How did you decide your goal weight?

Libby283

I am seeing others my same height posting goal weights vastly different than my goal. Some are close to what I weigh now, which I say is my "fat size".

Is it a certain size you were before? A goal to just get to a certain pant or dress size you think sounds good?

How do you decide what weight you want to become?


My current stats

5'3", 38 year of F.

SW 158
CW 152.6
GW 124

I want to get back to the same size I was 2 years ago and wear my favorite size 2 Levi's.

pinuplove

A lot depends on personal history. Some users have never been at their goal weight and really don't know what to expect. Some just choose a weight based on healthy bmi range for their height. Some set 'mini-goals' to break their journey up into manageable chunks. Body frame and desired muscle mass also factor in.

I have an interim goal weight that is at the top of my healthy range. This is what I weighed when I got married more than a few years ago, and I know I'm pretty comfortable there. Then I have an ultimate goal weight. This is what I weighed in high school, and I know it will take some work to get there but is perfectly realistically attainable.

Libby283

pinuplove wrote: »

A lot depends on personal history. Some users have never been at their goal weight and really don't know what to expect. Some just choose a weight based on healthy bmi range for their height. Some set 'mini-goals' to break their journey up into manageable chunks. Body frame and desired muscle mass also factor in.

I have an interim goal weight that is at the top of my healthy range. This is what I weighed when I got married more than a few years ago, and I know I'm pretty comfortable there. Then I have an ultimate goal weight. This is what I weighed in high school, and I know it will take some work to get there but is perfectly realistically attainable.

I would love to go to my high school weight, but last time I lost weight I got to 124 and people said I looked really small. 98 lbs (day I graduated, 18 years old) would have them loosing their minds.

TavistockToad

I just go by what I see in the mirror. End of 2015 I was at goal weight, then life happened and I gained some weight back so I am now aiming for roughly the weight I was then, but I think I have gained a little muscle so am going more by how I look than by the number.

Libby283

TavistockToad wrote: »

I just go by what I see in the mirror. End of 2015 I was at goal weight, then life happened and I gained some weight back so I am now aiming for roughly the weight I was then, but I think I have gained a little muscle so am going more by how I look than by the number.

This happened to me also.

I hate the look of muscles. I just think it looks gross. I like the very thin model look.

pinuplove

Libby283 wrote: »

pinuplove wrote: »

A lot depends on personal history. Some users have never been at their goal weight and really don't know what to expect. Some just choose a weight based on healthy bmi range for their height. Some set 'mini-goals' to break their journey up into manageable chunks. Body frame and desired muscle mass also factor in.

I have an interim goal weight that is at the top of my healthy range. This is what I weighed when I got married more than a few years ago, and I know I'm pretty comfortable there. Then I have an ultimate goal weight. This is what I weighed in high school, and I know it will take some work to get there but is perfectly realistically attainable.

I would love to go to my high school weight, but last time I lost weight I got to 124 and people said I looked really small. 98 lbs (day I graduated, 18 years old) would have them loosing their minds.

I'm 5'4 and was 130 to 135 in high school. Never in my (post adolescent) life have I been as small as you were in HS I developed early and had child bearing hips before I had children, lol.

Like I said, it will vary greatly from person to person. High school weight isn't attainable for everyone, nor should it be.

Libby283

pinuplove wrote: »

Libby283 wrote: »

pinuplove wrote: »

A lot depends on personal history. Some users have never been at their goal weight and really don't know what to expect. Some just choose a weight based on healthy bmi range for their height. Some set 'mini-goals' to break their journey up into manageable chunks. Body frame and desired muscle mass also factor in.

I have an interim goal weight that is at the top of my healthy range. This is what I weighed when I got married more than a few years ago, and I know I'm pretty comfortable there. Then I have an ultimate goal weight. This is what I weighed in high school, and I know it will take some work to get there but is perfectly realistically attainable.

I would love to go to my high school weight, but last time I lost weight I got to 124 and people said I looked really small. 98 lbs (day I graduated, 18 years old) would have them loosing their minds.

I'm 5'4 and was 130 to 135 in high school. Never in my (post adolescent) life have I been as small as you were in HS I developed early and had child bearing hips before I had children, lol.

Like I said, it will vary greatly from person to person. High school weight isn't attainable for everyone, nor should it be.

Oh I have child bearing hips and my bra size at 124 lbs is a 32D. It was still a C cup when I was in high school. But the rest of me was tiny. I had no fat on my body. Skin and bones.

TavistockToad

Libby283 wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

I just go by what I see in the mirror. End of 2015 I was at goal weight, then life happened and I gained some weight back so I am now aiming for roughly the weight I was then, but I think I have gained a little muscle so am going more by how I look than by the number.

This happened to me also.

I hate the look of muscles. I just think it looks gross. I like the very thin model look.

but do you have the build of a 'very thin model look'? you may need to focus on getting a healthy weight for you and not the photoshopped 'model' look.

Daddy78230

Initially when I weighed 310 lbs I chose a weight that I weighed for many years and felt fairly healthy which was 245.

After I reached that and seeing that I finally figured out what works, I chose a weight based on a healthy lower body fat (<18%) and improved BMI (<30). I figured if sometime in the future I gained weight again a lower starting point is better. Lol

I'm currently 233 lbs (22% BF, 32 BMI) and my goal is 219, stretch goal is 210.

Leah_62803

I'm 5'4 and my weight used to stay around 165 lbs for most of my adult life. At one point I lost weight and was around 153 but I went back up to 165. I always had a "goal weight" of 120 but back then 45 lbs to lose seemed like a massive amount to lose. I also had no idea what I'd look or feel like at that weight so it seemed very distant and unattainable.

Fast forward like 4 years... A medication I was on helped me balloon up to 195 lbs. I felt miserable. Now my 120 lb goal seemed REALLY out of reach for me. It made it hard to even try.
So recently I reevaluated things. I felt pretty good when I got down to 153 so I looked up my healthy weight rage and picked 140 which was on the higher end. That feels attainable to me. It feels like a weight that I can get to. I'm now at 176 and it's exciting (instead of daunting) that I "only" have 34 lbs to go.

Butts_Boys_and_Burgers_ohmy

I don't have a certain goal weight, per se, I just want to look healthy and feel good. I think I'll know it when I get there

BrookeRunningMom

I was 156lbs 5 3 and goal was 120 and when I hit it I was still unhappy and now im 115 an goal is now 110 and to tighten up loose skin. Do what makes you happy

I also made small goals along the way of my weight loss journey so I wouldnt get overwhelmed and quit. So 1 lb at a time and take it day by day only took me less then 6 months and never set foot in a gym. Just jogging and eating at a deficit if 1400-1500 cals a day. And jogging

Jadedinosaur

~ 8 1/2 stone, that was a weight I was happy at after being underweight and trying to gain for a while, then I rocketed right past it up to a BMI of 31ish (over some years mind)! Goal weight is just under a BMI of 22 which is right in the middle of "normal", when I was slim I didn't have much in the way of curves, but I think I'm stronger this time so I may find that I am happy at 9 stone or maybe a little more.

(1 stone = 14lbs)

sardelsa

While I do have a sort of range I like to stay in, for the most part I aim for a certain look or bodyfat percentage (which I determine by mirror, photos, etc). Also every time I bulk my goal weight goes up which is pretty awesome because I look more lean and fit at a higher weight.

Glad I don't think muscles look gross, on me they look freakin amazing, especially in a bikini. To each their own I suppose.

bigmuneymfp

Bmi of pro athletes

Libby283

mccord62803 wrote: »

I'm 5'4 and my weight used to stay around 165 lbs for most of my adult life. At one point I lost weight and was around 153 but I went back up to 165. I always had a "goal weight" of 120 but back then 45 lbs to lose seemed like a massive amount to lose. I also had no idea what I'd look or feel like at that weight so it seemed very distant and unattainable.

Fast forward like 4 years... A medication I was on helped me balloon up to 195 lbs. I felt miserable. Now my 120 lb goal seemed REALLY out of reach for me. It made it hard to even try.
So recently I reevaluated things. I felt pretty good when I got down to 153 so I looked up my healthy weight rage and picked 140 which was on the higher end. That feels attainable to me. It feels like a weight that I can get to. I'm now at 176 and it's exciting (instead of daunting) that I "only" have 34 lbs to go.

I have 33 lbs to go. We can do this. One pound at a time. I break it into tiny chunks. Like now I am just trying to get into the 140's, than I will be excited to get to 145, than to the 130's...and so on. Mini Milestones along the way to goal weight.

jbirdgreen

I'm 5'7", 177 lbs. I have my goal weight set to 165, but it's a mini goal. My overall goal weight is 150. I don't even know if that's a healthy BMI for my height, but I've been that weight and lower than that weight (142), and I remember really liking my body at that size. In the 140s I looked really thin -- I like being slightly curvy. As long as I am toned, I really don't care about the end weight on the scale -- I just want to shed enough fat to see the lean muscle I've been building.

CoachJen71

I just lost until I looked/felt right. I'm 5'2.5". Started with a gw of 140 and kept going down by 5lbs after that. Would like to stay under 125lbs in the morning.

My story.

trigden1991

I knew my start weight & bodyfat percentage. I knew I wanted to be under 10% bodyfat so calculated approximately where I needed to get to.

Don't forget that everyone is fatter than they initially think and it is more than likely that you will not look how you want at your goal weight. I would advise using the scale to check you are making progress but focus on how you look in the mirror/photos.

lemurcat12

Libby283 wrote: »

How do you decide what weight you want to become?

I'm 5'3. My original goal was 120 (with 125 okay in my mind), because that's what I was for years and allows me to fit back in some clothes and just is a size I know I feel good at.

At some point I did a BF%/best running weight analysis and decided that I'd aim for 118, which should be around 20% BF or just a little more, and then try to build some muscle. Under that theory I don't really care what the final scale weight would be.

I'm not actually doing anything to lose right now, though, because I do fit back into my old clothes at 125 and don't mind it; I go back and forth between wanting to recomp and wanting to actually just see how I would like being 118.

rainbow198

I was overweight most of my life so I had no clue what I would look like at a certain weight.

I chose to focus on reaching a certain dress size and measurement range. Also I wanted to have tight body with a nice balance of solid curves and a little lean muscle. So I just kept going until I was happy with what I saw in the mirror.

This strategy worked great for me. It was wonderful not stressing over a number or the scale.

My goal was reached, but I ended up losing another dress size during my first 2 years of maintenance, but I stayed the same weight.

rachelr1116

I'm 5'11" and initially picked 177 as my goal because that's near the top of my healthy BMI range and it would put me at 60 lbs lost. I really didn't think I'd want to (or be able to) go any lower than that but once I got down into the low 200's I realized there was no reason why I couldn't set my goal lower. Now I'm aiming for around 157, in the middle of the healthy BMI range. It's still possible that I'll change my mind again as I continue to lose but it's nice to have a number to aim for.

menotyou56

I decided by the normal BMI for my age, gender and height. That's my first goal weight and then about half way into that normal BMI range would be the second goal.

nicolammorris221

I have been in the Army for almost 17 yrs and I gained a few pound over the yrs. I'm 5'6 and my allowed weight is 154 lbs. I'm currently at 158. I can pass the tap test without any issues but I just want to lose 20 lbs. I can't fit my favorite pants anymore and that was my wake up call. I have to get back in those pants. That's how I set my goal.

hlblakeley

I'm 5'4" and have set my goal weight for 135 because it's the middle of my health BMI range. I haven't been that size however since I was about 13 or 14. I'm now 42 and 3 kids later getting myself on track. I started at 295 and as of this morning am at 218. I don't know what to expect looks wise when I get lower since it's been so long, but I am willing to set the goal a little higher if I like how I look.

quiksylver296

W.A.G. Now I'm reconsidering and may end up going lower. Mostly because the cut-off for powerlifting competition weight classes is 7 pounds lower than my goal weight, and if I can drop a class I may do better.

PrincessMel72

I got down to within 5lbs of my initial goal weight of 130lbs back in 2012 and was a size 8. I was thrilled and looked good at that weight, so that is my new goal. I'm 5', so it's still on the high side for me, but no way will I ever hit 100lbs again and I'm totally fine with that!

schtump

I'm what is delightfully known as morbidly obese at this point. I set my goal to something that seems aggressive when I look at it from where I'm at. I know I'm going to have mad amounts of dangling skin, so I guess I kind of set the goal knowing that isn't going anywhere without surgery. I've been fat my whole life. I just want to see what it is like on the other side. And maybe cure my type 2 diabetus.

brookekaczor

I'm currently trying to get to 150. I lost weight 7 years ago and got to 158 before I started gaining weight back and I liked that weight range. I knew that I could go about 10 more pounds lighter than that and like how I looked.
5'10"
SW 220
CW 207
GW 150

kayeroze

I'm 5'2 with a goal weight of 130 and take it from there. I chose the upper end because I want to see where I'm at at that point and move more towards the mid-range of 115-120 for my height. While I've been overweight my entire life and have never seen my body at that weight, I do have a sister who has and it gives a better idea of what it will look like on me (similar heights and body shapes too).

RUNucbar

Initially, I set my goal as the maximum healthy weight for my height, which meant losing 24lbs. Once I got there, I decided to aim for a few more pounds off so I am in the middle of the range. Initially based on health but now I think I will feel better with a few more pounds off as I'll them be able to get into the smallest jeans I've ever owned which will be amazing.

That means me, at 5"2 going from 160lbs down to initially 135lbs but now aiming for 125 - 120. We'll see what happens in the next few months. It'll probably change again knowing me.