Is your goal weight too low?

My goal weight is 140 but when I use that formula it tells me 149. Interesting! I would love to not have to lose those last 9 pounds. If I look good at 149 what do I care about a number on the scale!!!

I reset my goal weight, and I'm thinking it may still be too low. My goal weight was the weight I graduated high school at. I was looking though pictures, and I was pretty skinny. Still a teen, didn't look like a woman. So I added a few pounds. But now that I'm working out regularly, I may add a few for muscle as well.

I set my goal weight based on what I weighed the first couple years after I was married--still a very healthy BMI. I know I don't want to go much below that (I had been below that before the wedding (still at a 'normal' BMI) and it was uncomfortable--I was always cold and it hurt to sit down for long).

That being said, I might have to reevaluate my goal... In the 13 years since I was last at my goal weight I was pregnant and gave birth to my son. My body is a lot different than it was back then! I still have about 15 pounds to go until my goal, but friends are already telling me that I'm trim enough and they can't imagine me losing another 15. I can still see where I would like 15 pounds to come off as of today, but as I get closer I might back off on that goal.

Threads like this irk me.

FITNESS is not about 'how you feel about your body image when you look in the mirror', what size clothes you wear, what weight you are according to any tables, how big or small your skeleton is (which doesn't vary as much as people think between person to person) etc, etc.

Fitness is about being healthy- eating the amount of calories and food types your body needs to function, with all your body systems functioning at appropriate levels- endocrine, circulatory, digestive, and generally being free from the pathological diseases of an unhealthy life style- diet acquired diebetes, high blood pressure, etc. While getting enough physical activity to encourage muscle strength, which will support joints, and enough heavy lifting type of activity which will encourage strong bones- all of which will prepare you for a long and healthy life, with all of your systems functioning well.

People, especially women, need to learn to seperate the emotional issue when deciding if they are healthy. Healthy is not a jean size, every one is built differently- a size 10 can be fat, too. How many women have you seen in smaller sizes that have NO muscle? How many size 16 women have you seen with lots of muscle, tone, maybe even european ancestry- that simply aren't overweight- yet are struggling with believing they are healthy, due to the size of her pants, or some stupid chart telling her she is overweight- or some stupid woman telling her she should strive for a certain body type which is genetically impossible for her. Sheesh!

So, in short- there is no way to tell you what your goal weight should be. Instead your goal should be fitness. Fitness is NOT determined by your weight alone.





(And not to sound offensive- but there are plenty of women here with body dysmorphic disorder, women who are never satisfied with their weight, women who weigh 115lbs but SWEAR they look and feel better at 105, and if you look at the pictures- they look anorexic. )