Healthy weight: My definition or theirs

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Replies

  • tabletop_joe
    tabletop_joe Posts: 455 Member
    The charts are generic, you are unique. My broad shoulders, ribs and wide pelvis will not be seeing the other side of 150, ever. My head alone is super big!

    Don't set an ultimate weight goal; it's too overwhelming. Go 10 lbs at a time and when you start to see how things are shaping up, you'll get a better idea of where you may want to stop.

    But for now, just keep going and see what happens. :)
  • kamarismom
    kamarismom Posts: 50 Member
    tabletop_joe wrote: »
    The charts are generic, you are unique. My broad shoulders, ribs and wide pelvis will not be seeing the other side of 150, ever. My head alone is super big!

    Don't set an ultimate weight goal; it's too overwhelming. Go 10 lbs at a time and when you start to see how things are shaping up, you'll get a better idea of where you may want to stop.

    But for now, just keep going and see what happens. :)

    I love this so much!!!
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
    I'm 5'7" and fairly muscular for a woman with a broader frame. My doctor gave me a healthy range based on my personal stats of 145-165. My original goal was to get and stay in that range. I've done that. The higher end of that weight range puts me just outside the healthy BMI for my height but only by about 5lb or so.

    I don't think BMI is outdated for most people and even those who fall outside the range still being healthy don't usually fall very far outside the BMI range.

    Now I'm personally focused on body fat percentage for my own goals.
  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
    I'm 5'3", 143 lbs. Lost 70 lbs on WW and MFP. I would like to be 125 but I kinda feel comfortable here. I'm a size 4, and managed to fit into some 2s. My doctor told me tonight my weight is healthy, though according to BMI it is technically on the edge of overweight. I'm healthy except for hypoglycemia, and I'm pretty sure as soon as I see a dietician for that they'll iron out any other dietary issues I have holding me back.

    I care about the numbers. I meet my calorie goals as best I can. After that it's how much can I lift, how far can I jog, what incline can I walk. BMI is one fitness indicator, but not the end all be all.

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    My goal is based on what weight I felt my best at and the healthy bmi range for my height. It happens that I felt my best around the middle of that range in the past. I would be okay toward the high end of that range as well.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    kamarismom wrote: »
    Hello everyone,

    At my highest weight I was 374 pounds. I am current 298. My personal weight loss goal has always been 220 or 180 (I can't decide which) however according to the outdated BMI system I should be 141. My question is the weight loss goal that you have chosen is it based on your personal preferences or your BMI?

    I want to add a big "congratulations" on your progress. You've already made HUGE strides!
  • SafioraLinnea
    SafioraLinnea Posts: 628 Member
    edited June 2017
    kamarismom wrote: »
    SafioraLinnea wrote: »
    My goal is to look and feel healthy and to be a lot stronger. I don't yet fit any of those. I'm 5'3.5" and 172lbs right now. Bmi gives me a range in the 112-136 range (or something like that). I do want to be in the normal range but I don't mind if it's high end. I just want to be smaller, fitter, and feel healthier.

    Frankly, you do you. I agree with several of the previous posters who said that your goal is still very much too heavy and will potentially have health consequences but if you choose to be happy there then power on to your goal.

    What if you looked and felt healthier 160 and were stronger would you not be happy until fit into category set for you. Not being rude or mean, I truly want to know.

    I already said I want to be in the normal category. I quantify a portion of my health by being in a normal bmi because I know the health consequences of not being at a healthy weight. I know I won't be done at 160. I'm not at all unique or special and my suggested BMI range is very realistic for me and will help me on my way.

    The point is, I'm not caught up in the specific number once I'm in that range. I've already lost 55 pounds. 40 or so more pounds is very attainable.

    My goals are intentionally subjective so I can always have something to reach for. I get to choose where that happens.

    The subjectivity is part of the point I was trying to make. If you want to stop at the number you choose then do it. It isn't recommended by the doctor but it is a choice only the you can make.
  • Soopatt
    Soopatt Posts: 563 Member
    I worked out my goal based on what weight I have felt good at in the past and by paying attention to how my body looks and feels as I age, but I realize that if you have been overweight through most of your adult life, you might not have that benchmark to refer to (I don't know in your case OP).

    What often helps is looking at the shape of other people and asking yourself if that is what you are aiming for - does the person look too thick, or to thin, for your taste, at that weight? Use that as a barometer to give yourself an idea of where you would like to end up.

    Here is one example of 140 - I am 5'7 and am 140 in my profile picture. I still have some to lose, as I still have a belly (thats a top that holds stuff in, it's giving a false impression). My goal is anything between 120 and 130. I prefer a leaner look, like a strong dancer - thats where I want to end up (Robin Wright is my height and close to my age and is a role-model).

    I am taller than you of course, so my same look at 5'5, would weigh less than I do.
  • Jadedinosaur
    Jadedinosaur Posts: 41 Member
    I picked a mid-low round number in the healthy BMI range. I didn't have big hips etc when I was slim, so I think that's a good goal to aim for. However, I'm still so far away from there - I may get closer and realize I want to adjust that. I'm more of an "aim big" person to motivate me (it doesn't demotivate me). I celebrate small goals too, but having a big (or small, as it were) end goal motivates me well!
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
    Seems as you are struggling with a number. The number means nothing in the long run. You'll know when you feel and look your best, then you stop losing. My Mom is 5'4 and struggles to get below 150 (she's a size 6 then). To be in normal BMI range they say she should be 143. I think that's silly, especially for someone who's 64 and it perfectly healthy otherwise.

    Now, me. I'm 5'11, starting losing at 193 in 2011 and managed to get to 142. And even though I wasn't a "walking corpse", I was thin (size 4, almost 2) and everyone encouraged me to gain a little. Over the years I've put on a few pounds and tend to be HAPPY at 150-155. So, oddly enough my 5'4 Mom and I tend to look our best at the same weight, even though I'm 7" taller. It's all in how you carry your body weight.

    So. Why don't you focus less on the end number and focus on how you feel when you get to where you think you should be? The great thing with weight loss that you get to where you want to go and you hate it, you either gain/lose more to get to where you love...
  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,514 Member
    Im aiming for around the middle of the normal bmi range to give me a little leeway for weight fluctuations (my doctors weigh me regularly)
  • maryjaquiss
    maryjaquiss Posts: 307 Member
    I've been trying to think of a way to phrase this that comes across the right way - hoping this doesn't come across wrong!

    My starting weight was 160lb which at 5'3, is the same BMI as your target weight. I'm now at my goal of 126lb or thereabouts, which is bang in the middle of my healthy BMI. This puts me comfortably in a UK size 8-10 (US size 4-6). I don't think I look skinny, just a healthy weight.

    As you've already said, it's probably worth reassessing as you go along. I was not happy at a BMI of around 30 and chose to lose weight at that point. That said - at 160lb I was healthy enough to restart running without risking injury (following a sensible programme) and I wasn't experiencing any issues relating to my weight. If that's your goal then go for it but you may well decide your ideas have changed at that point and you want to get fitter/trimmer. It's your body though and you have the absolute right to be whatever weight you want to be!
  • Duchy82
    Duchy82 Posts: 560 Member
    My goal is set to a bmi of 25 (73kg) I started at 107.5 kg so morbidly obese, as I am 3.6kg away from goal I'm actually thinking of lowering my goal to 70kg as I can still see there is room for improvement. I think whatever goal you start with at the beginning is bound to change, maybe once I get to 70kg it may change again who knows? The main reason for picking a goal based on bmi? I'm at increased risk of developing high blood pressure (both parents have it and my grandmother had it even when only slightly overweight) and type 2 diabetes, I rather work at maintaining a healthy weight than add more medication to the arsenal of tablets I already take for chronic conditions.

    Stick to your goal for now, reach it and reassess there are very few people that don't change their goals at some point during their weightloss.
  • LauraInTheWater
    LauraInTheWater Posts: 477 Member
    I personally feel more confident in the normal BMI range than the overweight one. That being said, maybe you should talk to your doctor? A lot of doctors are afraid to talk to patients about weight issues but if you bring it up and just ask for a healthy range it might give you a better gauge.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I started at 260lbs at 5'4.5".

    My first goal was just to not be considered obese by BMI standards which for my height is 172 lbs if I remember correctly. I had an ultimate goal of 130 lbs. Around the time I hit the 172 lb point, I shifted my focus to bf%. I want my bf% to be around 20%. Currently at 132.4 lbs, I have a rough estimate of 25.4% BF. I am hoping to be able to cut my BF a bit more before next fall and hopefully have my scheduled sorted to do a proper bulk cycle at that point.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    When I started out the healthy BMI seemed to be pie in the sky, heck overweight seemed close to impossible, so I set myself much smaller targets, with an overall target of 150lb, which is around 15lb above "healthy" and mini targets of 10% weight loss. Now I'm actually approaching that number (and very close to leaving the obese category behind forever) I can see that eventually I'm going to want to drop that extra Stone to get out of the overweight category although I'm unlikely to try and get to the lower end of healthy.

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