Why Is Everyones Goal Weight Related

amann1976

Why does everyone introduce themselves and say i would like to lose xxx lbs or i would like to get back to xxxlbs???? Isnt there more to life than a specific number on the scale???? Is the number on the scale the only way you will feel successful????


It is just something that seems strange to me especially after reading and learning so much about how weight and bmi are not a good indicator of success or your fitness level.

lizziebeth1028

Amen! I agree! The number on the scale does not determine how healthy and fit I am!

OspreyVista

I'm not so worried about the number on the scale as I am about how I look in my eyes. However, I do have a goal weight set at 135, but I will see how I LOOK from there and either go down lower, but probably work a lot more on toning at that point. I guess it's just the normal thing to do to say you want to lose x amount of pounds. A lot of people might not know a lot about weight loss before they come no the site either, and see that everyone else does that and already have a magic number in their head. I know I kind of did. Until I thought about it. But for me personally, I know what I want to look like. If I'm at 135, lower, or higher, it doesn't matter really. I'm worried about how I look in the mirror. Oh, also, the scale is a bit of a progress thing too. for instance: I lost 1.2 lbs on the scale, but I gained in inches with the measuring tape. (TOM) Seeing as I gained inches, seeing the number drop on the scale helped keep me motivated. I also realize that it's TOM time and the side effects of that! Whew, dunno if this helps but I tried

gothicfires

i can't speak for others, but it's not about the scale for me and yet it is. I am fine with the way I look. I'm a large girl, but small for my weight. I carry it well. So in that respect the number on the scale doesn't bother me. That I'm not model thin or even athletic doesn't bother me.

However... Your joints are not meant to carry around 30, 40, 50, .... 100 extra pounds every day. It's a pretty certain way to need joint replacements when you get older. Since my skeleton is screwed up, the weight affects my joints even more severely.

Thus the number on the scale becomes important. I was 150 lbs in 2009. So I know what it looks like on me. So I set my goal for 140.

It's not about looks, It's not about self esteem...

It's about my ability to walk on my own too feet for as long as possible.

Joint replacement won't work for me. When I can no longer do it on my own, I will have to use a wheel chair and I already require a cane. Loosing weight won't get rid of my need for a cane.

usmcmp

Most of the people just starting out haven't learned there is more to fitness and health than a number on a scale.

MandiK3

I think it's progressive fitness, and how you look and feel are most important But I do like the numbers aspect of it too just seeing inches and lbs come off. But I enjoy the number of how many min I can do on the elliptical or how much longer I can run.

Jesstruhan

I use the weight as a range for when I know my body will be the right, healthy size. For example, my goal is between 145 and 155. I'm 5'7" and for some girls my height that is perfect and for others it is still too big depending on their build. Really, my goal is a size 10. A consistent size 10 in most things I can buy, not just the ones that are cut generously. When I was that size/weight before, I felt the best, I was able to keep muscle and - for me - was really confident and strong.

Using weight for many is a way to know you hit the range you need to be in. But lately, I've been measuring. I can tell when I have put on some extra centimeters because I see it now and have a measurable against it. When I get smaller, sometimes I am not lighter, I just have more muscle. It's target on the weight, but it took me a long time to get to that understanding about my body.

Do I think some folks rely too heavily on a number? Sure. But check with your doctor and ask them what they want you under. Instead of a size, they will rattle off a weight. Guaranteed. The obsession with weight as a number is systemic in our society, so people can't be blamed for looking to the number first, when we don't know better...yet.

Jesstruhan

Most of the people just starting out haven't learned there is more to fitness and health than a number on a scale.

^^ This. Totally. It's a journey!

alisiaendris

Although I do agree with all of the people who have stated that the number on the scale is just a number, it is also what my doctor stated I need to get to before we discuss where to go from there. Personally, I just want to get below where my BMI says I should be for my age and height. I know that too is not always accurate, and I am not crazy enough to try to get to the bottom end of this range, I just want to be able to say that I am no longer over-weight!

Smokey19

I am glad that I've lost my weight, but my goal is to get healthy. I have multiple health issues that losing wt. can only help. But good health is my goal.

Snapper1985

Its a nice, concrete number. You can't fudge and say "oh, I met that goal" if you really haven't. It's not subjective. Yes, it's not all there is to fitness and yah, it's not the only number you could put to fitness (BMI, heart rate, 5k time, etc.) but it's a starting point. And as most people will probably tell you, starting is the hardest part.

Chipmunkpower

HI All,

So I am lovin MFP! It is simple and fast and smart! My goal is to move easier, feel sexy when looking in the mirror, and living like I deserve! Yes the scale is important but it is not the goal! It is like the price of gas, or the tax on a new pair of shoes! It is just there!

Now you want to know the primary goal...... to get to spend the rest of my life loving my amazing husband!!! Getting healthy and keeping active is the not a guarantee to live forever, but what a great way to live and love!!

joshcmw

Weight is something that can be measured easily for free on a regular basis. I started out at unheathy and all of my numbers from blood pressure to trigycerides, were bad. Making healthier decisions wasn't going to keep me motivated until the next blood test. Stepping on the scale after a week of making healthier decisions and seeing a 5 lb loss was motivating. I still hurt and felt bad, but I had hope. I still don't know my goal weight, although I am aiming for a BMI of 23 and a waist of 34"-35". My first goal was not to lose a specific number. I think my first goal was to walk 50 steps every hour while at work for 1 week with an ultimate goal of losing 2 sizes by the end of 5 months.
That number on the scale is important, but isn't the whole story. No measurement is perfect, but weight is quick and easy. Control the variables involved in weighing - time of day, scale used, clothes worn, water, etc - and the scale can be an important tool. My weight is still important to me and I can tell you how much my weight fluctuates during a typical day, how my scale differs from my doctor's scale, how salty foods cause huge weight gain, and which clothes are heavier. I can also tell you that as you start hitting benchmarks like 20, 50, 75 lbs down, people are eager to celebrate with you. They want to know how much you're down. They cheer each lb lost, each mile walked, and offer encouragement when the scale goes the other way for whatever reason. No one asks how many sizes I have lost or what my BMI is, but they will give me a huge hug for saying I lost 90 lbs.

majordlite

Maybe it's because MFP is touted, per their website, as a "free online calorie counter and diet plan. Lose weight by tracking your caloric intake quickly and easily", and that's why most people check it out. There are plenty of websites out there that can be used for getting fit overall, but this is a website specifically advertised for counting calories in order to lose (or gain, in some folks' cases) weight. And, yes, I know you can use it to track exercise and macros, but that's not its main function. And in order to work toward or achieve a weight-loss/gain goal, you sort of have to have objective numbers, i.e., pounds/kg.

Not trying to be snarky, but the insinuations that those of us pursuing certain weight goals are shallow or "unfit" get a bit tedious, especially on this site.

mensasu

Not sure why you say *everyone* or use *goal* in the singular. Lots of people on MFP have multiple goals and weight is quite often just one of them. Why weight? Well weight for many of us that started off as obese is the easiest marker to tell us we are on the right track with our transformation. For many they can't really do as much in the exercise arena until they have reduced the strain on their joints. As the scale, mirror and measurements start to show them progress they then feel more motivation towards total health improvement. I think you have unfairly categorized many MFP members with your opening statement.

BTW my profile is locked but in case you are interested my tag line is
"I want to have my health, mobility and brain for as long as I can and hope to live past 100."
I have multiple goals which I review regularly and they include both short term and long term milestone goals (of which weight is just one) and other more general goals (of which not becoming diabetic is another).

Good luck with your goals.