How did you come up with you're GOAL weight?

Cycl0tr0n

For me, deciding on a target weight has been an ongoing process driven largely by my bike-racing ambitions.

Initially, I assumed that as a guy with small bones and a fairly light build, I would want to aim for 135 or less. I'm 5'8", so 135 would actually be pretty lean (for a non-cyclist), but still in a 'healthy' range (BMI 20.5).

I later adjusted my goal upwards a bit, to 145, because my fiance was concerned that I was pursuing too aggressive a goal. Over time, as I found myself struggling with fatigue and constant colds, I revisited my goal weight again and decided to set it at around 160. This meant I could up my daily calorie intake, which I did, to great effect. I have felt a thousand times better eating 1600ish calories on non-riding days than I did eating 1300ish on non-riding days (at this point, though, most days are riding days).

The idea is to see how I'm feeling and racing when I hit 160, then decide whether to actively pursue further weight loss (I make the 'actively pursue' stipulation because riding the bike enough tends to generate weight loss regardless of intention).

Right now, I'm not losing much in terms of *weight,* but I am losing inches like crazy. The shorts I bought last month -- which fit perfectly then -- are now too big; I've 'out-shrunk' most of my pants. I suspect it's a question of building muscle while losing fat. I find it difficult to use the fit of my clothing as a gauge, but even I have been able to see the difference of late. That tells me I may actually not need to lose as much as I thought.

So now it's a question of balancing health with performance. I've left my goal weight at 157, but I'm much more concerned with how I feel both on the bike and off than with the numbers at this point -- especially since the fat is coming off steadily.

I've set a 'danger zone' for weight loss, at any rate -- I know I cannot afford to let my weight fall below about 125, which is close to the bare minimum in terms of BMI for someone of my height. For that matter, below about 135, I'd probably just be stripping off muscle, which might disrupt my personal distribution of the weight-to-power ratio that pretty much makes or breaks bike racers.

I suppose once I'm below 160, I will set that as my 'danger zone' for weight gain -- I really think that above 160, I'm just stripping the polish from the area of cycling in which I really have potential to shine: getting the bike up big hills, fast. I don't have the upper-body strength to be much of a sprinter, but I really climb quite well.

The other consideration, for me, is time. I have realized that, while I made it from 220 to 170 reasonably fast, it may take me a year or more to get down to 145ish without overtaxing my body. The goal is to be as fit as possible going into this fall's cyclocross and gravel-racing season, then to really sharpen that fitness up for the 2013 road racing season.

jackiecroberts

I too am 5'9, and I set my goal at 145. When I was 25 I was in great shape and weighed 125; however I am now 45, a child later so realistically I think my goal is a little more obtainable. I will have to see how I feel once I get there if I want to lose more. I am just so happy to have lost the weight that I have lost!! It is possible to be at your goal weight and still eat and enjoy life!!

Eleanorjanethinner

Interesting reading...

I started with a goal to lose 20 pounds (10 kg) - I managed 15 pounds (about 7.5 kg) then have stalled through a series of massive life changes (emigrated so new flat, new job, no friends... lots of hard work!). I am pleased that I've managed to maintain through all the upheaval for the past few months.

At some point when I've got the emotional energy, I'll do another push and get those next 5 pounds off. I'd still be slightly 'overweight' according to my BMI by then, but I'm less interested in that than in how I look and clothing size. My real goal is to be a slightly toned size 12 UK (US 10, I think) regardless of what that means I weigh. Then to maintain that weight with healthy eating and regular exercise for the rest of my life!

I'm in some 12s/ medium clothes now but I've probably got another 5-10 pounds (2.5- 5kg) to fit most 12s not just the stretchy ones!

SaketoKim

30lbs a good round number from 215 down to 185... and if i get there i should be around 10% body fat.

<<<<<<<<< my pic im at 200lbs and im currently at 197

Wow great progress

Back to the topic....lol I picked my goal weight based on a healthy weight that looks good on me.... I'm 5'3 but 135 looks sickly skinny on me... heavy bones I think I'm wolverines sister. lol

asia_hanebach

I know that BMI isn't very accurate, but I chose roughly the middle of the healthy BMI range for my height. I've only ever been at the high end of the range, and I wasn't happy with my weight at the time. At the same time though, I have a relatively broad build, so I think I would look ridiculous at the low end of my BMI range. So I'm shooting for the middle for now, and I might alter that by 5-ish pounds in either direction depending on how I look at that point.

JustJennie1

I came up with mine because I feel it's a weight that I can sustain and be lean without looking too thin. I'm 5'2 and I'm aiming for 108-110.

Davenrumbasmum

this is the weight I know when I fit the clothes size I aim for. The cahrts tell me to be a stone less but I look ill if I go down that far

SME1976

Edited to add - Sorry, I didn't really answer how I came up with my goal weight. Basically, it's the lowest weight at which I have been without unhealthy measures to achieve and maintain. I like being skinny but any skinnier than my goal weight is a full time job and I am busy enough as it is.

This is how I came up with mine too. The lowest "unhealthy " I have been is 140- lost of not eating, diet pills, etc... But the lowest I have been doing it the "healthy way" was 135- I ate good foods and i exercised and kept active. There really was a difference in the way i looked between the 2 ways. At always looked vey sick and mal nurished at 140 the "unhealthy way" but I looked fine at 135 with good food and exercise!

saxmaniac

I aimed for simply getting out of the "overweight" BMI category at first, and making absolutely sure it was a sustainable habit for life. That was the major win. I don't put much stock in "goal weight" -- I care about size, shape, proportion. The weight I wind up is a side-effect of other things, not a goal.

By why stop? We can change our goals. Recently got a bodyfat measurement at 20%, and I'd like to whittle that down a few more points to 17 or so.

lucylousmummy

i wanted to weigh the same as i did before having my 4 kids, after i got to that weight ive decided to go for average weight for my height, if i get that far i may set another goal depending on what i look like

KittieLea

I used this chart:
http://www.weightwatchers.com/health/asm/calc_healthyweight.aspx#

At 5'2", my healthy weight range is 109-137. I want to be strong, not skinny so decided to aim for the middle-123. I made my goal and am now focusing on maintence and muscle

bestbassist

I doubt I will ever see my goal weight of 155 again (haven't been there in over 6 years) but I know I won't be completely satisfied until I'm there again.

deadgirl81

To be honest - I don't have a "set" Goal weight, I'm just trying to get rid of as much as possible (and stay within a healthy range) until I feel comfortable with the way i am - I try and set a target weight each month, be it 4-5lbs lower than I am at the time and just work to that and keep changing it

Jess81620

You should really look at healthy weights for your height because 101 - 135 is the range for 5'2 so you are aiming to be at an unhealthy weight. I am 5'2 as well and currently weight 128 but I am trying to get down to 110 - 115. Trying to had back down to the middle of the healthy weight range for my height.

killingtheantagonist

My goal weight is between 140 - 160 and that would make my between bmi 22 and 26.
So anything in that range I'd be pretty satisfied, considering my size now.

Jacwhite22

I picked an arbitrary number below what I think my ideal goal would be. I would rather be where I want to be before hitting my "goal" than hit my goal and not be happy with myself. I will know when I get to my goal by the mirror.....not by a number on a scale.

DAM_Fine

I promised myself I would get back to the same weight as when I got married - in time for my 35th Anniversary in Hawaii! I've done that, and I'm in better shape physically now than I was then!

kacbldmm07

I am 5'8 my healthy weight is 164, per my doc. I want to be 150. Why, because I do not want to be on the border of healthy and over weight.

bluiz13

i picked 144 because it is the highest end of the "healthy" range for my height on the BMI chart...

BUT my goal is to eventually maintain between 150-140 for the rest of my life....BUT when i get between 160-150 i'll see how i feel and reevaluate then....

i weighed between 180-200 for my late teens and early 20s and then 200-250 from mid 20s to mid 30s so being in the 170s right now pushing for the 160s is like a dream come true...wearing size 10s and 12s pants and Medium shirts blows my mind....i still have my tummy from when i weighed my highest plus carrying 2 children, but the rest of me is shrinking and i am beginning to love what i see (minus my tummy of course)....

i'll get there eventually and who knows maybe my "GOAL" weight isnt really necessary....at this point in my journey, almost 4 1/2 yrs in, i really just want to have a body i'm proud of....in the end i dont care what i weigh as long as i feel good about how i look as well as am strong and living this amazing fit life i have created for me and my family.....

denise

Teksavvy

I chose my GW based on BMI calculations. Now that I'm there, I'm working on maintaining this weight while reducing my body fat %.

kristen6022

My healthy weight range for my height (5'11) is 135-179. I picked 155 because it was right in the middle. I gave up at 156. I like what I look like, don't need to be thinner and I'm now just working to make what I have better with exercise.

cbart2818

I looked up the healthy weight range for my height, and my goal is right in the middle of that.

I did exactly the same.

Funny - me too.

I am not that concerned about the scale at this point of my weight loss journey. MFP wanted a goal weight so I chose a 10lbs loss. I have lost enough now to put me just on the tip of the healthy BMI range. A few to go and I will technically be perfect where I am, according to my doctor (weight wise). I chose 10lbs less thatn my current because it is something that can be acheived if I choose to do so. My Doctor is more concerned about being active and eating clean.

It took me a while to understand that being healthy isn't always about what number you see at your feet. I just want to be stronger, fit, less jiggly, lower my BF% a bit and be over all healthy inside and out. If I loose weight while acheiving <<<=== these goals then I see that as a bonus. : )

Hellcatinheels

At 5'5", a goal weight of 120 just seemed right to me in so many ways. I knew I wanted to lose about 30 pounds. When I was bellydancing and doing burlesque I was in the high 120s-low 130s and at that point I looked and felt good but wanted to lose about 10 more pounds. I also considered BMI, as I've generally hung out at the higher healthy range of my BMI. 120 is roughly 10 pounds higher than the lowest BMI for my height, still putting me within the healthy range, albeit on the lower end. I'm also shooting for 18-20% body fat. I will see how I look and feel in whatever size clothes my goal weight and goal bf% puts me in and reassess up or down if necessary.

Inebriated

For my GW, I picked the lowest weight I can be for my height without being underweight. (I'm 5ft 6in)

I looked on your profile and it said your GW is 93lbs? At 5'6", 93lbs IS underweight.



Anyways, to answer the original poster: I'm 5'6" and my GW is around 98-103lbs, I have a small frame. I fluctuated between that range for months last year and it's where I feel most comfortable with my how I look.

bena0218

for me i will start off with 20 lbs then work my way down

dlwyatt82

Just thought back to when I graduated high school. I was on the wrestling team and weighed around 185, but was probably cutting weight by an unhealthy amount. 200 seemed like a good ballpark target, though when I start getting closer, I'll tweak that goal based on how I look and feel.

jesscarows

My goal weight is 140. I had been 140 from high school up until I got pregnant with my first son. I was 155 when I got pregnant with my second son. Now I want to get back down to 140 because that was a comfortable weight for me, that was easily maintained for many years. I am 5'7" and 140 would be in the healthy range for me

shelbyfrootcake

I picked the weight I was in my mid twenties, before my diet got very shabby and my work more sedantry. I had a BMI of 19.6 and I'd like to get back to that.

I'd also like to fit in a particular pair of jeans from many moons ago again but I fear that just getting older has changed my shaped enough that it may be an unrealistic target.

RandomMiranda

I'm 5'8" and a pear shape, meaning it is really difficult for me to lose pounds or inches in my hips and thighs. My goal is 155, and I chose it because it is realistic for my height, within a healthy BMI, and 5lbs less than I've ever gotten down to before. I seem to hit 160 and either bounch back up or plateau (I've been hovering around 160 for about a month now). I also have a 25% BF goal, so if I hit that but am not 155 yet, I'll still consider it a good accomplishment and keep working.

_Bob_

I put mine at 250 because that's what I weighed when I was running 5 miles every other day and doing pullups and otherwise just being an animal. my lowest adult weight was 225 when I was a survival instructor. the charts say with my height I should be 180 but I'm built different, I had a doctor laugh when I told him the chart said I should be under 180. He said maybe my skeleton weighed that much. at my goal weight I'll still be considered over weight according to a piece of paper. but I enjoy having shoulders that are a foot broader that the average guy my size :drinker: