Setting a Goal Weight
 

Hi Everybody! I am looking for input on how to set a good goal weight. I started tracking on 1/5/10 and this site has been SO helpful. As of today I have lost 8 pounds!

How do you all determine a good "goal" weight? Do you shoot for the middle of the healthy weight range, for the middle of the BMI range, or for a weight that has been good for you in the past? I have yo-yo'd for years, probably because I never had a clear goal in mind other than to "lose some weight."

I read that most women feel best with a BMI about 21, so I calculated that as my goal weight, but I really have no idea what would be best.

Thoughts?

Thanks, Cassie

Weight not changing? Maybe too FEW calories
 

Hi,

I am weighing in at 140...20 pounds too heavy and with HBP. I started tracking my calories to see what I could do because I eat really good. Problem is I need about 1300 calories to survive and I am only getting about 700 on the average per day and my fat is 29%. I am not doing the low cal thing on purpose...I just eat when I am hungry and now it looks like I will have to eat more often..is not eatting making me fat? How do you force yourself to eat more? I do not have an eatting disorder...I am 55 and just do not get hungry.

Sorry ther did not seem to be a place to post my thoughts.

Goal weight
 

Hi Cassie

I started yesterday at 141lb and i am 5'1. For my height and build 120lb is my ideal weight which is what i am aiming for. I have weighed that in the past and it the weight i am comfortable with. I have given myself two months to reach my goal which i think is achievable.

Good luck!

My goal weight is in the 23/24 BMI range
 

That is the weight that I feel my healthiest at - and I know I can achieve and maintain it with regular exercise.

The healthy range is really wide. If I were to go to the lower end for a goal, I would only be frustrated. Plus, I've never weighed less than 145 as an adult, so I don't think that 125 (or a BMI of 19) would work for me.

If you've been at your goal weight in the past and felt good there (and clearly it's in the healthy range for your BMI) I would think you're good to go!

Congrats, Cassie, on your 8 lb. loss. :) You're on your way!

I don't know your current weight, or how much weight in total you want to loose. I cant be more specific without knowing some more info. I generally shoot for 10% LESS of my current weight, seeing how I'm obese.

Sorry about this part on goal setting. I typed it out not completely understanding the question. I left it here so someone else might find it useful. You should set two types of goals, a long term goal, and a short term goal. A long term goal is something you think you could achieve in a specified amount of time, say 3 months from now. Write that down on a piece of scratch paper. For me, lets say I want to be #155 in 3 months, so Ill write that down.

Now, today I weigh #225. So, to reach my goal of #155 in 3 months, or May 6TH I need to loose #70. So, now I set my short term goals so that I can achieve my long term goal. This means that I need to loose #5/week.

Looking at my example, I can see that my short term goals are ridiculous, and unhealthy. At this point, I need to move out my short term goal to something like 9 months (36 weeks), and then modify my short term goals to match my new long term goal, which is #2/week.

Now, I write my long term goal on my calender, November 6 #155. Then I write my short term goal on my calender, February 13, #223.

Now, so long as I stick to my short term goal weight loss, I will achieve my long term goal at that date. If I keep missing my short term goals constantly (more than 2-3 times) I change my long term goal, ether by moving out the date, or change my final weight.

Hope that helps.

My long term goal is to reach 150 pounds by the end of April. It should be do-able. My short term goals are 5 pound increments! From 175 to 170, the 170 to 165 (where I am not) so now I am aiming for 160! These little victories make winning the war at the end seem feasible.

Thanks Everyone!
 

I appreciate your responses. Basically as I approach what I initially set as my goal weight, I am wondering how I will know when it is time to stop. Do I stop there or should I keep going if I have the energy and the patience? I have about 6 or 7 pounds till my initial goal.

I set my goal weight at the midpoint of the "healthy" range and at a BMI that seemed like a good idea. I also have a new goal to get my body fat percentage into the "fitness" range (right now it is in "acceptable."). I am thinking that once I get to my goal I will up the strength training and take more protein calories to get to the "maintenance" level. Hoping that this is a good plan...

I guess I am obsessing a little because I had an eating disorder in high school and I don't want to get caught up in the mentality that I have to go overboard. I have a physical scheduled for next Monday and I'm planning to talk to the doctor about it.

Your weight goals must vary by your age also. I've have usually been in the bottom to mid range of the weight range but when I was at the Dr's she wanted me to be near the top of the range (now in my 50's). Also, there are some people who are just smaller framed that can stand to be at lower ranges but if you are medium to large frame, don't kill yourself trying to get to too low a weight

to wolfbane:
maybe you can try eating higher calorie, nutritionally dense foods...just a thought. can I just say: I wish I had THAT problem. :)

BMI and weight isn't everything
 

Set a goal weight. If you reach it and you feel "right" with your body maintain that, otherwise tweek the goal and work to that.

It's not just about the pounds, how do you feel in clothes (and out of them?)

The BMI is defective for athletes who weight train and build muscle as the muscle weighs more than fat. Something to consider if you're at 10% body fat but the BMI says you're 25.

It's all about you and how YOU feel...don't get hung up on the numbers.
Dave

I started at 280 so getting down to 180 seems like a nice round number :) I've been there before so I know it's possible. it'll just take some time !!

@cjohnson728
I was just looking through old posts and saw this one. I bet it feels awesome to have achieved your goal. Congrats and keep on truckin'.

Hi Cassie,
What I would suggest you is to find what your body frame is (small, medium or large); depending on this, you will want to aim to the low end, middle or high end of the healthy body weight for your height. You can calculate your body frame here based on the diameter of your wrist.
Body Frame - Free Calculator to find your Body Frame

Hope this helps!

goal weight
 

how i did it was i set a goal weight that i remember being comfortable with in the past...i didn't set my goal weight as my perfect 22 year old body weight, but about 7lbs more than that (I'm short so 7lbs is rather a lot). i think for me, when i get to weight where at least feel comfortable in my skin, i will see if i'm up to the ultimate fitness challenge of reaching and maintaining a weight where i was in peak physical fitness. good luck everybody!


start weight 146
current weight 135.8
goal weight 117

yauncin, thanks! It does feel awesome to be at goal. More so because it just feels good to feel healthy and to be making choices by second nature and not by force! I am 42 and I wore my first bikini ever this summer on vacation.

I am actually maintaining at a weight that is lower than my original goal. I didn't so much decide to "keep going" once I got to my goal as I just made better choices and my exercise level stayed high. My body just kind of settled itself here, so I guess the goal was arbitrary.

vsabino, yes, I have seen every site there is about the recommended weight, BMI, etc., but there was really no way to tell till I got there how I felt. I also shifted over from a "goal weight" to a goal body fat, although I know the body fat scales are not necessarily accurate. Right now mine says I've just passed the "fitness" range into the "athlete" range, but again, no telling how accurate it is.

To stay committed to your weight loss, you need to be focused. It takes a lot of mental and physical energy to change your habits. There are lots of ways to lose weight. But if you plan to lose more than 15 to 20 pounds, or if you take medication regularly, you should be evaluated by your doctor before beginning your plan. Your doctor or registered dietitian can help you arrive at a sensible weight loss goal.

It's an old thread but I'll add this. I recently found this calculator for "Ideal Weight". This will give someone an idea of what this number looks like, anyway.

Body Weight, Fat & BMI - Add to your homepage