MFP's most common user pitfall to avoid

FitToBeFab

WHY couldn't I have found this post the last time I used MFP?! I would have been much happier with my loss I think.
Thank you!

kmtetour

fyi, here's a simple height to weight ratio chart for most people (adults).

not for use with teens and children.

Please note, this is NOT age adjusted. This is super super super generic. But it's ok if you understand this going in. And know that this is just a suggestion, not a hard and fast law. Some people can be perfectly fine outside this chart!

For me, this image goes against everything in your original post. I'm 5'7". In high school I weighed 160. I would LOVE to weigh 160 again (I'm 26, no kids). Acording to this chart, that is the "high" end for my height. Everything I see says someone my height should weigh 140, and that's skinnier than I've ever been.

SHBoss1673

For me, this image goes against everything in your original post. I'm 5'7". In high school I weighed 160. I would LOVE to weigh 160 again (I'm 26, no kids). Acording to this chart, that is the "high" end for my height. Everything I see says someone my height should weigh 140, and that's skinnier than I've ever been.

like I said, this isn't a rule chart, it's a generic suggestion, some people may be perfectly fine outside those ranges. Then again, most will probably fit comfortably in them. I'm looking for a good age adjusted one. The one I used to use for people was taken down for some reason, give me 1/2 an hour and I'll find a good one.

Pineapples

This is SUCH a great post!

Last week I was really contemplating my 2lb a week "goal". It actually has been extremely counter productive for me, because it is somewhat impossible for me to obtain. I work anywhere between 50-60 hours a week, so I just don't have enough time to burn enough calories to fit in this little 1200 calories box. Once I'm over on calories I think, "ah well, no way I'm sticking to 1200 today." Before you know it, I'm over by approximately 600-800 calories. That's just not good. Having a more realistic goal to actually stick to is exactly what I need. So, thanks to your post, I will be decreasing my weekly goal to 1lb a week.

My total body fat is low compared to my weight (good 'ol triple jumping thighs), so I'm going to think carefully about my overall goal. I'm not going to lie, I was shooting for the high school weight. Ok, enough jabbering. Now, I must pay it forward today, because you TRULY helped me! Thanks so much!

I was feeling like this 2 weeks ago, the scale wasn't budging in..and yes I know we shouldn't go by the scale but I mean something has to give in eventually right?. Anyway in Jan I started at 1200 cal goal, and nothing, then with suggestion of others increased to 1350, manage to loose 1lb. Then following week gained 1. So I increased to 1436 and I lost 2 lbs at first and then gained 3 go figured. So I thought the heck with it I'm going to increase to 1750(after lots of reading and educating myself) which is only .5lb a week loss according to MFP. So this week is the first week eating at that and I not only have more energy but I stepped on the scale and guess what 1lb down so far. .

Jenn728

Thank you for posting this!

djmom1984

My goals are within my weight range for my age, height, and body type.

I have a scale that is supposed to measure body fat. Although I have lost 40 lbs two years ago, and have lost 12 so far this time, my body fat percentage has NEVER changed. I was riding my bike 30K every other day, swimming a mile a day in the summer, and doing 5-10K on the treadmill every other day as well. (Most of my body fat resides in my lower half, so that is what I work on most)

Is my scale just out of whack? How can you accurately measure body fat percentages?

beechick

Great post...I hope you find the chart adjusted for age. I have set my goal based on what weight I was comfortable at 10 years ago. Happens to be mid range on the chart.

Pre MFP 188
Start MFP 186 /01-28-11
First Goal 175 /02/28/11
Second Goal 165 03/31/11
goal weight range is 140-145 05/31/11

Current weight 175 loss of 13 pounds in 3 1/2 weeks

SHBoss1673

My goals are within my weight range for my age, height, and body type.

I have a scale that is supposed to measure body fat. Although I have lost 40 lbs two years ago, and have lost 12 so far this time, my body fat percentage has NEVER changed. I was riding my bike 30K every other day, swimming a mile a day in the summer, and doing 5-10K on the treadmill every other day as well. (Most of my body fat resides in my lower half, so that is what I work on most)

Is my scale just out of whack? How can you accurately measure body fat percentages?

BF% scales are essentially useless. There's a huge margin for error with them. if you really want to know your BF% have a hydrostatic, Bod Pod, or a caliper test done by a professional (calipers are less accurate than the first two, but also less expensive). There's no way you lost 52 lbs and didn't lose any body fat. NOBODY gains 52 lbs of lean mass in 2 years unless they're on some serious steroids or are in their teen years.

WindmillSong

What a great post, thank you.

SHBoss1673

Great post...I hope you find the chart adjusted for age. I have set my goal based on what weight I was comfortable at 10 years ago. Happens to be mid range on the chart.

Pre MFP 188
Start MFP 186 /01-28-11
First Goal 175 /02/28/11
Second Goal 165 03/31/11
goal weight range is 140-145 05/31/11

Current weight 175 loss of 13 pounds in 3 1/2 weeks

I'm looking, I'm bummed it's not up any more. I should have copied the image. Anyway, rough estimate. After 25 years old, about every 10 years, you can add about 3 to 5 lbs for women and 5 to 8 lbs for men per decade on to the range (both high and low) until you reach 55, where it actually begins to go down a little again (bone mass losses and lean tissue losses) . Again this is a generic add on, I've seen the numbers all over the place, but if you wanted to be a little closer to true, that's what you do.

beechick

]

Great post...I hope you find the chart adjusted for age. I have set my goal based on what weight I was comfortable at 10 years ago. Happens to be mid range on the chart.

Pre MFP 188
Start MFP 186 /01-28-11
First Goal 175 /02/28/11
Second Goal 165 03/31/11
goal weight range is 140-145 05/31/11

Current weight 175 loss of 13 pounds in 3 1/2 weeks

I'm looking, I'm bummed it's not up any more. I should have copied the image. Anyway, rough estimate. After 25 years old, about every 10 years, you can add about 3 to 5 lbs for women and 5 to 8 lbs for men per decade on to the range (both high and low) until you reach 55, where it actually begins to go down a little again (bone mass losses and lean tissue losses) . Again this is a generic add on, I've seen the numbers all over the place, but if you wanted to be a little closer to true, that's what you do.
[/quote]

I forgot to add my age- I am 43 with a few health problem but I am under Dr supervision and he has OK my weight loss goals

candlegal

Excellent post!!!! Thank you for posting this!! I've always had a "weight" in mind and now I will change to just a range and be happy with being in "the range". Very insightful!!
Oh and by the way "GO RED SOX!!" My first team will always be the TWINS but we lived in Boston and the Red Sox are my second favorite team! Can't wait for opening day, we played Boston on the opening of our new outdoor stadium last year. It was so amazing!! Here's wishing those Red Sox a great season!! But a better season for the TWINS!!
Thanks again for your very helpful post!!
Julie

SHBoss1673

FYI, if you guys are interested, currently i'm looking to gain lean mass and reduce body fat % so my goals are as follows (and yes, many of my goals are performance based, everyone should have a few non-measurement type goals, it helps).

1) BF% of 8 to 10% (last measurement was at around 12% but that was a while ago)
2) Waist to Hip ratio of .87 to .9 (MET, sustaining, currently at .89 (34 in waist, 38 in Hips)
3) Sub 18 minute 5K (ack, that's a long way off, haven't done that in a LOONG time, currently best time 21m 46s)
4) Certify as an ACE Personal trainer (met, 02/01/2010)
5) Certify as an ACE health and Wellness professional (working on it)
6) Acquire abs that I can LOVE. (ok this one is more of a wish than a goal, 37 year old professionals in business rarely have time for perfect abs, but I endeavor the best I can with a 60 hour a week schedule and clients to train).

Mindful_Trent

Great post! It always irks me when people default to a 2 lb/week goal, even if they only have a small amount of weight to lose...

crystalDRA

... Too bad that the end of your ticker can't just say "Not squishy".

LOL. I love it! That's my goal. You create the ticker and I'll be your first user.

scagneti

Awesome post from one of the most respected posters.

I was one of those who had a number in mind (not based on anything really) of 120 and after a month on here realized how ridiculous it was when I started looking at body fat % and my 143 pounds is 23% body fat (not sure how accurate as it's on online sources, but it seems reasonable). If I have 110 pounds of not fat in me, to get down to 120, I'd have to be like 8% body fat -- that's insane for a non-bodybuilding woman. Sure it's possible, but I'd rather get my body fat down to maybe 16-20% no matter what the scale says. I wish that MFP let us change our goals to reflect that instead of just numbers on a scale.

8% is actually quite unhealthy for a woman. 13% is the recommended minimum, and you'd look VERY lean at that. 8% is eating away at your essential fats. And if you're thinking of becoming pregnant, it's a giant no-no to be this low.

Yeah, I've got curves that I love, so I'm thinking closer to 20% than 8% -- even if I don't want kids. I had never even thought about it in terms of fat % -- we're taught from such a young age that scale is golden.

I have a friend who is maybe an inch shorter than me who is currently wearing a pair of jeans that are too big for me now. We were talking about weight and she said "oh you must be down to 120 by now" and I said "ha, not even close. I'm at 143". She stared at me and said "well I weight 126 so how are you skinnier than me?" Something to think about.

Kityngirl

As always, great post Banks. I actually don't really have a weight goal at all, I have a clothing size goal, a rough measurement goal and a "how I feel about myself" goal. I've always been on the "high" end of the chart and learned a long time ago to not pay much attention to those things. Lol.

I love to exercise, I love to eat well and I love how I feel when I do. That is really the reward for me, the rest will come with time and diligence. :flowerforyou:

emchamberlain

Awesome post, really sensible.

My goals are based on a past weight, but adjusted.

My former lightest weight ever: 137 (I was all muscle, had little fat, was 24 years old,vegan, worked out like a maniac, and was pre-kids.)

So, figuring that I'm now 35, have had two kids, and have a different lifestyle, my goal is 145ish.

My plan is to adjust to .5/week and stop weighing when I get into the low 160's. At that point, I will switch to more fitness-related goals and assume my body will do what it will do.

Right now I'm 171 from 184 and I am so happy with what my body is doing in the gym and how much better I look in clothes, that anything else is gravy! I've never been a small girl, but I've been a fit girl and THAT is the feeling I have again! Oh, and to other women like me with large frames: tape measure, tape measure, tape measure. I lost 3.5 inches last week and I was up .2 lbs. I would have been bummed with my "plateau" if I hadn't measured.

angisnee

Thank you for the great post! I've always struggled to stay within the normal range for my height, even when I was in the Army and wore a size 8. If you were over the weight range for your height, you had to do be tape-measured to roughly determine body fat%, and I always had to do that. Some good did come out of it, though, as I became my unit's designated "taper" and was able to encourage and motivate those who needed a little extra push.

As for the per-week goal, when I started 2 pounds/week worked great. After losing 40 pounds and finally entering just the overweight category, I've had to go to 1 pound/week. I have so much more energy now, and getting to eat a little more is a nice bonus. Of course now the challenge is making it heatlhy food and not junk.

Thanks again!

FaithandFitness

Reminds me of a dietician that I knew in the army. He said, "There's a bunch of ways to determine if you need to lose weight . . .BMI, Body Fat, charts . . . but the best way is to stand naked in front of a mirror. Jump. If something is jiggling that shouldn't be jiggling then you need to fix that."

Thanks for the post, I am going to re examine my goals.

ladyhawk00

Outstanding post, as always.

It was nice to see that my goal weight is right on "target".

A comment on women as they age and have children - I've always had hips that were a bit wide, but are in proportion to my frame, as I have linebacker shoulders. After having my son, and getting back to prepregnancy size AND weight - my hip bones were 2 INCHES wider. At the actual bones (I'm using common terms here, for simplicity). Not fat, not muscle, bone. Pants that I had worn previously still fit, everywhere (and were actually looser in some places), except at the hip bones.

Women's hips are not a "static" size. The pelvis is not one big piece of bone, but rather 2 bones held together in a very dynamic shape. During pregnancy, these bones shift and grow further apart to allow for passage of the baby through the birth canal. And after pregnancy, the hormones associated with pregnancy and breastfeeding continue to allow for further change (associated with the female body's drive to store fat to provide for further children and nourishment for babies). Ligaments and cartilege that hold the pelvis together loosen and create wider gaps. For some women the difference is minimal, for others it can be a LOT. And losing weight won't change it.

So if you've had children, or plan on having children, please keep this in mind and don't base your goals or body image on what you used to be, or what other women look like. As Banks said, the body changes as we get older and have children. It is natural, and frankly, I'm glad. I'd hate to think what it would have felt like if my hips hadn't spread. :laugh:

get_fit2009

Reminds me of a dietician that I knew in the army. He said, "There's a bunch of ways to determine if you need to lose weight . . .BMI, Body Fat, charts . . . but the best way is to stand naked in front of a mirror. Jump. If something is jiggling that shouldn't be jiggling then you need to fix that."

Thanks for the post, I am going to re examine my goals.

Ha ha, nice!

girlinahat

I don't know what weight I was in high school, but I am aiming for between 8 and 8 1/2 stone (1 stone = 14lbs - your turn to do the maths).

This is a slightly arbitrary target, but mid range for my height (5'). Whatever happens I want to be above 8 stone because this is the minimum weight to be able to donate blood. As a universal donor, that is important to me.

These past several weeks of eating less and exercising more, even if I am not meeting my targets has seen me shift not an ounce. So I have given up on the scales entirely, and the measurements, and am just going to carry on on this healthy (eat less rubbish and exercise more) path for now and wait for the changes to happen and my trousers (look it up) to fall down.

When that happens, i will know that I have won.

rosiesparkle100

I have just changed my goal from losing 1.5 pounds a week to losing a pound a week. I was feeling exhausted and grumpy. I get a whopping 1760 calories a day to eat now! Luxury. And I figured, 1lb a week is 52lbs in a year, which is exactly what I need to lose.

Thanks for your post, it was really clear and helpful.

raising2ells

Thank you for this!!!!! You said everything I've always thought about weight loss, but figured I was wrong because almost everone has "that number" on the scale they want to get to. "That number" may never be hit, BUT the body you have at a higher number is the one God gave you and it's healthy. Your post is a mindset we all need to have. Thanks again!

Mrs_McFadden

I'm a complete rookie but I've already mentally arranged my paradigm to reflect exactly what you are suggesting. I realized early on that it doesn't really matter how much I weigh once I get rid of my excess fat but really it's about my body composition not the scale..and how I look and feel and operate physically will be determine whether I've reached my final goal.
Bumping this up for anyone looking for sound perspectives

rybo

As usual...Spot on, and something many people should read over & over until it sinks in.

2bfitforever

Great info! Thanks

Staceslim

Thank-you so much for this post. My goal weight is because my diabetes dietician & I were discussing my weight & I had a BMI scale & when I looked at it I thought I should be about 15 - 20 lbs lighter but she said no I only need to lose about 10 so I guess I really don't know what my mini goals are/should be. I just want to look better than I do.

Noisymom

I just found MFP last week and am still in the true goal setting phase. I am obese at this time in my life (and have been for the majority of it) and I do think that 2 lbs a week is a good goal for me to start with but have/had no ideal what a good final goal is but will give this much consideration with a lot more "knowledge" than I did have. Thanks so much for the great advice and for caring enough for your fellow "losers" to post this.