I think that's the problem with having to designate a goal weight when you don't have previous experience being at that weight as an adult. You also may be in a completely different place fitness-wise which can make certain goal weights not right for your body. Have you considered not using a scale and just going by what you see in the mirror? You may find that 175 looks and feels great. Or 165 or 180. The point is, your actual weight is not relevant if you are fit and have a healthy amount of body fat and Lean muscle. It's hard to think that way, but what gives you more peace of mind - how you feel and look or what a scale says?

Thanks for the help guys! I do understand that it isn't about the scale, but your fitness and nutrition and how your body looks and feels. It's just hard not to have a number as a goal to achieve.

And I probably was at a completely different fitness place when I was 175. I didn't do any cardio and just stopped eating carbs and lifted weights with a trainer. So a bit confusing as I probably lost a ton of water weight but also was gaining a good amount of muscle. I have considered not going by the scale and just looking in the mirror. The way my weight fluctuates on a daily/weekly basis and a proper education in basic physiology tell me that the scale is fairly useless when it comes to determining your health and fitness. It's just hard not to have something as tangible as numbers. It's also much more difficult to track weight loss at this height. 10 lbs does not a jean size drop make when you're over 6 ft tall.

I'm thinking I might just set my goal at a lower number and see how I feel, as well as stop stressing out about what weight I should or need to be. Oh the F-ed up messages of the society we live in. Thanks for bringing me a little closer to earth.

I've been mulling this over as well. I've been over 175 for the past ten years- I hit 168 before my junior prom, but that was with Atkins and, well, it sucked. Based on different calculators and such I'm shooting for 163 in theory, but I'm not so sure I feel like I need to lose another 17 pounds. I'm gonna keep that as my goal, but I plan to reassess in another ten pounds. I want a goal I can reasonably maintain once I get there, ya know?

Exactly. I'm so tired of yo-yo dieting. I really just want to get to a weight where I look good and I can maintain. I'm afraid that if I dip too low, the pounds will come back on and I will give up. Or that I won't be able to just live my life without constantly fretting over my weight. Hence why models and actresses can stay at such a low weight- because it's part of their job. I want to keep going to the gym and watching what I eat even after I've dropped the weight, but I don't want to keep obsessing over it.