Setting REALISTIC / REAL goals. How do you set yours?

[Papa Deuce]

I only can tell you what my final goal is.....180 pounds. But I have no idea on how to set any intermediate goals and have them be realistic. Or, maybe they would be but I wouldn't know it.

I started Jan. 2nd at 315. Today I am 310. I work out for 45 minutes at a time a few days a week.

I would LOVE to be 275 by May 15th, and 240 by Christmas. Again, I have no idea if this is attainable.

How do you try to set realistic goals? Do you even set goals?

[liv]

One of the secrets to setting up goals (I think) is not to put a time frame on it. The road towards good health will take the time it takes and it is so worth it.

You have to set your self up for success. It is the key If you say I will be xxx lbs on February 14th and you get there and it did not happen you may be very dissapointed and give up and eat stupid things. If you set up a goal such as my first mini goal is to weigh this much and when I do that I will celebrate by buying my wife flowers and taking her to a movie. Well then you can only succeed and you'll love it.

[Desertthorn]

Instead of setting goals that may or may not work, I set goals for things that I know that I can accomplish.
2 weeks cheat free induction
Exercise 5 out of 7 days a week
Induce more veggies in my diet by adding a new veggie a week.
Lower my blood pressure

[Brook]

Body For Life by Bill Phillips.

He has one of the best outlines for goal setting I've ever seen. I used his outline 6 1/2 years ago when I started Atkins and I continue to use it today.

Grab it from the library or pick it up. If you absorb or use nothing else from that book - the goal setting outline is worth it.

[Papa Deuce]

Originally Posted by Brook

Body For Life by Bill Phillips.

I have an old VHS he put out.... VERY motivational. I need to find it and watch it again.

[SugarFreeSheila]

For me, the weight charts served little more than a vague guide.

When I was first starting out, I made a conscious effort to take it just one pound at a time - not setting any specific pound goal - and stopped once I was comfortable with how I looked & felt. Since I'd never been thin before this in my adult life, this was the only way for me to do it.

[rweeks]

I have not set any "mini goals". I put down an ultimate goal and a time frame. When I reach it, I might reassess and go beyond. I am just excited about the journey. Good luck and Happy New Year!

[Elffriend]

I'm not a big fan of setting goals. I feel it sets me up for disappointment. I've been eating the Atkins way since April '07. It took me years and years to put all the weight on, I expect it's going to take years to take it all off. I'll get there when I get there. I don't even have a final weight goal in mind, though I would like to see a number on the scale that starts with a 1.

[kimbat06]

I have little goals (as you can see by my signature) but only to make me work harder to reach it. If I don't reach it by that date, I move it forward a week. I just had to do it with my latest goal...

[JasmineFlower]

Originally Posted by Elffriend

I'm not a big fan of setting goals. I feel it sets me up for disappointment. I've been eating the Atkins way since April '07. It took me years and years to put all the weight on, I expect it's going to take years to take it all off. I'll get there when I get there. I don't even have a final weight goal in mind, though I would like to see a number on the scale that starts with a 1.

i totally agree with you. although i picked a goal weight for my sig, it's really just a number to me. i haven't been that weight since i remember so i am not sure it really 'fits' anymore. i always just think that if the scale is showing that i'm losing weight then i should be happy. i'm sure i'll get where i need to go. we never know what's gonna happen even in the next week so i would be just setting myself up for disappointment if i don't get '2 lbs' per week because i couldn't make it to the gym. we gotta just do the best we can, right!?