Trying to Find a Realistic Weight for me

MyChocolateDiet

Yeah 140 seems too low. I look pretty good at 138 and I'm only 5'2" and I'm curvy so I think your original goal of 160 sounds good. Just aim for that and when you get there you can decide if you think you are fine or still need some losing (or gaining) to achieve the figure you want.

artsycella

Hey! I'm almost in your same shoes. I'm 5' 7.75" and started on here weighing 226. I set my goal for 160. I spent most of my 20s at 160. I was healthy and fit, ate well and exercised often. I wore a Medium/Large/12/14 in clothes, depending on the brand. I looked good and felt good.

I know that 160 is right at the edge of healthy on BMI charts for our height, but I'm a busty, curvy woman even when I'm trim. The last time I was 140 was when I was 18, right after 12 weeks of bootcamp, when I had been exercising 4-8 hours a day, sleeping less than 4, and eating probably a total of 1500 - 2000 calories a day. I was miserable, unhappy, unhealthy. That doesn't mean 140 might not be a great goal for some people, and some folks may be able to get there in a healthy way, but it doesn't make sense for me.

160 here I come!

peleroja

My suggestion is to not focus on what goal you want until you get closer to 160. When you reach 160, reassess. Having a large amount of weight to lose can be overwhelming. Instead, focus on the small losses each week (0.5 to 2 lbs). Those will add up,, and give you the motivation to keep going.

At one time, I thought I too had a medium to large bone structure, and it wasn't until the weight came off that I discovered I was small boned! I am finding that this thinking is quite common in overweight people, so I wasn't the only one.

I'm 5'9" at 125, which puts my BMI in the 18's. However, I am perfectly happy here and don't think that I'm too thin.

I agree with this. I've seen it so often on MFP- overweight people do often think they have a large bone structure when it is just the extra weight, which they find when it starts to come off. I don't think I've ever seen anyone who looked sickly or emaciated at a BMI in the 20-25 range. Yes, I know the BMI isn't accurate for athletes etc, but unless you're seriously into competitive sports or lifting weights, that probably doesn't apply.

All that said...weight loss doesn't happen instantly. You'll have plenty of time as the weight comes off to decide if you like your current weight and want to stay.

manders376

I agree with what others have said about seeing how you feel once you get closer to your goal and not having one set number in mind.

With that said this chart does compare heights/weights to different body structures as most BMI or height/weight charts do not: http://www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm

Just in case you do decide you need to have a number at least you can be informed about what is reasonable From that chart you will see that for your body type/height 160 is in range, 140 is a little low!

Sabine_Stroehm

How old are you?

I'm 5'6" and 135. I was 130 for years (til things...ahem...slowed down). If you can maintain 140, that sounds great.

JeffseekingV

People. Please don't use BMI scales. I'm 170lbs at 5'7" 17.5% body fat. But according to BMI chart. I'm overweight at 26.6.


Especially if you weight train. LIKE I KNOW YOU ARE

Calliope610

This is the calculator I used to determine whether or not I have a realistic weight goal. Just plug in your desired body fat % and it does the rest.

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ibw/

This gives you a good idea what degrees of BF% look like.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3POuHYpujeM/UMYvd3yb_UI/AAAAAAAACg0/or9Srms06yY/s1600/Body+Fat+Percentage+-+Men+and+Women.PNG&imgrefurl=http://www.body-buildin.com/2012/12/get-6-pack-like-lazar-angelov-7.html&h=784&w=1356&sz=1869&tbnid=sDf-Zve86FFQvM:&tbnh=71&tbnw=123&zoom=1&usg=__CVeQ5ek8QCzXyCNutJdh51I88bA=&docid=y7PQebM41od_dM&sa=X&ei=ve64UdLWCsS9qQHNh4A4&ved=0CFsQ9QEwDQ&dur=1993

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Get to 160. See how you feel.

A_Fit_Mom

I am 5'8 and 160 now. I was 185 to start, but my goal is around 135-140. I have a small body frame and I definitely didn't look too skinny at that weight before. So I say it all depends on your body type, set it for 160 and see from there.

stephaniemejia1671

@240lbs. Set your goal for 200lbs. When at 200lbs, set the goal at 180lbs. etc...

This way you won't be so tempted to eat a such a drastic calorie deficit trying to lose all the weight at once.

Sounds good.

Skrib69

There's an awesome website for this! Its http://www.mybodygallery.com/

People of all heights and weights have uploaded photos of themselves, so all you do is input your height and the weight you think you are going for and then take a look at the photos. It gives you an idea of how you'd look at different weights, I usually find three or four people at each weight range with my body type

Great website! Bit short on photo's for men, but there are enough to get a good feel for where I want to be! Thanks!!

Time2Commit

Thanks a lot everyone. I think I am going to stick with 160 and rethink everything then. The reason I say I hae a medium to large bone structure is when I was younger, 18, I was about 140 and to me it just didn't look right. Now I am 23, I have had 2 kids and I just think it i more realistic for me to look at the higher end.

And I am doing my best with strength training. The highest weights I have is 5 lbs right now, i will invest in heavier ones when I feel that my body is ready.

TeachTheGirl

Set yourself smaller goals. I never thought I'd get to this weight, never in a million years, so I never set this goal for myself. The closer I got, the further away I set the bar.

Just focus on chunks of weight (5-10lbs goals) and then see how you feel with each loss!

laserturkey

I'm 5' 6 3/4" and my goal is 153 pounds. When I was 142 (with very low body fat) I looked too gaunt. I'm expecting to be happy with 153 when I get there. I'm doing martial arts and some weight lifting, but not to the degree I was back when I was 142.

LorinaLynn

Just aim for a ballpark figure, and re-evaluate once you get to the park. How others look at a certain weight and even how you might've looked at a certain weight at another time in your life don't really much matter.

Otterluv

Thanks a lot everyone. I think I am going to stick with 160 and rethink everything then. The reason I say I hae a medium to large bone structure is when I was younger, 18, I was about 140 and to me it just didn't look right. Now I am 23, I have had 2 kids and I just think it i more realistic for me to look at the higher end.

And I am doing my best with strength training. The highest weights I have is 5 lbs right now, i will invest in heavier ones when I feel that my body is ready.

There are lots of great bodyweight exercises if you don't have access to a gym. I've heard good things about the book "You are Your Own Gym".

I think that your LBM will have a huge impact on what a reasonable goal weight should be. I initially had mine at around 130 (I'm 5'3"), it was just kind of a pipe dream number. But, after I saw what women of my height who lift look like at different weights, I re-evaluated and raised it up. I may end up tinkering around with it when I get down there. But, it's still so far away that it would be putting the cart before the horse at this point.

TLDR: Don't worry about it, once you get down there you can figure it out.

AllonsYtotheTardis

I randomly set my target weight as just inside the high end of "healthy" BMI. I'll reasses as I get closer. I really have no idea what will be a reasonable or realistic weight for me. I'll know when I get there.

frankizoy

or now i suggest stick to 160, then when you get there or close to there you can always change it

zyxst

People. Please don't use BMI scales. I'm 170lbs at 5'7" 17.5% body fat. But according to BMI chart. I'm overweight at 26.6.


Especially if you weight train. LIKE I KNOW YOU ARE

Tell the medical profession to stop using BMI charts and things will be looking up. :grumble:

I picked 140# because it's on the border of overweight on BMI. I just needed a realistic number to get myself going. I don't know if I'll reach it, but it's what I'm working toward and I'll see how I feel/look when I get there. As others have said, you can (and probably should) reassess when you get close to goal.

ahanshew7

I personally am right about where you are at but I am not focusing on my weight as much as my size. I keep setting mini goals. My first goal was simply to be able to buy an outfit at a regular store. I started at 315 and was a size 26. When I was able to go to a regular store and buy a regular outfit I was a size 20 and when I accomplished that goal I bought myself a pair of size 18 pants and wanted to fit into them before my birthday. I am still a month away from my birthday and they fit! So my new goal is to be into a size 16 before my anniversary in late august. I just keep going step by step and I will decide to stop and maintain when I FEEL that I look good not when anyone else thinks so or if I'm in the right spot on a chart. It needs to be where I am comfortable. Sorry I went on a bit of a rant but this is something I feel very strongly about. And so far I have gone from a size 26 to an 18 and am down 55 pounds.