[mommy1028]

You both were beautiful at the wedding! I really don't like to set exact dead lines. I just say well I would "like" to lose this much by this time and that way if I don't reach that I won't be letting myself down and going off plan. Which I really can't say that I'm even on a plan. I eat what I want when I want and I have still managed to keep losing. How this is happening I have no idea but I like it. Even though I can fit into a smaller size jean I still haven't seen big results.

[niafabo]

I work better without a goal. If I set a goal and I can't achieve it I get horribly discouraged and have problems sticking to plan. I just try to eat right and exercise regularly. I want it to be a life style change and not just a temporary thing because I'm horribly afraid that I will work my way down to my goal and just end up gaining it all back.

[Pudgebrownie]

I prefer deadlines although I don't always have one. But in my current situation and circumstance, I do have a deadline of about 8 months to lose about 50 pounds. I'm making my way there and a lot quicker than I had anticipated. Hubby and I are going to Europe for a month and I'd love to be in killer shape for that adventure!

[dragonwoman64]

I agree, you look gorgeous!!

bf keeps telling me to knuckle down, commit to it, and get it over with. mentally, I think he's right, but it's tough for me to do (for many reasons: stress, a new job; much less time to spend on planning food and exercising). So, logically I'd say get it done as quickly as you can and enjoy the benefits; but personally, I haven't been able to follow that path and have been going up and down and pretty much maintaining for a while.

so keep in mind: you never know when life might change and it could be a lot more difficult for you to follow your plan (something I experienced!)

[Cookc04]

You do look lovely at your sister's wedding.

My approach is that this is a lifestyle change and if I make it about a goal then I won't be able to maintain that. I also have PCOS so what I thought was reasonable easy rate to lose just hasn't been.

Once this lifestyle becomes routine I think I will introduce periods of intense focus... I suppose this would be seen as 'going on a diet' rather than lifestyle change... when finished go back to what I'm doing now. At this point the lifestyle change is too new and I can't fathom compromising much more than I currently do.

I drink much alcohol these days but I have friends who do Dry July (no alcohol in july), Mock-tober (no alcohol in october) and I think that doing something different for a month is good.

These months will probably crop up - when I close to a mini goal BMI, weight or clothing size.

[krampus]

Deadlines are great for things like "fitting into a special occasion dress" or seeing a desired number on a scale, but I work best sloooowwwww like molasses. Since I'm probably only 5-10 lbs from a maintenance weight I figure I'll get there when I'm ready. I set extremely "doable" goals and try not to put too much pressure on myself.

[shannonmb]

I can't do deadlines anymore. I feel like I spent my entire 20s and a lot of my 30s saying "lose x pounds by x event". I would make progress some of the time (others not so much), and then when the event came and went, it would all pop back on and then some. I did that all the way up to 350!

For me and me alone, my *almost* sole focus this time around has been on the behaviors necessary to get a positive relationship with healthy food and exercise, and the weight is coming off, almost incidentally. I've even been weighing just once a month, and that is just to track what's going on.

Of course there are things I would prefer to be smaller for. Last year when I went to Disney I was at my highest weight and still had a blast, even though the seatbelt on the plane didn't fit and I was practically crawling by the end of the week. So I do think to myself, "I wonder how much weight I will have lost by the time I go again next November, and how much better will I feel there!" Which is better for my mindset than "I must have lost 102.5 lbs by the next time I go to Disney, or I have failed!". I have an all-or-nothing attitude I'm trying to work through, though, and have a LOT of weight to lose. So I'm sure those things factor in to why I need to make a point of what I tell myself.

[Emma705]

You and your sister look fab.

I have a wedding deadline too. I'm not sure I would make a weightloss deadline for any other reason than that. I would just try to get there when I get there.

[fitkristi]

I've created a chart where it listed my weight from when I started, and then a weekly date, with a spot to fill in my weigh-in for that week. To to side it has what I should weigh for that week if I had met my goal of 2lbs lost for the week. It helps keep me on track, since I can see how far I'll be from my goal, and when it will happen.

[lora m]

Lovely pics.

About the deadline issue, it's always a matter of balance for me. I am a procrastinator and tend to put off lots of things forever if I don't have something to work towards. On the other hand, too much pressure and I'll simply get demoralised or rebel. When I was in weight loss mode I found short-term deadlines quite helpful - I'd join in with the monthly thread on the UK forums here and set a weight loss goal for each month. I aimed for a lower amount of weight than my typical monthly average, because that way I still felt OK if I only made that but I'd be feeling even better if I exceeded it. It helped keep me going through a few times I was just getting quite frustrated and helped to pull me back when my habits were getting a little too lax to aid weight loss.

Still, if you are doing fine right now and are happy with your progress, you probably don't need anything to spur you on as an extra motivator. You can always choose to set another deadline later on if you feel the need.