Do you use future events as a way to set excercise and wieght loss goals?

Personally, no I don't but I do know this is a great way for some people to maintain a focus on a weight loss goal. I try to keep a balance diet and workout 4 times a week. The key for me is to do different types of workouts 4 days a week. One day it will be Tae Bo and the next day yoga and jogging by the third day and so on and so forth. I always change it up every week to keep my body guessing so I don't reach a fitness plateau. I think the upcoming social events you and your friend are attending is great motivation for you to reach your ideal weight loss goal.

 

I have done so, and it does work. It puts you in the same mentality as if you were training for an athletic event. It's super motivating because even though you can't guarantee you will make your goal, you are in a mindset where you aren't so discouraged by a setback, you just get right back up and do that next workout and eat that salad.

I probably need to get back into that kind of mindset soon. I want to lose about 10lbs before starting pointe. I don't have a goal date yet though, just that one of my teachers said I would be ready soon. I think my ankles will be happier with a few pounds less, so that's my goal.

 

I do indeed, I think many people do actually, especially for weddings. That doesn't mean I actually reach my goals, but I usually make a significant amount of progress anyway. I just don't think that one day really provides sufficient motivation considering how much work a person will have to put in to achieve that goal.

 

I do, when I think of them I get inspired. I see more reasons to get moving and keep sweating and burning. I want to impress people that I want when they see me, I look fit and good because it's not easy to be. I really work hard on achieving a good form for an event that keeps me excited for a time. It could be just meeting a friend or just going out for a movie. I really prepare my body for even such petty events. And when holidays are coming, I really oblige myself to shape up.

 

I always use future events as excuses to lose weight!!!! It's what keeps me motivated most of the time. For example, I have a barbecue with all of my friends in no couple of weeks and need to be at least 4 pounds thinner by then, and in December I'll be going to the beach with them... I need to lose 10 pounds for that for sure!!! I think it's a great way to keep motivated!!

 

HAHAHA. Yes! Defintely!

It's unfortunate but true. I usually look my best when it's the summer (beach season) or dance season (I compete in amateur dance competitions) then I let myself go in the cold days. I think my self control is a finite resource and if I try using too much, I'd go crazy and flip out. )

 

I do sometimes, it can help give that extra little boost to stay time focused on a specific feature of the goal...but it's not necessarily the best way to go in terms of the long term goal planning, so I try to use other methods most of the time. Nothing wrong with it as a little added motivation, though.

 

Oh absolutely. This is one of the best motivators for me to stay in shape. If I know an intramural season is coming up for school or if I'm going to be meeting up with old friends soon, I want to stay in the best shape possible.

Anything you can do to keep yourself going to the gym is a tool you should use to stay on track. Unfortunately, we all don't have the will to just live a healthy style just to be healthy.

 

Yes I do. I am currently using Thanksgiving as a weight loss goal. If I reach my goal, then I will not count my calories for that day, but I don't then I will not be able to treat myself as much.

 

It can be great for motivation but once the future event is past tense, do you slip back to old habits and start piling on more pounds and wait for something similar so you can lose weight? Seems to me like only a partial solution to losing weight because if you start exercising say a few weeks prior to an event, you may not lose as much weight as you could if you exercised regularly, even for a short time each day.

That said, I've never done something like that i.e getting in shape for an event. The work I do gives me enough exercise [fortunately].

 

I used to, yes. Weight not budging is a sure sign that it's not being done right because weight loss is a lot simpler than most think. If you're ok with giving up unhealthy foods, you could drop it long before the event.. with very very little effort. Even without exercise (which i don't suggest, because every other aspect of your health relies on it), just changing your diet to a healthy, whole foods diet will take care of the weight issues and health issues all on it's own. You will see results. If you don't want to get rid of the processed foods, then restricting your calories like crazy, counting them in every food you consume, weighing yourself every day, obsessively working out etc.. is probably the only way to go and even then, it might not work and you definitely won't be healthy. Plus, way less fun than the easy route.. you just get to keep eating the foods you currently love. is it really worth it? Eat for health, the weight will drop.

 

My suggestion is to take it a day at a time.. and yes, it's a lot like kicking any other bad habit that requires a 12 step program lol. Just today, focus on eating as little processed foods as possible. Just one simple guideline.. don't overwhelm yourself or try to be perfect or it won't work for you. If you eat something processed, oh well.. you're just at the beginning; it does get better. Also, go straight to Pinterest et al, where you can see the pictures to the recipes right away; they have so many whole foods meal plans and recipes. Look up healthy recipes and play around with your menu. Many that say they're healthy will be full of processed junk still, but again, it's a start. You'll get the hang of what to look for. I swear you can make almost anything with whole foods and I could trick every last naysayer in here lol. Your taste buds will have to adjust either way; the point is letting them. You're misreading cravings anyway.. your body would never crave sugar or salt in the way you're giving into it now, so trying to figure out what it's actually asking for is a part of it too. When I crave sugar now, I know I can satisfy it with real foods. None of it is as hard as people make it out to be.. they only believe it is because of the addiction. Again, don't try to do it all at once. You might never kick all processed foods out of your diet (I didn't), the point is eating right the majority of the time instead of eating junk the majority of the time. It gets easier the longer you give it a chance and I truly believe it's the easiest, most sustainable way to lose weight and maintain it. Because it's what your body wants. Not deprivation and torturous work outs.. just nourish it and eat till you're satisfied.

One day at a time.

 

This is just another kind of procrastination. If you couldn't do it for yourselves, what makes you think you can do it for some social events? What would possibly make you go beyond your own limitations more than yourselves? You should try to find the inner power to do this not to search it outside, because you certainly won't find it there.

 

I do that sometimes. I really used to do it a lot years ago when I was in high school. I would always try to use the summer break as motivation. My plan would be to lose weight in the summer so that on the first day of school I could dazzle everyone with my new look. Unfortunately that never worked for me in my high school days.
The only thing that has helped me diet and exercise was when I went on vacation to visit some family; they chose to walk everywhere, so I walked with them.
That was when the weight fell off.

 

I can see how this might be a good tactic to 'inspire a short-term burst of extra work,' but "exercise & weight-loss goals" should be part of a way-of-life (where you meet a certain 'weight' simply as a result of living right ... life is 'simply good,' and "acheiving such-&-such a pound-loss amount" is simply 'something that happens,' like "getting a good marriage" by simply 'being a good partner').

 

I don't use future events as motivation at all. In my experience losing weight is more about a complete lifestyle change, rather than just looking good for a specific party or wedding. What usually drives me to exercise after a long while of not moving a finger is when I start to feel too fat, I feel bloated and not good at all. You have to find the motivation within yourself, rather than having external things drive your fitness goals, they can help a bit though.

 

I don't typically do that because it causes me to stress out which in turn makes me gain weight rather then lose it. When you set a goal, you put pressure on yourself to reach that goal. So what I do instead is I just work on it casually and remind myself that no matter what, I am beautiful in my boyfriends eyes and people love me regardless of my weight. So far that mind set has been working. I've lost 20 lbs in 6 months and have no idea how I did it. I was not even trying. LOL

 

Sometimes, sometimes not. When it comes to exercising, I'm more of an as-I-feel-like-it person. From March to September this year, I was able to maintain my self-imposed workout schedule, which is around 2 to 3 times in a week. However, I don't know what happened, I ended up lazing around in the last two months. My motivation suddenly plummeted. Now, with my friend's wedding fast approaching, my motivation is starting to rise again. So in this regard, the "future event" has inspired me to exercise and set up a weight loss goal. Well, not really weight loss. I just want to get rid of my tummy bulge.