Actually, the question is more about whether I SHOULD avoid specific dated goals.

I have two events coming up -- one at the end of June, one in early September -- when I will be traveling, and will see some people that I don't see very often. Generally, speaking, while I have a long term weight loss goal in mind, I have tried to avoid pinning specific dates or events to any goals. I do this for two reasons: one, I do NOT want to lose weight for a specific event, because the weight loss needs to be for ME, not for anyone else -- otherwise, I'm afraid that when that event is over, my motivation will also be over; and, two, I'm afraid that if I miss one of those date-specific goals, I'll get too disappointed to maintain my motivation.

Does that make sense to anyone else, or any I just creating problems for myself?

I find myself thinking about those upcoming events with specific weights in mind -- like, I want to be under 250 before I leave for the conference in June, or under 225 before I see my family again in September. I think those are probably both very realistic goals -- it isn't as though I'm hoping to lose a totally unrealistic amount of weight, but still . . . should I be trying to avoid that sort of thinking, or just go with it? If I SHOULD be trying to avoid it, does anyone have any particular tricks in mind to do that?

Thanks to all -- with my ultimate goal more than a year away -- or even more than two or three years away -- it helps to tolk to other people who are in this for the long haul, too!