Jerry - this is an excellent post. I have found that I sometimes fall into the trap of wanting to lose x pounds by y date and I do well, I lose weight, stick to plan, etc but don't meet the x goal. Then I tend to gain weight because I'm pissed off. With that said, I'm still going to set a target for the year but I plan to use it more for monitoring myself against my planned way of eating and exercising, not to compare my weight loss to others - which can also be upsetting. I agree with others, I'm going to get through this year one successful day at a time - which should include weight loss.