Do you actually hit your target weight?

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mine is 143 or somewhere between 124 and 159 -something I haven't seen since college- that seems impossible! I'm 39 and have 3 kids. I've already lost 30lbs. (took me 2 years, no joke-but at least it always went down and not up) the last 30lbs just to get to 159 is not budging!!! I feel great now but I would like to get at least to the high end of my weight range. I don't know how much less I can eat or how much more I can exercise!

I'm wondering from other folks who haven't seen their range of weight for many years what their weight goals were and if they acheived them :)
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Replies

  • fasttrack27
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    Could your target range be unrealistic? Could you be eating too little? Maybe you need to switch up your workout routine and break that plateau? Maybe if we knew more about you we could offer more specific ideas
  • fasttrack27
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    P.S. My wife just turned 42 and we have 3 kids. She can fit into her dress from marriage rehersal dinner 16 yrs ago and a class shirt from senior yr in high school. So it CAN be done. She eats right and does lots of Zumba
  • ryno0618
    ryno0618 Posts: 361
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    I've seen pals do what they thought was unthinkable. I've seen 200lb gal pals get down to 130lbs, a weight they hadn't seen in 20+ years, since high school literally. I've seen 300lb+ ex-football players get down below 200, a weight they hadn't seen since before playing competitive sports. It is possible to ultimately reach healthy status BMI and body fat % below 20%. It takes dedication, hard work, and a lot of sacrifice, but it can be done. Most people I've seen say they want to lose say 50lbs, but then when they reach it, their like well I could lose 20 more and be in the mid-level healthy range and they do it. Small baby steps can get you to the range. It does take a lot of time and proper nutrition and a balance of exercise.
  • lvng_lf
    lvng_lf Posts: 43 Member
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    Could your target range be unrealistic?

    that's what I'm wondering. I'm 5'7" so most charts and calculators indicate that weight range.

    to answer the rest:
    I usually jog 3 miles or walk (large)hills for no less than 3 miles 4-5 x/week. there isn't a lot of strenght training, it bores me to death however I know that's a recommendation to get over a plateau. I keep the MFP food diary. I struggle with remembering everything (smallish things like the half and half in my coffee) so I decided to go with the least amt of calories I can to give a cushion. I do have a genetic heart condition. I have the docs ok to exercise but it limits the pounds I can lift and I do have to be careful that I'm hydrating and "fueling" my body enough to keep on moving like I want to. it's a delicate balance and it's proving very difficult. I started the weight loss by saying I wasn't "dieting" just getting healthy. so I exercised more, became more aware of what I ate and it slowly came off. it's just not working that way anymore and I think I just need to smack myself and stick to the "diet" mentalitly if I'm to get the rest off:) switching the exercise is hard because the jogging and walking is a social thing I do with my friends! I don't have enough time to do that and other things:(

    thanks for replying!!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    You're 5' 7" and your goal weight is 142ish? That seems really low to me. Is there a reason you want to be that thin? I question how healthy that is.

    I'm 5' 8" and my target is 165lbs @ 10% body fat and that's pretty tough for me.
  • polar135
    polar135 Posts: 319 Member
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    I did hit my original goal weight. 5'9 170. Going on two months of staying at that weight:) I weight less then i have since i was 19. it can be done.
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
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    You're 5' 7" and your goal weight is 142ish? That seems really low to me. Is there a reason you want to be that thin? I question how healthy that is.

    I'm 5' 8" and my target is 165lbs @ 10% body fat and that's pretty tough for me.

    The target weight range for 5"7" is 118-160. I am 134 currently and 5'7". My profile pic is me at 130 (pregnant now so my weight will be going up, not down). At 10% body fat a lot of your weight is muscle. Women naturally have a higher body fat content. :smile:
  • uk_ja
    uk_ja Posts: 143 Member
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    My goal was to get to 180lb, that was just inside the "BMI" at 24.9. I reached this goal basically Jan 2011 and I was 175lb with 20% BF, so I was classed as normal!

    This year I am 184lb with 14% BF, healthier, stronger but back to being overweight lol

    Forget about BMI and it's target goals, it's useless, whatever weight you was however many years ago is achievable if you slowly lose weight without drastic measures, it just takes time which is why a change of diet/ lifestyle is better than just going on a "diet"
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    If you think you are eating a very low amount of calories, then maybe its too little.

    However if you think you could be overeating, then I would suggest taking a look at what foods you eat the most of (calorie-wise), and ask yourself if that food could be causing you problems. If so, lower your intake of that food and replace it with something more satiating, protein foods usually do the trick.
  • thekacks
    thekacks Posts: 146 Member
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    Although I believe you can do anything you set your mind to, I also think your goal is a bit unhealthy... with your height... That seems too low. I'm only 5'1" and many sites say my ideal weight is between 105 and 125. That's just crazy to me. My initial goal is 150 and I will re-evaluate when I get there. But then I will start looking more at how I look and feel, not what the scale says. I think anything smaller than a 6/8 pant size is unhealthy personally, unless you are REALLY fit. Even fit, thin, and healthy... women are designed to have some curves:)
  • lvng_lf
    lvng_lf Posts: 43 Member
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    no no no! LOL I just want to hit 159:) I'm good with that!! the 143 came from a calculator that said it was an ideal weight for 5'7". I should have claified that better:D
  • magzdl
    magzdl Posts: 8 Member
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    I set small goals for myself. Like 10 pounds. I have an ideal weight I want to be at but try not to focus on that. It seems like it would take forever! So 10#'s at a time so far so good, keeps me sane. :) good luck to you!
  • magzdl
    magzdl Posts: 8 Member
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    I agree with what you said about the scale! My ideal weight would have me looking skeletal! I only look at the scale once a week. I prefer to see the changes in my jeans and belt!
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    no no no! LOL I just want to hit 159:) I'm good with that!! the 143 came from a calculator that said it was an ideal weight for 5'7". I should have claified that better:D

    The reality is precision becomes much more important as you reach a more lean state. You have to get the balance of macro-nutrients just right. That is an art that few can master. That's why bodybuilders and such with low body fat are so religious about every nutrient they feed themselves.
  • russellma
    russellma Posts: 284 Member
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    If your target weight is reasonable, then I definitely think it's possible. I originally set my goal for the high end of the BMI scale, but now I'm working to lose 5-7 extra pounds, and then we'll see what I look like from there.

    For me, I wasn't able to move the scales much until I lowered my weekly weight loss goal (effectively raising my daily calorie limit) and eating back part of my exercise calories. I make sure my workouts keep my heart rate up and break a sweat.

    I try to make sure my net never goes below 1200 calories per day.

    Apparently, my body needed the extra calories to be convinced that it could give up the fat. Although I lowered my weekly goal from 1 lb/wk to 0.5 lb/week, I've been losing more than that most weeks.

    Technically, as long as MFP is still projecting a loss, it couldn't hurt to experiment a little and give yourself a few more calories, so you might consider experimenting for a few weeks to see if it works for you, too!
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Body composition plays a HUGE part in what a good weight is, especially for women. I am 5'7" and pear shaped, so I carry it all in my hips and butt. My profile pic is me at 147 pounds and I am a (US) size 6 or 8. If I were 130, I would look sickly. Others who are 5'7" look perfectly healthy and fit at 130. That's why you should never get hung up on a specific goal number. Go by how you look and feel. I like where I am, my goal was 145 but I have stopped at 147 since I am happy. I said all along as I was losing almost 30 pounds that I reserve the right to adjust my goal when I get closer!
  • _Ben
    _Ben Posts: 1,608 Member
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    Yes, I did make it to my goal, actually surpased it by a little bit. Goal was 145, Im at about 140 now
  • fasttrack27
    Options
    Could your target range be unrealistic?

    that's what I'm wondering. I'm 5'7" so most charts and calculators indicate that weight range.

    to answer the rest:
    I usually jog 3 miles or walk (large)hills for no less than 3 miles 4-5 x/week. there isn't a lot of strenght training, it bores me to death however I know that's a recommendation to get over a plateau. I keep the MFP food diary. I struggle with remembering everything (smallish things like the half and half in my coffee) so I decided to go with the least amt of calories I can to give a cushion. I do have a genetic heart condition. I have the docs ok to exercise but it limits the pounds I can lift and I do have to be careful that I'm hydrating and "fueling" my body enough to keep on moving like I want to. it's a delicate balance and it's proving very difficult. I started the weight loss by saying I wasn't "dieting" just getting healthy. so I exercised more, became more aware of what I ate and it slowly came off. it's just not working that way anymore and I think I just need to smack myself and stick to the "diet" mentalitly if I'm to get the rest off:) switching the exercise is hard because the jogging and walking is a social thing I do with my friends! I don't have enough time to do that and other things:(

    thanks for replying!!

    It's nice you run/walk 4-5X/week, but if thats all you do that could be part of the problem you describe. You're probably conditioned to that activity now. You really need to switch things up and confuse your body. And somehow fit in some weights a couple times a week (lean muscle burns fat). Maybe your friends will join you in your new routine! Here's a normal week for me:
    Mon/Wed/Fri - 45min spin class, 15 min core work, 5-10 min stretching. Tues/Thurs - Strength/Conditioning group class (like a boot camp, different every week, hits all body parts). Occasionally I also sneak in a kickboxing class and/or another spin class early Sat morning. Oh, and I run 1.5-2 miles on treadmill at 5am before my 5:30 classes. I fit in a pretty tough well-rounded workout and can still be home by 7am, then work till 5pm, then personal/family time in the evening. It CAN be done. BTW, I'm a 40 (will be 41 on Fri) yr old male, 5'-10", weight 167, under 10% body fat. I only started all this 2 yrs ago. Try a local Zumba class. If you dont belong to a gym, many communities have rec centers with various classes an even some hospitals/churches. It's intimidating at first but once you jump in and try new things - and see results - you wont look back! Feel free to Friend me and check back in with us on how things are going - Best wishes!!
  • DisneyMommy
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    Yep, my original goal was 140 lbs. Passed that to my new goal of 130 lbs and then passed that to 127 lbs which is likely where I'll stay. I don't want to be stick thin, just healthy for my height and body type.
  • petreebird
    petreebird Posts: 344 Member
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    I do have a genetic heart condition. I have the docs ok to exercise but it limits the pounds I can lift and I do have to be careful that I'm hydrating and "fueling" my body enough to keep on moving like I want to. it's a delicate balance and it's proving very difficult.

    If your limited on the amount of weight you can lift, that doesn't mean you can't lift smaller amounts of weight for a larger number of reps. A little bit of lite lifting can still tone and might help you break threw your plateau. Just a thought.