Need help- How did you choose your goal weight?

Hello :-)
When I started, I picked my goal weight as 135 lbs because I remembered how I looked at that weight, and I also used those online calculators to see if it was a good healthy weight. Now I personally don't have a goal weight anymore. I now have a goal body. Hope that makes sense. LOL! Instead of worrying about a number, I just concentrate on what I'd like my body to look like.
I reached the 135 goal weight, btw. I'm 5"8 tall. But like you said, everyone is different so certain weights will look different on different people :-)

I did a similar thing. I picked 120 because I was that size when I was 25. I was very active and athletic (rock climbing and performing in plays) and because I have a small frame and am short I think its reasonable to be that size again. I also picked it because it was almost exactly in the middle of the BMI chart for normal weight for me. (109-140 pounds) I also picked 120 because when I started I was 240 and the idea of losing almost exactly 50% of my body weight sounded appealing to me.

I know I won't look like I did at 25. For one thing, I intend to do heavy cardio workouts because that's what most of the group exercise at the Y near me is. Rock climbing is a weight training exercise so I won't be as compact or skinny as I was. I'm also 42 now, so I'd be fooling myself if I thought I could look 25 again.

I'd say you picked a very attainable goal if you are still obese when you get to the "end". Once you get down there, you can see if you are satisfied or if you want to go for a few more pounds. Also if you do a lot of weight training, you could possibly look really trim but have dense muscle mass and weigh that much , but be thinner than ever.

As other people have said, I picked a goal weight that I remembered feeling good at. Somewhere along the way, I decided I would focus more on a body fat percentage as a goal. Then, I realized that was just another number to obsess over. So now, my weight goal is to be able to look in the mirror, and say, yeah, that's it.

As other people have said, I picked a goal weight that I remembered feeling good at. Somewhere along the way, I decided I would focus more on a body fat percentage as a goal. Then, I realized that was just another number to obsess over. So now, my weight goal is to be able to look in the mirror, and say, yeah, that's it.

You saved me from typing this. My thoughts exactly. :drinker:

Find out your lean mass.

Then use the formula:

Lean mass/(1 minus bf% desired)

So for instance if you're 120lbs of lean body mass and want to be 25% body fat then the equation is:

120/.75= 160lbs


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Don't choose a goal weight. Assuming you're doing the right kind of exercise combination and eating enough you will see increases in lean body mass along the way that will throw off your original estimates of your goal weight. I would say don't bother with a goal weight.

I picked it by, as many other, checking my BMI, which at 174cm (5'8"ish) is between 56-70 kg, I just picked what I thought would be good for me.

I'm more interested in my body and how it looks than the weight though.. I've always been very skinny looking for my weight. I was 76kg and looked like I weighed no more than 65kg. But I think just go with a BMI weight and then when you get close you just re-evaluate and look at how your body is, how you're feeling and if you feel you need to lose more to look and feel the way you want to

I've also set little mini-goals, like 76kg -> 70kg -> 66kg -> 62kg! Make every little step feel like a victory!

I don't worry all that much about the number, I try to focus on my habits. My goal is to eat 10 servings of veggies a day, 2 fruits, and adequate protein, sleep 8 hours a night. The numbers seem to go down on their on if I stick to that general plan.

The other piece I look at is my athletic goals. I do stairclimbing, and at my last competition I did 54 flights in under 13 minutes (well, just 15 seconds under). I'd like to get it down to under 10 minutes, that means lighter and stronger.

Mine was bang smack in the middle of the healthy BMI range for my height. I'm one lb off it now, and I'm re-evaluating. What someone said above - the goal is not a number anymore, but looking in the mirror and approving of what I see!

Keep to your goal if you want, re-evaluate it now if you want. I think most people change their mind and set different goals at some point - whether that's because they get to goal and think there's more work to be done, or whether it's because they decide they look great before they get to the arbitrary number. It's important to have one, because it's incredibly motivating, but it doesn't have to be set in stone.

Good luck!

I chose my goal weight similar to how you chose yours. At my healthiest, when I was younger and working out all the time, I weighed 150 and wore a size 8, so I'd like to get back to that. I'm 5'5" and a lot of those weight charts say that I need to weigh 135. The only time I have ever weighed that low was after being sick for 2 weeks and being in the hospital, and I thought I looked way too thin. I do have a curvy figure though, the typical hour glass figure with hips and a bust. lol. I guess for women who are 5'5" who have narrower hips and shoulders 135 might be just fine, but not for me. I think you'll know when you feel healthy. Don't put too much stress on the charts, every person is different.