Goal weight vs Highest healthy weight

bstender82
bstender82 Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Guys, I have a question and assume everyone will see it differently but still curios. When you say my goal weight is…. Do you mean the highest number in your healthy weight range or the number you want to reach? i.e for me I started at 211lb in January and want to be 140lb this is a median weight for my height… Also should I change my weight loss weekly goals once I’m in the healthy weight range? Or continue with the 2 pounds a week until I get there or at least closer? ( I’m currently 176lb)..



Thanks in advance for your insight on this rough weight loss road

Replies

  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Whatever works best for you. Some people do 10-20lbs goals at a time. Some people just put around where they may want to end up.

    But here's an idea on the lbs per week loss ranges.

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
  • fattybumclaire
    fattybumclaire Posts: 91 Member
    I currently use the top of my healthy weight range as my goal but once I reach it I will change it to the 'ideal' weight for my height. It was too scary to go straight in at the lower goal lol.
  • Kukenan
    Kukenan Posts: 44
    Hi!
    It is different for everyone. In my case, when I began I only wanted to get to a 'healthy' BMI, which was 132.4lbs for my height. Starting at 155 lb this seemed like a huge loss, specially since I have never been thin or close to that in my life. Once I got to 132lbs I realized I could still loose a bit more, and continued unitl now. I am at 124.5 currently, and I am really happy. I have been maintaining around this weight for the last couple of months and it seems to work alright for me. I have to start excercising again, to lower my fat% a bit, but it really doesn't bother me too much.
    You do have to change the calories you consume as you lose weight. 2lbs/week is actually quite extreme, I'd suggest trying 1lbs/week so you can get something more sustainable. This is specially true once you start getting close to your goal weight. The last few pounds come off much more slowly, and 0.5lbs/week is usually a good goal at this stage. This also allows you to slowly ease up to a maintenance regime.
  • joannaphipps00
    joannaphipps00 Posts: 21 Member
    Having just researched what my ideal weight range is, it scared the heck out of me. I am way above that right now and like some of the other posters I am going to shoot for a goal weight and when I reach it I will consider if I can get anywhere near 175-180 lb. I have not been that light since I was a kid, but back then I was way more active.

    Here's to the journey
    Jo
  • Mom66blue
    Mom66blue Posts: 1
    Regarding my goal weight - my ultilmate goal weight of 155 is at the top of the healthy range for my height. I choose not to set that as my initial goal otherwise I would have given up before I even got started. It is easier to stay motivated when the goal is in sight so I set my first goal to reach 185 (from 219). I have 15 lbs to go and then I will reasses and start working toward that 155 mark.

    I depends on the week but I am averaging just over a pound a week.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    Your goal is YOUR goal, not anybody else's. You're the one who has to do the work, you're the one who gets to pick the number, and you're the one responsible for your own success or failure. The number you pick might be just at the upper edge of the normal BMI range, or it may be some other number. And depending on whether you plan to add muscle rather than just chasing a lower number than where you're currently at, you might decide that a "heavier" number is ideal for you.

    My goal is right around the middle of the normal BMI range. I started at 182. At 5'9", I hit the normal range at 169 lbs. My goal was 150. Now that I'm getting close (currently 158), I'm thinking I might want to go a little lower, so I reset my goal this morning to 145. I don't need to weigh less, but I do want to get rid of the remaining fat around my gut. If I can swap fat for muscle, I'll be happy not to lose any more weight than I already have. In other words, my weight goal is flexible, based on what I see in the mirror and what my body fat composition scale tells me. (My scale currently tells me I'm fluctuating between 14% and 15%, but based on pictures of various body fat compositions, I think I'm probably closer to 20%. Or maybe it's different for old guys like me and I really am around 14%.)
  • Nyx2012
    Nyx2012 Posts: 11 Member
    I've gone for about half a stone under the top of my range with the idea of not being right on the borderline and choose to stop, allowing myself some wiggle room if i started maintaining then.
  • bstender82
    bstender82 Posts: 14 Member
    Thank you all for taking the time to answer. I totally agree that everyones goal is their own and personally use MFP for my whole goal then give myself mini rewards for every 5lb and 10lb.

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