Goal weight?

paula_watson9
paula_watson9 Posts: 7
in Getting Started
Hiya everyone! I was on here last year and never really thought to ask what an appropriate goal weight would be, Ive just started back on today, hopefully to do it right and succeed this time but I'm not really sure what I should be aiming for :S

I'm 26, my heights roughly 5'6 and my weight is 258lbs

I don't know if there's anything else to add to come up with an appropriate target weight but if anyone has any suggestions or advice, it would be appreciated :)

Anyones free to add me as a friend if they like :) I'd be happy to have support and happy to try and support others, I remember it being a big help the first time round :)

Thanks :)

Replies

  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    I picked my goal weight by going online and looking at many different charts and graphs , and also by what weight I remembered feeling comfortable at. Of coarse, after a while I realized that the goal weight was just a number and really didn't mean much. I will stop when I'm happy with my body, and the numbers don't really matter much now. I started @212 lbs , I'm 5"8 tall, I'm currently 135 lbs.
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    I looked at a BMI chart and picked the highest weight for my height. I also have mini goals as I go along and make adjustments as I need to.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I picked one slap-bang in the middle of the "healthy" range BMI, because it's just easiest, but it's only a starting point. I'll get there and see how I feel/look and then adjust up or down as necessary.

    The MFP website has a nice BMI chart for your height under Apps.
  • ninav1980
    ninav1980 Posts: 514 Member
    I tried to remember the last time I weighed myself and didnt feel like I was fat. That number was my goal weight.
  • LuckySlydog
    LuckySlydog Posts: 34
    Way to go!
  • Lib_B
    Lib_B Posts: 446 Member
    i opted not to pick a goal weight, but rather a size. i want to get back into a size 6, so whatever weight that leaves me at, i'll be happy. i have been lifting heavy, so i know that my weight at a size 6 (US) could be higher than someone who is just 'skinny.' for example, i have two sisters - one is 'skinny' and she wears a 4/6 and weighs about 120. My other sister, who also lifts, is a size 4/6 and weighs 145. We're all about the same height (5'4-5'5), so I assume I'll land somewhere between 120-145.
  • Edie05
    Edie05 Posts: 10 Member
    I had a goal weight in mind according to bmi calculator and an ideal weight chart for my height but I really concentrated on small goals of 5 or 10 pounds. I was way too overwhelmed with the thought of a big weight loss and felt I could achieve smaller goals easier. I always felt good when I reached those small goals and it really motivated me to keep going.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    I'm 5'11 and I'm aiming for 149 lbs. That's a BMI of 20.8. I will consider reevaluating, though, when I get down to 160 lbs (BMI 22.8). The difference of 11 lbs between 149 and 160 won't look that remarkable on me since I'm so tall.
  • navygrrl
    navygrrl Posts: 517 Member
    I picked a weight in my healthy BMI range that seemed doable. I'm now rethinking that number, as my body has changed in ways I didn't expect quite yet, and I'm thinking more about how I feel and look and less about the number on the scale. I may end up being happy with a weight that is higher than my initial goal weight.
  • Nataliea87
    Nataliea87 Posts: 29 Member
    I picked my goal weight by using historical data (AKA: What I looked like and how I felt when I was younger and thinner).

    With my bone structure, I know that I'll never be a size 00 again, but I don't see why I couldn't be a 6-8 and be happy. As I was gaining weight from the 00 phase, I hovered in this range for 2 years, and was actually really happy with my appearance. I didn't look skeletal, I was fit, and I still had some curves.

    Using that as a guide, and remembering what my weight was then, I sort of confirmed through some charts and using my BMI calculator as final confirmation what would be the most appropriate weight to achieve this look, while still being healthy.

    Good luck!
  • WelshPhil1975
    WelshPhil1975 Posts: 138 Member
    I picked 2.5st lighter than when I got married 13 years ago. It still leaves me in the overweight zone in the BMI charts so I will reassess when I get down to my target.
  • MaeRain
    MaeRain Posts: 13 Member
    I'm about your height and age, and my goal weight is set to 130. That might change when I get closer to it, but for the time being, it feels like it will be accurate.
  • Ragtees
    Ragtees Posts: 33 Member
    asked my doctor at my last physical, bmi charts are misleading.
  • paula_watson9
    paula_watson9 Posts: 7
    Thanks everyone for commenting :) it really helps knowing how everyone has gone about it :)
    I've done my bmi, and to be in the healthy range I need to work towards 150lbs but I am gonna set myself mini goals along the way and if I reach a point where I feel comfortable with my body and health like a lot of you have I'll be happy :)
    Thanks again for the advice everyone :) looks like your all doing a brilliant job :)
  • JanLynnemfp
    JanLynnemfp Posts: 10
    for me I am setting my goal weight at 199 some may say that is huge well I was almost up to 400 pounds, now I am at 315.5 joined MFP 19 days ago and lost 6.5 pounds while on here. I set my goal at 199 because I have not been there since I was 13 in 8th grade, I am 53 now. I know when I reach my goal I may change it and that is fine just getting under 200 for me will be soooooo exciting. I have 16 pounds to go and I will be under 300!
  • sweetnsassy4evr
    sweetnsassy4evr Posts: 7 Member
    I saw a nutritionist and we set my goal weight at 150 lbs. I want to be less than that but I also don't want to get discouraged. I know I'll feel great if I get anywhere near it but I also know it wouldn't be long before I want to lose more so I'll reevaluate then.
  • bunnz25
    bunnz25 Posts: 4 Member
    I too am overweight, but like someone else here has mentioned, I too have chosen 10 pounds as my first goal. If I can achieve that, than I am sure I can move on to another 10 pd loss goal. It depends on your personality. I know I would never achieve a big goal. Aiming at small goals is where I do better. I am 55 yrs of age, 5' 4" and weighed at 180pds (11days ago). I would not have known about MFP if my daughter hadn't introduced it to me. I have lost 4pds. I am determined only because I developed a crippling pain under my foot @ 2 weeks ago, and it has stayed with me until this morning. Upon getting on my feet this morning, the pain was not as severe. I believe that coupled with more castor oil treatments and a little more weight loss, I will be back to my normal self in another few weeks. Good luck in your goal choices.
  • bunnz25
    bunnz25 Posts: 4 Member
    Congrats, I am so rooting for you. I know the challenges that lie ahead.
  • feralkitten1010
    feralkitten1010 Posts: 219 Member
    I picked the weight I was when I was in my late teens/early twenties, healthy, and playing softball nearly everyday. It falls right into the middle of my BMI scale. :smile:
  • Captains_Lady
    Captains_Lady Posts: 10
    I picked a number that was in the middle for the healthy weight range category for my height/age/etc. 120lbs is just a starting goal for me, Id like to see what I look like and go from there. I am aiming to have muscle definition and abs so I know the number may change due to muscle mass.
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
    Hi cheering you on.

    I used a BF Scale and did some other tests and estimated my BF %. Then I figured out my Lean Body Mass. Then I added 20% body fat to that and got my goal weight. I am 190 lbs now I estimate that I have about 40 lbs per lose, but I will always be checking.
    Feel free to friend! :smile:
  • tracers11
    tracers11 Posts: 2
    My goal is 140. I'm 5'4" I have fibromyalgia and gained weight from issues with that. We just moved to a small town where I know no one lol. My hubby was in army and just got out. My goal is to lose 10 pounds , then another 10 and another....
    Until I reach my goal.
  • missdibs1
    missdibs1 Posts: 1,092 Member
    I used to want to be 125. Now I want to be 18 % Body fat.

    I hope your goals change too! Weight doesnt matter... being fit does.
  • joanna_82
    joanna_82 Posts: 151 Member
    I haven't decided what my goal weight is yet. I've weighed in the high 70kgs for a long time, apart from a brief spell when I didn't eat enough and was quite skinny but I never weighed myself so I have no idea what the numbers where then.

    I nominally put 72kg but I will see how it goes. Firstly I would like to get to a healthy BMI (for me that is 75kg) and then see how i do then.

    I would rather be eating healthily and having the occasional, enjoyable treat, and be a bit heavier, I think. For me, this was all about addressing binge eating rather than losing weight to a certain number.
  • bootsiejayne
    bootsiejayne Posts: 151 Member
    I talked to my dr. He took into consideration my build. age, the fact that I've had children, and my height which most charts don't. I recommend next time you go to the doc you talk to them about your "goal".
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    I might also mention that my cardiologist told me I was NOT overweight at 166 pounds and I am 5'3". This was last summer, I was a size 12 and running 4 to 5 times a week. I need to lose 16 pounds to get back down to where I was last summer. That is my first goal now and I will re-assess from there.
  • Eli716
    Eli716 Posts: 262 Member
    I think it's more based on your own opinion and what your standards want to be since you could go to ten doctors to ask what your goal should be, and they'll all tell you something different.

    To start off, I'm 5'3"

    I started at 295.5 lbs, so divide that by two and I'd be aiming for about 148 lbs. I can live with that.
    MFP BMI suggest [for me] to be around 104.4-141.1 lbs... so that can very by a lot, but around 123 lbs.
    Other websites or phone apps will tell you different numbers, even phone apps will differ!
    Then you could decipher via "framing size" which is what I was doing for a while. So at one site, it tells me 131-147 lbs, about 139 lbs if I was searching for the middle of those numbers. Of course, I could try for lower end or higher end.

    How I've been looking at it for a while now... I "want" to surpass 148 lbs and hit about 145 lbs. If I do, I can still choose to try losing more weight if I believe it's necessary. It's not the doctors choice, and I've lost over 100+ lbs without them, so they can't tell me squat! Pick a number that you feel you can accomplish, if you think you want to lose more after that goal, then do so!
  • PBWaffleCakes
    PBWaffleCakes Posts: 900 Member
    I used this website. You put your height and weight in and it shows you how you sort of look now. Then you put in the weight you wished you were and it shows you how you will sort of look then. I choose 130 pounds as my goal. Most people go off BMI but I do not like the very low numbers it gives me. My doctor said I should shoot for no lower than 120 pounds. I'm 5"2 started at 275.7 pounds. I'm down to 223.7 pounds.
  • jjplato
    jjplato Posts: 155 Member
    asked my doctor at my last physical, bmi charts are misleading.

    Very misleading, especially if you're gaining lean muscle. BMI was developed in the 1830s as a tool for estimating obesity in populations, not individuals. It only takes height and weight into consideration, not body composition. For example, my body fat is 8.5%, but my BMI is 23.5 -- just below "overweight". To get to the mid-range "healthy" value of 21.5 (150 lb, from my current 164 lb), I'd need to get to close to 0% body fat, or lose some lean mass.

    A much better tool is the waist-to-height ratio. There are many calculators online, including this one: http://www.shapefit.com/calculators/waist-to-height-ratio-calculator.html

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