why are goals so low

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  • 13bbird13
    13bbird13 Posts: 425 Member
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    For me personally, I chose a goal weight of 135 that I thought would be achievable and that I would be satisfied with; I didn't want to sabotage myself by shooting any lower than that. I considered trying for what I weighed in high school, which is 20 pounds lighter than that, but in middle age I don't see that as being logical. I don't really need to shop in the Junior Miss department.
  • ASH2038602
    ASH2038602 Posts: 215 Member
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    I am also pear shaped, and 5'6. I was 130lbs before getting pregnant, 160 after and ballooned up to 245 over the years. I am now at 191 with the goal to get to 160 and re evaluate. I looked better at 160 than I did 130, so I am pretty confidant that I am not interested in being that small again. Its different for everybody though. What I see as too thin, someone else sees as just right. When I hit 160, there are going to be people that will still think I am fat.
  • julesxo
    julesxo Posts: 422 Member
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    I think 5'5 at 115/120 lbs does not seem unreasonable.
  • Autk79
    Autk79 Posts: 283 Member
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    Im 5'4.5 and I weigh 152, my goal weight is 130. Three years ago I got down to 126 and people said I looked sick and too skinny. When I graduated high school many years ago I weighed 103 and had DD boobs. My body was so off balance. My healthy weight says I could get down to 115, I think but I would never ever again want to be that weight, but everyone Is diff. Everyone has diff body types and everyone judges their body different than someone else. I would just focus on your goal. Like someone said you might get to your goal and think oh I could lose 10/20 more.
    Im pretty sure 1 out of 10 woman are never happy with their body lol
  • j_arens
    j_arens Posts: 16
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    maidentl wrote: »
    I_Will_End_You wrote: »
    I usually feel the opposite, and read people's goals and think they're really high. But I'm 5'6 and my highest weight (besides pregnancy) was 135. So my perspective of "normal" may just be different than someone who is 5'6 and has a goal weight of, say, 160 lbs.

    I've noticed the same. I'll feel a little puzzled when someone says they'd be too thin at a "normal" weight but I realize it's not my body, not my business. So I just shrug it off and move along.

    I think it is because what people consider "normal" these days is actually overweight, or close to it. When the majority of people you see on a daily basis could use to drop a few, it starts to skew one's perception of normal.

    It's so true. I'm 5'.6.5 and 120 pounds. I wrote a success post and was bombarded with people telling me I'm "too thin," when in fact I think I'm just in the normal range. Because society is so overweight, I think people's perceptions are really just off.

  • Arekha
    Arekha Posts: 45 Member
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    It really depends, doesn't it? I gained 25 lbs over 2 pregnancies and it took me up 3-4 sizes! :'(
  • sarahjane135
    sarahjane135 Posts: 40 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    maidentl wrote: »
    I_Will_End_You wrote: »
    I usually feel the opposite, and read people's goals and think they're really high. But I'm 5'6 and my highest weight (besides pregnancy) was 135. So my perspective of "normal" may just be different than someone who is 5'6 and has a goal weight of, say, 160 lbs.

    I've noticed the same. I'll feel a little puzzled when someone says they'd be too thin at a "normal" weight but I realize it's not my body, not my business. So I just shrug it off and move along.

    I think it is because what people consider "normal" these days is actually overweight, or close to it. When the majority of people you see on a daily basis could use to drop a few, it starts to skew one's perception of normal.
    Exactly this^^
  • U2R2
    U2R2 Posts: 260 Member
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    I started at 250, set my initial goal at 199 with full knowledge that my next goal will be 150. I already have people warning against losing "too much weight" when they learn of the 50lb loss goal. ;)

    My long term plan is to reach 150 which puts me squarely into the fit zone by most charts. At that point I plan to assess how I feel compared to heavier weights and shift my exercise regime to put more emphasis toward muscle definition and set my ultimate weight goal.

    I'm sure I will face much derision as I "dwindle" down to 150lbs but very much want to experience such a level of fitness and body fat percentage so as to be better able to understand what my ideal weight may be.

    ENJOY :D
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I've noticed both. My goal is higher than I'd like because I'm already struggling to get down to 130 (I'm 5'5", but I have a medium/large frame) because I'm always so hungry, so I can't imagine maintaining lower than that. I see some women my size wanting to get down under 125 and can't even imagine it, but to each their own I guess... but we don't all have the same frame either.

    But yeah sometimes I see someone posting that they want to lose 10 or 20 pounds and look at their picture and just shake my head.
  • newdaydawning79
    newdaydawning79 Posts: 1,503 Member
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    I'm 5'9" with a goal weight of 170. It may end up being higher depending on where my BF% is at that time (if I can get a real measurement without it costing me an arm and a leg). I have very dense bones and a large bone structure (according to every doctor I've seen since my teen years). I would look downright silly at the mid-range of the BMI for my height. Since I think BMI is BS anyway I couldn't care less though. I can't even remember when I weighed 170 last. I was probably like 16.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    rouxkayla wrote: »
    but i think if i weighed any less that 140 i would look to thin.

    No, you wouldn't.
  • myrtille87
    myrtille87 Posts: 122 Member
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    I'm 5'6" with a goal weight of 140lbs. I started at 165lbs and am down to 148lbs.

    Even at 165lbs, although technically overweight, I was considered slim by most people, and wore UK 10-12 (US 6-8) clothes. So I think body type/build has a lot to do with it.

    When I reach my goal of 140lbs I might consider going a bit lower, but definitely no less than 135 (even though technically the healthy range for my height is 124-157) because I know I'd be too skinny below that, or would have to lose a lot of muscle as well as fat.
  • lolly715
    lolly715 Posts: 106
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    My goal is very high, still technically overweight on BMI charts. But my main aim is to no longer be classed as obese. So that's my only weight related goal, past that it's all about fitness and I don't actually care where the scale ends up. I don't expect it to be much below the high end of healthy due to frame and shape though.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
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    I'm 174 now and in my late 40's but can still remember my 20's and weighing 125, however I also remember having few muscles at that time. My goal now is to get back, or close to, 135 but FIT, and stay there for the rest of my life.

    If it were me, and it has been in the past, I've been a yoyo, those last 5 lbs are the hardest and I might change my counter to reflect just the 5.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    I'm 5'3", was 117 two weeks ago before my vacation. Ahem.

    I'm aiming for somewhere in the 110-115 range because my goal is %BF, not weight. I want to get down to about 20%. I'm around 22-23% now. That means I need to lose about another 5 lbs of fat or put on more muscle. Guess which is quicker. And I'll still be well within the standard healthy weight range.

    Once I get down to my next goal, it'll be time to work on building muscle again. Hopefully around the holiday season ;)
  • kendalslimmer
    kendalslimmer Posts: 579 Member
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    I like aiming for the sky - it convinces me that I can't afford to slack. If I thought I was close to my goal, I might be tempted to celebrate once too often!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I never pay any attention to other people's height and weight. I'm happy for them when they lose, of course, but it leave their goal-setting to them.

    Try not to compare yourself to others and just focus on reaching your goal. Comparing to others will make you crazy. There will always be someone fatter and thinner. :)
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    I think people have totally lost sight of what a natural weight is, and those who have spent a long period overweight, tend to aim for a higher goal because they don't imagine they could be any less. Sure, people have different builds, but time and again, I see people setting a goal that is still overweight, claiming they have big bones, a bigger build etc etc. In most cases, imo, that is nonsense. The BMI covers a large range, taking into account that people vary in bone structure. Unless someone is into bodybuilding or other such variables, I see no reason to not aim to be within a healthy range, at least. I mean, I see people thinking that 160 Ibs will be too skinny on them, at heights like 5'5, 5'6... really ? 160Ibs is just about normal for someone of my height (5'10) and I have never weighed more than 150 myself (when my hypothyroidism was not being treated yet) so I am sort of blown away when people think they will be skinny at relatively high weights. As to muscle mass, well, I have a decent amount of lean mass, low bodyfat and still, I average at around 140 Ibs. I just do not really understand some of these high goal weights that still place people in the overweight category.
  • nicoleagafitness
    nicoleagafitness Posts: 100 Member
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    I understand this. I set my goal at 120 but I'm 5'2". I find it the perfect weight when I was not fit, but I might alter it to 125 when I get closer because of muscle mass being so different. I like to have shape. Even when I was 110lbs, if I would have been working out, I would have had a better shape. I would never want to be below that, ever. I think 110 was too low for me and its considered healthy range.
  • terar21
    terar21 Posts: 523 Member
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    Because weight looks different on different people. I have a friend that is the same height as me. At one point, she was 15 pounds lighter than me but one size larger. She worked out. We just had different body compositions. She didn't carry as much muscle as I naturally do even when I don't work out. So she could stand to be 15-25 pounds lighter than me but not look "stick thin." If she gained up to where I was, she'd be even bigger than me. So some people do prefer to be at lower weight to achieve the same look as someone else. Not unhealthy.

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