Setting a realistic target weight?

Link2Life
Link2Life Posts: 102 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For YEARS I've attached the same number as my target weight - yet I haven't been there since before my 10 year old son was born. (Granted, I haven't tried very hard to get there) I've researched it quite a bit and have looked at my age, my height, my bone structure, etc. I'm just wondering how you know if it's realistic or not...or do you just take a good guess and stop fretting over some magic number?

I told someone at work I wanted to lose 40 pounds and they looked at me said I was nuts.

PS. I'm about 5'6-5'7 and am fine boned. My wrists are tiny and my fingers are tiny. Is 135 realistic? Do-able? As you can see, I'm not exactly "tiny" in certain areas though... :smile:

Replies

  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    Why not just focus 1lbs at a time.
  • lawtechie
    lawtechie Posts: 708 Member
    That sounds like a reasonable target to me. I'm 5'4 and want to get to 140, but am bigger boned. When I tell a coworker I want to lose 50 -- same deal,say what?!? you don't have that much to lose.

    YOU Know your body and as you drop, work out, and perhaps lift weights you'll see your body adjust.

    For smaller-boned, small wrist, etc. 135 sounds like a fine goal. Also, focus on body fat %.
  • janeite1990
    janeite1990 Posts: 671 Member
    Set some smaller goals along the way and re-evaluate as you go. At 46, I've gotten lower than I thought I would. If you keep with it, you might surprise yourself, but don't set yourself up for failure, either. They say that losing just five per cent of your body weight has a tremendous positive impact on your health. Just go for being healthier!
  • sun_fish
    sun_fish Posts: 864 Member
    When I first started losing I chose a goal weight based on what I weighed many years ago, and remembered feeling good at that weight. At some point along the way, I decided that I would focus on body fat % instead of getting caught up in what the scale said. Then, I realized that a body fat % was just another number to get caught up in. I have now decided to go more by what I see in the mirror, and I'll know when I get there.

    Edit for spelling
  • SapiensPisces
    SapiensPisces Posts: 992 Member
    I think 135 at 5'7" is possible, but it may take you a very long time to get there. Weight loss slows down a lot the smaller you get.

    I agree with previous posters about intermittent goals, both weight and non-weight ones.
  • Link2Life
    Link2Life Posts: 102 Member
    Great advice here..thanks.

    I imagine you start somewhere and adjust along the way and let the attachment to a singular goal not be the end-all, be-all approach. Being FIT is considerably more important to me than reaching some arbitrary number. With that said, if I did hit that 135lb mark, I won't lie when I say I'd do a happy dance naked across my back yard.
  • yankeedownsouth
    yankeedownsouth Posts: 717 Member
    I'm your height, and I'm most happy at 132 or so, so I'd say its doable. But I do have to say, it's difficult because it requires a low body fat, which means fairly strict control over your diet and exercise. I got to this point last year, but lost my focus so now I'm on my way back...

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