How did you know what your goal weight was?

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Ginoza
Ginoza Posts: 21
in Getting Started
I'm someone who has never been comfortable with my body and so I really just have no idea what kind of weight I'm aiming for or how much weight I'd need to lose to start feeling somewhat comfortable with my figure. I've considered BMI, but my current BMI ranking puts me at obese, which although I may be overweight, I'm quite sure I'm not obese and I think this has to do with my breasts being bigger than average, though maybe I'm just being naive. I'm just really not sure what I'd want to aim to lose by summer, for example, like I've seen loads of threads about.
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Replies

  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    edited January 2015
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    I picked my old high school weight and gave myself an 8 lb window within that.

    Otherwise, a calculator like this can be helpful in giving you a weight range to shoot for.

    http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html
  • mandimahoney5
    mandimahoney5 Posts: 93
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    I have a kinda goal. But mainly a pant size goal really.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    I picked something on the high end of BMI. I'll reassess when I get close.
  • Ginoza
    Ginoza Posts: 21
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    I guess the best way is to just keep losing until you're where you want to be
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Ginoza wrote: »
    I'm just really not sure what I'd want to aim to lose by summer,

    If you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, you are probably shooting yourself in the foot by hoping to lose it all by summer. The rule of thumb is, "the faster you lose, the bigger your chances of putting it back on again". Nobody wants to yo-yo.

    The ideal weight loss rate is 1-2 pounds a week. Summer is 22 weeks away, so if you have more than 44 pounds to lose, don't expect to lose it all by then, or else you risk setting yourself up for disappointment.

    Also keep in mind that the closer you get to your goal, the slower your weight loss will become. The last 10 pounds are always the hardest. I was still struggling with my last 5 when I got pregnant again, 2 years after I started losing weight.

    Set reasonable goals for yourself, ones that set yourself up for success.

  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    I picked a number right in the middle of "healthy" BMI. I started out obese.
  • Ginoza
    Ginoza Posts: 21
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    AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »
    Ginoza wrote: »
    I'm just really not sure what I'd want to aim to lose by summer,

    If you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, you are probably shooting yourself in the foot by hoping to lose it all by summer. The rule of thumb is, "the faster you lose, the bigger our chances of putting it back on again". Nobody wants to yo-yo.

    The ideal weight loss rate is 1-2 pounds a week. Summer is 22 weeks away, so if you have more than 44 pounds to lose, don't expect to lose it all by then, or risk setting yourself up for disappointment.

    Also keep in mind that the closer you get to your goal, the slower your weight loss will become. The last 10 pounds are always the hardest. I was still struggling with my last 5 when I got pregnant again, 2 years after I started losing weight.

    Set reasonable goals for yourself, ones that set yourself up for success.

    Honestly it's more my fitness levels I'm hoping to improve by summer, since I don't really go on a bikini style holiday, but I'd just like it to be noticeable when I go back to see the people I saw this Christmas, kind of thing. It may be unrealistic and I know that, but I think since I've never really lost weight before, any kind of progress will be good with me.
  • getstrongkaylen
    getstrongkaylen Posts: 137 Member
    edited January 2015
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    first off, i wouldnt necessarily make a goal, like lose x amount by summer. it puts pressure on you and alot of times, people pick weight loss goals that aren't reasonable in that kind of time frame. i personally picked a goal that was generally about my weight in high school. you could always research it and find the right weight range for you body. for me it was like 125-140 or something like that, but i wouldnt aim for 125, i would aimed for like 145, and go from there. i am now at 140 but i am size 2, which is heavier than i was in high school but the size i was in middle school. you should also make it manageable steps, set goal weights in increments, like for me, it was get 175, then it was get 150 etc... it'll boost your confidence and without looking at the total weight making way to much pressure! add me if you want support
  • Ginoza
    Ginoza Posts: 21
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    getstrongkaylen wrote: »
    first off, i wouldnt necessarily make a goal, like lose x amount by summer. it puts pressure on you and alot of times, people pick weight loss goals that aren't reasonable in that kind of time frame. i personally picked a goal that was generally about my weight in high school. you could always research it and find the right weight range for you body. for me it was like 125-140 or something like that, but i wouldnt aim for 125, i would aimed for like 145, and go from there. i am now at 140 but i am size 2, which is heavier than i was in high school but the size i was in middle school. you should also make it manageable steps, set goal weights increments. it'll boost your confidence and without looking at the total weight making way to much pressure!

    I think this is the right way to go, I was mainly just curious because I have no idea what my ideal weight is. I also don't have access to scales on a regular basis, only when I go home from uni, which is normally every 3-4 weeks. My uni gym doesn't have them for some reason and I'm really too tight on money at the moment! So I'm just kind of hoping for some progress every time I weigh-in, even if it's only small. It'd just be interesting to have some kind of scope for my endgame and how big my weightloss goal actually is.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    BF% and then I calculated a rough estimate of what weight I should be around to achieve that %. I really could give a rats *kitten* about the actual number on the scale.
  • IILikeToMoveItMoveIt
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt Posts: 1,172 Member
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    I choose by what I've been before and know I look good at. I then put in mini weight goals to achieve along the way. I have a lot to loose and don't want to get discouraged by the bigger number. I also reward myself at every 10 lbs lost to keep myself motivated as well. (non-food rewards)
  • bootsiejayne
    bootsiejayne Posts: 151 Member
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    I came up with a reasonable weight for my age/height/build with my doctor.
  • Ginoza
    Ginoza Posts: 21
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    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt wrote: »
    I choose by what I've been before and know I look good at. I then put in mini weight goals to achieve along the way. I have a lot to loose and don't want to get discouraged by the bigger number. I also reward myself at every 10 lbs lost to keep myself motivated as well. (non-food rewards)

    That's the problem, I've never been an ideal weight for myself, so I really have no idea what weight I look good at
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
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    I would strongly suggest not focusing on a number. Even if you were to decide that you wanted to be a weight you were in the past, our bodies change over time and it will not be what we remember. If you have a clothing size in mind or measurements in mind that would better - though you might have to pick 2 of the 3 Chest, Waist or Hips :)

    I set my ultimate weight goal at 144 down from 244 thinking I would be about a size 10/12 being that when I was 130 I wore a size 10. I am at 147, 5'2" and wear a size 2/4 and not totally comfortable with that given that I have no-boobs! While my goal measurements were 34-26-38 I am now at 32-27-39 Not even at goal yet, sort of still trying - only because I feel like a failure not reaching my goal.

    Be kind to yourself and realize any weight off is a good thing.
  • troutrouter
    troutrouter Posts: 62
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    I picked an arbitrary number.
  • Allterrain_Lady
    Allterrain_Lady Posts: 421 Member
    edited January 2015
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    BMI evaluates the level of health of someone using their height and weight. A lot of people, including me, think it's unrelevant in the long run.
    You can have two people with the same BMI, one will be healthy, the other less healthy, due to muscles mass.
    But, to start, it might be wise to aim for a goal in a healthy BMI range for your height.

    If I'm not mistaken and you spend some time here, you'll find yourself aiming for a goal BODY way more than a goal weight.

    I don't care if the scale doesn't move at all from now as long as I lose volume (on my thighs mainly)

    EDIT: typo
  • Thorbjornn
    Thorbjornn Posts: 329 Member
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    I took my current weight and current body fat and calculated what my weight should be at my goal body fat (12%) and waist size (33-34"). Roughly 5 lbs = 1" on a man's waist. So at currently 202 lbs and 28% body fat, to get to roughly 12% body fat, 33-34" waist, that would put me at about 165-170 lbs. Therefore my goal of losing roughly 30-35 lbs. It's just rough math. But more than a scale number, I'm looking to my waist size and approx. body fat %. I would have noooo complaints if I were 180 lbs, 12% body fat and a 34" waist. :)
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
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    Ginoza wrote: »
    I guess the best way is to just keep losing until you're where you want to be

    that is about it, I have adjusted my goals 2-3 times over the last year. You don't know what it is going to be like until you get there
  • Lift_Run_Eat
    Lift_Run_Eat Posts: 986 Member
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    Mine is the number I was when I got married 14 years ago (145 lbs). I thought I was fat then and worked so hard to lose it, but could not. So, I decided I would get there, see what my body looks like, then go from there. I know I won't look the same as I did 14 years ago, so I am not holding myself to that expectation.

    It also happens to be the same # my PT gave me as my goal weight based off my bf%
  • NerdieMcChub
    NerdieMcChub Posts: 153 Member
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    I don't know what my end goal weight is. Right now, I set it to the highest "healthy" weight on the BMI scale for my height as a temporary goal.

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