Not sure how much I want to lose!

zestyzaftig
zestyzaftig Posts: 103 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi all! I joined this site a while back to support my husband in his desire to lose weight. The issue we ran into was that nearly all of the food we consume is homemade, and it was simply too time-consuming to input every single ingredient for every meal, every day. I spent some time last week re-acquainting myself with the food-tracking program and learned some "tricks" to make the food-tracking process easier, so now I'm taking the plunge myself and am hoping nothing catastrophic will happen in my life (as has several times in the past) to prevent me from following through this time with my commitment to lose weight.

My conundrum is 1) if I should decide on a goal weight, and 2) what that goal weight should be. I'm normally a very Type-A personality, and am afraid that if I decide on that 'Magic Number' of what I want to weigh, I'll damage my health in intense determination to meet the goal. I'm not even sure what that number would be; I guess I could check the BMI charts for a healthy weight for my height, or go all-out and shoot for my pre-cancer weight (122 pounds, which seems like a bad idea at 5'7", almost 30, and with moderately severe Crohn's Disease).

So I was wondering if, psychologically, it's possible to simply embrace a healthy lifestyle by tracking calories-in/calories-out, and observe the weight loss as a pleasant byproduct of the diet-and-exercise regime? Or perhaps forming goals of weight loss in 5-pound increments, as opposed to a final result of a specific final weight? Has anyone else tried this approach and succeeded?

Replies

  • myrvin
    myrvin Posts: 9
    i admire your determination and your strength. i'm trying to figure out the same balance but have confidence that we can both achieve a healthy lifestyle. one day at a time, we can do this.
  • zestyzaftig
    zestyzaftig Posts: 103 Member
    "Balance"! That's exactly the word I needed to hear, helps me put my goal approach into perspective. Thanks! :-)
  • MTLumps
    MTLumps Posts: 82 Member
    I too admire your determination and your strength - obviously you've been through some struggles! I am 5'8" and in the research I have done it seems a healthy weight is between 135 and 160. Quite the range! I did determine a goal weight but have since decided that trying to eat healthily and track calories in/out works out much better. I can tell how things are going as much by how I feel physically and how my clothes fit as by any number on a scale. Best of luck to you! :smile:
  • jr1985
    jr1985 Posts: 1,033 Member
    Hmmm... maybe pick a goal size... and whatever weight gets you to that size as a starting point?
  • chelseaspaethe
    chelseaspaethe Posts: 1
    Def. check your Bmi rate for your goal weight. Being at the number or around it will make you feel better and you will be healthier! :)
  • zestyzaftig
    zestyzaftig Posts: 103 Member
    Hmmm... maybe pick a goal size... and whatever weight gets you to that size as a starting point?

    I really like this idea! I look and feel my best as a large size 10/small 12.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    I never met a woman who was 5'7", 135, who was either too heavy or too skinny, if that helps.
  • zestyzaftig
    zestyzaftig Posts: 103 Member
    Def. check your Bmi rate for your goal weight. Being at the number or around it will make you feel better and you will be healthier! :)

    Although I respect everyone's individual preferences for health resources, I've never been a big fan of the BMI. I've always been on the muscular side for a woman. Even when I was 150 pounds (I'm 5'7") and leading a sedentary lifestyle, I could easily see the outlines of my ribs and hip bones.
  • LoveMyLife_NYC
    LoveMyLife_NYC Posts: 230 Member
    Definitely embrace that healthy lifestyle and do activities that are fun for you!

    Forget BMI, but instead, use this body fat calculator. It gives you a better picture of your health, and you can go a step further and figure out what a healthy goal weight for you would be.

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/

    But most of all, have FUN! :flowerforyou:
  • jackieatx
    jackieatx Posts: 578 Member
    I met my original goal, made a new goal, and might make a new goal again very soon! ;) You can always adjust as you go- and its a really good feeling to do that! Body fat percentage will also tell you a bit more than weight when it comes to how toned you are. You can get tested at your gym or you can get a scale that can tell you your bf%- online calculators are usually way off. Good luck, you can do this, you've overcome so much!
  • zestyzaftig
    zestyzaftig Posts: 103 Member
    I didn't realize gyms offered testing for body fat percentage- thanks for the info! I did buy a new scale yesterday; ironically I purchased it because it seems to have the most accurate weight readings for its price range, but it has a body fat detector feature too. I haven't really looked into the science of how they work, and how accurate they are, but it will be fun to see if it will help me keep better tabs with what's going on with my body.
  • gibsy
    gibsy Posts: 112
    I think it's a great idea to just work with small goals at a time. I set a major goal, but I'm not set on the particular number. My tangible goals are much more immediate, and those are the ones that matter to me. Personally, I just want to take it a step at a time. My goals are likely to change over time as I see progress and develop new strengths, so why fixate on a specific number?

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