I have about 50-60 pounds to lose and was wondering what a realistic expectation is to get to my goal. I know every body is different and that weight loss slows down after a while, but would you think I can expect to be at my goal in 5-6 months? Longer? Shorter? Just curious what's realistic.
Why set a time-based goal a at all. In my experience, time-based goals are usually counterproductive, especially if they're result-oriented rather than behavior oriented.
You can control how quickly your body loses only with liposuction or a chainsaw. However, you can control what goes into your mouth, and how much you exercise - so make those your goals rather than x number of pounds.
Let weight loss be the reward, not the goal. That way if you lose 45 lbs instead of 60 by your goal date, you will see it as a complete success and not as a partial failure.
Thanks, guys! The reason I asked is not because I'm trying to reach my goal by a certain date, but to ensure I have realistic expectations going into this and not get discouraged after only losing X pounds in 3 months or 6 months. In short, I just wanted to make sure I was realistic about how long it would take me. I like the perspective of letting weight loss be a reward instead of the goal though.
What I do know is that most likely you can expect to drop weight more rapidly when your first starting out, and as you get further along, it will slow down. And as you get to the last 10-20 pounds, they will fight you every step of the way...
Depending on where I've been, weightwise, I've drop 60 in 4 1/2 months, but I've also only dropped 20 in the same amont of time as I got closer to my goal....Just depends Good luck...It seems like you have a good mindset going into this and are only curious...
I get worrisome when thinking about setting goals so high, only because life always gets in the way. No matter how fast you lose in the beginning or slow in the end, something in the middle is happening too. I have discovered I lose 40-45 lbs a year (been losing for 3) and boy those are hard pounds...up and down, like a roller coaster...but in the end, they were lost. During though, I can find myself getting down, it isn't happening fast enough or this isn't enough weight loss, but reality is, it's still 40lbs lighter than the year before and had I given up because it wasn't fast enough or where I thought I'd be by a set time...I might have given up all together.
The best way to look at it, in my opinion, is not how much weight I can lose in a set amount of time, but how much knowledge and control I can gain. Now I don't focus so much on what I need to lose, but on all the things I've gained and even though I have another 40lbs to go, there is no chance of me not getting to my goal weight, because I have gained control and no longer consider this a diet or a way of losing weight, but a way of living...healthy and active...two things that have never been a goal in my life, but a success to be proud of.
Why set a time-based goal a at all. In my experience, time-based goals are usually counterproductive, especially if they're result-oriented rather than behavior oriented.
You can control how quickly your body loses only with liposuction or a chainsaw. However, you can control what goes into your mouth, and how much you exercise - so make those your goals rather than x number of pounds.
Let weight loss be the reward, not the goal. That way if you lose 45 lbs instead of 60 by your goal date, you will see it as a complete success and not as a partial failure.
this is pure genius. i really wish i had a printer, thank you!
50-60 pounds in six months is a really high goal... it is possible you will make it but also very highly likely you can't.
I never set time based goals or any goal over which I don't have control, as they can be very discouraging if you don't make them. I set goals for things that it is up to me to achieve... such as staying on my eating plan, or exercise goals.
As others have said, everyone's journey and rate of loss will be different.
However, to give you an idea of my experience, I have lost 79lbs across 9 months. With the first 60lbs taking 6.5 months to lose. I'd say a loss of 50 - 60lbs in 6 months is certainly doable, I am proof of that. But however much you lose in 6 months, 9 months, a year or whatever - it doesn't matter, you aren't racing against anyone.
Just keep at it and you'll get there eventually best of luck!
Another idea is to make a time goal for sticking to healthy habits, not weight loss. Depending on your personality, it might help to make a three week goal for making healthy choices. Or logging in exercise at least half the days of every month.
If you ask to know "for how long you'll have to suffer restricting all the things you'd like to eat", then I got bad news for you - this won't gonna work. Life is short, but on the other hand it's a long journey. If your weight loss is spread through 6 months it's fine, 3 years would be fine too, because the aim is to enjoy fully all the rest of your life, in a new way. If you want to hurry things up to be ready ASAP for eating unhealthy again, it's a big NO-NO.
Personally, I lost 77 lbs across 6 months keeping the "no-hurry" attitude, feeling great and never wanting to return to a SED/SAD diet.
Focusing on the scale can lead to failure. Don't set any expectations to lose a certain amount of weight in a certain time. If you don't, you feel like you failed. What results in lasting weight loss and ultimate weight maintenance is focusing on making permanent lifestyle changes. Healthy weight loss is up to 2 pounds a week but everyone's body has a pattern of weight loss that it follows so track you weight for 4-5 weeks to see yours and then you will better understand how your body is going to respond.
I'm one who tends to think that time based goals are OK if you don't let yourself get discouraged if your results are a bit different.
My thought is that by setting relatively high goals we might actually work harder to achieve them than if we don't set those goals. It's like working toward an A in a class even if you've never gotten an A before. Try - you never know what you can do and you just might make it. Set a lower goal and be satisfied when you hit it and you'll never know if you could have done more.
Everyone IS different - VERY different. And because of that, you have to hit your own pace and your own system of healthy eating. It was my personal experience that setting a goal of 1% of my weight per week as an amount to lose enabled me to steer clear of most temptation.
When we say "I'll do my best" but don't have an actual goal I think we sell ourselves short. It's a whole different ballgame to say, "I'll do my best to lose 2 pounds this week." Just my opinion. Good luck in whatever you chose to do. Sticking with your plan on good days and on difficult ones is the key to success.
In the past I dropped 30+ pounds in just a few months and now it has taken me 10 months to lose 11p and I'm still not at goal. 5p left and I just can't seem to do it. I keep trying though.
Thank you all for this thread. It has really cheered me up. I have a feeling I gained over the holidays (weighing tomorrow Sunday morning I have decided. 3 days early) and I was feeling discouraged. As much as I ate over the holidays, it was way less than last year and I'm gonna allow myself to feel good about that. I have no doubt I will get to my next mini goal, it just may be a week or two late.
On the subject of timed goals, I put dates on my MINI goals, but only after I have reached the last one. I have no time set for the Big Goal. One mini goal at a time. But all of your points of view are wise. I think our ways of motivation are going to be as unique as us. And the way we do things in the beginning will change as we lose and learn. A lot of it is trial and error, even though we can learn alot from each other and professionals too.
Need realistic expectations
I keep trying though.
