The "trouble" with losing weight by a specific date

[ttdriver]

Okay, this has bothered me for a very long time, so I thought I'd air my thoughts here. Hope I don't offend anyone .. that's truly not my intent.

Alot of people decide to lose weight because they want to look good for a special upcoming occasion. Which is fine, but it can be a literal bump in the road to improving your health long-term.

For years, dieting has been the means to looking good .. but as we all know, becoming healthy has nothing to do with losing weight for a day, a week, or a month. It has to be a lifetime commitment. Sure, its okay to set a goal for a specific timeframe .. but the "trouble" can occur when we see the GOAL OCCASION as the end!! We aren't in this "until I get married", "so I can have a baby", "so I can dazzle 'em at the reunion next May" .. we are in this for LIFE. And that's how you need to approach it if you want to maintain your hard-earned weight loss for the rest of your life.

Reaching your goal is not the end....its only the beginning of a healthy rest of your life!

Betty

[Labarum]

You're right, Betty.

[Sirine]

I completely agree with you Betty. I did set a goal last time and it was for a family reunion, I did lose somewhat of the weight and after that I didn't follow the plan at all. I am going away next week for holidays but now I know, I can't just "use" atkins as a quick fix...cuz it all comes back to haunt you!!! Me going away is a motivation that I am glad I have, but I will not take advantage this time around...I will continue on with this WOE...cuz I love it!!!!

[qbu]

Well said, Betty!

I was one of those people who always wanted to lose weight for an event. Lost some, but not the amount I planned, so I got discouraged and put it all back on.

This time, I'm in for the long haul...LIFE. I don't have a specific date in mind when I want to reach my goal. I don't even have a truly specific goal. I have a ball park of where I want to be and I'll know it when I get there.

I have never felt better in my life. I'm 41, almost 42 and I am feeling better than I did when I was in my 20's. Heck, I'm in a smaller size than I was when I was in my 20's! I owe it all to Dr. Atkins and his wonderful plan for a way of eating for life! I also owe a lot to this board for all of the help and support everyone gives.

[Chris]

Thank you, Betty. Thank you, so much, for those wonderful words of wisdom. It's amazing how many folks come here and say (about this time of the year) "Will Atkins let me lose 35 pounds by the time I go to the family Christmas gathering?"!!

At the rate of my current weight loss, I wouldn't dream of even trying to figure out how long it will take me to reach goal. I know that it WILL happen, but I've no idea, nor do I really care all that much, when it will be. But, when it finally does, it will be for life!!

[pluorvee]

i find that losing a number amount my a specific date can be hard. simply thinking i want to look better seems to be a little different. Goals are not bad as long as you can reach them.

[Sheshy]

I totally agree with you Betty - it's fun to have a mini-goal to keep yourself moving downward, but I really think the mindset has to be that this is a lifetime woe.

Personally, I don't even think about stopping or changing my menu, this is just the way I eat...now and forever!

[Momtofour]

That is exactly why I don't set mini goals for myself. I think it will sabotage my success. I would feel let down if I didn't lose X amount in X amount of time, even if I lost 90% of what I wanted to lose. I know my body will lose pounds when it is ready to lose pounds. Sometimes I will go a month with nothing and then I lose 3 pounds. That is perfectly ok, because it means that my body is getting to where it is supposed to be on it's own time frame.

[Kent]

If a specific event gets someone motivated to do something about their weight, great! If that is the only reason they are attempting to lose the weight, it is doomed to long term failure. Once the event is over what will be your new motivation. Until you actually internalize the whole WOE, i.e. for me that was I like this WOE and the benefits it brings, long term success will evade you. That is the reason I am so against misusing the good of this diet for ill (crash dieting).

If you haven't learned by the time you lost all the weight how you are going to live differently for the rest of your life, you are likely to be one of the

recidivist crew who gain the weight back. Learning it and making it a

lifelong commitment gives you the huge edge over those other "dieters."

[Chris]

I do like to set mini-goals, but only for a specific weight, not a specific weight by a certain time. I pick a number that's meaningful in some way, such as my current one of 159. It's just going to be so great when I'm in the 150's again. When I reach a mini-goal, I do something to celebrate -- like eat 1/2 a chocolate cake!

Now, while Cleo is still passed out, I'll say that I was just kidding. I really just reward myself with some non-food item that I've been wanting. (She's gonna hit me, I just know she is! )