you might hit a stall.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't work towards your goal, I'd just say don't set your hopes on it and be disappointed if you don't get there.

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Wow, your pictorial journey is such an inspiration - I'm hoping that since I'm still young it might be a lot easier for me to lose the weight? Hah I just realised that made it seem like I'm saying you're old, I don't mean that at all.

Thanks for your response anyway - I'm wondering whether I should change it to a goal that is more attainable, though your idea of making it a target rather than a set-in-stone goal is pretty good.

I agree, "shoot for the moon, if you don't make it, you land among the stars"

I have often said that a goal gives you a direction to go in. You may or may not actually reach it, but at least you've been trying to get there--and your results will be positive!

When I was losing my weight, I never once hit a goal on the date I'd set. The day would come around and I was always a few pounds higher. Was I disappointed? NO! Because I made up the goal. This isn't a contest. If I had "planned" to lose 6 pounds and I "only" lost 4... gosh!

The danger of an unrealistic goal is that you'll see you aren't getting there as fast as you had planned, or your routine will be too stressful, and you'll give up. That's not good. How about giving yourself a goal of 6 kilos instead?

Jay

My philosophy is to choose goals that you have complete control over. Weight is something we can only indirecty control. However if you choose behavioral goals, rather than result goals - your behavior is your goal and weight loss is the consequence (the reward, not the goal itself).

If you pick a weight goal that is more than your body can do on a healthy plan, it's easy to be tempted to try unhealthy behaviors to acheive it. However, if you pick behaviors, instead, you can succeed immediately. If you want to lose weight at your optimal pace, decide what the "most" you are willing to do every day, and aim for that. How much are you willing to cut your calories? How much exercise are you willing to do? Often it's said that it's generally not wise to cut your calories below 1200. If you're exercising intensely, you may need even more calories.

The point is that if you are doing your best, and the weight doesn't come off, it can feel like failure. You haven't reached your goals. But, if your goal is the behavior, you have the potential to succeed 100%, regardless of what the scale does. If you do the most you are willing to, and the weight doesn't come off as fast as you'd like, you've got to ask yourself whether you're willing to do more (there's no shame in saying no), but if you are doing the most you're capable of or willing to, there's no failure at all in the weight coming off more slowly than you'd like.

Wise words all! Goals are lovely, except when we set ourselves up so that we only see the failure and not the success. 10 kg in 9 weeks is a real push, especially since you have lost some of the early weight already. (Which seems to come off the fastest.) Before tying your goal to a date think about how you will feel if you don't make it. Will you feel great that you have lost 6, 7, or 8 kg or will you be depressed that you haven't lost all 10?

Do what helps you the most mentally, remembering that long term you need a healthy plan that you can maintain.

(And Italy will be fabulous whether you have lost 10 kg or not...but it is a place where you can easily put all of them back, particularly if you go with an attitude that you have met your goal and now can relax there!)

Rainbow - LOL - no offense taken - I AM old, and it WAS a lot harder to lose weight at this age when I did it at your age! You are absolutely correct.

The advice from others is good - ask yourself how you will feel if you miss your goal. JayEll had some wise words. If missing your goal doesn't bother you, then keep your goal where it is.

If - as you get closer to your goal, and you realize you won't make it - how will you react? Will you get frustrated and give up? Will you try drastic weight loss techniques to "catch up" and try to make it? (After all, so many product tout 14 lbs. lost in just a week.)

If you don't think it will bother you to not make your goal - then - as others have said - shoot for the moon!

If you think it WOULD bother you, kaplods suggestion of a non-weight related goal is better.

It really is up to you. We are just sharing our experiences - and in the past, when I didn't make goal by x date, I often ended giving up. This time was different. When it looked like I wasn't going to make it - I just moved the goal and gave myself a month (or two) extension It became a journey this time - learning to change my lifestyle. That mindset change took the pressure off me if I didn't lose as fast as I would have liked

Keep posting to let us know how you are doing!

You guys are all offering wonderful support and advice.

I'm pretty sure of myself in that I know if I don't make it to that goal, it will just be another one of those things - and if I lose even half that weight I'll be happy - it was more something like wishful thinking put into action, a target I guess.
I'm not willing to resort to anything drastic or unhealthy - I love my food too much, and myself. I won't purposefully cut calories below a healthy level for my weight and exercise level, and I'm not going to kill myself over-exercising.

I really am doing this as a life change, giving up is not an option - I know it's going to take a while.

Pandora - you brought up something I'm worried about though! Italy - Italian food - pasta, pizza, little restaurants where I'm pretty sure they aren't going to have nutrition information, let alone in English... and red wine... I am worried that any results I get for that trip will be diminished and disappear if I don't stay diligent - I wonder if someone else has had the same issue...

My sister went to a trip to Europe with a tour group, and was worried about the same thing. She enjoyed herself, but didn't go "hog-wild", but she was sure she was going to gain weight from the food. She didn't, probably because of all of the walking the group did.

The last time I was overseas I lost weight ... although there is so much good food over there, the style of eating in Europe (if you're eating the way the locals do and not at places that cater to Americans) is so very different.

I ate all the time, it seemed like, but I also walked a lot and the food was fresh and served in reasonable quantities.

Just be aware of what you're eating and don't go crazy!

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Thanks guys!

I figure that because me and the boyfriend are on a pretty tight budget we won't be overindulging in huge meals, and we'll be walking as much as possible - I don't think he'll have it any other way, as he's already been in Europe for 2 months and is pretty much walking everywhere.

The pizza is the only thing that worries me, it's one of my weaknesses - I guess I'll just have to limit myself to how often we have it or how much of it I eat!