Is your 'goal' a number or a look?

bookyeti

My goal is to be the healthiest me possible.

I do have some goal numbers --> lower body fat %, a smaller waist-to-hip ratio, and better blood test results. Certainly NOT a scale weight. You can completely reshape your body without affecting your weight much.

I want to be more toned, a stronger core, and more strength and endurance.

NJL13500

My original goal was to lose 100 pounds from my highest weight. I actually was down 105 pounds at one point, but I've since gained some back after starting weight training. My current goal is to remain in my current clothes. I haven't weighed myself since May 1st and will weigh again tomorrow. I guess if the scale is up I'll have to decide what to do.

I wore a size 2/4 at 127 pounds and I can still fit into my clothes at 137 pounds, so I'm guessing there is some weight distribution going on with the strength training. I would not want to have to buy a bigger size.

bfanny

At first I wanted to get to a "healthy" weight for my height, once I got 5 lbs below the top, I'm trying to lose the "last ten" but since I'm lifting I'm not losing more weight? But shinking in size...
Maybe is time to focus on fat loss and forget about the # on the scale!

BrunetteRunner87

Neither really. I want to maintain an active lifestyle while keeping a fairly healthy diet. I have no idea what weight, look, or size I'd be happy at. If I can achieve my diet and exercise goal, I can live with looking as I do now if I must.

EDollah

My goal is definitely a number: body fat percent of 20. Once there I'd like to enter a "phase 2" to get down to 13-15. Or not.

I'm certainly not paying attention to BMI. For me to not be considered "overweight" my bodyfat would have to be 1%. Even at 20% BMI would still rate me as "obese". So absurd.

mizpoke

Ultimate goal, is to not have my lower gut resting on my thighs when I sit. Anything after that is just cherries on top!

This! :laugh:
Yes, I want this too. Mostly I want to be fitter, and healthier and enjoy being active. However being able to shop for nice clothes again instead of wearing stretchy stuff is going to be a huge plus, so maybe in the final goal it will be shape rather than what I actually weigh.

ChangingAmanda

I have 2 very different number goals.

The first is a number goal of losing at least 100 lbs. This'll put me at 150 and I'll evaluate from there.

The second number goal is single digit clothing. The last time I can remember single digits was as a freshman in high school. I don't know what is a good weight for me. I know what the range is for my height and I'm aiming for somewhere in the middle of that, but ultimately I want to have a nice, healthy, "toned" body in the single digit clothing. If that's 125 or 150 I really don't care. because unless I tell someone what number is on the scale, they're not going to know.

BuffyEat2Live

I just want to fit into cute and affordable clothes that I can try on before I buy. If this could be accomplished at my current weight, then I would already be at goal. Unfortunately I need to lose a few more inches to get into those 14's... So I guess that my goal is a number (14 US pants size) and a look, but mostly a feeling.

I'd like to say that as long as I feel healthy, happy, and attractive, then I'm fine with my weight. Some days I already feel like that at my current size, but I continue on because of the first sentence up there.

JulieAnn72

My original goal was a number - a weight - and I'm basically there now. But I was surprised at how much fat I still see on my body at this weight. I want to get rid of it! Now that I've gotten used to eating better and exercising regularly, I know I can do more. And that more is tightening things up. I don't mind if I maintain at this weight, although I'd prefer to be a few pounds lighter. But the big thing is toning for me. I want to get rid of little pockets of fat on certain areas of my body. It will probably take a while, but that's my goal now.

bcattoes

How many go for a look/feel rather than a number?

I do, but MFP makes you enter a number so, I have that too.

bcattoes

Ultimate goal, is to not have my lower gut resting on my thighs when I sit. Anything after that is just cherries on top!

This! :laugh:
Yes, I want this too. Mostly I want to be fitter, and healthier and enjoy being active. However being able to shop for nice clothes again instead of wearing stretchy stuff is going to be a huge plus, so maybe in the final goal it will be shape rather than what I actually weigh.

This made me smile because I was just remarking to my daughter how I enjoyed being able to wear stretchy yoga pants in public now that my saddlebags and dimples are gone.

Hatchling84

I originally was a number but now it has become a look

sarathrasher12

At first it was a number - 140, but since I found a love of weight training and running its definitely a lean toned look I'm trying to achieve.

HealthyLeeLee

It started out as a goal weight, now it's a weight range (125-130) and the "look" of fitting into my old clothes and swimsuit again

dbmata

How many go for a look/feel rather than a number?

Going for a look and a function, a number is just an abstract data point I can use as a reference unit.

I want to look in such a way that all the womens and mens want me.

Heh. Oh, and I need to be able to fist fight a bear and win.

LauraDotts

My main goal is to control diabetes. My secondary goal for now is a number as I have no idea what I'll look like when I get close to it.

clobern

Honestly, it's sort of everything. I want to get down to a certain weight, but I also want to be thinner, firmer, have more muscle, be more defined, etc. I guess an overall feel and look is what it comes to. I don't know if I would want to weight 315 even if I was 10% body fat, so I think I want to drop a few digits, too.

kmp327

I don't really weigh myself. I'd like to fit comfortably in a size 8 (really a size 6, but I've learned that setting smaller goals produces better results for me). Basically I just want to look at pictures of myself without crying.

bwogilvie

My goals are to become a stronger cyclist, to be healthier, to have more energy, and to look better--not necessarily in that order!

Those are all general, though. To make them attainable, I have identified objectives connected with each of them:

- Improve the length, climbing, and average speed of my monthly cycling totals. This is quantifiable but open-ended; I care about improvement, but I don't have a specific long-term target. I have three short-term goals: ride a century next Wednesday, ride a 115K on dirt roads with 8000 feet of climbing in August, and ride a 170K in the Berkshire Hills in October.

- lower my blood pressure and cholesterol, preferably through weight control, exercise, and diet. Here my target is to get the numbers in the normal range, ideally without using medication.

- get more sleep and wake up more often feeling refreshed. This is harder to quantify, though I can qualitatively assess my mood in the morning and see how many days I feel energetic.

- aim for 12-15% body fat without looking scrawny. This is a specific target, but it's long-term, and body fat is difficult to measure precisely.

Because that last goal is difficult to quantify, and it's relatively long term, I'm starting by using weight as an easily quantifiable metric that correlates with body fat and physique, and I've set myself a short-term goal of losing at least a pound a week, with a target of 160 lbs. However, as I approach that target, I'll revise the weight goal, and possibly do a small bulk and cut if my focus on cycling has left my upper body looking like the cyclists in the Triplets of Belleville.

After reaching my goal, I'll continue to weigh myself regularly as an early warning against the kind of weight gain that crept up on me from 1997 to 2008, when I gained back the weight I had lost in the early '90s.

(edited because I accidentally hit post!)

wnbrice

I have number to give me an idea.

I know the look I want to go for

alglenn2013

Ultimate goal, is to not have my lower gut resting on my thighs when I sit. Anything after that is just cherries on top!

To not see my flabby belly sticking out farther than my boobs when I sit!

sprintto50

Mine is both. I want to get down to 150 or lower. I was 140 a couple of years ago, but skinny fat. Now I am fit and muscular so my final weight will be a look rather than weight. I am wearing clothes now that I wore before but 10 pounds lighter than I am now.

mzootie

I think its about the number till you get close to where you think you want to be. After that its how you wanna look. I can be 185 and thin looking or 195 and mucular. Which one is better? I think the latter even though its 10lbs heavier

Sil_76

Mines is a number

proudmommy1003

Both matters to me but mainly I'm going for the look. I woukd like to get my bf% to 18% and look nakes regarless of the number on the scale

ERBred

This is an interesting forum.....I too am aiming for a number....one that is realistic for me. After that, I think how I look. But I want to keep an eye on that scale and not let it get too far ahead of what I feel comfortable with....Life happens and I want to be able to be flexible with my diet and exercise routines at times and find my happy plateau. Has anyone reached their happy plateau yet?

GnomeLove

My goal is a number: 132...it is psychological for me because that was the number I was when I first got out of high school and joined the Army about ten years ago....must....reach....it....

I know my body shape is different now, but oh well.

Craig_hyde

A bit of both. My goal is to be around 12-13 stone. But I want to look more defined too

GnomeLove

well, i messed this post up

Danny_Boy13

I would say more of a look then a number.