I don't know what my goal should be

jessetfan

I'm 5'6" and know I have a lot to lose, but I also know that once I'm there I want to be healthy. According to charts I've found a woman at my height should be between 115 and 154 lbs. The problem is that even with a lot of weight to lose I've already got 135 lbs of lean mass, meaning that even if I set my goal at the top of the range I would end up with about 13% body fat, which seems to be relatively low for a woman. Is it advisable to go outside of the recommended range if being in the range would result in being unhealthy? I have a large frame with broad shoulders and hips, and I don't want to lose muscle, in fact I want to build somewhat. What should my goal weight be in order to be healthy and in shape?

new_beth_2013

Depends on your frame--and how you feel in your own clothes.

Im 5'7" and a healthy weight for my frame is no less than 139. I like how I look and feel at 160 though.

jwdieter

I'm guessing that lean mass figure is an estimate. You'll also very likely lose some lean mass while losing weight. Don't get too hung up on it.

lisajsund

I'm also 5'6". At my last fitness assessment, I had 129 lbs of lean tissue. It's more important to maintain your lean tissue than worry about the number on the scale. For every 1 lb of lean tissue you have, your body burns an extra 50 calories a day, and AT REST!! I would focus on your body composition rather than weight. You can also calculate your waist to hip ratio, among other things.

MzManiak

Unfortunately, you won't lose JUST fat. Some of that LMB will be lost as well. Make sure you are doing strength training to keep most of it... but treat the scale goal as a living one... it can change as you see fit. Until then, aim for a different goal- such as a body fat % and just enjoying how you look and feel in your clothes and raising your self image.

lisajsund

My goal is 165, which would would put me around about 22% if I don't lose muscle. If I gain muscle, that only means I burn more fat and that % goes down.

psuLemon

Unfortunately, you won't lose JUST fat. Some of that LMB will be lost as well. Make sure you are doing strength training to keep most of it... but treat the scale goal as a living one... it can change as you see fit. Until then, aim for a different goal- such as a body fat % and just enjoying how you look and feel in your clothes and raising your self image.

This. But if you do pick a weight, start at the top and adjust accordingly. In reality, weight is very meaningless as even when I hit 6% body fat, I will still be overweight. Muscle is much more lean, so the more you have, the leaner you will get.

Lift heavy, eat at least 130g of protein a day and hope for some newbie gains or even some lean body mass gains since you have a lot of weight to lose.

Mokey41

You're going to lose lean body mass as you lose fat because your body isn't going to need that extra to just hold you up and move you around. Set your sights on 150 lbs for now then see what you think when you get there. Your goal isn't carved in stone so you can always change your mind later.

lisajsund

Or set smaller, perhaps less stressful, goals first. And reward yourself in a non-food way when you achieve them. Maybe a pedicure, or a massage or something. Could be 5%, could be 10 lbs - that part is up to you!

JamieM8168

I would say set mini goals, make a goal to be in the healthy range and then see where you are and go from there. Reassess your goals as you go instead of thinking this huge number/goal you need to accomplish.

That's what I did... I started at 250, had a goal of 199, hit that and set my goal for 169 (healthy range), hit that, got to 160 and just set a new goal of 150-155...