I don't have any goals to post yet, as today is my first day in trying to change my life. I do have a question though.

My long term goal is 65 pounds. That's a daunting number.

I've thought that breaking it down into smaller, what seem to me as more manageable goals, 5-10 lbs, would be less intimidating intially and more rewarding as I achieve them.

How do you guys break it down?

I find mini-goals effective. When I started, I had 100lbs to lose. that was beyond too large for me to think about. So thinking of my weight loss in terms of smaller increments of weight was super helpful.

I typically picked arbitrary numbers to strive for because I'm a bigger fan of time frames. But that is just me. 10lbs is a decent mini-goal, or 10% of either your total weight or your bigger goal.

65lbs is a big goal. You should always have long-term and short-term goals. Your goals should be S.M.A.R.T. goals which are Specific, Measurable, attainable, realistic/relevant, and time-sensitive.

Examiner.com has an article about S.M.A.R.T. goal setting that breaks down long and short term goals. You should make daily, weekly, and monthly goals that act as stepping stones to help you reach your ultimate goal.

Examples of daily goals can be don't skip breakfast, eat 5-6 small meals a day, etc.

Depends on what makes YOU feel better. For me, when I started, I had 60 lbs to lose...I don't like mini-goals....so I just have my goal....20 more to go! Many 3FC'rs that have substantial amounts of weights to lose DO PREFER the use of a minigoal. I'm sure it can be beneficial to many...just not me...guess I'm an all or nothing kinda person...but I'm workin on that!

65 pounds is an awesome goal, and you can totally do it. I joined one of the January weight-loss threads and I am aiming to be 189 by the end of the month, so that mini-goal helps me along. I will try my hardest to hit it, but I am not going to beat myself up if I don't. Do what makes you feel best -- maybe breaking it into increments will help, just remember to take it a step at a time and to have a lot of patience!

What I really recommend you, split the whole sum into smaller portions, as this will really help your mind on the way to achieve your goal.

As we all know, willpower is the most vital thing you can have in terms of losing weight, and when it comes to such a big goal, it is really needed to be strong-minded to succeed.

I had my one big what I weigh goal and my mini goals were more often about size... To fit in my Levis. then to fit in my next size down Levis. then to fit in regular clothes as opposed to Layne Bryant. Right now I am just trying to break through 200. Then I can't wait to be in size 16 clothes. and then I haven't been 175 since I got married so I guess that will be next.

I may be changing my weight goal- I'm not sure it is realistic. I just picked it b/c that would mean I weigh half of when I started.

PS! 65 is totally doable! I did it and it took me 1 year almost exactly! Don't feel like it is overwhelming... it is totally doable and you can do it!

I try to avoid numerical goals entirely, because the numbers, and when I hit them, isn't within my control in the same way my behaviors are.

Instead, I set goals that are connected to what I do - make good choices each time I am faced with a choice, stick to my plan, get to the gym. The numbers tend to flow from that on their own.

Having said that, it's hard not to think about numbers at all, since I do track them. I am within spitting distance of 200 now and it's impossible not to think about it, not to imagine how soon I'll get there and how it will feel when I get there. But I'm trying not to think of it as a goal. Rather, it's the reward for succeeding at my behavior-oriented goals, if that makes sense.

I had 100 lbs. to lose at the start, and I also had to make myself some mini goals so that I'd have more to celebrate along the way.

I made a goal and separate tracker in October for my Christmas challenge. Currently I have my Valentine's goal and tracker. It doesn't matter if I don't specifically get to the weight, just that I really try and stay with the plan.

My goals were and still are:
1st mini goal-get below 200 lbs.
2nd mini goal-get to 185 (only overweight, no longer obese in BMI)
3rd mini goal-52.5 lbs. lost-halfway thru the journey
4th mini goal-154 (healthy BMI range for my height)
5th mini goal-140s

I think it's a very individual thing. Figure out what will motivate you and go for it. No matter what, keep going and never give up.

It's really all about you and how you process things. I didn't have any mini-goals, I just kept my eye on the prize and that worked for me. Others absolutely love mini-goals because it works for them.

One thing is that on here there are types of fun little challenges you can join. Some may last a few days (5 lb challenges), a month, or a few months. I actually found these very very helpful. They really helped me stay accountable to myself.

Whatever you decide Good Luck and you can totally do this. I had 67lbs to lose and I am 1 lb away!

Mini goals are awesome because they help you feel accomplished along the way. I have a number of mini goals. Those listed in my signature and others. I decided to put 15 pound gaps between them for the most part because I figure it will take atleast a months or two to reach them and which is a long time but not a crazy long time without having something I can feel proud about. I also do the 10 pound count with little icons because I think that's an important number too. I'm almost to 50 pounds lost and I'm almost to being under 200 so I'm eagerly awaited the pride of adding the dates I reach those to my signature. I think almost anyone could benefit from having mini goals. ^_^

I think mini goals are great! My first mini goal was get out of my size 18s, then my next was to get to onederland, the current mini goal is get out of the 190s since I've been here forever lol.

One mini goal is to wear single digit pant sizes- but that's a goal later down the line.

I've got about 60-65 lbs also- it's huge when I think of longterm but when I think only 6-7 more pounds till the 180s it feels doable.

I try to set goals based on my behavior, which I can control, and not on my bodies behavior, which I can't always control.

So, my goals are to stick to my plan 100% (on WW so it's easy), exercise a few times a week, and have a cupcake a week.

I do have a weight goal, but I don't have a set time frame in which to meet it.

Right now I'm losing 1.5 pounds a week average (which means sometimes I'm up a pound, sometimes I'm down 2) but I don't know if that will last as I get lower.

Mini-goals really helped. They gave me something to look forward to, and the rewards gave me in some cases something tangible to look forward to.

I set my mini-goals in maybe 10-15 pound increments... sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. I especially focused on the noteworthy milestones, like when my BMI was no longer obese, and then no longer overweight. It just really really helped. It even helped me feel inspired to the see the mini-goals OTHER people had in their signatures!