Need help with goal weight

slbbw
slbbw Posts: 329 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
When I started this current weight loss journey I knew I was no longer in good health. It was hard to do my usual run, my clothes did not fit and I was gaining weight more around my middle than ever in the past. Health and fitness(both strength and endurance) are #1 goal for weight loss with appearance being secondary. Once I start on something though I tend to have a very intense focus (obsessive might be more accurate) and can lose sight of the big picture. It is really helpful for me to have an accurate goal in mind so that I can approach this process mindfully and hopefully sustain my weight long term.

On to my question, I have no idea what a proper goal weight should be. I am currently 158 down from 185 and 5'5" tall. Current waist is 31" and hip is 40". I carry a lot off weight in my arms and legs for both fat and muscle(Bicep is currently 13" and thigh is 22") BMI is 26.3 which puts me currently overweight. My impedance scale says I am 36% BF which is overweight. Waist to height is 0.48 which is considered healthy, waist to hip is 0.78 which is considered healthy. I have not done a caliper test in a while, but if I run my measurements through a calculator (https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator/) I get the following:

Your body fat estimates are
27.48 % using the U.S. Army body fat algorithm, or
23.72 % using the U.S. Marine body fat algorithm, or
33.25 % using the U.S. Navy body fat algorithm, or
27.49 % using the formula developed by the YMCA.

All considered healthy but an extreme range a few other calculators seem to either settle on 33 or 27 depending on which measurements they use. Both are healthy numbers which leads me to believe I am at a currently healthy weight, but then that scale and BMI are "out of range"

If you look up ideal weight for my weight is something like 125, or mid range BMI is 135. I hit 142 some years back and was notably thin receiving a mixture of positive but also negative feedback (bony , skeletal etc). I would like to have a range of goal #'s so I can keep a more measured perspective on this journey. Currently 30" waist is one of those goals so not quite there. Under 150 lbs is another, but not sure where to cap my "too low" number. I think what makes sense is to aim for something like 145 and then focus on maintenance and re-composition. Do I need to invest in something like a DEXA scan to give me a more accurate BF%?

Clearly I am over thinking this, but the end is getting in sight and I need to have a game plan.

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited March 2019
    If you agree that 142 was too low, I think your goal weight should be at least 5 pounds higher.

    Sure, you could get a DEXA scan. But unless they are cheap and convenient where you are, I'd wait until you got to your (potential) goal weight.
  • Keladelphia
    Keladelphia Posts: 820 Member
    I think you're putting way too much thought and analysis into what a perfect "goal" weight should be. A goal weight should be the perfect weight FOR YOU. For YOUR sports, for YOUR lifestyle. Based on all of the factors you've described above it sounds like you're already at a relatively healthy weight with only a little to lose. If a particularly body-fat percentage isn't the main driver of your weight loss I think shooting for under 150 is a great goal. Once you hit under 150 ask yourself if you're meeting the goals you set out to achieve. Have your runs gotten easier? Are your clothes fitting better? Has your endurance improved? If you can answer yes to those things then stop cutting, if you can't answer yes then chip away at a few more pounds and reassess.

    I myself set a particular number based on ideal weights and it turned out to be a pretty negative experience. Though I reached that "goal" weight I quickly realized that it was the wrong goal FOR ME. I knew about ten pounds before reaching that goal number that I had way too much lean mass to be that weight but because there was so much information out there I thought that I must be wrong. Three years later, 15 pounds heavier than that goal weight (with a six pack I might add) i've learned that ensuring health markers are in check, listening to how my body feels and responds and simply taking a true look at whats reflecting back in the mirror is the best way for me to achieve the perfect "goal" weight for me.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    If health, strength and fitness are your main goals, then your primary focus is what you are doing in terms of physical activity to make those happen, and providing sufficient nutritional support for that physical activity. For the calories-in part of the equation, I'd be eating to produce a 2-3# weight loss a month, and be setting my initial goal weight at 150# Three months from now, you can look at your strength and fitness status, assess overall how you feel, and decide whether or not to continue a small deficit for another couple/few months. Putting touch-stone assessment points along the way every 2-3 months can help rein in that obsessive focus a bit, in my personal experience. Good luck!

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