What is a Goal Weight anyway???

VioletLemon
VioletLemon Posts: 56 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
30 days ago I started MFP and am down 10lbs- so Im 340 right now. I entered a goal weight that I hadnt seen since high school- what is a goal weight anyway? I think my goal weight will definately change because I want to just be stronger and healthier- I know my goal will be under 200 lbs but how much more I dont know! How did you come up with your goal weight and why?

Replies

  • sarahlifts
    sarahlifts Posts: 610 Member
    My goal was 150 and then I got there and then I moved the marker to 140 here I sit for over a year...maybe wanna drop 5 lbs. Maybe. Weight loss goals are set by the individual. sometimes we keep moving the goal post further down field as we progress in our levels of fitness. That fine. I think starting with a smaller goal with anything in life is fantastic as setting the whole thing can seem daunting. Best wishes.
  • IAmTheGlue
    IAmTheGlue Posts: 701 Member
    My cardiologist said that my heart may only be able to effectively support maybe 130 - 140 pounds maximum. 130 is my goal. I'm at 249 as of this morning. I started at 300 pounds at the end of January. I will reevaluate my goal weight with my Dr's help once I get to 130. I'm a 5'6" female.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    I set my initial goal weight to a weight where I know I was still somewhat soft but overall was generally ok with how I looked. That's just my first goal. Once I get there, I'm going to re-evaluate based on health markers and how I FEEL (and also how much differently my body carries that weight at 34 years old after 2 kids than it did at 27 years old), and maybe try to lose some more fat and then make another decision in 10 or so more pounds down, or stop losing and try to recomp a little to lose some fat and gain some muscle (which I know will be slow, but that's ok).
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    My initial goal was 60 pounds by my sixtieth birthday. I am now at maintenance for the summer and will then adjust my goal down again.
  • RougeSara
    RougeSara Posts: 60 Member
    Pretty much the same as Barbie here..I started 274 (at 235 now) my goal is 160 because its still going to be meaty but not as big. Once I get there I might reevaluate though since that's still unhealthy for my height. I should be around 145 to be healthy so we see. Goodluck=D.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited June 2015
    I chose my original goal weight based on it being in the middle of the healthy range for BMI. After I hit that I re-evaluated and adjusted my goal weight down a few more pounds. Ended up settling on a maintenance range 15lbs less than my original goal/lower end of the healthy range for BMI, and this is where I feel best at :)
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    My first goal was to get to pre-pregnancy weight (um, my oldest is now 6 years old, so it was about time!). Once I achieved that, I lowered it just a few lbs because I like to work with small goals, but i already know that after I hit that (hopefully in a few more weeks), I will lower it again just a few lbs to get into a healthy BMI range. I have no idea what I'll do from there.
  • North44
    North44 Posts: 359 Member
    I did WW online five years ago and it gave me an ideal weight of 145. That's right in the middle of my BMI range. That's my goal. I'm only 1 pound away from it now but want to give myself a 5 pound cushion for maintenance so I'm going to try for 140. I need to be happy with that and maintain it for a change- not let myself creep back up to 155 which is what tends to happen.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I picked a five pound range that I remember being happy in. It's at the top of the BMI range but I really don't care too much to really pay attention to that. I may get there and change my goals or I might stay there. I figure that I will worry about it once I get there.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
    When I was 200lbs and fat my goal weight was my high school weight of 148.
    I got down to 153 which was close enough, the number didn't really matter. I cared more about how I looked.
    Then I started lifting and wanting to gain weight.
    I'm not sure where I'll end up but 180lbs at <10% body fat sounds like a good start.
    Right now I'm about 171lbs and probably 11-12% body fat
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited June 2015
    It doesn't really matter what your goal is. Mine was always "depends on how I look and feel when I'm closer." That said, I was in really good shape in my 30s (I'm 45), so picked the weight I'd been at then (120). Now that I'm within 5 lb of that weight I find that I seem to be able to wear the same clothes I was wearing then (probably because I've been doing more weights and was a cardio only person back then), but I still think I'd look nicer with a bit less fat so I'm going to work on losing fat/recomping until I am satisfied.
  • colors_fade
    colors_fade Posts: 464 Member
    I think goal weight is complete B.S. Body fat percentage is way more important.

    I honestly have no idea what I'll weigh when I reach my body fat goal. And I don't care what it is. Fact is, after I reach my goal body fat percentage, I'll begin trying to actively put on more muscle.

    Scale is just a metric for measuring progress. The number on it should not be a "goal" of any kind, IMO. This is how people get messed up.
  • Teenie0916
    Teenie0916 Posts: 22 Member
    Fit and healthy, that's my "goal weight". I don't need the scale to tell me when my clothes fit better and I'm feeling great!
  • shrinkingletters
    shrinkingletters Posts: 1,008 Member
    edited June 2015
    colors_fade wrote: »
    I think goal weight is complete B.S. Body fat percentage is way more important.

    I honestly have no idea what I'll weigh when I reach my body fat goal. And I don't care what it is. Fact is, after I reach my goal body fat percentage, I'll begin trying to actively put on more muscle.

    Scale is just a metric for measuring progress. The number on it should not be a "goal" of any kind, IMO. This is how people get messed up.

    Oookay. Perhaps its how you get messed up.

    For me, my goal weight is just a general goal for me. There's a certain weight where I feel like I'm in control and feel balanced and generally healthy and comfortable. Is this a perfect number? No. Probably not. But it's like my North Star. It's not any exact way of getting to my final destination, it's a guide.
  • colors_fade
    colors_fade Posts: 464 Member
    shrinkingletters wrote: »
    It's not any exact way of getting to my final destination, it's a guide.

    That's my point, exactly.

    Seeing the scale go down means we're all making progress in the right direction. But that's all it should be; an indicator, like a speedometer on the car we're driving. The speedometer can tell us how fast we're going.


  • kickassbarbie
    kickassbarbie Posts: 286 Member
    My first was 200lbs (2006) then I aimed for the middle of the bmi 132 think (2008), then hit that and aimed for 15lbs less, hit that then decided I looked awful and aimed for 125lb again. (2011) this went on for a year or so of scale related misery. (I've maintained roughly 128-138 ever since. I gave up on scales and goal weights except to check what's happenin)

    My advice is don't set a goal weight, set a goal size in clothes, a goal look, a fitness goal but not a goal weight.
    How I thought I'd look at 130 was not what I expected, it did not make me feel good to hit my goals and look nothing like i expected the first time.
    Monitoring your weight is awesome and important but goal weights are tricky things and can easily back fire on you. Just use the scales as a tool not a goal.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    colors_fade wrote: »
    I think goal weight is complete B.S. Body fat percentage is way more important.

    I honestly have no idea what I'll weigh when I reach my body fat goal. And I don't care what it is. Fact is, after I reach my goal body fat percentage, I'll begin trying to actively put on more muscle.

    Scale is just a metric for measuring progress. The number on it should not be a "goal" of any kind, IMO. This is how people get messed up.

    Agree 100%. I've been 135 and 20%bf, and 154 with 20%bf, and would be thrilled to get back to either of those points.
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member
    I selected 65kg with a re-evaluation at 70kg, because I can remember being 70kg and at the time thought I needed to lose weight. It's also in the upper middle range of the healthy weight for my height.
  • VioletLemon
    VioletLemon Posts: 56 Member
    thank you everyone- I just dont trust many of the so called FDA recommentions and BMI calculators etc- and Most Drs are just reciting text book numbers. My ideal BMI weight is 148 according to the chart. I remember when I weighed that amount and I had no boobs, my hips and collarbone stuck out and I looked unhealthy. I have large bones and I am just focused on being strong and able to do more exercise without getting so out of breath and feet falling asleep etc. So during this journey I guess we will see what I end up at-
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,224 Member
    edited June 2015
    I really don't have a goal weight, I have a goal shape and a goal size. Even just knowing how much my weigh fluctuates puts me off setting a number. Once I get to a shape and size I'm happy, I'll pick a 'cap' whereby I know if I go over that cap I need to start keeping a closer eye on things, but I figure I won't know what that cap is until I'm there.

    Frankly, I've been obese for so long, I have NO idea what I'd look like at a 'normal' weight, so I think an aribtrary number is too stressful.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I picked what I weighed before getting married. That's 130 lbs for me. I'm really close now (less then 10 lbs) and I'm constantly debating if I want to see what I would look like at a slightly lower weight or just move to recomp when I get to 130lbs.
  • losingitseattle
    losingitseattle Posts: 90 Member
    edited June 2015
    I use BF%. Working towards 20% from 23% right now. Scale is 15 lbs over what I'd tell you my ideal weight is but to get back to that same weight, I'd have to have 13% BF while keeping my muscle mass. If I drop less than 5 more lbs, I will be at 20%. It's about body composition IMO. My friend is 140 ish lbs, 16% BF and wears a Size 2. I'm 142 lbs, 23% BF and wear a Size 6. We are the same height!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    VioletLemon wrote: »
    How did you come up with your goal weight and why?
    My initial goal was to lose 30 lbs and be at the top on the healthy BMI for my height. I wasn't very confident. After awhile I changed my goal to the middle of the healthy BMI for my height. I have been that weight before and remember feeling my best around that weight. I feel more confident about reaching it even though it will take longer to get to my goal now.

    I think it is fine to set a goal weight that is a little higher and see how you feel when you get closer to that.
  • lauraesh0384
    lauraesh0384 Posts: 463 Member
    I set my goal weight at 150. For my height, 5'6", that's the high end of being normal for my height. I decided to set it at that and when I reach that goal I'll reassess how I look and feel. I want to reach a weight where I don't look sickly. I'm 171 right now and my collar bones are already pretty prominent.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    My goal weight is what I weighed all my life before I quit smoking in 2004. Got up to nearly 170; now at 143, weighed between 105-110 all my life before except a few weeks after having babies and lost it quickly after the birthings. I am going to get there!
  • harpsdesire
    harpsdesire Posts: 190 Member
    I picked a goal weight based on what my Dr recommended. It will put me at the high edge of a healthy BMI for my height, so my plan is when I reach that point, I'll see how I look and feel, and adjust things as needed.
  • judiness101
    judiness101 Posts: 119 Member
    I picked up my goal weight based on what I used to weigh and where I though I looked best, which is in my case at a bmi of almost 23. Once I get there I'll reevaluate.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    edited June 2015
    I picked my goal weight at 150, which was just barely into the healthy weight range. I have been maintaining that for over a year, and I am still perfectly happy there.
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