Goals

I updated my progress page, go me!

With less than 2 weeks until surgery, I have been thinking a lot about goals lately.  I don't know for sure how my body is going to do with surgery, although weight loss seems a guarantee.  We were given a chart showing the average percentage amount of excess weight lost at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and a year.  The averages are based off of all the patients that had surgery with my physician over a two year period.  I could use it as a guide...

So how do I set a goal?  Do I set goals strictly as an amount to weight with no time limit?  Or do I use a deadline and say I want to weigh this by that day?

I am leaning toward setting a deadline for each weight I want to achieve.  I could base the number on the chart I was given.  But what if I don't make a deadline?  What if I am a below average patient?  Will this motivate me to exercise more, or just depress me?

And then there is the personal satisfaction of reaching a goal vs. a reward.  Should I have rewards?  What will they be?  I like rewards, who doesn't?  But honestly, the only thing I can think of as a reward is clothing.  And I would need to buy that anyways...

Oh, I know... I was planning on buying most of my down sizing clothing at a Goodwill type store, because I will be changing sizes to fast to buy all new clothes.  I have a feeling I will be wearing clothes that are baggy for the next year or so.  I can't afford a whole new wardrobe every three months.  So, maybe when I reach a goal, I can buy myself something new and not used.  This sounds like a good idea.

Maybe I won't make deadlines, just weights.  I could have exercise goals too, maybe... I keep forgetting I can't walk very well right now.

But let's stay optimistic here.  I will be able to exercise, and the less I weigh, hopefully the easier it will be.  So now I have to work on my goals.