A Reasonable Goal?

I just read something in a magazine or online (honestly, between the internet and all the different magazines I get, who knows where it came from?) that suggested women tend to set unrealistic goals for themselves when trying to lose weight. So, okay, my first thought was that they try to go all Biggest Loser and shoot for weekly double-digit numbers. Who living a normal life with kids, a spouse, and a job has TIME to hit the gym for 6-8 hours a day? So I was thinking expecting to put up the big numbers weekly is a bad idea (and I was kind of scoffing at those who do as I read). Turns out I was WRONG. This article suggested that we should, in our minds, shoot for that "unreachable" goal of getting down to that size 2. Apparently women who set higher goals for themselves actually work harder to attain them. Hmmm. I'm not sure I'd agree with this--I think I'd only get discouraged and give up. Like I've said before, what normal woman who's born as many children as I have is a size 2?

Anyway, it got me to thinking about my own personal weight loss goals. As I'm about to embark on a little contest with my sister, I sat down and jotted out what I thought were reasonable, attainable goals for myself. Now, each month I'm planning on upping the ante, giving myself a bit more to tackle as I go--just enough to make it a challenge, not something to make my life any crazier than it already is (anyone home-schooling 3 children each day understands what I mean when I say CRAZY). Well, so those were the goals for our contest.

Then, I started thinking about what I'd like to weigh at the end of our little contest, and at the end of a year. I've decided to shoot for the extremely reasonable goal of losing 4 lbs a month (that's a pound a week). For me to end up at 130 (my goal weight), losing 4 lbs a month, it will take me about 21 months. So I got out my calendar and thought about where that would put me. June, 2011--right before our hoped-for departure for Mexico City. Interesting! It would be so much fun to get to Mexico City 85 lbs lighter! Now, there's a goal I can shoot for!

Weight loss goal # 1 - To lose between 30-35 lbs between now and the end of May, 2010 (that would put me under the 200 mark and back at my wedding weight before we, hopefully, leave for language school in Costa Rica). I'm liking the idea of hitting those gorgeous beaches (which I will be doing as often as humanly possible, given that we won't have a car) at a much thinner 180 lbs.

Weight loss goal # 2 - To lose the remainder of the weight between June, 2010 and June, 2011 when we, hopefully, return home from language school. The idea of my family seeing me at 130 lbs again after almost 17 years (by that time) is a HUGE motivation! Especially since I would have lost 50 lbs since last they'd seen me. ;-)