How did YOU determine your ideal weight?

ccgisme

Hi All,

The BMI charts are ridiculous when it comes to what I should weigh - I am 255 and "should" weigh 165ish - which I haven't weighed since middle school. So how did you all set your goal weight? Did you go get body composition testing, did you pick at random, did you go by past experience? Did you bother to pick a goal weight?

I don't want to get fixated on this - I'm really more interested in being healthy, reducing my waist to height ratio, and lowering my blood pressure. That said, I have this nagging desire to have a number to shoot for! :laugh:

Thanks,
Chris

nsking83

Interesting question! I'm anxious to see what people say. I know the old "trick" was 100 + 5 lbs for every inch over 5'........which would mean I should weigh 135. YEAH RIGHT.

I have a goal right now of 160......but honestly, I kind of pulled that number out of you-know-where :laugh:

jdcole67

I haven't set a final goal weight yet, but I did discuss this topic with my physician - she's not a big fan of the BMI since it doesn't take into account body type...while it may work as a general guide, some people are "big boned" (large frame) and some are not...personally, I used to be called "Fireplug" because I am short and square and solid...and the BMI wants me to weigh somewhere between 145 - 165 (which I weighed as a freshman in high school!)...not a realistic goal for me to get that low now without losing muscle mass (also not accounted for in the BMI), but if I get to a weight my doctor and I can live with, I feel better, have more energy, and my bloodwork looks good, that will be my "goal weight"...

ittybittybadonkadonk

i was 120 11 years ago ... so i went 10 pounds higher than that to get my goal weight

ssmom

I am 5' 1" with a large frame--I can't even wrap my fingers around my wrist bone. I am also a somewhat muscular build--there's pounds of fat covering it at the moment, but I'm no sissy if you get what I'm saying. My BMI is anywhere from 97lbs to somewhere in the 120's. I have never been that thin. I remember being at one of my lowest points in high school and still being 128 lbs. So for me, I would be happy with 135. The BMI chart considers that overweight, but my friends and family know otherwise. I just go for what I feel I look best at and what others who care about me feel is right. I definitely am a girl who likes curves so I don't mind a little extra if it's in the right places. And with working out, it will be in the right places!

dragonflyjill

I am interested in the answer to this as well. Has anyone just asked their doctor for ideas on this issue? I kinda pulled a number out of my butt based on BMI, and also I weigh people pretty regularly at work, and I know what some of my friends of similar height weigh, so I kind of based it on that. Also, I wanted to make it do-able, so that when I got to it I would feel like I had achieved something, but there is a nagging voice in my head that wonders if it will be enough.

I recently re-read about the notion of small frame versus medium or large frame based on whether or not you can reach the fingers of one hand around the wrist of your other hand. according to this method I have a small frame and should weigh in the bottom range of my BMI which is about 125 pounds. My goal is 150.

angela75022

I had to decide what made me confortable... my "Ideal weight" is 120ish... I'm actually shooting for 150-160... then see how I feel after that.

Just pick a reasonable # that you are comfortable with... then once you reach it, decide if you want to go farther.:flowerforyou:

tkrall

Well, I'm 5'2 1/2 according to my BMI I should weigh between 104 and 140. I picked my goal weight based on pre-baby (I know that doesn't help at all). But that is when I remember being the happiest about who I was and how I looked. My goal weight right now is 130. I started out at 164 (I'm almost there :happy: ). I don't expect that to happen overnight, right now I'm happy with how I'm making progress and how my body is starting to look. I would just shoot for something that is reasonable. Once you hit that, you can either keep going or try to maintain. I think it's really all about how you feel. If you feel good about your body and health great!! if not keep working on it

xtina11179

I chose mine goal weight by choosing a number in the higher range of the Height/Weight chart. Nothing more, nothing less! Being that I am 5'11" and "big boned" as you say, it was a number I was comfortable with.

xtina11179

Plus, when I was 195, my dr did say she'd like me to lose 20 more lbs. My goal is 5 lbs less. At least for now.

Holton

I am 5'7" of a medium frame and according to the charts should weigh anywhere from 118 to 159: I selected 140 as my goal and am just 4 pounds shy of reaching that since January. Have recently been to my doctor for an annual physical and she concurred that I was shooting for a realistic and attainable goal. Should mention I am over 50. My ideal weight (based on how I felt and looked) when I was younger (20's) was 124, but that just isn't realistic anymore. I think if you use your height and frame size as a starting point and just pick a weight in the mid point of the charts based on that information, you will have an idea of what your goal should be.

krazzybebe03

I am 5'7 and my goal weight is 129... I reached this weight 2 years ago and l looked the best ever, toned but still curvy. So I would like to return to that. If you have a ideal weight set and you reach it and still arent satisfied, make a new goal....its really trial and error.

KatieM7

I picked my goal weight based on pre-pregnancy but I have it in my mind that if I look good and feel good about my body before I get to that weight then I will be good with that. Going of the whole 100# plus 5# for each inch over 5ft that would put me at 115 and that is for me just ridiculous. I do have a small frame (can wrap my fingers around the wrist very easily). Go with what feels good for you.

sassyg

10% loss. I don't really have an ideal weight, personally.

kah78

I still haven't picked mine! My first ideal weight is anything in the healthy BMI range. I'm 5'2 and just hit 136. I'd like to drop another 10 lbs, but at the same time, that may take more effort than my body or my brain can handle at this point to maintain. I'm 5/2, and my body seems to feel comfortable somewhere between 125 and 135, with a decent amount of exercise and watching what I eat--but nothing extreme. So, 130 would be where I'd start...it'd be great to get to 125 though. I can't even imagine what sort of exercise routine/eating routine I would have to have to get down to the lower end of my BMI range....don't think I'm up for that.

chessie11

I'm 5'7". Eight years ago and prior to that, before the birth of my second child, my weight fluctuated between 125-130. I was quite comfortable at that size, I felt good, and I loved how clothes looked on me. Now - I despise shopping for clothes. I purely hate it. :mad:

So, that's how I chose my ideal weight of 130. At my age now, I know I'll have to work harder to maintain that weight since my metabolism is now much slower than it was back then. But, since I'd rather be healthier and feel better about myself - that's not a problem.

xtina11179

I don't see the accuracy of the "finger around your wrist" test. My fingers are VERY long ("piano fingers", my grandmother always said), and I have very skinny wrists and I can easily wrap my fingers around it. I also have very skinny legs and ankles and no butt. However, I am VERY broad shouldered and large breasted. If the "wrist trick" means I am a "small frame", the idea of 135-148 is quite unrealistic for me. I'd look quite sickly if I were 135 lbs. I will still consider myself "large frame".

DarcieC2389

I went with my ideal weight of 180, which is 6 lbs over the top of my weight range according to bmi and my height. I think I will be satified with that, and would get me into probably a size 8/10. I am tall and will never be petite. My dr. agreed even said she be satified if I got to 190. I don't think you can always put everyone into a chart, people have different body types and builds.

Sara1978

First post, heh...

I weighed 115lbs in college. I felt awesome at that weight, but-- well, there was one silly drawback to it. I am blood type O, and knowing that and how in-demand my blood type was, I was always disappointed that I wasn't allowed to donate blood at blood drives because I would weigh in at just under their minimum weight. So, I set my target weight at 120lbs-- close to what I was in college, but above the cut-off line to donate blood. It's kind of a silly way to have determined my goal, but I'd be pleased at that number.

crazyjkgirl

Well, technically I haven't yet. I just want to not be fat anymore. Honestly, I don't think I'll ever be entirely happy with my body. So I guess for now, I will just keep loosing. I'm trying to not let it get out of control but I definitely know that I've been developing some eating disorder like behaviors/ thoughts.

LoveMy4Kids

My goal weight isn't what I "should" be, but it is realistic for me to achieve! I was my goal weight 10 years ago and felt great about myself and thats how I want to feel again!