How did you decide your target weight?

PollyEH

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering what strategies others have used to decide their target weight? If you have used a weight calculator, which one did you think was best?

I've just done a few and the BMI seemed pretty unhelpful as it gave me a range from 107 to 145 lbs. Some of the others seemed more specific, but there's still quite a range, from 120 to 129 lbs.

Thank you!

Also, I'm new on here, so please add me as a friend if you'd be into supporting each other.

lisawinning4losing

It's up to you. Just pick something that sounds reasonable. Once you get close to goal, you might readjust it, Or you might not. Best of luck on your journey.

Machka9

First, I wanted to get down to what I was 4 years ago ... within my BMI range, but near the top end. I've been that weight several times in my life and it's all right.

I got there mid-June.

Then I figured that getting to that weight had been amazingly easy ... so why not try for a weight I haven't been since about 2005. Closer to the bottom end of the BMI range.

That's where I'm headed now.

tomatoey

lisawinning4losing wrote: »

It's up to you. Just pick something that sounds reasonable. Once you get close to goal, you might readjust it, Or you might not. Best of luck on your journey.

That's what I did when I lost my big weight - started at 178, thought, "eh, I probably won't get further than 150, so I'll go for that", but stuck with the lifestyle changes (because they had a huge impact on me in 10 million ways, losing weight was the least important of them), and wound up at 124.

I think picking a conservative goal is good bc it's way more attainable, so it's motivating when you reach it, and you don't feel you have this huge stretch ahead.

PollyEH

Thanks guys, that's really helpful. I think I'll adjust mine up to something a bit more achievable than it is now way down the bottom of the BMI range. Best of luck to you all.

RHachicho

Personally. Let me start by saying that I don't recommend being zealous about a target weight. It's good to have something to aim for. But overly focusing on attaining a goal that proves unreasonable will only cause you to backslide. Happened to me so yeah .. I know. The truth is once you feel healthy and happy and comfortable in your skin your done. With that borne in mind however I have given myself a rough goal by taking the numbers most website calculators give me (about 208lbs ideal) and rounding it up a bit because I am a very large person regardless of the fat.

It depends on your goals too. If you just want to be healthy the numbers going to be higher. If you want defined abs your gonna have to shoot lower.

So honestly weight should be a way of tracking progress and only loosely associated with your goals. Which should be feeling healthy and being comfortable with the way you look.

azulvioleta6

I looked at my BMI range, though about the thinnest that I had ever been as an adult and asked several of my doctors for feedback since I have some health issues and an unusual body type. They all suggested the same number.

Sued0nim

I chose my top BMI ...when it got near I looked at my body and was happy ...I aimed for maintenance but misjudged and kept losing ...now it try to stick at a BMI of around 24 (so within 5lbs of 160)

Merkavar

I think the idea is a weight range. You would go made trying to maintain exact weights.

But for my goal I just picked the high end of the healthy BMI. At the time it was some distant future so I didn't put too much thought into it.

earthnut

I just want to be within "healthy" BMI and have a "healthy" waist measurement. The upper limit, and what I'd be happy with, is 137 lbs and 30 inches for my height. (5'2")

Sure there's always going to be a range of acceptable healthy weights - that's good because each person is a unique individual with different genetics and life histories. A weight for a young thin-boned Chinese woman might not be realistic for an older thick-boned German woman. But they can both be healthy even at different weights & BMIs.

NoIdea101NoIdea

I've gone for the weight i used to be when i was at my most confident about my body-would love to fit back into my old clothes!

Sandcastles61

I set my target back to where I was comfortable after I had my kids, in the middle of the healthy BMI range. I definitely knew it was time to stop when I found size 2's to be llose and am having a hard time finding appropriate size 0's that don't come from the Jr dept. At 54 that is definitely not a good look I am a little under 5', but larger boned so I really couldn't imagine going lower at this point despite being10 pounds heavier than I was way back when I got married, although I am working on the toning up, stretching and strengthening part. You just have to shoot for where you personally are comfortable.

IILikeToMoveItMoveIt

I picked where I have been before thinking, "If I can get close to that I'd be super happy." I'll probably do some assessing and recomp then decide if I want to get down to some other smaller weights I have been in the past. I looked really good at 140 lb size 8... It's personal preference for me...

stevencloser

First BMI to the normal range, after that going by looks.

BlackPup

I'm setting mini goals along the way. First to be below 90kg, then to a BMI in the overweight range not obese, then I'll see how I'm going and decide what's next - maintain or keep on going.

Karmyeboo

I don't really do BMI because they don't take into account muscle and also like another person has said, genetics build us differently and most importantly different people are happy at different weights.

At 5'2, BMI tells me I should weigh between 104-132lbs*.

Currently at 161lbs I think I would be happy at 150lbs - however once reached this I will re evaluate..

My goal weight could be somewhere between 145-133lbs (lower end)

As in when I get to one of those numbers I'll give my self 5lb room space
145-150lbs or 140lbs-145lbs.

rosnigetsfit

My BMI! I've got 15 lbs to go to reach the 'healthy' bmi. When I reach there, I might re-evaluate my target weight.

Protranser

My goal is to be at the high end of my bmi range with a lower bodyfat %. I'm about 24 or so pounds away, weight wise.

My scale rates me at 16.5% bodyfat currently. I've seen pictures of guys at that bodyfat and I am thinking my scale is probably not reading something right, because they definitely have more visible muscle than I do.

LaurenNotLaura

I had a weight goal for the past many many years. I hit that target 10lbs ago and decided to keep going. I aimed for another 10lbs, and once I hit that, I lowered it again. As I'm hitting each goal, I just see how I feel and look. If I'm not thrilled, I keep going. My problem now is consistently incorporating exercise into my daily life. That's the goal I'm working on now!

Monklady123

I picked the high end of the range for my age and height. I'm not really focused on that though, just on losing some weight. If I actually get to that, well that would be great. We will see.... But I'm just going one pound at a time.

LivingtheLeanDream

I just wanted to get back to the weight I was in my early 20s again...

nordlead2005

My first target weight is my old college weight. That will put me just in the normal range for BMI. When I hit that I'll do body fat measurements and the goal will be to build muscle and lose fat.

icck

My target is constantly evolving - I tend to just aim for 10lb, and see how I feel when I get there. How do I feel about the way my body looks? How do I feel health wise? How do I feel about losing another 10lb?

My ultimate goal is to be on the higher end of a healthy BMI/low end of overweight as that's where I was the happiest with my size, but I may well decide that I am satisfied before I get there - or I may get there and decide that I would like to keep going.

stevencloser

Karmyeboo wrote: »

I don't really do BMI because they don't take into account muscle and also like another person has said, genetics build us differently and most importantly different people are happy at different weights.

At 5'2, BMI tells me I should weigh between 104-132lbs*.

Currently at 161lbs I think I would be happy at 150lbs - however once reached this I will re evaluate..

My goal weight could be somewhere between 145-133lbs (lower end)

As in when I get to one of those numbers I'll give my self 5lb room space
145-150lbs or 140lbs-145lbs.

Unless you're a huge bodybuilder, a lean person is most likely going to be in the normal BMI range.

SaffronSunrise

I'm still working towards my first (mini) goal, which is still well above my BMI. Once I hit that number, I'll make my second goal which will probably be 20 more pounds, then keep working down from there. One big number was a little too depressing for me, so I'm taking it in pieces.

DeguelloTex

(My starting weight) - (my younger daughter's weight at the time) = (my target weight)

supersocks117

I chose a weight based on other weights I have been at in the last 5-6 years. 155 in early college (felt fat because it was higher than I started) 135 mid-college started watching what I ate and doing C25K and ran a 5k 160 when I got pregnant (I was working a ton before this to try to save money to not work when I had the baby and to buy a house!) so I was just really lazy at that point about my weight 195 highest pregnancy weight 175 after the baby was born current : 185. I chose 150 as my preliminary goal, in case my body has changed, and because 135 was extremely hard for me to maintain. I want a lifestyle that, while I have to put effort in, is not too hard to maintain.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

When I decided to get in shape, I set a goal for myself. Once I achieved it, I reassessed and decided I wanted to keep going. I guess where I landed was a healthy (on lower end) BMI where I feel good and don't feel like I'm starving. For me that's 120.

eileensofianmushinfine

I've set short-term, mid-term and long term goals. I started at 243...my short term goal was 20 pounds. My mid-term goal was 50 pounds which I hit in June...I've talked with my trainer and we're shooting for me to end up in the 160s (80 pounds total) so that's another 30, but I'm going to take those 10 pounds at a time as we go.

crazyjerseygirl

I've never been slim, so I used my sister's weight!

We are the same height but built differently so I'm using her weight as a soft goal. Once I get well into the healthy BMI range (150s) I'm going to switch over to tracking body fat composition and aim for a goal of 20-25% and see where that puts me weight wise.

hekla90

I've never been overweight so my goal was purely vanity based. I'm slightly below bmi and I'm honestly pretty happy here. I gained a few pounds back and maintaining 98-100, but I have energy, I get to eat a ton, and I'm satisfied with how I look as I'm pretty lean at the moment. I had a friend in a college just a tad taller than me who was about 115 pounds of what looked like pure muscle And she looked awesome so once I heal from an injury I'm certainly open to gaining a bit in more in the since of muscle mass with lifting. But I'm a pretty vain person and personally I wouldn't be comfortable or satisfied in a higher bmi because I know I could do better. I also feel like higher weights would hinder activities I enjoy to some degree.