Setting a Goal Weight

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Denimgirl
Denimgirl Posts: 87 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am mother to 10 children. I've been pregnant or nursing a baby for the last 22 years.
When I was 18 I was a comfortable 120lbs-125lbs.

I have my weight goal set for 120lbs.

I was wondering how many ladies (perhaps moms that are 40ish) are working toward that pre baby l weight again? What did you use to set your goal weight?
Am I being unrealistic?

Replies

  • getinshapegirl
    getinshapegirl Posts: 19
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    A goal weight based on your weight at 18 and before kids might be pretty difficult to achieve. Maybe you should start by looking up a weight chart to see what an ideal weight for your height would be. Or you could set mini goals such as lose 10% of your body weight. You do not want to feel discouraged if you choose a weight that would be impossible for your adult body to get down to.
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
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    I am 26 and I have one child and I am finding it difficult to get to prebaby weight. Its going to be very difficult for you to get to 120 lb, especially since your metabolism is not the same as it was 22 years ago.

    I think that aiming for smaller goals may be more motivating and easier to achieve. Try loosing 10 lbs every 6 weeks, and see how that goes. Set smaller goals, so that you won't be easily discouraged. You may also want to change the ultimate goal of 120 lbs, to something like 130-150 lb depending on your height and muscle tone.
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
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    I'm not sure how tall you are, but I am 5'1" (and a half!) :) and my goal weight is 130. I picked that because it is a couple of pounds below the max weight for me to be at a "healthy" BMI. It is about the size I was when I got married (at 22) but it is still 20 pounds over where I was when I was 18.

    I just set up some mini goals on my profile today... mostly based on losing 10% of my body weight (and then losing another 10%, etc.) but some other numbers in there too. :) I have about 100 pounds to lose too so 10% takes some time... I needed some other mini goals in there to keep feeling like I'm making progress.

    Right now I am thinking I will be ecstatic to make it back to 130... but if for some reason I'm not I'll re-evaluate my goals then. I'm sure another 5-10 pounds will seem easy compared to what I had to lose to get to that point! (If it matters, I am almost 35... I have one child and had not much of a problem getting back to my pre-pg weight though that weight was 50 pounds overweight, and I obviously haven't stayed at that weight!)
  • valeriebpdx
    valeriebpdx Posts: 499 Member
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    When I was 18 I was comfortable at my full adult height of 5'7" and 98 lbs., but I am sure as hell not trying to get there after 2 kids and 20 years. Goal weight is a completely personal thing, but unless you are really short, 120 seems very low. That said, I have a couple of mom friends who are in the best shape of their lives after a passel of children and weigh less than they ever thought they would. I agree with getinshapegirl and Sabrina that setting an intermediate goal is probably your best bet: Aim to get to your 'healthy weight range" as determined by a BMI or insurance chart and then see what you think of how you look. Because how disappointing would it be to get into great shape and not be able to be happy because you picked the number 120 out of thin air as your goal? Personally, I am trying to get to 135--even that seems like a pipe dream, but if I stop eating like a jerk it is definitely within the realm of possibility.
  • sdmap8
    sdmap8 Posts: 4 Member
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    I was underweight prior to having children.. I was 107 when we were married and tried to gain weight (haha) I had no problem gaining the weight when I became pregnant! I put my height, etc into a chart online and got my goal weight of 140 that way. (See, im back!)
  • danazsweet
    danazsweet Posts: 52
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    I set my goal at the upper limit of my healthy BMI. It's just a number... it really doesn't make us healthy or okay... it's just a guide... what does your heart tell you is right for you? I'm shooting for 130, I was 118 in highschool, but forget that today. I'd love to see 130 again and I would feel great. Once I get there, then I'll see what I think. It's a woman's perogative to change her mind!
  • Denimgirl
    Denimgirl Posts: 87 Member
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    I see women who I know weigh 130 to 140 and I think they look great. Thats probably more of a reasonable goal. I'm 5'4" so my range is from 107lbs to 145lbs.

    Thinking about this has made me think there is more to losing weight then just losing the weight. There is a part of me that finds it difficult to let go of wanting to be 120 again. I also know that I would feel great just to get into into my heathy range.

    Thanks for the great feedback.
  • ilovemybabies2020
    ilovemybabies2020 Posts: 4 Member
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    I looked up the BMI for you. I would say 130-140 would be a better weight range. My midwife always told me that the BMI chart is a little to low in weight and aim for the higher end of it. I was 138 when I got married at age 19. I wore a size 6 and was thin for my body/height. My realistic goal now is 150. I am not aiming for skinny I am aiming for healthy and toned. :)
  • rcatr
    rcatr Posts: 374 Member
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    I think mini-goals might be the way to go. And at each height there is a wide range for what is considered "healthy weight" for a reason. As others have suggested, try losing 10% of your body weight, see how you feel and then set another small mini goal for yourself.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I'd say about 135 is a pretty good goal to have, based on the very limited numbers you presented. I think it would be even better to choose a body fat % goal, and set that to somewhere between 19 and 22%, those are great numbers for a woman post childbirth.
  • valeriebpdx
    valeriebpdx Posts: 499 Member
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    Thinking about this has made me think there is more to losing weight than just losing the weight. There is a part of me that finds it difficult to let go of wanting to be 120 again.

    You are so smart to realize this. After 10 kids, you probably know this deep down better than anyone, but one of my favorite quotes is "maternity is a LINE, not a circle." As much as you might love the idea of "getting back" to something you used to be after more than 20 years of sacrifice to your kids, it's more useful to think about going forward into a new phase of your life--one in which you are healthy and fit. We are never gonna be that 19-year-old girl again, no matter what weight we get down to. So make a healthy goal that fits who you are now, and be proud when you achieve it! Best of luck. We are all here working toward it alongside you!

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