Setting a goal weight...

sbrownallison

How did YOU decide where to put your goal weight? When I was on Weight Watchers, I set mine for the top weight in my height range because I did not know if anything less was even achievable for me. Now, years later, my current weight loss journey, which has included WW, MFP, the YMCA, and Fitbit, has put me well below my WW goal. I'm tempted to use the number on that scale one sees featured in print advertisements for scales, which is "126.5". This number must have been run through the medical community, various focus groups, a Don Draper-esque ad agency, etc., so maybe it's the right one for me and backed by all the science that can be bought. What do you think?

shadow2soul

I picked a weight that I was before I gained a lot of weight. Although, now I'm thinking I might want to go a little lower. However, I'm just going by what's in the "healthy" BMI range and slowly lowering my goal by 5 or 10 lbs. I have a weight trend app on my phone that estimates an "ideal weight" based on frame size and height. It gives me an estimate of 124.7 lbs (5.3 lbs lower than my current goal). However, I'm not really sure if I have a small or medium frame.

kelziemba

I picked 126 lbs (9 stones) but I'd love 119 (8 and a 1/2 ) and be utterly over the moon with 112 (8 stones). I picked my goal weight because it matches with what I weighed when I looked and felt my best.

I've got like 120 lbs to lose to get to goal so it will be a while for me to get there. That's ok with me.

Lounmoun

I have chosen a goal weight that is around the middle of the healthy BMI range for my height. I have been below that weight and well above that weight and it was where I felt my best. I have about 30 lbs to go.

teagirlmedium

I chose the number I did because it was the lowest number recommended for my height. I chose it as a minimum. I do not want to weigh that amount at this time. I just chose it as more of a boundary. In reality I will probably bounce around the 120's when I start losing weight again. I am still focusing on lifting for now.

girlviernes

I haven't really picked a final goal weight. My intermediary goal is to get under 30 BMI. After that I'm playing things by ear. I have it in my mind I would like to be about a size 8. I just want to maximize the cost-benefit ratio and find a weight that allows me to feel healthiest

jemhh

I picked the top of the healthy bmi range as my first goal. Now my goal is to get to 140 and just recomp.

Addiewe

I chose a goal weight of 125 which is about 10 pounds heavier than I was before having children. I figure that this number should be fairly attainable, and once I get there I can decide whether or not I would like to go down to my previous 115.

misskarne

I chose 65kg (with 70kg as a re-assessment point) because that was 5kg lighter than the lightest weight I can recall being as an adult, and I was unhappy with being 70kg then. We'll see.

arditarose

I randomly picked 150 because I have never weighed less than 155 in my adult life. It wasn't good enough and I believe it is still out of my healthy weight range for my height. At 150 I kept mini goals of 5 lbs down, until I got to 130 (ish).

PAV8888

www.halls.md has a collection of "ideal weight" calculators. http://halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

The guy has actually thought these things out and cheesy as the site's graphics may be, the info they convey seems solid..

Shanairah1991

My first goal of 140 lbs was picked because it was the weight I maintained for years after meeting my fiance before my rapid gain. (I am 2.5lbs away from goal.) I have recently added a second goal of 130 lbs for 2 reasons. 1) So I can be better then I was before And 2) because I want to lower my body fat % before I try a "bulk and cut" that way when I gain 10lbs I won't be miserable.

Jasmunr

I chose 110 because it's what I was before pregnancy

strong_curves

I don't have a goal weight, I have a goal look... strong, "toned" & fit. The number on the scale doesn't really have much to do with it.

sbrownallison

Great insights, folks! Pav8888 gives a fun link above for a calculator; yes, cheesy graphics but entertaining info. Thanks for playing...

Katleskin

I have never weighed below 160lbs in my adult life (I'm 3lbs off that at the moment!) and I've always been on the big side so I went for a little above the middle of 'normal' for my height (140lbs) according to BMI thingies. I'll see what I look like/how I feel when I get there.

yirara

I didn't really pick a goal weight. I started out with 75kg and hoped to get back to 68kg, and surprisingly I was there after 2.5 months. I did get sick and lost very quickly though. Then I thought: lets see if 65 is possible. At around 61-60 I decided to maintainbut fell down to nearly 58 and amstill searching my maintenance calories. The udual calculators don't seem to work for me, but I hope I'mclise now.

macgurlnet

First goal was 125 - losing the 15 pounds I'd gained since starting my current job. I knew I wanted to go lower but that sounded easy enough.

Next is 120 - which I saw on the scale today but it's partially from being dehydrated so it probably won't stay LOL.

115 is my final goal so far, though I need to see how it looks on me before I decide if I wanna try to keep losing.

~Lyssa

IAmTheGlue

My cardiologist said that my heart may only be able to effectively support maybe 130 - 140 pounds maximum. I set my goal at 130. It really isn't about appearances for me but having the longest, healthiest life possible.

lemurcat12

I picked 120 (BMI around 21) because it's a weight I felt and looked good at in my 30s when I was in really good shape. I'm 125 now (or around there) and can wear the clothes I had from when I was 120 before (been doing more strength training this time, so maybe that's why) and feel pretty good and am burned out on trying to lose (I lost a bunch), so I am going to stay here for a little while, I think. However, in the back of my mind has always been the thought that I wasn't ambitious enough before and I could definitely reduce my body fat, so I'll likely keep working on improving fitness in various ways (including going back to a deficit after a bit) and see what happens, including going down to below 120 if that seems the right move or maybe deciding to try to build up my lean mass some even if it means my final weight is higher (but the image in the mirror preferable).

So even now I don't have a firm goal.

cld111

I picked 125 since that's about what I was when I was 18 and I felt good at that weight. But, it's more about losing body fat for me. I'm in a healthy BMI and weight range now, but I have so much extra flab. I would probably be OK with anywhere in the 120-130 range. I guess I'll know when I get there?

PopeyeCT

I picked the top of the "healthy weight zone" on the chart, which for me is 175. It happens to be what I weighed in high school (and never since).

rosebette

I started at 126 and had high cholesterol. I was advised that if I lost 10% of my bodyweight (around 12 lbs.), it would improve my cholesterol. That would put me at 114 lbs. However, I've been using MFP for a year and haven't been able to maintain below 120, which seems to be my "set point." My cholesterol did drop about 40 points, though because I did become more careful about my eating.