How Do You Decide How Much Weight to Lose?
By Pigglies
@Pigglies (9329)
United States
October 6, 2008 3:36pm CST
This part of dieting always gives me trouble. If I make my goal too large, I'll never reach it. If it's too small, I'll gain it back immediately making the whole diet a total waste.
My current method of decision making involves how much I gained the previous season. For example, this summer I gained 8 pounds. This is not bad for me, normally I gain a minimum of 15 pounds over the summer. This summer I exercised like crazy and hoped to end up not gaining, but I still think I did pretty darn good. So now when I decide how much weight to try to lose this fall, my decision was easy. I need to lose 8 pounds. This is not an extreme goal. Since the beginning of fall I have already lost 1 pound, so only 7 more to go now. Of course, I could stand to lose more after that, but those pounds will go on my winter goal.
So how do you make this decision when starting a diet or other weight loss plan?
1 person likes this
6 responses
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
7 Oct 08
It is good that you remain aware about controlling your weight.
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
8 Oct 08
To remain aware about one's health is really a very positive attitude and if you continue to do so, hopefully you will have a healthier and longer life. Keep it up!
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
7 Oct 08
I belong to weight watchers and they always say that your first goal should be 10% of your weight now. I think that you are smart by starting with a small goal of 8 pounds. It is easier to hit small goals than to look at the large goal which might be looking like it is way far away! good luck to you.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
7 Oct 08
Thanks for the tip! I weigh more than 80 pounds (obviously I guess, lol, otherwise I wouldn't need to lose weight), but 10% sounds scarier to me. But you know what, I think I could do that after I finish losing these 8 pounds. Then I might feel like I already accomplished something and be more willing to keep going.
Best of luck to you as well!
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
12 Oct 08
Thanks for br. I think that once you hit your 8 pounds loss, then the 10% won't seem so far away...use that 8 pounds towards your 10%. After my 10% was lost, I always concentrated on 5 pound losses at a time. Good luck and stay focused.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
12 Oct 08
I gain mostly in the winter. In the summer that is when I loose weight. I decide usually a pound or two a week and let it go at that. I try to not go over a certain amount, like right now it is not over 205 lb, and then when I reach a lower plateau, I might say not over 200 lb. My goal is to reach 190 lbs right now and that is not bad since I have a hard time losing and an easy time putting on weight.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
12 Oct 08
That is the opposite of me. I always gain weight in the summer. In the winter I think the cool air helps me to burn extra calories or something.
I am at least thankful that for me although losing weight is very gradual, it is also fairly gradual for me to gain weight. I don't just wake up one day 5 sizes larger, it takes months of bad eating habits for me to get too bad. So I guess I can't curse my slow weight loss too much because it could be worse, I could be one of those yo-yo people.
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
29 Oct 08
I have more weight to lose then I care to think about. Thankfully I got me a new exercise machine and have been using it so I don't think about weight lose in terms of so many pounds but rather in just keeping up with the machine, making better eating choices and avoiding the foods I know are bad.
[b]~~IN SEARCH OF PEACE WITHIN~~
**AGAINST THE STORMS, I WILL STAND STRONG** [/b]
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
29 Oct 08
Oh that is cool. I want to buy an exercise machine but even if I can save up, I have no where to put one.
We do have one of those generator powered bicycles for training, but you have to ride about 20mph and always at some slight level of slope, no flat land. Otherwise the thing turns off. My brother is training for a bicycle race, so that makes sense that it's what he wanted. But I can only stay on for about 5 minutes.
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
30 Oct 08
I put mine in a side corner of my living room that way I can watch a music video while doing it. My only problem is that I get going and get a little too carried away and have pulled out my shoulder and strained my leg once.
[b]~~IN SEARCH OF PEACE WITHIN~~
**AGAINST THE STORMS, I WILL STAND STRONG** [/b]
@mmiller26 (1930)
• Canada
7 Oct 08
I think it's important to consider weight-to-height ratios when thinking about how much weight to lose. Because of Hollywood figures and unrealistic social standards a lot of women think they have to lose more than is healthy. There are charts one can find online that will give you a realistic weight-to-height ratio and that's a great goal to set for oneself.
I tend to break things down into smaller, more manageable goals. It's a lot easier to say "I need to lose 5 pounds" than "I need to lose 50". Once that five pounds is lost, then you can set your goal for another 5 pounds. And so on. That way the goal doesn't seem so unattainable.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
8 Oct 08
I definitely am not setting any unrealistic Hollywood goals. But I will have to look and see what weight someone at 5'4" should be though. Although, sometimes I think those numbers are messed up that I've seen at the doctors. Even when I wasn't overweight they'd often tell me to lose weight. Muscle weighs more than fat and since I used to have no car and had to ride my bicycle over 100 miles per week, I had quite a bit of leg muscle. But currently I'm not all that in shape so I think the numbers for the BMI or whatever they're calling it now would probably work fine.
@creationsbysusie (254)
• United States
12 Oct 08
Trying to loss weight is really hard to do , but I have found a way that it works ofor me to start off I have reflux very and I can't eat late at night then go to bed so I have thos solution. I have a good breakfast in the morning then I have a good lunch then at dinner I try to only have something very light or just something to drink and little by little the weight comes off 1 lb at a time I also work 2 jobs so when I get home its late so I can't eat anyway so this is my solution I did this 2 or 3 months and lost 20lbs give it a try and never get on the scale just get yourself weight when you go to your docors office and never say you are on a diet as if you think diet then you will want eveything under the sun
