How do you determine your goal weight?

bert16

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this... my goal weight is somewhat arbitrarily set, at least for now. I'm already in a healthy BMI range; just trying to drop some more pounds to 1) have less to lug around for my upcoming first marathon for which I'm currently training and 2) generally look leaner.

I definitely have some weight still to lose, but how will I know when to stop?

bert16

BTW, I'm 5'7" with an athletic / medium frame and currently weigh 141 lb.

nursebay

Your healthy range would be some where around 135 give or take 10 lbs so 125-145. If you want to be on the leaner side I'd shoot closer to 125.

MomOfRose

I set my goal weight to be what my driver's license says: 145. I've got a little less than 20 to go!

MomOfRose

I set my goal weight to be what my driver's license says: 145. I've got a little less than 20 to go!

Probably not what you were looking for, but it's my answer.

bs1981

I personally choose a weight that I feel the best at.... I don't worry about the charts and stuff. Everyone is different. Great Job by the way...

crisanderson27

Your healthy range would be some where around 135 give or take 10 lbs so 125-145. If you want to be on the leaner side I'd shoot closer to 125.

Healthy weight range as specified by who? The BMI chart is 95% useless for anyone with an 'athletic frame'.

Here's the thing...weight is a non issue, as a female, at 141lbs, at 5'7" tall...unless your bodyfat is really high...I'd think you look pretty good. The higher your bodyfat, the more of your weight is fat rather than lean mass, and the 'chubbier' you'll look.

My suggestion is to throw the scale out the window, go get your body fat % checked professionally, then use THAT as an indicator of your health. Make sure you use the same person to check your progress too...as bodyfat measurement can be somewhat subjective if done by different people.

ThinnerHill

I'm 5'7" also and have been kicking around this exact thought. I'm currently 186.8 started at 207 in September and shooting for 155 right now. I'd love to be 135 again, but don't know what would be optimistic or overachieving.

pinkstp

I find it to be more about how I feel about my body and if I appreciate how my clothes fit. I put a goal weight on here but I focus less on weight the closer I get to the ideal range for me (not based on doctors but based on my body size and knowing about how much I weighed when I was at my fittest).

eddie8131

Definitely using body fat as a gauge (difference between current body fat and goal body fat) is the way to go.There are scales that do your body fat, or you can have it professionally done, or there are mathematical formulae too.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I'm going by what my doctor recommended based on my frame and health limitations. Good luck!

HonkyTonks

Aiming for a BMI in the healthy range

crisanderson27

Definitely using body fat as a gauge (difference between current body fat and goal body fat) is the way to go.There are scales that do your body fat, or you can have it professionally done, or there are mathematical formulae too.

The only problem there is those scales are just a way to fleece your money. TOTALLY inaccurate. You can buy your own cheap bodyfat calipers off Amazon for less than $5. If you have someone you can trust to be repeatable, you can measure it yourself. Even that is better than the scales. Best though, is a gym that uses calipers, or a doctor that does.

It sucks, every time I see 'BMI'...it hurts my head. Let me put it this way...I weigh about 175lbs right now. That's borderline obese for my height and age. Guess what? I'm about 18% bodyfat...and I'm CERTAINLY no bodybuilder. So lets say, I was closer to a healthy (try 'sickly') BMI at a weight of 150lbs...but my bodyfat was 38%....would that be good? The BMI would say I was healthy wouldn't it?

What do you all think?

Again...the BMI is only a rough guage, based on numbers, not actual people. Bodyfat percentages are the only way to accurately measure your healthy body composition. Scales...lie, and thus the BMI...lies as well.

bert16

I actually had a DEXA body scan done back in August (about 12 lb or so ago, by my scale) and was at 32% fat back then. If I've managed to keep the same amount of lean muscle mass since then as I've been training for a marathon and focusing on healthy eating, I'm probably somewhere in the 23% range right now. Now, the DEXA scan is typically 3-8% higher than using other methods (according to the sports medicine doctor who administered the scan), and I haven't repeated the scan only 3 months later ('cause it wasn't cheap!), but that's where I was back then.

I completely agree that the BMI scale isn't particularly helpful, especially for athletic frames! Thanks to everyone for all your responses... I know I'm not there yet, but hope I know the right place to stop when I get there!

Jill_newimprovedversion

I looked at the range of what's considered "normal, healthy" and THEN I played with calculator
to determine what the caloric intake at MAINTENANCE at different weights would be.

My idea- I can probably reach ANY number, but can I MAINTAIN IT? And if I do, @ what cost?

So my final goal weight is an odd number for that reason- as well as I want to hit it on Dec 21- which
will be the 10th anniversary of my mother's untimely death-
who died because she didn't think taking care of her health hurt anyone but herself.
She was WRONG.

crisanderson27

If I've managed to keep the same amount of lean muscle mass since then as I've been training for a marathon and focusing on healthy eating

Marathon training...that brings up an interesting point.

Please read this:

http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/The_Final_Nail_in_the_Cardio_Coffin.cfm

The BEST way to bring down your bodyfat, is heavy strength training, and, if you must do cardio...do it in high intensity interval format. You might be surprised at how little bodyfat % you've dropped. I'm not saying you haven't lost bodyfat, just saying it might not be as much as you expect.

it's good to know you're keeping an open mind on all of this...too often people ask the questions...but are only looking for verification of their own chosen answers.

bert16

Yeah, it's a big "if" on the maintaining lean muscle mass... it's just the best I can do with the data I've got! I'm hoping to repeat the scan a year after the first on to get an accurate assessment of how I've progressed.

My main goal right now is really just to complete my first marathon (with weight loss coming in 2nd and building lean muscle mass coming in 3rd, if I had to rank them). Once I run my race, I do intend to incorporate more strength training to help balance things out a bit; for now, I'm pretty running focused. As far as intervals go, I do run two interval workouts each week, so at least there's that!

Thanks, all, for your advice, ideas, and articles!

StatutoryGrape

For me, it was easy. I picked a range (130-135) at which I felt I looked the best. I'm only 5'4", but I think I looked skeletal at anything lower than perhaps 130...as in, visible ribs and protruding hipbones. I don't think I ever want to be THAT thin again. Besides, going from around 148-150 to 135 isn't as daunting as trying to get back to 120. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about body fat or anything; it's more important to me that I'm comfortable with how I look and feel.

candicemaechling

For now I'm shooting for 159 10 pounds into the healthy range as I've never been that low minus being a child and shorter not sure what this will look/feel like ill evaluate when I get closer

MaraDiaz

I felt better during the short while I maintained a weight in the low 120s than at any point in my life. Once I got below that, I was sick, weak, and very cranky, and nothing could convince me I wasn't still fat. When I'm over 130, my back bothers me and nothing fits right. And am I ever above 130 right now. 100 pounds above it. Really, my goal weight is anywhere between 120-129 with lots of muscle mass, something I never have been able to maintain because I never ate well enough to keep muscle on.

crisanderson27

I felt better during the short while I maintained a weight in the low 120s than at any point in my life. Once I got below that, I was sick, weak, and very cranky, and nothing could convince me I wasn't still fat. When I'm over 130, my back bothers me and nothing fits right. And am I ever above 130 right now. 100 pounds above it. Really, my goal weight is anywhere between 120-129 with lots of muscle mass, something I never have been able to maintain because I never ate well enough to keep muscle on.

Maintaining muscle mass isn't necessarily as much about diet, in my personal experience...as many think. It's about strength training really, your body will take what it needs from the food you give it (I feed mine mostly taco bell lol...and I've no shortage of lean muscle mass atm). Women have this belief that if they strength train with heavy weight, they're going to turn into some kind of ripped lean musclebound body builder type....or even that they'll be 'manly' looking, due too too much visible muscle.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

A healthy, 20%-25% bodyfat percentage on a woman, promotes smoothness, and curves...IF the muscles underneath are trained to be toned, strong...and healthy. That layer of body fat will still allow for a flat, smooth stomach and shapely limbs...but it removes the 'super cut' and striated look from her muscles. Drop that same woman, with the same musculature...down to the 15% bodyfat range...and she looks like a male gymnast. Women can't build bulky, manlike muscles, without testosterone supplements. I'ts simply impossible.

If you want to lose that 100lbs of extra weight hun, my suggestion is to strength train 3 days a week, with very high intensity...no more than an hour to an hour and a half per session. Rest in between. If you want to do cardio, make it tabata (you can google this) style intervals. Please, do NOT get on a treadmill and run for an hour and a half...it's counter productive...as you WILL lose the weight, but your body will try to keep as much fat as it can in the process. If you look in my signature, I've got a link to how I lost almost 40lbs of pure fat, while putting on muscle...doing nothing but strength training. The workouts I've used are listed in the thread as well.

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

Set your goal weight to whatever would make you feel happy, healthy, and confident! As long as you stay within a healthy BMI range, its up to your personal preference! :-)

Good luck!!