Tip 9: Mini-Goals

we all dream of that day when we peek down at the scale beneath our feet, and we practically jump off in excitement-- that day when all those months of hard work, and eating well, and sweating in the gym instead of watching tv finally concludes in seeing our goal weight's beautiful numbers.

and that day WILL come....but not yet. we still have a long way to go to that day.

but how do we keep ourselves motivated? how do we stay engaged and focused?

how do we feel like winners, even though our scales are still reading 30 pounds off of our goal?

Mini-Goals!

Tip 9: Make smaller, specific, "mini-goals," instead of larger, more vague goals.


There are many different ways to create mini-goals.

You can make them based on numerical weight loss, on pant/dress sizes, waist size in inches, or you can instead focus on aspects of your lifestyle, such as being able to walk 5 miles, or eating 5 vegetables consistently every day.

The key to selecting a numerical goal is to stay within reason, and don't expect the impossible! If you make your goal to lose 25 pounds in 2 weeks, not only are you going to fail, youre going to feel hopeless and horrible about yourself. Make a reasonable goal of 2-3 lbs per week, maximum.

The key to selecting goals that focus on lifestyle changes is to remember to not expect too much at once. Making lifelong, permanent changes to your habits is tough, but work on one thing at a time, for approximately two weeks. For example, if you dont eat any fruit on a regular basis now, make it a goal to eat one piece of fruit every day for the next two weeks. Now hold onto that habit, and add in at least one/two vegetables for the next two weeks. As for goals regarding physical ability, create them within your ability. For example, if you can only walk 1 mile, make it your goal to walk 1 mile every day for 1 week, and then aim to do 1.5 miles, and build up from there. Walking goals can be made even easier with the purchase and use of a pedometer [there will be a post on these later on :)].

You can make weekly goals, picking a day of the week to "weigh-in" or be a deadline. You can make monthly goals, or even 6-week goals. it all depends on your personal preference. If you have physical goals, you can create them around a deadline for an event- such as a marathon. There's plenty of training schedule suggestions for people to go from slacker to marathon runner [there will be a post on these later on :)]. Having a set date, or day of the week as your deadline keeps you focused. If you generalize it, you risk losing interest, focus, and motivation.

Write down your goals, so you remember where you started, and what you're working to accomplish. Try posting it in a place where you're likely to see it on a daily basis- it will act as a reminder of your goal. Another great idea is to keep your goals written in your food and exercise log- which i strongly suggest you start and keep! Its a huge help, for keeping track of calories and activity, and later on will help figure out why you may be in a rut. Plus, who doesn't want to see how hard theyve worked written down on paper? haha

If you achieve your goal, treat yourself! you did well, so why not indulge in a small ice cream cone, new shoes, or a day off from working out? Even better, write down your reward along with your goal, so you remember what youre working towards!

Your mini-goals should work into the larger framework of your bigger goals, for example:
My big goal is to weigh around 170 by the end of this year, my mini-goals fit into that, by making smaller goals throughout the year (see below)-


My (numerical) mini-goals are as follows:


I would like to be under 200 by February 27th- a date important to me because it is my relationship anniversary with my wonderful boyfriend. :) i wanna be one hot babe! haha


I would like to weigh 180 by August 15th- my 21st birthday. :)


I would like to weigh 170 by December 24th- christmas eve, that my family spends together. i want to show off and impress them, since i most likely will not be seeing them until that day. :)


Just another whale,
MyzzLyzz