How Do You Set Your Goals?

[Alex Brecher 10,484]

We all have goals. They’re what keep us going, whether we’re talking about weight loss, family life, or work and business. When talking about goals related to your weight loss journey, how do you set yours? Do you set them based on pounds lost? Do you include a time goal (for example, 20 lbs. lost in the next 3 months)? Or maybe you also have goals for body measurements and clothing sizes?

There are plenty of other types of goals to set that are only indirectly related to weight loss. They might be activity-related goals, such as being able to complete a 5k next month, or being able to surf with your family on vacation. Or maybe you go for behavior goals, such as eating right for today or this week, or working out four of the next six days.

So, how do you set your goals? What kinds of goals do you set?

[Dub 9,922]

I've wondered this as well.

I occasionally see folks who have post op goal weights that are still within "obese" or "overweight" ranges and just figured they must be interim goals but I'm not sure.

I was given a number my surgeon thought I'd be able to reach.....but as far as the actual goal, I set that myself.

I have some clothes that I want to wear one day....a couple of old jackets. One of them I'd never wear out in public.....just want to be able to wear it and know that I can......high school letterman's jacket. The other one is a cool leather jacket that I had in college and oddly enough....is still in style.....so it may see daylight again.

Physical goals......oh yeah....I have a few of those, too.

[dhrguru 1,238]

We all have goals. They’re what keep us going, whether we’re talking about weight loss, family life, or work and business. When talking about goals related to your weight loss journey, how do you set yours? Do you set them based on pounds lost? Do you include a time goal (for example, 20 lbs. lost in the next 3 months)? Or maybe you also have goals for body measurements and clothing sizes?

There are plenty of other types of goals to set that are only indirectly related to weight loss. They might be activity-related goals, such as being able to complete a 5k next month, or being able to surf with your family on vacation. Or maybe you go for behavior goals, such as eating right for today or this week, or working out four of the next six days.

So, how do you set your goals? What kinds of goals do you set?

At my first consult my surgeon and nut asked me what I wanted to weigh. I honestly never saw myself at anything below 200, but had said if I'm doing something this major, I need to think the 'impossible'. So I set my goal to be 175, still overweight, but far enough from my 200# 'safe haven'. My goal needed a loss of 160# to meet it. Right after surgery it was overwhelming and again seemed impossible. I had to break it down into increments for my own sanity. My goals were/are: under 300, 50# lost, 1/2 way to goal, 100# lost, goal. I have no time frame associated because I don't want to deal with the disappointment of not meeting them in some arbitrary timeframe.

No goals for size or measurements for me... I need to focus on one thing, overall weight. But I do track measurements.

I'm almost done C25K, and plan on working at bettering my pace /time, so I guess thats a goal in a sense.

[hockeyfan7 249]

I am 52 years old and when I graduated from high school I was 5'5" and weighed 135. I know I'm not going to be 115 or 120.

I set my final goal at something I thought I could get to and maintain for a while. When I get there I will see how I feel and what my surgeon thinks. But that goal is 95 lbs away so I'm setting smaller goals of 10 lbs a month.

I also set goals for oz of Water in a day, Protein grams in a day, and the maximum number of carbs I will eat.

I have constant daily knee pain from osteoarthritis and exercise is difficult. I have to use a cane to walk and a walker if it's a lot of walking. So I set a goal of doing Water aerobics 3 times a week at the YMCA. My class is on M-W-F. My surgeon is thrilled that I signed up for the class and he told me that he was very proud of me.

[Paige Dukes 58]

I set small goals to help keep me motivated along the journey. Things like fitting into clothing that didn't before, decreasing my sodium intake, eating clean, fitting into smaller booths at restaurants, being able to walk farther or increase activity level incrementally. I am currently at 40 pounds lost and my next goal is 50. I set a time goal for the next 10 pounds to come off before Halloween as my husband and I are taking a trip. Hopefully it will be 50+ by then, but I won't beat myself up if it's not.

Overall goal weight for me is 170. I picked this weight because the last time I was active and healthy I weighed a little over 180 and looked and felt great. I was a gym rat and actually enjoyed running and lifting and many other activities. I look back and can't believe how far I have let myself go.

Anyway, I think small goals are important because they help keep you focused.

[Wendyfm 494]

My first goal was to be below two hundred by my one year surgerversary, I made it plus twenty five more, for a weight of 175. My next goal is to lose between ten and twenty more pounds by my next one. This still puts me at overweight,but considering my BMI was almost 50 before I'll take it.

[Mountaingal 322]

I really want to go to Rockies next year and to be able to walk/hike without all the extra weight. I started walking every day back in Feb. Two miles a day is now often 6-7 miles total during a day including the walking I do around my property. That goal was a big part of deciding to have surgery as I knew even with a year or more I wouldn't take off and keep enough weight. I didn't set an actual weight loss goal. I just take it day by day and will see where I am comfy and can stay.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

My goals are day by day.

[Bandista 7,466]

Some months ago I stumbled on beautiful J Jill linen pants on sale. I have long legs and often can't find pants that are not high-waters on me. These pants are long and graceful. I grabbed two pairs in size 10 -- one a deep purple and the other a great shade of red. I want to wear these pants! They zip up but are much too tight right now. So that's my goal, to look great in a pair of size tens. I'd better get going on that.

This summer I have been wearing sleeveless tops and dresses. This, for me, is something of a miracle. I guess that was a big goal for me that I have achieved. Yippee!

The numbers game does not really work for me. I had an original goal of 148 but I've adjusted that as I think it would be too thin for me. I want to have my curves but not be fat -- a delicate balance. For now I look and feel "normal" and that is pretty wonderful, but I still have a ways to go to get off another twenty. Those pants are going to be fabulous then.

[Djmohr 6,965]

My first goal was to simply start feeling better. I was so sick before my bypass surgery. Within 6 weeks that goal became realized.

Prior to surgery I told my surgeon my number 1 goal was to have the ability to hop on a bike and ride it by spring. My surgery was last September. He told me that was entirely possible for me. And of course I could until I had spine surgery in June but I will be back on that bike again I hope!

Then I started setting smaller goals. I would buy a bra or a pair of jeans one or two sizes smaller and my goal would be to fit in them.

I also had weight goals, I wanted to get to 100lbs lost, then under 200 so I never have to look at that number on my scale again.

Now I am inching toward my ultimate personal goal of 165. I chose that goal because it is the high end of the healthy weight chart for my 5' 10" frame. If I lose a tiny bit more than that fine but I would really like to get there.

I take it 10lbs at a time and let me tell you I am barely creeping there these days. About 1 to 2 lbs a week but I am still losing!

[ShrinkingButtercup 60]

My surgeon didn't even want to hear my weight goal. He asked me what my other goals were. Being confident and active was what I told him. I want the NSVs more than a number. Walking and biking with my boyfriend. Hitting up the theme parks. Feeling better about myself. Spending time with friends I'm too ashamed to see. I even have a goal to be at a friend's anniversary party when I should be 8 months out. I would never go otherwise.

Numbers? 200 lbs. No date. Just gotta go. That came from the bariatric nurse/patient liaison being frank with me ("Honey, you got 200 pounds to lose."). So it became my goal. If I get under that? Yay me.

(I have a secret goal. Shhhhh. 150. Upper limit of my normal BMI. But that seems a million years away.)

[stacyg1 136]

At my first appointment with my surgeon he told me not to focus on numbers but to make my goal "health." However with that said, I did pick some scale and non scale goals. My scale goals: first one was 1/2 my weight from my first appt with my surgeon. I met that about a pear post op. My second is a "normal" BMI. I'm 2 lbs from that goal. My final scale goal is to be in the middle of a Normal BMI which will give me a bit if my cushion. Trying to stay in my surgeon's goal of "health" I decided that my NSV goals would revolve around fitness. At the time of my surgery my goal was to run a half marathon. I met that goal 2 days before the one year anniversary of my surgery.

[OKCPirate 5,323]

Much more concerned about continued progress than a goal. I've been tickled pink by the scale, but much more concerned about body fat percentage than BMI's. My goals have been NSV's. My first 5K, mountain climb etc.

My eventual weight, getting off my meds, no more CPAP - these were factors that I classify as "hope for" because I really can't control them.

[Alex Brecher 10,484]

Thanks for all the answers! Looks like you’ve got quite a range of goals, including major long-term and minor short-term goals, and related to weight loss numbers and not! I remember setting a lot of number-related goals when I was losing weight. Now that I’m near goal weight, I think more about non-weight-related goals, like running a certain number of days each week. I know, though, how hard maintenance is, and I need to also be sure to keep the scale and scale-victories in my life!

JustWatchMe, "day by day" is a nice, manageable approach...and it'll get you there, too! I go for day by day sometimes, and sometimes meal by meal.

[newmebithebypass 713]

my first goal is getting under 200 then getting to a healthy bmi then running a 5k then getting into a size 8 pants like i wore in high school maybe a size 6 with plastics