Did anyone change their goal weight?

Options
When I first started, I picked a number as my goal weight (120 lbs). I didn't have any strong reasons for choosing that specific number, it just sounded like a good weight for me and my height/frame. I reached my goal weight, but for the past couple of months I have been yo-yoing back and forth between my goal weight and about 4-5 pounds over and am struggling to consistently eat within my limit. My issue is that I really don't feel much of a difference in my appearance/how my clothes fit/my confidence at 125 pounds v. my goal of 120, and I recognize that it's just a number that fluctuates quite often. However, I keep thinking I'm not done or I've failed if I don't maintain at my goal weight. Anyone else have this struggle or have some advice?

Replies

  • timeisfiction
    timeisfiction Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    Give yourself a range that you can be happy with. If you're happy at 125, then give yourself a "happy range" of 120-130. As long as you're within those bounds you can be happy with your achievements and continue to improve/maintain. If you're getting closer to/ over 130 THEN you can evaluate what you can improve. If you know that you're eating something you shouldn't, then that's just a matter of self control and we ALL need to work on that so just know you're not alone and be happy with what you've achieved already. You're strong and you can do it! God bless.
  • mag11389
    mag11389 Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    If you're happy at 125 then I wouldn't worry about trying to get down to 120. If it's too hard to maintain 120 then you run the risk of getting frustrated and giving up on maintaining your weight.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2015
    Options
    My goal is 120 but I'm currently happy at 125. I picked 120 because that's what I reached last time I was in really good shape, but truth be told I fluctuated around 125 then too, and I fit in the clothes from then.

    I'd like to eventually lose more fat but am happy enough just focusing on fitness for now.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    Options
    I am 134 now. I gave myself a maintenance range of between 125 and 140lbs because of all the fluctuations. It it goes under 125 or over 140, I'll adjust accordingly.
  • al142
    al142 Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    I recently decided to gain a few pounds because I've been feeling very tired and weak, and really struggling to keep my weight near the bottom of my healthy BMI range. I was so happy to get down to 132ish, but after a bit it just started to seem too thin.
  • bunnypy
    bunnypy Posts: 109 Member
    Options
    I also felt weak, cold and my face looked terrible (skinny/bony and lifeless) at my initial GW 105lbs, so I let myself get to around 108-110lbs, I look and feel so much better now!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Options
    I actually went the other way after a period of maintaining at my initial goal weight. Over the next 15 months I dropped another 11lbs in a series of small drops and periods maintaining. Really just based on what I could see and how I felt.

    I've ended up with a 7lb range that I consider maintenance and also where I'm happy with my weight. The being happy part is very important in eliminating the stress of trying to manage a constantly fluctuating variable!.

    164lbs is my nominal goal, up to 168lbs is fine but will intervene if it drifts over that. For a big cycle event I will drop to 161lbs for improved performance.

    At 161lbs I start to get the "too skinny" comments - it's not just women who get that!
  • katiejanecollins
    katiejanecollins Posts: 236 Member
    Options
    My goal is also 120 lbs, but I'm finding it tough to reach. Currently I'm at 120.6 lbs which is the closest I've ever been, but I know it won't last as it never does (even with exercising and clean eating). I think I'm going to allow myself the goal of being somewhere between 120 and 122 lbs. It's a tight range but I wasn't happy at 122 lbs, so going above that would be a bad idea. Saying that, I'm not sure how much muscle weight I'll gain... so it might all change completely.
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    Options
    My goal is also 120 lbs, but I'm finding it tough to reach. Currently I'm at 120.6 lbs which is the closest I've ever been, but I know it won't last as it never does (even with exercising and clean eating). I think I'm going to allow myself the goal of being somewhere between 120 and 122 lbs. It's a tight range but I wasn't happy at 122 lbs, so going above that would be a bad idea. Saying that, I'm not sure how much muscle weight I'll gain... so it might all change completely.

    .6 pounds? That's one good trip to the toilet. You're set.

    I started with a goal of 125, am there, but still want to ditch some of my body fat. I reset my goal to 120 and am transitioning to recomp because I think my dissatisfaction is largely with my body composition and not my size. I pretty much stuck at 115 before I turned 40, though, so not sure where I'll be going.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Options
    Those round numbers aren't magic. It is better to successfully stick to 125 than struggle with 120. The key is not to creep up to 130.
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
    Options
    I switched my goal weight. I initially set out to be 120 lb. I packed on about 80 lb all within a year. I'm 5'5. Previously I was happy at 120 lb. At that weight i sporadically worked out but nothing too serious.

    So when I began losing weight... I wanted 120 because I wanted to fit into my old clothes, specifically a ton of shorts I had. I ended up losing about 60 lb... And at 140, I felt pretty thin. It was strange. I tried on my old 120 lb clothes and they all fit wonderfully!! I decided to change my goal weight to 125. Last week, I got down to 133... And tried on those shorts again. They almost fell off me! So I decided it was time to maintain that weight because I feel as if I look way better than I did before when I was 120.

    I am still a little baffled as to how I fit in those clothes at 13 lb heavier... But hey! I'll take it! It may be because in the past 8 months, I have been exercising regularly. However, I thought you couldn't gain muscle in a deficit. Who knows. All I know is I'm happy and still in the beginning stage of maintenance!
  • paradi3s
    paradi3s Posts: 343 Member
    Options
    My goal weight was 120 lbs with an "ultimate" goal weight of 115. Once I reached 115, I reverse dieted into maintenance and lost an additional 3 lbs. Then I dieted again for 3 weeks and reverse dieted again, losing an additional 5 lbs in the process. My weight fluctuates at around 105-108 lbs. I never changed my goals but just let it be.
  • scrittrice
    scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
    Options
    I had a similar experience, and for similar reasons--wanting to reach a round number (in my case, of pounds lost). Now I just consider that number the bottom of my 5-pound goal range, but I never get there and have certainly never dropped below it.
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
    Options
    I started at 10st 8 148 pounds I am short so was overweight my goal was originally 9st.. 126 pounds.. I went past that number am maintaining and trying not to drop lower than 7st 7.. 105 pounds was always fairly active with the horses but had never set foot in a gym till I was trying to lose weight.. Now pretty gym addicted!!
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'11 and my original goal was 149 lbs. I wasn't totally happy with my body, so I changed my goal to be 139 lbs. Thing is, I'm not going to kill myself to get and stay there. If it's too hard to maintain, I'll up myself to 145 or something, maybe stay in the 140-145 range. As long as I'm in the same clothing size, I don't really care if I stick to a range vs a set weight.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'7" with a goal weight of 140lbs. that was set by Weight Watchers 3 years ago. So far I've been 5 to 8 pounds less than than that for the past 3 years. I still keep 140 as a goal weight even though I'm always less than that.