Goal setting

Obviously, goal setting is super important to what I am trying to do.  So I thought I would sit down and explain where I came up with my numbers and also think about [for myself] what my goals along the way are.

My current long-term goal is 155 pounds.  I didn't just pull this number out of thin air; according to a lot of BMI calculators, this would put me right in the "healthy" category as opposed to "overweight." (Some calculators still put 155 at a BMI of 25, overweight).

However, I really do think that once I get down to 155, I'll want to keep going.  Not an unhealthy amount, but it would be nice to be square in a healthy BMI range without having to worry that one day off plan would send me into overweight territory.  I think I want to aim for 135 being my eventual goal weight; but for right now I want to focus on being healthy.  Once I get to 155, I'll reevaluate and see whether I'm happy there, or should keep working on losing weight.

One of my first big goals is obviously getting out of the 200's.  I cannot wait for that day when the scale says 199.  This will also mean that I will be more than half-way done with my weight loss goals.  But, 199 is a long way away (61 pounds as of this morning... well, that doesn't sound too terrible), and I want to celebrate smaller goals on the way down to keep me motivated.

The first short-term goal I have is to lose 25 pounds.  This would put me at 249; closer to 200 than 300 pounds (let me tell you, when I was gaining weight, that realization that I was closer to 300 than 200 was not a happy day).

After that I want to lose 54 pounds; a goal weight of 220.  For some reason I have 220 stuck in my head as a time where I wasn't thoroughly disgusted with my body.  (And 220 is closer to 200 than it is to 250, so that's always a good thing).

My weekly goal is to lose between 1 and 2 pounds.  That may not sound like a lot, but it's a manageable goal that I think I can meet easily each week.  If I lose more than that (and I hope I will once my metabolism gets going), then great!  But as long as the scale is lower (even if it is by just 1 pound), I will be happy.  Also, I know that I have a lot going for me in that I am 22.  I really really hope that once I lose the weight, I don't have to worry about excess skin (but that is not an excuse for staying heavy!).  Being young is a huge help for this, and also losing weight slowly.  People who are a candidate for the surgery lose 50%+ of their body weight, if I weighed 135, I would have lost 50.7%.  Hopefully, by losing weight in a slow, healthy way, I can avoid having to have surgery (because I've seen pictures and heard about it, and it does not sound like something I want to do!).

There are 18 weeks between now and the start of the school year (when I will hopefully have a teaching job).  If I lose an average of 2 pounds a week between now and then, I would weigh 225 pounds.  A huge difference!

There are 35 weeks between now and my 23rd birthday (and the start of the new year); if I kept up with my weight loss, I would weigh 191 pounds on my birthday!  That is exciting and super motivating.

And in one year?  I could be at 157; almost to my goal weight.

Breaking it down slowly like this helps a lot.  It is manageable.  It is possible.  And it will happen.

I think people who say that this isn't about getting thin are lying; of course it is about getting thin.  I am not healthy at the weight I am; when I lose weight my cholesterol and blood pressure will be lower and I will reverse the insulin resistance.  But do I imagine what my new life will be like being thin?  Hell yeah.  I can imagine what it will be like to go shopping and buy clothes in normal stores; I can't wait to buy clothes!  I imagine sitting in the airplane seats not thinking they are too small and not worrying about encroaching on the stranger sitting next to me.  I can imagine what it will be like to be thin; to be a healthy weight and to not worry that my weight will hold me back.  Hell yeah, this is about losing weight and being thin.  But as much as I want to be thin, it's also about not worrying about lifetime of Type 2 diabetes or a lifetime of blood pressure or cholesterol medications.

For me this is about losing the weight, being thin, and being healthy... and doing it all in a healthy way.

Only 12 more pounds to go until I can officially say I am closer to 200 than to 300 pounds.  Let's go!