Who are you to judge my goal?

chrssyeldridge

I am 5'5" and started MFP at 128 with a weight loss goal of 10 pounds. I have since lost 12 pounds and look and feel great. I have a very small frame, and like you, was barely over 100 in highschool. I have now switched to maintenance and am trying to build up muscle to make the weight that I am carrying look as good as possible.
I think your goal is what is good for you, as long as you don't go into the underweight range. Some people are more curvy at the same height and need more weight to look good/healthy.
If I gain some of the weight lost in the process of building muscle tho, that's ok with me. I think at this point it's better to focus more on how your body looks and feels than the actual number on the scale.

Thanks for your reply! YOU know what I mean about being too skinny in the past! I do NOT want to get back to skelatore state EVER again and if I get down to 120 and see that Im happy there I will stop there. It really does have more to do with the way I look and feel than the number on the scale...

reneeot

:bigsmile: When you are teenager you're body has not fully matured yet. It's never good to base your goal weight based on weight as a teenager. So if at 100 you were called bones, maybe 115 is a good weight for you. 15lbs is a good size difference. See how your body feels, you skin looks and if you are healthy. If so then that's a good weight for you!!

:-)

chrssyeldridge

Thanks everyone! For your support and input! Anywhere from 115-120 would make me happy I believe... It really isnt about a number its about the smaller package that comes with that number...


:bigsmile:

FearAnLoathing

im 5'6 and shooting for 140 but thats the ideal of where I want to be,the lowest ive ever been was 115 it wasent for me my boobs are to big I looked like i was going to topple over lol
if it works for you and your healthy screw what everyone else thinks

scagneti

Have you figured out your body fat %? That's a great way to tell you if your goal weight is possible. I upped mine because I found out that with my build 120 would be too low (and that's at only 5'5"). I've got 110 pounds of skin, bones, muscle etc so 120 pounds would be too low for me (if I wanted to keep anything resembling these cans!)

Maybe a body fat % goal would be better than a scale related one, especially if you want to build some muscles?

poisongirl6485

Whatever you do with your body is up to you.

That said, judging by your pictures, you don't have 15 more pounds to lose. Ribs poking out is not healthy.

backinthenines

It is absolutely your business and nobody elses!!!!

115 at 5'6" is actually only one pound outside the low end of your ideal weight.

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/idealw.htm

Recently there was a thread by someone 5'6" and asking which weight everyone was gunning for and the answers varied hugely.

I'm 5'6" and was 168 pounds at my fattest. On that thread that was some people's GOAL weight. We're all different. Don't let anyone tell you your business.

kateslife

About same height and weight, you're fine. If you want it go for it. It's a pretty realistic goal(:

givprayz

People are so different, it's hard to say what will be unhealthy for someone without all of the info. My daughter, age 16, is 5'9" and 120 pounds. She is moderately muscular and still has a round butt and shapely legs. I am 1 inch shorter, and when I weighed 127 as a 24 year-old, everyone was worried I had cancer or something because I looked like a bag of bones. Now, at age 45, my goal is 142 and 22% body fat. As a women's health specialist, I don't recommend most women go below 18% body fat because it can negatively impact your hormones, which in turn negatively impact bone density, heart health, and just about everything else (before I get pounded, I said MOST women, there are exceptions.) I think if you focus on your tone, strength, endurance and general health, the number on the scale will find the right place to be.

UpToAnyCool

Hello -
Not judging you, but just pointing out that people often set the initial goal of attaining a BMI that is considered to be 'NORMAL,' then set BODY FAT% goals from there. It looks like you started out at a weight that is already considered healthy, so you might want to make sure to document measurements and body fat % from here on out to track your progress.
My goal BF% is admittedly vague and arbitrary - it's more of a quality of life thing: I want to be able to wear corduroy pants w/o hearing that awful zoot-zoot sound from my flabby thighs, go to the beach w/o sucking in my spare tire, trim down the bingo wings so they aren't still flapping when I'm done waving hello :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

The number doesn't really matter so much to me!!

HawkeyeGuy

I've had several people give me a hard time that I want to drop below 10% bodyfat...though not one of them could really argue why they thought that was the case! I'll get under 10%BF, you get to 115, and we'll do a photo shoot to REALLY piss them off.

givprayz

I also don't think anyone is being a jerk when they say "you don't need to lose that much!" They are either genuinely concerned (probably 95%) or jealous (the other 5%.) I just tell people I am getting fit and healthy and my doctor is very happy with my progress and goals. That usually reassures everyone.

ZebraHead

Why I am the goal judger of course!

mlb929

Have you figured out your body fat %? That's a great way to tell you if your goal weight is possible. I upped mine because I found out that with my build 120 would be too low (and that's at only 5'5"). I've got 110 pounds of skin, bones, muscle etc so 120 pounds would be too low for me (if I wanted to keep anything resembling these cans!)

Maybe a body fat % goal would be better than a scale related one, especially if you want to build some muscles?

Ditto! I would wonder what your body fat goal is as well moreso than your weight. Weight is such an arbitrary number, I'm 7lbs heavier than I was when I lost weight last time but am smaller in clothing sizes and have a much lower body fat%, it's relative to the actual number. You may want to change up your fitness plan for muscle building on a small frame vs weight/scale losses.

And, IMO, I believe your previous post was asking for opinions on your goal or what others your height and weight were set at. Don't be surprised that anyone was commenting on your goal when you asked for input. There should be no reason to be offended when you brought up the subject it became an open dialog on a public forum. I don't believe any offense was made, just maybe suggestions for realistic beliefs. I don't believe you were being judged, you threw it out there for comments, you got comments. Unfortunately, the world isn't made of everyone that just tells you what you want to hear.

SunLovin1

As long as you feel good and good about it screw everyone else

What he said. I weighed 115 at 5'6" when I was in high school. Now, many years and 2 kids later, 115 would make me skeletal. Your weight redistributes as you get older. That's me. You're different and 115 may be right for you.

pyro13g

You can't compare still developing in high school to 30 years old. You would be at the borderline of underweight and if muscular, definitely underweight technically speaking since your body fat percentage would be pretty low.

I was 5'10" 120lbs in high school, while still developing and growing along with a voracious metabolism but deemed healthy by my Dr. At 43 I settle into the 160-165 range when lean and still, it's healthy, and definitely looks better with an extra 35-40lbs of muscle.

Your Dr is a better judge of it than any broad generalizations of health. I'd let that be my guide.

mrb_9110

[/quote]
I guess the real question comes down to WHY do you want to be 115? What's the reasoning behind that? It may be good or it may be flawed.
[/quote]
This is exactly what I would ask you. Is it because you like the sound of saying that number to people or because that's really where you're at your healthiest? I would give you the advice that as you lose weight, find the place where your body looks and FEELS the best, your happy weight. You should be comfortable maintaining that weight, not struggling to stay there. A happy weight is different for everyone, even people of the same height. Good luck!

hotmooglelove

The number one problem with BMI is that it assumes a person to be of average muscle mass (which is why a body builder can be labeled as obese). If you expect muscle then you have to knock your BMI down a few points, which puts you in an unhealthy range.

Keep in mind women should typically keep their body fat % around 20-25%. At that 115 mark you MAY be pushing into the 13% area, at which point you are dipping into the essential fats which can rapidly lead to health issues (most notably cardiac).

I would keep a close eye on your body fat % if you are going to attempt that.

MaryDreamer

How old are you? I'm 5'6" and weighed 115 when I graduated high school. I'm 41 now and that weight would NOT look on me now. My body changed after I had children, my bones spread 2 inches wider in my hips and ribcage so I would definitely NOT look good at that weight anymore. If you have a VERY small frame, I guess, but I personally feel 130 is the perfect weight for a small framed person of your height. (100 lbs for the first 5 ft, then 1 lbs per inch after) I weighed 130 before I had my first child, she's now 13 and I also have a 6 yr old son. Good luck!

MisdemeanorM

Odds are at 115 and your height you won't be a very muscular 115. Don't get stuck on the # too much - you can put on another 10 lbs of muscle and look fantastic at 125 or higher. You sound like you are in a healthy weight range right now. I would suggest cutting out your deficit (or maybe do so in about 5-8 lbs) and working on strength training and cardio, but NOT on dieting (deficit) or losing weight. You can convert remaining fat to muscle and build some additional muscle w/out losing more weight. So long as you are trying to just get to a # that is on the low healthy range, odds are you are not going to do it in the most healthy way (ie, sacrificing muscle for a #).

paroxysm

BMI's are bogus.

I'm 5'6" and I weigh 102. (and no I'm not here for weight loss-- I was originally here for weight gain and after putting on a few lbs, I am now here to help maintain my weight)

I run and do other forms of exercise (EA Active and zumba with my daughter, elliptical, walk to and from work daily, and am just generally an active person).

I'm small framed and have been both larger and thin (though majority thin as I turned to athletics when my dad told me I had 'man legs' lol)

I eat between 1800-2500 calories a day and sometimes more and my weight is stabilized at 102. I've had a physical and checked out to be in 'excellent physical condition' with great blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and muscle tone. I sleep 7-8 hrs a night, my skin is clear, my hair is in good shape, and I'm not 'growing hair in strange places' as one post said. I have tons of energy.

I think weight is an individual thing. Someone at 5'6 can look and feel great at just about any weight individualized to THEM.

I think it's YOU you need to ask this question to and really ask why are you asking this question? If it's bothering you maybe it is too low. If it's not, it's fine.

Really though, some of these posts are fairly offensive.

briar_rose

I agree that every body is different and everyone has an idea of what 'underweight' and 'overweight' look like. If you want to be 5'6" and 115 that's perfectly fine with me. I have a bigger build and when I was 16 and was exactly what you are looking for and I was way too skinny but that's not to say that it wouldn't look good on you. It's hard though because perceptions aren't always accurate - I thought was I was 'big' back then even though looking at pictures I didn't look healthy just as I didn't look healthy at 200 after my baby - just in a different direction. I think you need to trust your instincts.

AngelsKisses75

Quite honestly in my opinion your goal weight has eveything to do with where you are comfortable and healthy. Everyone has their own comfort weight. As long as it is a healthy decision then I would say go for it. Who knows you may find your self comfortable before you reach the finish line you set up for your self. Don't let others bother you so much with their opinion, I am sure most of them are trying to give you a compliment in their own way. :flowerforyou:

shreddingit

being to skinny has its downfalls just check yourself to see everything is good inside of ya!...its not about looks but about being healthy enough to survive this cruel environment we call earth!

ashleynicoleh04

Ok so here's the deal. Some people are being critical of the goal I have. I am 5 foot 6 inches tall and I currently weigh 130.2lbs. My goal is to be 115lbs. I have been told several times by many different friends that this is too small or too skinny.. HELLO in high school I was the same height and I barely weighed 100lbs and had the nickname bones!

I don’t think that 115 is too skinny. I want muscle on my body too not just bones!

Does this sound unrealistic to you? OR are my critics just being jerks?

It sounds as though it would be on the very low end of healthy, depending on your body type, and well below healthy for many of your height (though not all). I'm an inch taller than you are and if I get under 130, people invariably ask me if I am tired, ill, etc.

I've gone there when I was younger and had a 'number' fixated in my head. But I'll tell you that for me it was not good. I was wan and pale for the first time in my life and I was eating very poorly and insufficiently while working out like a maniac. Again, that's me. For my build, 132-142 while eating well and being active keeps me in a size 4-6. Below that I look and feel unwell. However, I have some freinds who are healthy and active at higher and lower weights for the same height.

I guess the real question comes down to WHY do you want to be 115? What's the reasoning behind that? It may be good or it may be flawed.

I spoke to my doctor about this goal and she said that a healthy lowest weight for my size is 118 I would be happy with that. She has also been my Dr, since I was a child so for her to see me at this weight she even began to worry about gaining too much weight. I have a very small frame so I do not carry this extra 10-15 very well. Even though my BMI is in the healthy range right now I know just by looking at my body that I am not healthy!

So my reasoning behind it is not really the number it is the FAT on my body that I am thinking weighs that extra 10-15! The flubber on my tummy and the extra thighs Im carrying around....

Does anyone carry extra 10-15 lbs well?

SiltyPigeon

Every person is entitled to their own goal and everyone else should just SHUT UP.

jaskelley

As long as you feel good and good about it screw everyone else

This x 10. If you feel healthy and are happy with yourself, that's what matters.

That_Girl

In HS I was 115 or less. I was also 5'6". It wasn't too skinny, I was just a kid. I'm a woman now and I enjoy my hips and butt and breasts, so, 135 is my goal.

However, every body is different. As long as you aren't being drastic, I can't see a problem with it.

prtipny

We're kind of in the same boat. I'm 5'4" and weigh 113. I've lost 7 lbs and want to lose 3 more only because I know that the weight (so far anyways) is coming off my hips/butt which is my biggest goal. I would also like to build a little muscle and tone up. I do realize that once I do that, 110 isn't reasonable since the muscle will add more weight. In the end, I don't care so much about the number, rather how I look and how my clothes feel on me. I really want to get one of those scales that calculates percentage of body fat, etc

I've gotten weird looks about wanting to lose weight so I just keep it to myself. Like someone else was saying, others can't see your "problem areas" with clothes on, but you're the one who sees yourself naked!

Do what makes you happy

Valtishia

I personally think it is a little small, but I don't have details like your frame size and such. That being said, because you are in a healthy range already for your height, I would say screw the scale and the number altogether. Just keep on working on it until you get to a comfortable size rather than a number.

Myself, I am 5'6 and a medium frame. My goal is 150, but I always preferred to be a little on the chubby side. I chose that number based on what I think I would look like and feel like at that weight, but if I get what I want at 160, then I will stop there.