My best advice would be to not give yourself a time line. Lose what you can. You should still be happy if you lost some and gained a health full lifestyle.
It took me 1.5 years to lose 85 pounds an everyone loses at a different pace.
So I have about 102lbs to lose and I'm wondering is it a realistic goal to lose it by my birthday next August?
It's possible, but in my honest opinion a bit over-optimistic. The oft-quoted number for safe weight loss is about 1-2 lbs/week on average (another suggestion is about 1% of body weight per week, which may be bit more realistic - you can expect bigger losses at higher weights.) To lose 102 lbs in a year would require losing at the upper limit of that average - 2 lbs a week - for pretty much an entire year. I'd suggest giving yourself more leeway, since I doubt that's sustainable. You have direct control over the lifestyle habits that result in weight loss, but in the end the scale is fickle and you can't directly control the poundage lost per week. Weight loss is a game of patience and persistence, losing one pound at a time. May I suggest starting with a mini-goal, maybe a 5 lb. loss goal or a habit goal or a fitness goal?
So, you could set a short term goal and see how that goes to give yourself an idea of what your pace is. Knowing yourself and how you will react if you don't make your goal is very important when setting a goal.
If not losing 5 pounds by whenever is going to cause you to give up and quit your program then maybe your goal should be non-scale related, like working up to a certain distance walking or minutes exercising.
The first time I lost weight I set a goal of 2 pounds a week, then adjusted after a couple months, it was fun to see my ultimate goal moving closer than planned, this time my goal was 1 pound per week, I was doing good with that until summer came along...
WW suggests 10% or even 5% of your current weight as your initial goal, then when you meet that, make a new goal. Next August is a year away, 52 weeks depending on your birthdate, you're going to have weeks when you lose more and weeks where you lose less, you're shooting for 2 pounds a week, that seems reasonable. Whew that was a long way around to say that, eh?!
Thank all. I kinda thought a year was to soon. I like the idea of small goals and I think that will really help me to stay focused and be able to see the light at the end. It took ten years to put all this on and its gonna take time to take off. Just not ten years lol. Thanks again.
I think it's entirely possible. A lot is going to depend on how strict you are with your plan, how many cheats you allow, and just your body in general...everyone loses weight at a different pace.
With that said, I agree with the other posters who said that time based goals can be dangerous for some people b/c it causes them to see themselves as a failure when that isn't the case at all. What if you "only" lose 80 pounds in a year and it takes you another 3 months to lose the last 20? Would you feel like you failed b/c you didn't hit your goal, even though you did amazing by losing 80 pounds? That's what you need to decide. I personally love time based goals, but if I don't hit them it doesn't send me into a downward spiral. It totally motivates me to say I want to lose X pounds by Halloween/Christmas/Bday/Whatever. Not everyone can deal with the letdown on the occasions that it doesn't pan out though.
Definitely possible, but not easy, and not typical. I was on Medifast (around 1000 calories/day) and it took me 16 months to lose 100 pounds. And I've been pretty well stuck since I hit 100 last August.
This time I actually set NO time goals. My goal has just been to keep working at losing weight until I get to goal. No quitting.
This is a really good thread. It reminds me that I need to be patient and hang in there in order to reach my goal. Thanks for confirming that I need to set realistic expectations.
And even if you don't lose the full 102, wouldn't you be thrilled at your next birthday to be down 30? 50? 70? (or whatever?)
What a gift you'll be giving to yourself, because the time is going to pass regardless, so you might as well put it to good use! Down is down! Don't wait to start, every minute is a chance to do something good for yourself!
It is possible but it may not work as you planned. My plan was to be at goal weight by October, but I will not be there. I have a lot of disappointment, so I have to second the "don't set a time limit" advice.
Also, it is so helpful to shift your focus from losing weight (and the number on the scale) to getting fit and healthy. I was obsessed with the scale and it almost drove me nuts! Now I am more focused on my fitness goals and eventually the weight will come off.
I highly suggest using a tracker like My Fitness Pal (free phone app) to track your food/drink intake and your calorie expenditure. This has been the biggest help to me during my journey.
Good luck and you have come to the right place for support during your journey!
Thank all. I kinda thought a year was to soon. I like the idea of small goals and I think that will really help me to stay focused and be able to see the light at the end. It took ten years to put all this on and its gonna take time to take off. Just not ten years lol. Thanks again.
If you go with small goals a good idea people have done is get something like a charm bracelet or a pandora bracelet and buy a new bead or charm for each small goal they meet, that makes it easier to focus on the smaller goals and not obsess over the end goal and how close or far it is
We are about the same height and starting weight, I can only tell you about my experience...
I have done no exercise (but do move around a bit) I have stuck with 1500 calories for about 95% of this journey(myfitpal). I still go out for supper occasionally and have treats but the more I'm into this the more aware of everything I put in my mouth.
I read the posts here everyday and I weigh and log everyday as well.
January will be 1 year of me actively doing this and so far I've lost a little better than 60 pounds. It makes a huge difference.
The weight came off quickly the first couple months and has slowed considerably now. The trend is down though so I will be patient and continue on. The slowing is my fault for not incorporating exercise or dropping calories lower.
I am hoping to weigh 170 for my 1 year. (We shall see)
Good luck to you however you go about your journey and know that the support, information and motivation you will get from this website is out-standing.
I understand where you're coming from. I think many of us, if not all, have a desired amount we'd like to lose in the first year. The funny thing about weight loss is that what we truly have control over is how committed we are to it, how consistent we are with it, and the choices that we make. Sometimes our bodies lose as quickly as we'd like them to, and sometimes it takes a little while longer (bodies are complex, intelligent systems... they know what they're doing, even if it takes a bit longer ). The important thing is to keep up the commitment, consistency, and wise choices. I'd say that's a goal that might be more realistic and do-able, if you'd like to commit to something for a year. And if not, that's also okay! The key thing is to do what works for you! We'll be here cheering ya on.
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and good luck! 
). The important thing is to keep up the commitment, consistency, and wise choices. I'd say that's a goal that might be more realistic and do-able, if you'd like to commit to something for a year. And if not, that's also okay! The key thing is to do what works for you! We'll be here cheering ya on. 
