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choosing a goal weight - not a fan of std BMI choice

PilatesConvert
PilatesConvert Posts: 55 Member
edited January 24 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 32 (171 lb) and starting to track my food & weight for the nth time. I'm 5'5" so BMI says 150 lb should be the TOP of my 'healthy weight range'. I've struggled with healthy weight since puberty. I got up to ~180 in college, joined WW, and made it to a sustainable goal of 145 for a few years...but I was 22 years old and had an easy job so I could exercise a ton and plan meals carefully. I haven't been below 150 since I was 25.

Now I'm 32, have an amazing cool, but very busy and stressful job, and a husband who loves beer, and all the real life challenges of a grown up. I think 150 is unrealistic for my body type (big curvy hips/thighs/butt, even at my 145 weight). I'm struggling to find a goal I believe is achievable, and sustainable. I am aiming for health, not being the smallest I can be. I am thrilled with my exercise progress and the strength I'm building, but now that I'm trying to actually track my eating and lose some of this flab, I don't want to set myself up for failure.

Anyone else spent a lot of time/energy thinking about this? Opinions?

Replies

  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    BMI can get really silly with muscular men.
    But 5'5 and 145 is realistic and sustainable as a long term goal for a moderately-active woman.

    Roided-up Marion Jones was 5'10 and 150 - right in the middle of "normal". Just throwing that out there as a muscular female example vs BMI, not saying her Olympic gold medalist body is a reasonable objective.
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