How did you decide your target weight?
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I gave up on target weights when I was sent to a hospital to get treatment for anorexia. I feel absolutely amazing and I look so much stronger with 30lbs more on my frame. I weight about 140 now but I'm easily 5'7.5. I just go by how I feel, how I look, and how my clothes fit.
I'm going more by my body fat now. So I'm at around 22% but I want to hit 18% by January. For me, I have a decent amount of muscle and I look way better than I did when I weighed 100lbs. Maybe it's just me but that's how I roll.0 -
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.
underweight BMI for vanity isn't a good goal. Once you get into the "healthy" range of BMI, BF% would be a better indicator. Also, muscle mass almost never interferes with activities you enjoy unless you have to be lightweight (like someone has to lift you). In almost every activity more muscle benefits you. Even with pole (as in your profile photo), more muscle means an easier time lifting yourself.
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I picked the middle of the healthy BMI range.0
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I have no target. I will continue to drop body fat until I am content. Once there, I will work harder on performance (I run).0
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I'm sitting at 140 as target (130 is to allow for the upward movement of switching to maintanence and for purposes of seeing if I can healthy get close to my desired fight weight.) This is also where my doc thinks I'd have the most success convincing the insurance companies to fund a particular surgery.0
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I started at 207 and haven't set a particular goal weight. I've decided on my daily calorie goal and my exercise goals. I'll see where these goals take me and then adjust, if needed, when I've gone as far as my current daily routine takes me.
I'm 65, I Jazzercise every day for cardio, walk most days because I like being outdoors, weight training at my gym three or four times a week, and yoga class once a week (I practice a bit of yoga in the evening while watching the TV).
Where ever my calorie goal and these practices take me will be fine with me.0 -
nordlead2005 wrote: »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.
underweight BMI for vanity isn't a good goal. Once you get into the "healthy" range of BMI, BF% would be a better indicator. Also, muscle mass almost never interferes with activities you enjoy unless you have to be lightweight (like someone has to lift you). In almost every activity more muscle benefits you. Even with pole (as in your profile photo), more muscle means an easier time lifting yourself.
What I am saying is that in the range of healthy weights, for vanity reasons I choose the lower end of that range. Being 1 or 2 lbs underweight is no worse than being a few lbs overweight. I have no problems pulling myself up in pole as it is
and actually being heavier would make that more difficult because you'd have to lift more weight. Since I've lost 10 pounds I find it's easier to invert myself in pole not harder. My best estimates of body fat are that I'm around 15-18%, so I'm not skinny fat. You don't have to have ginormous muscles to be strong. I have zero interest in being 140 lbs even if my body fat is very low and that's technically in a healthy range. Not the look I am aiming for 
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I found this thread really thought provoking. I want to be in a healthy BMI, but when I really think about it I can't actually imagine it. It seems impossible and unrealistic.
What feels possible and realistic to me, is to get out of the obese range into the high end of the overweight category for my height. That's my goal for this year. That's what I can understand, what feels like a challenge but also an achievable one.
That would get me back to my high school weight, my weight about 6 years ago. That would be amazing. That makes me excited, not overwhelmed.
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I picked for my goal weight the weight I was when I was a full time yoga teacher 12 years ago. It happens to be at the low end of Overweight in the BMI scale, but as I have big hands and feet (women's 11), I don't care.0
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I'm just doing 5% at a time to see if hitting smaller marks keeps me motivated.0
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I used my BMI as a guide then re-evaluated as I got closer to my goal. I've been maintaining for a while now and have a pretty good idea of where my body feels best.0
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High normal BMI and body fat is what I am shooting for.0
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nordlead2005 wrote: »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.
underweight BMI for vanity isn't a good goal. Once you get into the "healthy" range of BMI, BF% would be a better indicator. Also, muscle mass almost never interferes with activities you enjoy unless you have to be lightweight (like someone has to lift you). In almost every activity more muscle benefits you. Even with pole (as in your profile photo), more muscle means an easier time lifting yourself.
What I am saying is that in the range of healthy weights, for vanity reasons I choose the lower end of that range. Being 1 or 2 lbs underweight is no worse than being a few lbs overweight. I have no problems pulling myself up in pole as it is and actually being heavier would make that more difficult because you'd have to lift more weight. Since I've lost 10 pounds I find it's easier to invert myself in pole not harder. My best estimates of body fat are that I'm around 15-18%, so I'm not skinny fat. You don't have to have ginormous muscles to be strong. I have zero interest in being 140 lbs even if my body fat is very low and that's technically in a healthy range. Not the look I am aiming for
You can have a low body-fat percentage just because you are underweight. It does mean that you are strong/muscular/not skinny fat.
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My goal weight is 116lb. It's the middle of my bmi-range. I don't want to be at the top or the bottom of bmi. so the middle seemed like a good idea.
I've never been that small though, so I'm not sure what I'll look like.
If I don't like what I see I might up it, or even lower it. It depends.0 -
I'm more concerned with BF% and composition than I am weight...body weight is made up of many different things, not just fat.0
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I pulled it out of my asp. I didn't even think about where I'd end up until MFP asked for a goal weight. I was like, "Huh. No clue." So I entered a weight I had in high school.
I'm going on 90 pounds down and still don't know where I will end up. I'll know it when I see it on my body, not the scale.
...or when it just gets too hard to lose and I say, "The heck with it. This is good enough." 0 -
I used BMI0
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I had mine to what I weighed before kids, then I changed it to highest of the BMI range because of comments made by others in forums about being skinny fat. I want to be a healthy and strong 50 something woman, I guess I will know it when I see it. I have set mini goals, weighing less than my driver's license says, and onederland, getting into favorite outfits, walking 5 miles a day and starting strength training have been achieved. 20% of my body weight is within my grasp and expect to see that before fall weather and then I am on my way to saying good-bye to obesity.0
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »nordlead2005 wrote: »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.
underweight BMI for vanity isn't a good goal. Once you get into the "healthy" range of BMI, BF% would be a better indicator. Also, muscle mass almost never interferes with activities you enjoy unless you have to be lightweight (like someone has to lift you). In almost every activity more muscle benefits you. Even with pole (as in your profile photo), more muscle means an easier time lifting yourself.
What I am saying is that in the range of healthy weights, for vanity reasons I choose the lower end of that range. Being 1 or 2 lbs underweight is no worse than being a few lbs overweight. I have no problems pulling myself up in pole as it is and actually being heavier would make that more difficult because you'd have to lift more weight. Since I've lost 10 pounds I find it's easier to invert myself in pole not harder. My best estimates of body fat are that I'm around 15-18%, so I'm not skinny fat. You don't have to have ginormous muscles to be strong. I have zero interest in being 140 lbs even if my body fat is very low and that's technically in a healthy range. Not the look I am aiming for
You can have a low body-fat percentage just because you are underweight. It does mean that you are strong/muscular/not skinny fat.
Yeah I'm just absolutely weak despite the fact I have zero issues lifting my self upside down, and helping move and lift 300 lb patients at work (Eyeroll). Yep completely weak and helpless! I think I probably have a better idea of my body, composition, and strength than you do.0 -
I don't have a target weight. I have a target body fat% goal.0
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »nordlead2005 wrote: »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.
underweight BMI for vanity isn't a good goal. Once you get into the "healthy" range of BMI, BF% would be a better indicator. Also, muscle mass almost never interferes with activities you enjoy unless you have to be lightweight (like someone has to lift you). In almost every activity more muscle benefits you. Even with pole (as in your profile photo), more muscle means an easier time lifting yourself.
What I am saying is that in the range of healthy weights, for vanity reasons I choose the lower end of that range. Being 1 or 2 lbs underweight is no worse than being a few lbs overweight. I have no problems pulling myself up in pole as it is and actually being heavier would make that more difficult because you'd have to lift more weight. Since I've lost 10 pounds I find it's easier to invert myself in pole not harder. My best estimates of body fat are that I'm around 15-18%, so I'm not skinny fat. You don't have to have ginormous muscles to be strong. I have zero interest in being 140 lbs even if my body fat is very low and that's technically in a healthy range. Not the look I am aiming for
You can have a low body-fat percentage just because you are underweight. It does mean that you are strong/muscular/not skinny fat.
Likewise, not being "muscular" doesn't mean you are weak. Strength isn't measured by muscle mass.0 -
I want to make it down to 150 since i havent been this weight since like middle school. But once i get there it all depends on how i look and what my body fat percentage is. I have a scale that measures this. As long as the weight and body fat are going down, i know I'm doing something right.
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I went with the weight I maintained at when I was active and in shape as an adult. Choosing is probably easier for those of us for whom the weight gain has been more recent, since we know how different weights looked. That said, my body is not identical now (I have a bit more muscle) and I seem to be fitting into my old clothes at a slightly higher weight than when I wore them before. At 125 I have more fat than I'd like so I would like to lose more (or recomp), but I am not certain and not particularly worry about what my actual goal number is. I'm mostly interested in getting fitter overall.0
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »nordlead2005 wrote: »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.
underweight BMI for vanity isn't a good goal. Once you get into the "healthy" range of BMI, BF% would be a better indicator. Also, muscle mass almost never interferes with activities you enjoy unless you have to be lightweight (like someone has to lift you). In almost every activity more muscle benefits you. Even with pole (as in your profile photo), more muscle means an easier time lifting yourself.
What I am saying is that in the range of healthy weights, for vanity reasons I choose the lower end of that range. Being 1 or 2 lbs underweight is no worse than being a few lbs overweight. I have no problems pulling myself up in pole as it is and actually being heavier would make that more difficult because you'd have to lift more weight. Since I've lost 10 pounds I find it's easier to invert myself in pole not harder. My best estimates of body fat are that I'm around 15-18%, so I'm not skinny fat. You don't have to have ginormous muscles to be strong. I have zero interest in being 140 lbs even if my body fat is very low and that's technically in a healthy range. Not the look I am aiming for
You can have a low body-fat percentage just because you are underweight. It does mean that you are strong/muscular/not skinny fat.
Yeah I'm just absolutely weak despite the fact I have zero issues lifting my self upside down, and helping move and lift 300 lb patients at work (Eyeroll). Yep completely weak and helpless! I think I probably have a better idea of my body, composition, and strength than you do.
Yeah, not sure why you're being attacked for this. I've taken exactly one pole class and I know it's not possible to be good at it without some major muscle.
PSA: While it's okay to be strong and muscular near the top of healthy BMI (or even at "overweight" if your bodyfat is in a healthy range), it is also okay to be light with proportionally smaller amounts of muscle and low bodyfat near or below the bottom of a healthy BMI. A lot of it depends on frame and preferred aesthetic and I really wish people who prefer to be on the lighter end wouldn't constantly get crapped on on these boards. Not all thinner people are "skinnyfat" or whatever, I promise you.
My husband is six feet tall and rarely exceeds 155 pounds, yet he lifts heavy, has about 10% body fat, and has visible musculature. He's not skinnyfat but he's light for a guy. Just wiry and has a slight build. I'm 5'4", prefer to stay around 115 pounds, and generally have just under 20% bodyfat. I'm not skinnyfat either but I'm closer to the low end of healthy than the higher because I have a smallish frame and prefer the way I look when I'm lower. We're both perfectly healthy and fit, we just don't have the kind of frames to support heavier weights without making the gym our jobs.
That's why there's a range. We don't all need to be at the top of it. And a couple pounds over OR under is sometimes suitable for certain people, like bodybuilders (on the top end) or small-framed athletic women (from the looks of it, @hekla90 is an example.)0 -
I was 135 in college and I always got compliments on my body so I would love to be that weight again. 15 pounds to go...0
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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.
I googles healthy weight charts and looked at a bunch of them. Most of them are just about the same so I used the healthy weight range of the most common ones. Then I set my goal to be right in the middle to give me plenty of wiggle room once I reach my goal.0 -
I'm aiming for 150 lbs because I felt best about myself at that weight. I'll reassess as I feel necessary as I make this journey.0
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I used this spreadsheet made by an MFP community member
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGVTbGswLUUzUHNVVUlNSW9wZWloeUE0
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