Goals

I have been watching way too many weight loss reality shows lately and I think that this has skewed my expectations around weight loss. After some self talk and inner contemplation I think I am good and have realistic expectations about my weight loss. I thought that to keep control on those reasonable expectations I should set some goals for myself. The rules for my goal setting is that they need to be obtainable, but not set so low that it allows me to slack off.

I know that I would love to set a goal that would see me wearing a bikini on my next vacation, but I know that setting this goal is only setting me up for failure and honestly even when I loose the weight I don't know that I want to or that others would want me in a bikini so we are just going to put that on hold for a while.

So what are realistic goals. I previously talked about my formal red dress that I wore on my honeymoon. At 3 sizes smaller than what I currently wear, this could be obtainable by August.

For me my first big goal is to get below the lowest weight that I have been since having kids. For me that will break the cycle of yo-yo dieting and bring me to a new frontier of sizes that I have not seen in the last 7-8 years. This will also get me to a point that puts me at wearing the smallest size of clothing that I own in any variety and really motivate me to get to the next level.

So that goal is currently about 25lbs away.

I don't know exactly what my weight was when this photo was taken, but I do remember looking back at these pictures and not being embarrassed looking at them. This seems silly to me now as I was still clearly about 75lbs overweight, but looking at those photos remind me of a small period of time when I was successful at weight loss. Unfortunately that loss was the result of a pregnancy where I was very sick and only gained 10lbs and a period of nursing that helped me keep that weight off. Once I returned to work and stop nursing the weight slowly crept back on. This time my weight loss is true, it is due to lifestyle changes and exercise and not because I was sick to my stomach for 9 months and had a baby pressing on my stomach keeping me from over eating.

This time I will know how to handle stress and challenge and I will meet my goals.