Definition of success....

dI belong to SparkPeople though to be honest, I never really use it - I do read the message boards, success stories and get email updates from the site. I received an email today that has article that really hit home...

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=454

Part of the article says:

According to the study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the average "Dream" weight loss is 38% of the dieter’s current weight. Also:

a 31% weight loss would make the average dieter "Happy"
a 25% weight loss would be "Acceptable".
And most disturbing of all,
a 15.7% weight loss would be "Disappointing".
So the 200-pound woman who loses 30 pounds would actually be disappointed in her results!

I have 30% of my weight to lose - thinking about it in terms of percentages, if I think about only losing 15.7%, I would be disappointed, as it's just over half of what I need to lose. But, realistically, that's almost 30 lbs and would have me at 156 lbs....how can that be disappointing? No, it's not goal, but it's a lot less of me and it's a lot healthier. It definitely makes it clear that we are prone to want all or nothing, which is a shame. When it comes to weight loss, I think looking at the bigger picture can be overwhelming and daunting. But, going for smaller goals seems more doable - and the rewards, in terms of health and self-esteem, are just as important. So, my first goal will be 10% - that will be 18.6 lbs and put me at 167.4. Sure, it's not 130, not yet...but it's not 186 either. It's down a size or two and it's achievable...one day at a time. I would *like* to reach that goal by October 1st but as long as I'm headed there, I'm good with that. A measly 10%....I can do that! :)