Right now we are in the middle of a 40 day health sprint across my companies. About 25 of my employees are competing to see who can lose the most body fat percentage over 6 weeks. It’s awesome. It’s been energizing and exciting to watch everyone commit to better health.
But I’ve noticed something.
Many people have a target weight in mind. They have a single number that they are aiming to hit. I’ll tell you, that’s not an ideal strategy for long-term transformation. I know because I learned this the hard way.
I still remember the way I felt when I stepped on the scale after 6 months of hardcore dieting and exercise. I had busted my butt - early morning runs, salad lunches, no desserts - all to get down to 225 pounds. My goal weight. As the scale ticked down to 226, then 225.5,
I held my breath. 225.2...225. I had done it! I jumped for joy and felt on top of the world!
For about a week, anyway.
Then suddenly I was at 226 again. I don’t know if I slackened my routine or cheated a little here and there but the number was moving in the wrong direction and I started feeling like a failure.
My motivation and willpower tanked after hitting my goal as I struggled to maintain that ultra strict regimen. Within a few months the scale said 233 and I felt super discouraged about the whole project.
Sound familiar? If so, it's likely because you, like countless dieters, have made the mistake of setting a fixed, rigid weight loss goal.
Trying to hit a specific poundage builds in very little margin for error. Our brains crave hitting these definitive digits, so falling just short feels devastating. This lends itself to an unhealthy, extreme dieting mentality fueled by perfectionism just to nail that particular weight.
Reaching that magic number does initially provide a huge mental surge...for a moment. But human psychology means our motivation usually dwindles soon afterwards as we check the goal off our list.
Here’s the thing: We are at our happiest when we are making progress towards a goal. The weird thing is that sometimes when we hit that goal, we actually feel kind of empty. We lose the same drive and willpower that got us to the goal in the first place.
It’s the same with our diet and weight loss. Without a compelling “next step,” we end up sliding backwards when that ultra-strict regimen proves impossible to maintain.
An exact number on the scale might seem like the obvious target, but this approach can actually set you up for failure, and there’s science to support this! Chasing a specific target number can sabotage our progress and hurt our willpower. Instead, targeting a weight range is a smarter solution. Check this out:
The Benefits of Target Ranges
Rather than chasing a fixed scale goal, studies have shown you’re way more likely to lose weight AND keep it off, if you set a target range. Here are the benefits of that approach:
1. You’ll have better mental health.
Chasing a single digit as your goal can amp up emotional stress and anxiety. A range builds in some wiggle room, so you don’t have to be perfect. Hitting anywhere within that healthier window feels like a win and progress.
This is a perfect example of something we talk about a lot at Freedomology. Your mindset and your mental health can greatly influence your physical health. They are intimately connected, and your attitude about your body and your weight loss goals will literally lead to you having a different body.
How you think about things matters.
At least 4 independent studies have proven that those with a flexible target weight experienced lower levels of anxiety and depression, and reported higher quality of life.
2. You’ll feel more motivated.
Getting into a healthier range means lots of mini celebrations and dopamine hits along the way as opposed to just one moment of glory. Just entering the top end of your target range feels like a win, and can give you the motivation you need to continue on your weight loss journey. It’s kind of like the “last push” phenomenon that runners experience. As you get close to your goal, even if you’re panting and out of breath, somewhere from deep within you, the motivation to make that last push emerges and carries you to the finish line.
3. You’ll ACTUALLY lose the weight AND keep it off.
It’s totally normal for your body weight to fluctuate day to day, week to week. It doesn’t mean you’re a failure if the number on the scale goes up. Time of day, hydration level and what you ate recently can all influence your weight and it doesn’t mean you are losing progress.
Targeting a range instead of a number reminds us that weight fluctuates naturally and so our focus shifts from being obsessed with the numbers, to building healthy habits and a lifestyle that is sustainable for the long term. One study showed that folks who had a target weight range instead of a fixed number were twice as likely to have kept the weight off after 2 years.
This is because those people focused more on building healthy habits and a healthy lifestyle rather than extreme diets and strict target weights.
My Story: From Scale Goals to Ranges
After my first experience falling short of my goal weight, I realized I needed to change my approach if I wanted to succeed over the long haul. This time around I set a target range of 225-235 pounds rather than staking everything on seeing a single number.
Along my journey, hitting 235, then 230, then 228 each felt like an awesome little victory, keeping me motivated. And when life happens and the scale hits 233 for a bit, I take a deep breath and renew my commitment to healthy behaviors rather than punishing myself, or binge eating. Two years later, I’m still going strong and feeling better than ever through this more flexible, sustainable method.
It’s not about diets. It’s about finding a lifestyle that is sustainable for the long term.
While an exact weight seems like an obvious target, it also sets us up for frustration and flameouts when life happens. Life isn’t rigid. It’s messy and imperfect. Target ranges provide more flexibility and come with some major psychological advantages.
If you’re sick of the cycle of extreme diets followed by minor setbacks leading to complete abandonment of your goals, cut yourself some slack. Come up with a realistic target range, and focus on long-term habit building. Your mind and body will thank you!
If you want to get healthier, and don’t know where to start, or you need an extra push of motivation and accountability, join our community to get access to like-minded individuals who are on the same journey to better health.
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