Setting Realistic Goals

jenlovv

All my young adult life, I have had the idea that if I worked hard enough I could weigh 120lbs and be absolutely gorgeous as a result. Now, though, as I think back on my body in the past as well as what it is now, I think 120lbs is ridiculous for MY body. First of all, what has prompted this post is a discovery. When I graduated high school, I went on a cruise to Central America with my mom (don't hate, I love my mom!). While on this cruise, we went to this "body enhancement program" and they did some tests to figure out our basal metabolic rate (BMR for the cool kids) as well as body fat percentage, body water, etc. All this information was printed on a couple of small pieces of paper and I stowed them away until finding them today... only 5 years since. First of all, I was kind of disappointed that my weight was recorded that day at 170. My weight this morning? 170. Sigh. Not that I'm complaining because I was starting to border 200 before I got to high school and started weightlifting and spending loads of time practicing and playing softball. Anyway, I found some pretty interesting numbers on this paper and I wanted to share them with you guys because, for one, I don't exactly know what they mean and, two, I will never be 120lbs (or 130 for that matter) unless I'm being starved to death.

Height= 65in
Weight=170 lbs
%BF= 27.1
Fat Body Weight= 46.1 lbs
Lean Body Weight= 123.9 lbs (Looks like I will have to get rid of some liver if I want to get to 120...)
BMR= 1710 cal/day (I'm assuming that's kcal?)
Total body water: 37.9L- 49.1% total body weight, 67.4% lean body weight (what is the significance of this?)
Bioresistance: 486 ohms

Target weight= 153
Target %BF=19.0

I am a big girl and always have been. I don't mean fat, although I certainly have plenty, but my feet are big and my shoulders broader than most women. I'm stocky and athletic and I'm ready to stop being so hung up on how much I weigh. I know I can stand to lose a few pounds, but I think that being a tiny girl as I've always wanted is a pipe dream. I just wasn't built for it and I hope other people can start realizing what they were and were not built for too. I just want to be healthy and love who I am and be okay with what I look like.

krawhitham

This is really interesting! Thanks for sharing. These are numbers I never, ever would have expected for someone your height. I'd like to do a similar test for myself.

I am 64" tall and I weigh 160. My lowest weight ever as an adult has been 126 lbs. My mom is the same height and she has been 115-120 lbs her whole life. We have *completely* different bone and body structures even tho I'm her daughter and we're the same height! I could never, ever even be 120 lbs with all of the muscle mass that I have.

abrar0290

That's a great point you make.

Here's the thing, you can look very different at 150 pounds if you decide to cut and end it there once you've achieved your goal, or you can re-composition your body fat by gaining lean mass.

This doesn't necessarily make you look bigger (if that would still be a factor to you at that point), but it would make you look firmer, tighter, and more compact frame. On top of that, you will raise your BMR since muscles demand more energy as they develop.

In the end, what you might look like at 150 by dieting can look totally different with a workout regimen, and while you may not get to 120, you're gonna like the like way you look. I guarantee it.