Goal setting

SuMcP

So people of MFP land - how did you set your goal?

Are you going for the flawed but popular with GP's BMI? Or are you going for body fat, or just a weight that you remember feeling good at?

I'm asking because my current goal is based on fat2fitradio.coms goal setter healthy range body fat percentage and I am just 7lbs short having dropped around 55lbs already.

If I were to go for BMI I would have at least another 14lbs to go.

I am already a dress size smaller than when I was last at my goal weight (lots of working out and "new" muscle tone) and I just think dropping an additional 7lbs in addition to my current target would leave me looking skinny and gaunt....but there is a temptation to try and hit "healthy" BMI - what do you think?

nxd10

A healthy BMI is certainly a good goal unless you're muscley, in which case it is inaccurate for you.

Personally . . .

I started by trying to hit a healthy BMI (that would be 172 for me)
I then went for what was my highest pre-pregnancy weight and my long-time goal after I quit nursing and my weight jumped up - 165
Now I'm going for how much I weighed when I graduated from college 150

I have 8 pounds to go and expect I'll stop there. I could be at a healthy weight at much less than that but I've never been a full height adult at less than 140 and I got grumpy when I was under 150 (I'd get irritible if I didn't eat often enough). 150 would put me at a BMI of 21.8 I think.

Frankly, I am comfortable with the calories I'm at now for a pound a week deficit. So there didn't seem to be any good reason to stop when I obviously still have weight to lose.

Firefox7275

Both BMI and bodyfat are flawed for different populations, it's best to take the two into consideration together. For myself I am using bodyfat, I'm actually a healthy weight but not a great waist to hip ratio and a disaster zone of a bodyfat percentage. Always had a strong tendency to 'skinny fat' even when strength training intensively and regularly but it's got worse from several periods of illness and poor lifestyle choices.

auddii

When I was 280, I told myself I need to lose 100lbs. I have a feeling that when I get there I will definitely not be done, but it seems like such a long way to go (I still have about 50 to lose to get there). I have a feeling that once I start getting under that goal, I'll be less concerned with weight goals and be more interested in achieving fitness goals, but I can't predict the future just yet. Baby steps (well, huge baby steps, but you know).