goal weight not as "skinny" as I thought

erin6026
erin6026 Posts: 117 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm 4 weeks from my wedding, and just 2 pounds shy of my goal weight. Thing is, I took some photos at a friend's wedding this weekend and I thought I would have looked skinnier at this weight than I did.

I'm 5'4" and 126.5 pounds right now. My goal weight is 124 pounds.

I know we can be hard on ourselves, but I'm wondering if the people out there who are similar heights/weights have some insight. What is your goal weight? I'm now thinking it should be closer to 118/120.

Replies

  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    To determine what is healthy for you and what is not take a look at this site: http://www.annecollins.com/weight-loss/ideal-weight-women.htm what you need to focus on is bodyfat % over your current weight, given your height that sounds like you are very close to a reasonable weight for your height, you may want to look at toning and tightening your body over the scale weight.
  • soccermum75
    soccermum75 Posts: 588 Member
    I am 5'4 and my GW is 135 lbs and i agree with newfiedan. Toning makes the difference.
  • RadicalCharlie
    RadicalCharlie Posts: 123 Member
    Toning, yup.
  • shreddingit
    shreddingit Posts: 1,133 Member
    Well maybe ur body fat is still more
    Im 5'3 at the moment 121 I like but have a thing with scale showing less, at 115 I was too skinny mainly cuz I did too much cardio, now im doing more resistance training to get to 117...
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Please don't say toning!

    scale weight is one thing, body composition is another. I use to be 200lbs, dropped to 147lbs and still had a bit of pudge. Now weigh 167lbs with less pudge :P Focus on resistance training to build some muscle if you want to change your body composition.
  • modernmom70
    modernmom70 Posts: 373 Member
    Exactly! I am 5"4 and about 139lbs and I am a size 6. I am very fit and last time I was a size 6(not fit) I weight about 115. It is totally about body composition. And the last time I was this weight I was like a size 12 to 14 and not fit.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    you need to pack on some muscle..to 'fill you out'. if you dont have muscle, only extreme cases of weight loss will make you look 'skinny'.

    i'm 5'2" and i got down to 117 and sill had fat on me. so now i'm packing on muscle so i wont look so flabby when i start losing weight again
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    Please don't say toning!

    scale weight is one thing, body composition is another. I use to be 200lbs, dropped to 147lbs and still had a bit of pudge. Now weigh 167lbs with less pudge :P Focus on resistance training to build some muscle if you want to change your body composition.

    i hate the word toning!!!!!!!
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    I'm 5'0" (no that is not a typo) and my ideal weight is 118. I'm fine at 120, or even 125. When I'm in shape, I'm doing a fair amount of muscle building (yoga and good old fashioned weights are my methods of choice) so a good amount of that is muscle, and IIR, less than 20% body fat.

    My point is your goal sounds just fine (you are 4" taller than I am so a few pounds more makes sense). I wouldn't say I'm skinny at my ideal weight. But I'm healthy, look good, and can outrun many people twice my size, especially in a distance race. I had lots of energy to keep up with my active kids and very busy life. Don't worry about "skinny" ... don't worry if your waist isn't as tiny as someone else's. Think about how much better you look and feel than you used to. And, most guys don't really like the really skinny look. They like healthy and active looking.

    And, maybe a few flattering outfits can help too! (My body style looks awful in some cute styles, because I'm so short, and I look all square. Try a few different ones to find what works for you).
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
    Well resistance training is fine but she's only got 4 weeks to the wedding! I would say go for it and lower your goal weight down then later come back and work on your resistance training! Good luck!
  • keynesian
    keynesian Posts: 44 Member
    But cameras always add pounds! How do you look in the mirror compared to the photos?
  • SouthernBell86
    SouthernBell86 Posts: 275 Member
    Yeah it sounds like you probably want to go for some more muscle definition and sculpting. I think you could try the 30 day shredd or another program I like called T-Tapp. Go to t-tapp.com for some free sample videos. I have done that exercise in the past and gotten some pretty good results for the time period given. I think either one is a great way to increase muscle definition and burn extra fat.

    Good luck and Congratulations!!
  • a1schwei
    a1schwei Posts: 617 Member
    couple things...first you are probably your biggest critic and to the majority of people (including your fiance) you look ridiculously amazing :) ...second how did you feel in the outfit you wore that night? i've found that there are certain things in my closet that fit fabulous and look great, but in pictures eh not so flattering :( exact camera angles can make all of the difference in the world on how you look in a picture and then how you feel about your body once you see the picture...and third i agree with the body composition idea too :) keep working on sculpting those muscles :)
  • rocklion
    rocklion Posts: 69 Member
    It's cutting. Not toning. You want to cut fat. Toning muscle just tones it and you'll see no results if you aren't also getting rid of the fat. The problem is you don't have enough time for traditional weight lifting. Don't just go to the gym and start lifting random weights because you need some resistance training. To be effective you need a program and you also need to know proper form, breathing and how much weights you should be lifting.

    Someone suggested 30 day shred. That could be an option. Or some of the other programs out there. Perhaps you could do a third of P90X.

    While you are doing these, make sure you are eating protein as well. You need protein to fuel muscle gain. You're in a range now that's not really determined by the scale. It's determined by your measurements. The scale can be your enemy in a sense because you'll feel like you need to lose pounds, cut some things from your diet and you'll end up burning muscle. It's more scientific at this point.

    If your goals extend just past looking good in a wedding dress, I would suggest getting on a good weight training program afterward.
  • mbnharrison
    mbnharrison Posts: 57 Member
    I, too, am 5"4 and I've gone back and force with debating my goal weight. My lowest weight was 108lbs but I was more or less miserable, depressed and dealing with the death of my neice and found therapy in running - fast and often. I had friends and family step in with concerns that I had a disorder because I was a "00" size wise. Long story short I did not have an eating disorder but I really wasn't taking care of me. After getting emotional support the scale climbed to 126lbs and then I got pregnant and had a beautiful baby and now I'm here trying to wittle my waist. At 5"4 my goal weight is 116lbs but at 127 (current) I'm back in my size 2/4 jeans, 32C but body composition wise I'm a T shape with the genetic ability to be an Apple (the worst way to be as all fat surrounds your internal organs). Being a T or athletic shape, I have no hips, my waist is typically the same size as my rib cage, I'm straight up and down less my chest so my weight should be lower than someone who does have hips or an hourglass shape. Goal wise I'm aiming for 116 but will probably maintain at 122.

    In preparation for your wedding work those arm and back muscles! Push ups and tricep pushups will be your best friend! Good luck and all the best!
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    It's all about body composition. My sister and I are a classic example of this. I'm 3 inches taller and 50 pounds heavier then my sister. I'm also in a size 8 while she is in a size 18. Yes, I'm the heavier one but I'm the smaller one clothing wise. I lift weights, she doesn't. That's the difference. Even though I weigh 50 pounds more, I'm only 19% body fat where she is 45-50% body fat. The difference in fat mass is huge. At 193 and 19% body fat, I'm 36.67 pounds of fat and 156.33 pounds of lean body mass. At 143 and 45% fat, she is 64.35 pounds of fat and only 78.65 pounds of lean body mass. While I'm almost double her in lean mass, she is almost double me in fat mass. Since muscle takes up a lot less space then fat, that 27.68 pounds of fat makes a huge difference in body shapes and dress sizes.

    Now, how to help you achieve your goal body for pictures, First, throw the scale out the window because it means diddly! Second, there is no such thing as toning. You are either building muscle or you aren't. Lift heavy to build muscle. You want to build muscle because it burns more calories when you are at rest and while you are exercising. Will you burn so much from the added muscle that you will magically lose the body fat in a month, no, but you have to combine your workouts to get the most fat burning from them. Third, don't just do cardio. Yes, you burn more fat from cardio then from weight training, but when you do straight cardio you lose both muscle and fat. Doing weight training prior to your cardio will maintain the fat burn from your cardio but tell the body to spare the muscle mass. While that means you won't be losing as much on the scale, what you will lose is mostly fat then which is the ultimate goal for changing body composition.
  • schedlmj
    schedlmj Posts: 1
    I agree with others--weight training always makes a difference. I think that's why I get frustrated with working out and not losing weight, but I still see a major difference. i'll bring the P90X this weekend if you want or we can hit Jillian together.
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