How did you choose your goal weight?

nvmomketo

I am aiming for about 140 lbs, which is what I weighed in high school when I played a few sports. At 5'8", I looked and felt good at that weight.

It also happens to be in the middle of my BMI range, and I've seen one calculator declare that to be my ideal weight.

If I remember correctly, my waist will be about a 30-31 at that weight. Could be wrong, it was a loooong time ago.

I'm about 155 right now and look fine. I have a large bone frame for a woman, and tend to be naturally muscular so i can carry more weight than many women. I wear a size 8-12 or medium now.

I am not working to hard to hit that 140lbs at the moment. No rush.

kuroshii

Clothes that fit me fine a year ago didn't fit me in April, and I discovered I had gained 15lbs in those six months. That doesn't sound like much to lose compared to a lot of other folks on this board, but I'm on the "wrong" side of 40 so I needed to nip it in the bud.

I started by rebuilding my workout routine (I had stopped completely a year earlier due to changes in work) and when I saw that just adding workouts wasn't working I started looking at my diet, creating my account here on MFP.

MKEgal

I started out aiming for 10 lb under the top of a healthy BMI weight (top of the green range).
When I get there I'll see how I feel, how I look.
Maybe I'll want to lose a little more (won't be more than 15 lb), maybe I'll just want to focus on weightlifting to
shape up, lose inches, be stronger, look awesome.

Also wanted to get my waist under 34", because that's shown to be healthier, and I've done that.

Also want to get my body fat into a healthy range, and it's coming along. I'm just over 14% down, aiming for
maybe another 10-14% beyond that.

Asher_Ethan

It was the weight I was in college.

Traveler120

I used this calculator for ideal weight:
http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html
It has 4 different formulas, so for my 5'5" height, I chose the lowest result of 125 lbs which is what I am now. Yay! However, it also says my healthy BMI range is 111 to 150 lbs. My starting weight was above the upper range at 152 lbs and I want to be close to the lower end. I'm still holding a bit of extra fat so I've set a new goal of 115 lbs.

I also used this calculator for body fat (uses height, neck, waist and hips):
http://www.calculator.net/body-fat-calculator.html (US Navy formula)
American Council on Exercise has 4 ranges of body fat (for women) - Athletes(16-20%), Fitness(21-24%), Acceptable(25-31%), Obese(32%+). I started at an obese 32% and wanted to drop to the Athletes range. I'm now at 19% so mission accomplished! But, I could stand to drop another 2% so I'm working on it.

nowetdio

Recently changed my goal weight according to thishttp://www.builtlean.com/2010/05/04/ideal-body-weight-formula-how-to-calculate-your-ideal-weight/

rainbowbow

When i was young and a competitive gymnast i was evaluated by a few doctors because my body fat was too low to inhibit hormone function necessary to start my menstrual cycle. They did some tests on me and determined i would likely not hit puberty until i quit being a full time gymnast. They told me based on my age and current height/weight when i reach maturity i would be around 5'3-5'4 and my normal weight between 108-113 pounds.


When i lost weight initially i set that as my target goal.

Turns out I am 5'3.5 and i maintain just about 113-115 at my optimum level of fitness.

shrcpr

middlehaitch wrote: »

Nothing magic, I just went back to the weight I had maintained for the majority of my adult life.
Cheers, h.

+1

nyponbell

My goal weight has been set by doctors for a surgery, but once I reach it and have that surgery, I'm not going to maintain that weight, as I believe (at this stage in my life anyway, I might change my mind when I get there) it is not sustainable for me nor healthy considering the lifestyle I want to live (I want to focus more on fitness and health than my actual weight). For the surgery I need to be at a BMI of 25, which would put me at 65 kg (or 143 pounds). My personal goal weight is probably around 70kg, but it will be mostly determined by how I'm feeling and what I can do, fitness wise. And probably also how my clothes fit.

PeachyCarol

BMI target based on my height and frame size, but honestly, I'll know when I get there. I'm shooting low, I might be pleased at a higher weight, I might need to go lower.

rtp_slg52181

I chose a goal bodyfat% and daily cal intake to maintain it.

I want to be 20% and maintain on 23-2500 cals a day with only 4gym days a week. This means I need to do a few bulk and cut cycles and will settle around 150-155#

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

My goal weight is +2/4lbs into the lower end of healthy BMI range. My weight battle is different to most people but I have maintained this for almost 11 years now

Francl27

Middle of healthy BMI range, although I haven't been able to get lower than 3 pounds over that.

Psychgrrl

First priority was in the healthy BMI range for my height. Now, focused on muscle mass and body fat. Getting to a lower weight won't give me the body type I want. I don't want to sacrifice muscle and strength for some idealized, societal aesthetic. With my body type, that'd be pretty scary looking.

tomteboda

It was a round number. It was less than 100 lbs to lose. I'd been that weight before and was happy with my appearance and abilities. And it was higher than the weight is gotten myself intointo trouble with when I had disordered eating.

meltoine

I'm focusing a lot on heavy lifting, so I know I may weigh more as I build muscle. For that reason my goal is not a weight, but to fit size 6 pants/dresses.

cmtigger

I went with the weight that was the most comfortable for me in the past. It also happens to be right in the middle of the healthy BMI range for my height.

Merkavar

High end of BMI rounded to nearest 5.

I didn't really have intermittent goals.

And my current goal isn't all that strict, might go lower might not reach it.

AnvilHead

nowetdio wrote: »

Recently changed my goal weight according to thishttp://www.builtlean.com/2010/05/04/ideal-body-weight-formula-how-to-calculate-your-ideal-weight/

That formula makes a lot more sense (for me, anyway) than BMI. It puts my target weight (at 13-15% BF) in a range I know I'm comfortable at and look pretty good. When I calculate my weight in the middle of the "healthy" BMI range, it suggests a weight that I haven't been at since high school, and I look emaciated and sickly at that weight. Even at the very top of the "healthy" BMI (24.9), it's too low - been there, and I know how it looked.

Also, BMI doesn't take bodyfat % into consideration (although people often confuse the two). A person who's 5'8", 150 lbs. and 30% BF will look radically different than a person who's 5'8", 150 lbs. at 15% BF, although their BMI will be identical.

BMI calculations also don't distinguish between male and female - and males carry more muscle mass than females do (speaking in general terms). Try it - go to a BMI calculator and enter your stats, try the calculation as both male and female (if the calculator even makes the distinction) - the results will be identical.

reinhali

I remember weighing in the 150s in my 20s. And I was content with that. But I've been overweight since my teens, so I chose my goal weight in the 130s. It's a healthy BMI for my age and height. Slow and steady and I'll make it!