Ideal Weight

dmenchac

I realize that only I alone can make the decision.

But as I am approaching my weight loss goal, I am getting nervous that I need to reduce that goal to a lower weight.

I started this wonderful journey at 215 lbs and like 11-12 weeks later, I am sitting at a comfortable 193. I have found a new found love for running and I go to the gym 6 times a week (YES I EAT THOSE CALORIES BACK!!!!!)

My original goal weight was 190. I am nearly there and I am just not happy. I still have man boobs, love handles, and a stomach and I am realizing that when I do hit 190 in 2-3 weeks, I will not be happy. About a month ago I started lifting weights in hopes that it would help. I see definition in my arms, but other than that not much. I life 2-3 times a weeks with dumbells and barbells. I squat, do incline flies, pushups, sit ups, pull-ups, you name it.

So my question is, what should my goal weight be?

I am 5'10, 25 years old, and male. From the waist down. I am legitimately a rock. Sometimes I can't tell where my legs are when I am hiking on a mountain. (pls laugh). My skin is very tight and I have both of those muscles next to the knee that bulge However, the waist up is the fat zoneeeeeee.

So given my height, weight, age, gender, etc what weight should I aim for? Or should I just hit 190 then try to recomp?

Thanks all.

dmenchac

Bumpin it for the night crowd

j6o4

I think you should have a goal bodyfat percentage rather then a goal weight.

charleigh78

You are only a month into lifting. Lifting takes time so you might want to hit 190 and then eat to maintain for a while. See how you feel after a few months of lifting?

Just my rambling thoughts. Good luck

cwolfman13

Ideal Weight

There's no such thing. BF% is a good measure...scale weight is a ridiculous measure.

dmenchac

I guess my question is at what point should I cut down on the cardio?

mulecanter

You obviously want a more muscular physique--so go get one. Weight training requires some research so that you know what you are doing--get a trainer perhaps if you can--YouTube has lots of good instructional videos. I think you can exchange time from cardio for weight training if you have a limit on time. I feel that cross-training is important. Your heart muscle will always need exercise so don't give up cardio. I agree with the advice I've seen on weight training that it will ultimately help you maintain your weight. 10lbs of extra muscle will burn an additional 500 calories a day. Seems like a good strategy to me.

ninerbuff

I realize that only I alone can make the decision.

But as I am approaching my weight loss goal, I am getting nervous that I need to reduce that goal to a lower weight.

I started this wonderful journey at 215 lbs and like 11-12 weeks later, I am sitting at a comfortable 193. I have found a new found love for running and I go to the gym 6 times a week (YES I EAT THOSE CALORIES BACK!!!!!)

My original goal weight was 190. I am nearly there and I am just not happy. I still have man boobs, love handles, and a stomach and I am realizing that when I do hit 190 in 2-3 weeks, I will not be happy. About a month ago I started lifting weights in hopes that it would help. I see definition in my arms, but other than that not much. I life 2-3 times a weeks with dumbells and barbells. I squat, do incline flies, pushups, sit ups, pull-ups, you name it.

So my question is, what should my goal weight be?

I am 5'10, 25 years old, and male. From the waist down. I am legitimately a rock. Sometimes I can't tell where my legs are when I am hiking on a mountain. (pls laugh). My skin is very tight and I have both of those muscles next to the knee that bulge However, the waist up is the fat zoneeeeeee.

So given my height, weight, age, gender, etc what weight should I aim for? Or should I just hit 190 then try to recomp?

Thanks all.

If you're looking for a goal weight, this formula gives an approximate with good accuracy. The drawback is that you do NEED to know your lean body mass. Now decide what bodyfat level you want to be.

So here's the formula:

Lean Mass divided by 1 minus desired body fat percentage.

For instance:

LBM= 150lbs, desired BF% 20

150/ (1- .20) or .80

187.5 is the goal weight to have 20% body fat.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

kdeaux1959

For your height, if you are average build, about 165-175 is the recommended weight range. Men tend to gain in the mid-section first so it is most likely to be the last to go. Lowering your body fat % usually means a calorie deficit that will lower weight. As others have said, it is hard to build muscle so that will take time. Keep at it. Of course, building body mass requires the opposite, a calorie surplus. I would think the most appropriate plan would be to continue to drop weight to about 170 - 180, then slowly increase your intake so you are building muscle (lifting heavy while eating a calorie surplus) Best wishes on achieving your goal.

Iwishyouwell

Your goal weight is too high for your frame and current lean body mass.

I know, because I am your height. I thought for years, being a fat kid and teen, that I was just a "big guy". Thought I'd be perfect at around the upper 180s/low 190s.

I was wrong. I, like you, arrived there with lean legs and still tons of excess fat on my upper body. I discovered that I actually had a medium sized frame and that my lean weight was more in the 150-160 category. I got within 15 lbs of that before I regained all my weight and then some.

Now I'm back close to my previous low weight. But my goal this time around is to not stop until I hit 150-160. I want to get my body fat down really low and the assess from there whether I want to bulk, or just stabilize.

It's so, so common for men to radically overestimate how much we should weigh. I see the 180s-190s as the most common goal weight around here for men. Truth of the matter is that those weights only look lean if you're super tall (sometimes) or have a ton of lean body mass above the average. A lot of men would be shocked at how low they needed to go in order to have a low body fat level.

Afterall the average weight for US men is now just shy of 200 lbs. In the 1960s it was in the 160s.

dt3312

You can ask your doctor how much a good weight for you is. (sorry about bad grammar!).

But it also depends how in-shape you are. This happened to me. I was at a healthy weight. I was working out regularly. Then I got a bad case of pnemonia and was practically bedridden for a month. Walking down one flight of stairs was difficult for me--that's how weak I was. During that time, I lost 7 pounds! But I took my measurements and they stayed about the same, though my waist got a little bigger. I was flabbier and not as firmed up. I think I lost muscle mass.

dmenchac

Thank you guys very much for all of the help!