Ideal body weight

"Ideal Weight" guidelines are great but they don't always take everything into account. If I were to shoot for my "ideal weight" I'd have another 40 pounds - take 40 pounds off this body and I am aneroxic. My goal is 175, 10 pound to go, versus the 140 range that some places have me at - my doctor thinks that 175 is the perfect weight for me. The guidelines are good but look at and listen to your body to find your ideal place.

I originally thought my ideal was never obtainable and that I would look and feel like I was starving my self if I ever got thee, I have 2 pounds to the top of my medical ideal weight and now I know I can do it plus another 15 ( still well within my range of 118-155lbs!

Well, thank you for posting it. I was right about my goal weight. Which is 145. =]

Thanks for your information. The majority of people do fit in does parameters and should aim for does goals. You will all feel better. Thanks again.

It really comes down to body fat math.

I'm 6'4", and currently 239.6 lbs and 20.4% body fat, which puts my lean body mass at around 190.8. For men my age (18-39), my body fat % should be between 8 and 20%. If i were at 8%, my body weight would be 206, which is still above my medically recommended weight, but the body fat % is at the low end.

My current goal is to get to 15% body fat. it's not about losing the weight, it's about losing the fat. I don't want to diet to hard and lose muscle, i want to remove the fat from my body. right now, a 15% body fat puts me at about 220, assuming I don't gain any more lean muscle mass. I'm still medically overweight, but If i can run and lift like I do now, i don't really care.

I would find a dependable way to measure body fat percentage, a good exercise plan, and a healthy diet, and see where that takes you. This site helps tremendously to keep tabs on what you put in to your body and holds you accountable for what you eat. From there, it's up to you to keep on track.

I started at 320, and all i wanted to do was lose the weight. Now that I'm within 20 lbs of my goal, it's more about being fit and healthy than losing the vanity pounds here and there. If I had to stay at 240 for the rest of my life, I'd be okay with it, as long as I could still run and workout like i do now.

People's choice: 194
Medical: 125 to 164

Until they make a Hawaiian setting, i am screwed. I weighed 164 when I was 5.

thanks for sharing...i also really like this one: http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/happyweight because 'ideal weights' for me don't always take into account body type...the 'happy weight' this gives me is pretty accurate to where i want to be

According to this site, my happy weight should be what I started MFP at and I definitely wasn't happy there! I've actually lowered my goal weight another 7 lbs. because I think I can get there and that will be a much happier, maintainable weight. It's truly about how you feel in your body.

Found it interesting that when I put in my starting weight of MFP in August, my ideal weight was 200. My current weight has my ideal as 190. It continues to go down until I hit 175, then my ideal weight is actually heavier. I am 6'0". My BMI is 140-184. I don't know what is being used as a calculator, but I don't take it. I will see where I feel comfortable with myself.

These sorts of overall calculators always either make me angry or depressed. I'm a solid girl, but what I actually look like does not reflect what I actually weigh. I'm 5'3 and weigh 184 pounds, and while the number seems "high" to me, I'm a size 12-14 and definitely don't look 184.

These body calculators/ideal body weights, always make me feel like it's completely unattainable. Even at the top end of the most generous calculators, I'm still supposed to be 140ish pounds and I don't understand how that's supposed to even happen. There is no way my bone structure is going to let me be 140 unless something drastic happens. Like mono.

are you taking into account your frame size, because that affects your weight goal too ... I am 5' 11" and a medium frame and I weighed 183 in August, and now I weight 155 ... what is your bmi? that should tell you if 140ish is a good goal for you or not

I do take into account my frame size, I just feel like all the calculators for ideal body weight don't!
I would consider myself to be a "medium - large frame", there is never any way that I will be smaller than a 8-10 dress size (which I'm totally okay with, really).
The BMI calculator tells me that I am Obese at 32 (which is a huge kick in the pants to begin with) and that my ideal weight is between at 104 - 140lbs.
But at my smallest two years ago, after a very huge lifestyle change and an extended illness, I was only at 150-155.

So it's all just very confusing and like I said, seems very unattainable.

I do take into account my frame size, I just feel like all the calculators for ideal body weight don't!
I would consider myself to be a "medium - large frame", there is never any way that I will be smaller than a 8-10 dress size (which I'm totally okay with, really).
The BMI calculator tells me that I am Obese at 32 (which is a huge kick in the pants to begin with) and that my ideal weight is between at 104 - 140lbs.
But at my smallest two years ago, after a very huge lifestyle change and an extended illness, I was only at 150-155.

So it's all just very confusing and like I said, seems very unattainable.

I think instead of focusing on what seems now like an unattainable goal, perhaps focus on a series of smaller goals, lowering your bmi or making healthier choices, more exercise, pounds lost or inches lost in smaller increments, whatever goals you have along those lines, and perhaps 104 - 140 is in your future at some point. And if not, as long as you are happy with yourself, that is what really matters, no some number a calculator spits out. Best of luck in your journey! (btw, what is your bmi? that should give you some idea where you are at, and getting that to a healthy number will have you well on your way)