Determining goal weight for tall ladies

Emma_Problema

I've been thinking about upping my Goal Weight to follow the 10% rule/ Hamwi method rather than BMI. I'm 6' 1/2" and have a medium/large frame with big boobs and hips. I'm wondering if I'm being a little too crazy about my weight loss. Since puberty I dreamed of going down to 160 (which I don't think I've been since possibly like 6th or 7th grade!), but now I'm kind of doubting that goal. The lowest I've gotten down to in my adult life (18+) was 175 and that didn't stick for too long (possibly because it was with South Beach).

I know I need to lose a little weight at least, but is 35 lbs too much for a girl who doesn't exactly look fat. It's so hard to figure out when clothes sizes and ideal weights are tailored to shorter girls. I absolutely hate wearing a size 12. I also was a chubby child and have a history of disordered eating, so I don't quite trust myself to know what's best. My mother told me I should try to stay at 175 when I lost weight before, but it's hard not to want to get down to a 6/8.

Can any of the other tall girls here help me out? I also realize that not all tall girls are built like I am, but I thought I'd ask!

Celeigh12

I think that's the problem with having to designate a goal weight when you don't have previous experience being at that weight as an adult. You also may be in a completely different place fitness-wise which can make certain goal weights not right for your body. Have you considered not using a scale and just going by what you see in the mirror? You may find that 175 looks and feels great. Or 165 or 180. The point is, your actual weight is not relevant if you are fit and have a healthy amount of body fat and Lean muscle. It's hard to think that way, but what gives you more peace of mind - how you feel and look or what a scale says?

wildapril

It's really not about weight. It's about fitness, nutrition, and health. If you're 175 and feel great, stay there. If you feel like crap and want to drop to 160, go for it. As long as you go about weight change in a healthy manner, you should be fine. There is no perfect weight for any height!

Emma_Problema

I think that's the problem with having to designate a goal weight when you don't have previous experience being at that weight as an adult. You also may be in a completely different place fitness-wise which can make certain goal weights not right for your body. Have you considered not using a scale and just going by what you see in the mirror? You may find that 175 looks and feels great. Or 165 or 180. The point is, your actual weight is not relevant if you are fit and have a healthy amount of body fat and Lean muscle. It's hard to think that way, but what gives you more peace of mind - how you feel and look or what a scale says?

Thanks for the help guys! I do understand that it isn't about the scale, but your fitness and nutrition and how your body looks and feels. It's just hard not to have a number as a goal to achieve.

And I probably was at a completely different fitness place when I was 175. I didn't do any cardio and just stopped eating carbs and lifted weights with a trainer. So a bit confusing as I probably lost a ton of water weight but also was gaining a good amount of muscle. I have considered not going by the scale and just looking in the mirror. The way my weight fluctuates on a daily/weekly basis and a proper education in basic physiology tell me that the scale is fairly useless when it comes to determining your health and fitness. It's just hard not to have something as tangible as numbers. It's also much more difficult to track weight loss at this height. 10 lbs does not a jean size drop make when you're over 6 ft tall.

I'm thinking I might just set my goal at a lower number and see how I feel, as well as stop stressing out about what weight I should or need to be. Oh the F-ed up messages of the society we live in. Thanks for bringing me a little closer to earth.

pkiesch

I agree with everyone else and understand where you're coming from. It's easy to pick a number that you THINK you want to be at but will be happy somewhere else. I'm hovering around 170 and I've never looked better or felt healthier. My friends think I'm a size 4 but I'm a 10. I doubt I'd ever be anything less than an 8 and even then I would probably look too thin! But I know some other 6-footers who are size 8 and look amazing.

Nektariosmom

Hi, I just wanted to say that I am 174 lbs and still a size 12. I dropped down to 155 some years ago and yup still a size 12. Lol Keep losing weight the healthy way and you will find what is right for you.

Kipenzi7

I've been mulling this over as well. I've been over 175 for the past ten years- I hit 168 before my junior prom, but that was with Atkins and, well, it sucked. Based on different calculators and such I'm shooting for 163 in theory, but I'm not so sure I feel like I need to lose another 17 pounds. I'm gonna keep that as my goal, but I plan to reassess in another ten pounds. I want a goal I can reasonably maintain once I get there, ya know?

Emma_Problema

I've been mulling this over as well. I've been over 175 for the past ten years- I hit 168 before my junior prom, but that was with Atkins and, well, it sucked. Based on different calculators and such I'm shooting for 163 in theory, but I'm not so sure I feel like I need to lose another 17 pounds. I'm gonna keep that as my goal, but I plan to reassess in another ten pounds. I want a goal I can reasonably maintain once I get there, ya know?

Exactly. I'm so tired of yo-yo dieting. I really just want to get to a weight where I look good and I can maintain. I'm afraid that if I dip too low, the pounds will come back on and I will give up. Or that I won't be able to just live my life without constantly fretting over my weight. Hence why models and actresses can stay at such a low weight- because it's part of their job. I want to keep going to the gym and watching what I eat even after I've dropped the weight, but I don't want to keep obsessing over it.

LizGozza

you made a great point here, you felt good at 175. so get there and see how you feel, not what the scale says.
I'm 5'10 and the best adult weight I had with some exercise but not great eating was 165, so I feel comfortable saying lower with a better diet. if I get to 170 and feel great, I have no problem stopping. but hell, I was still a size 10. The hips and boobs do us in for that number, so i stopped caring about measurements, dress sizes, and the scale.
I only weigh in once a month now, enough to make sure Im staying on track, but not enough to obsess in the least

Mhay913

The best advice I can give you is to be happy with where you're at! That shouldn't be difficult because you look amazing! I would focus on physical fitness goals (e.g. run time, weight lifting, # of push-ups etc.) rather than pants size. I'm built like you are (a little over six feel, big boobs, wide hips - and they got a little wider after having kids!) and I've given up on trying to squeeze into jeans that are too small because I liked what the number represents. The lowest weight I've been as an adult was about 185 (size 14), that was after I had my first child at 20 and was mostly due to an active job and breastfeeding, which I gained back settling at around 215 (size 16-18). At age 30 I weighed 203 (size 14-16), after Army basic training and a bout of the stomach flu. I looked amazing and was in much better shape at 30 than at 20 even though there was about a 20lbs weight difference. Moral of the story, I'd take how I looked & felt at 30 over at 20 any day (maybe minus a few of the stretch marks ;p)


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