When you make a decision to get into shape and lose weight, you have to keep in mind that you have to be realistic. The good old fashioned way(diet and exercise) is the best way to lose the weight and keep it off. That being said you have to set realistic goals. Diet and exercise normally doesn't yield very large numbers of weight loss in a short amount of time. If you make goals of 5-10lbs of weight loss a week , you will most likely not attain those goals. When you don't achieve your goals it is easy to become discouraged and eventually give up. You have to remember, you didn't gain the weight overnight, so you're not going to lose it overnight either, and it's a whole lot easier to gain the weight than it is to lose it. Just make your goals realistic so that when you achieve a goal you can celebrate it(preferably not with food).
For me personally, I strive to lose about 1 1/2-2lbs per week, but my overall goal is to lose 32lbs more by summer. So, if I have weeks that I lose less than 2lbs, I try not to get hung up on it, as long as I'm losing, even if it is only a 1/2lb or less, a loss is a loss, and it puts me that much closer to my overall goal. I also like to celebrate all of my milestones, such as breaking into a new weight class(currently I'm working to get into the 160s). I always feel so accomplished when I reach one of these milestones that it re-energizes and motivates me to keep pushing and working hard to reach that next celebratory milestone. For others, your milestone might be dropping a full size(I like that feeling to). Think about yourself and what you want to accomplish. Design your own goals for YOU!! Not for someone else's standards or expectations, every mind, body, and soul are different. Some people do not put a time limit or goal date on themselves, and it's fine, for me it makes my goals more concrete, that it pushes and motivates me to keep going everyday, other's find it too constraining and makes it that much easier to give up. You have to take into consideration other areas of your life to find a goal method that works for you. Me for example, I like things to be planned and know what I'm doing when, I like schedules and things to be set in stone, that's why I like the weekly goal and the ultimate goal and goal date. If that doesn't fit who you are, don't do it. It's okay to set your own rules for setting a goal. Even if it's not a number, just that you want to feel good about yourself, that is a great goal too. There are no limitations. Do what is going to keep you motivated to lose.
Most importantly, if you don't reach your goal on your timeline don't give up, I've missed my goal marks and could have easily give up, but I made the decision to keep going until I do hit my goal, even if it takes longer than I had hoped. Don't give up on yourself, you're worth more than that. You deserve to feel good and be happy with how you look.
