How did you determine your goal weight?

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Replies

  • I initially went by BMI/body frame size, but I definitely suggest trying for a certain body fat percentage as your goal rather than a specific weight. Unfortunately, I've found 2 different methods to calculate an ideal weight based on body fat percentage and they give two different weights - in my case, a difference of almost 10 pounds.

    Lean body mass = current body weight - (current body weight *current body fat percentage)

    http://www.trainonline.com/fitness-glossary/figuring-out-your-ideal-weight
    1. (Lean body weight * desired body fat percentage) + lean body weight = goal weight

    And http://www.roulacrews.com/resources/body-fat-percentages-lean-body-mass/
    2. (Current body weight * desired body fat percentage) = desired body fat weight
    >Desired body fat weight + lean weight = goal weight
  • rivka_m
    rivka_m Posts: 1,007 Member
    I actually discussed it with my doc years ago (well before I actually started losing) and settled on a number slightly higher than normally ideal for medical reasons. But when I get there I'll reassess and maybe discuss with the doc again since my health has been stable *knock on wood*.

    Also I'll have to see what clothes I have in the back of the closet that fit me at that weight. No sense losing more anytime soon if I won't own any clothes that fit reasonably well - I can't afford a new wardrobe.
  • SteveMFP123
    SteveMFP123 Posts: 298 Member
    Have all my fat bits gone? If yes I'm at my goal, if no then I need to keep on losing.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    I chose the person's goal weight at the bottom of page and added 78 pounds.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    _Terrapin_ wrote: »
    I chose the person's goal weight at the bottom of page and added 78 pounds.

    Heh. :smiley:


  • ithrowconfetti
    ithrowconfetti Posts: 451 Member
    I picked a number that matched a healthy BMI for my height and frame size.
  • akboy58
    akboy58 Posts: 137 Member
    It keeps shifting. At 255 lbs my goal was to lose 10% of my then-bodyweight, but then I kind of got hooked. I've just passed my interim goal weight of 200 lbs, and am now heading towards 180 lbs, which is a more-or-less random BMI-based figure -- and then we'll see!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I picked my maximum BMI if I had an average frame...I'm actually large framed and am generally happy with how I look now, 10lbs above it ...but I'm going to slowly drop and see how I feel
  • wmcmurray61
    wmcmurray61 Posts: 192 Member
    edited November 2014
    I chose a weight smack in the middle of the healthy BMI range for my height and age. Now that I am 7 lbs from that goal I am looking at my belly and am not satisfied. If I get to my goal weight and am still not happy with my belly, I am going on maintainance and will bust my butt lifting weights. After everything I have read on MFP, I think it's the way to go.

    Edited to say, I waited way too long to start strength training. I am only 6 weeks into it, doing body weight lifts, and I should have done it from the beginning. Oh, well. Better late than never!
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    A combination. Photographs from younger days, others' opinions, BMI/body fat % at goal weight, and finally, amount of calories that would be maintenance. I don't want to get to where less than 1500 cals is maintenance because I won't be able to maintain such a low intake permanently. So given that I am five three and medium framed I have chosen 120 lb as my goal. The doctor and the nutritionist think this is reasonable.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    I picked a number that was smaller than I was, but not too much smaller (-20lbs).
    When I hit that I picked another smaller number, and then another.
    As I got closer to looking the way I wanted to look I switched to doing the same thing but with bodyfat, as at this point I'd be happy weigh what I do now if I can exchange lbs of fat for lbs of muscle.
    Current goal is 18%.
  • lemonsurprise
    lemonsurprise Posts: 255 Member
    I don't know if this has already been said but if you search for "what will I look like after weightloss" in to google a website will come up with a similar URL, the first link. Put your height and 20lbs either side of your rough estimate and I'll show hundreds of people's pictures with them stats. I picked my goal weight by seeing the ones I thought looked best at my height.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    I tossed a coin. Well, I aimed at fitting back in my size 8s. Now I wear a 4.
  • Jesslan_Rose
    Jesslan_Rose Posts: 137 Member
    I looked up my BMI range and chose the higher weight. When I reach that I'll reassess and will probably shoot for 10-ish lbs or more to loose.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    The weight loss team told me a realistic loss is 20% to 30% of my current weight post-surgery. So that is what I went with. When I was in my thirties I dieted for a year and got to within the "ideal" weight for my height. I felt good, looked good, and plateaued. I should have insisted on going on maintenance then. This time around, older and wiser, I would be happy to be twenty pounds heavier than that long ago "ideal". I'll still be overweight but hey, I already feel so much better.
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
    I started by trying to get under 200. Then I decided I'd aim for the very top of the "normal" BMI range. I'm about four pounds from there now, and I'm trying to decide what my next goal should be.

    I originally thought I'd aim for an ultimate goal of the middle of normal BMI, which for me would be 145 pounds. Not sure if losing another 28 pounds is realistic, or healthy for me.
  • neekmichelle922
    neekmichelle922 Posts: 71 Member
    segacs wrote: »
    I picked 115 because that's low enough that it's a healthy weight for my height and that I know I will feel good, fit into clothes better, and overall look better and be happier... but high enough that I can probably maintain it. In the past, I've targeted ten pounds less than that, which is where I got to when I felt the best. But I was never able to maintain at that low a weight.

    If I get to my GW and maintain it for a while, I'll work on body composition and lean muscle mass, as opposed to focusing on the number on the scale.
    How tall are you if you don't mind me asking 115 is my goal weight too and I'm 5'3 haha
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    How tall are you if you don't mind me asking 115 is my goal weight too and I'm 5'3 haha

    I'm 5'1". But a pear. I have hips at pretty much any weight.
  • Aemely
    Aemely Posts: 694 Member
    I picked a number at the 75% point of Healthy BMI which is where I have been at most of my adult life. But, now that I've lost weight, I moved my GW down another tick so I'm at the 65% mark. The very lowest I'd go is High School weight (at the 30% mark of the Healthy range), but I don't think that's realistic given I haven't been there in 20 years!! Also, I looked a bit too skinny back then.

    Once at GW, my goal will be to maintain and continue to improve my overall fitness. I am already beginning to worry how I will maintain and not continue to lose. So, I think I'll change my loss rate to .5 lbs. as I get closer to GW.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmi-calculator

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Get an idea of what you lean body mass is. Then figure out what body fat percentage you want to be. Then use the formula:

    Lean body mass/ (1- desired body fat percentage)= goal weight

    IE: lean body mass is 100 and desired body fat is 20%

    100/.80 = 125lbs.

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

    9285851.png
  • lilmisfit1987
    lilmisfit1987 Posts: 183 Member
    I used freedieting.com for mine. *shrugs*
  • I did the same thing as raysputin. 10% body weight and then another 10%, etc.
  • GretchenB02
    GretchenB02 Posts: 59 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Get an idea of what you lean body mass is. Then figure out what body fat percentage you want to be. Then use the formula:

    Lean body mass/ (1- desired body fat percentage)= goal weight

    IE: lean body mass is 100 and desired body fat is 20%

    100/.80 = 125lbs.

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

    9285851.png

    THANK YOU! This was very helpful.
  • chouflour
    chouflour Posts: 193 Member
    I decided that 5lb was an amount of weight I was confident I could lose, so I took my current weight and subtracted 5lb. Repeat as desired.
  • PokeyBug
    PokeyBug Posts: 482 Member
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    I picked the weight I was in high school. lol

    I did this, but I went with my weight when I started college. But, I was pretty skinny-fat back then, so my perfect weight when working out might be a little higher. I'll know it when I get there.
  • quantumseraph
    quantumseraph Posts: 1
    edited November 2014
    I guessed.

    61 kg actually seems a little low for what I'm likely to get to - especially since I have tons of muscle from lugging my own weight around (and thensome - but really, bodyweight exercises are efficient enough when you're light, you know?), and I would like to keep it - but it's a tentative goal. I'll see how it feels when I start approaching it, then adjust.