Goal weight - how do you decide?

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Replies

  • missmince
    missmince Posts: 76 Member
    Wow, you really look great! As an antisocial neighbor myself, I still would have commented. Congratulations! It's a nice outfit - that style of dress is a personal favourite.

    I think you should probably talk to a doctor/nutritionist about your goal weight. I'd love to be that tall, but I think it would make buying clothes continue to be difficult, whatever your weight.
  • arb037
    arb037 Posts: 203 Member
    BMI is an archaic and faulty method to determine health and "weight".
    A better goal is not to aim for a "weight" but a good bodyfat% that you are comfortable with. BF% is more representative than weight.
    According to the BMI chart dywane "the rock" johnson is morbidly obese, nuff said.
    For women up to 25% is considered " healthy"
    http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    You look great! Congrats on the hard work!

    Initially I just said fifty pounds because it sounded like a nice even number and not so scary. I had more like 75 to lose but that sounded unattainable. As it became clear I could do 50, I changed it to 75 which would put me in the top of a healthy bmi range. Really though I will just keep losing until it feels right. I've lost almost 60 now and already having people comment that I should stop losing because I'm so skinny. I feel like they see a different person than I see.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    edited August 2015
    I chose the weight where I was most comfortable - it was when I worked out hard and was finally "thin" in college. I've always been in the middle or top range of my BMI as an adult. The wrist indicator doesn't work for me as my wrists and collar bone are both particularly bony, as are my hips, but I hold weight just in the upper arm.

    My therapist wants me to give her an "end weight," and was quite uncomfortable with my reply of "I'll know it when I see it." Apparently she feels I'm okay, though I complain about my weight quite often.
  • minties82
    minties82 Posts: 907 Member
    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    I chose the weight where I was most comfortable - it was when I worked out hard and was finally "thin" in college. I've always been in the middle or top range of my BMI as an adult. The wrist indicator doesn't work for me as my wrists and collar bone are both particularly bony, as are my hips, but I hold weight just in the upper arm.

    My therapist wants me to give her an "end weight," and was quite uncomfortable with my reply of "I'll know it when I see it." Apparently she feels I'm okay, though I complain about my weight quite often.

    The wrist indicator is perfect for you, it is to measure the joint, not flesh.
  • Primmalim
    Primmalim Posts: 13 Member
    For me it was just choosing what I used to weigh before gaining all this weight. It was a long time ago, so it might be too aggressive a goal, but it's on the lower side of a healthy BMI for my height so I'm gonna shoot for it anyways.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    You are looking goooooooooood. I chose my goal weight because it was my weight in college.... I'm very curious if I can hit it.
  • MaggotPig
    MaggotPig Posts: 89 Member
    Thanks everyone :) buying that outfit was nothing short of traumatic, but the sales assistants were incredible! They received a card and flowers at for their troubles
    missmince wrote: »
    Wow, you really look great! As an antisocial neighbor myself, I still would have commented. Congratulations! It's a nice outfit - that style of dress is a personal favourite.

    I think you should probably talk to a doctor/nutritionist about your goal weight. I'd love to be that tall, but I think it would make buying clothes continue to be difficult, whatever your weight.

    Buying clothes is tough at my height! There are quite a few non-specialist retailers who stock leg lengths long enough, and they generally go up to a UK size 18. I started out at a UK size 28 on my bottom half and I'm a 20/22 now (I have some 20 work trousers that fit, but I daren't actually wear them to work just yet due to the amount of bending I do!). The dress in the photo is a UK20. I still have very well padded hips, which is probably just due to my natural shape, and of course, being female, that's the last place I'm going to lose from! My top half however, has gone from a UK26 to an 18, and is positively bony. When I went to uni, my degree was in veterinary anatomy but I studied human anatomy for 12 months as well, and I love the fact that I can now visibly identify bones and muscles that were once hidden :)

    Anyway - Monday morning is weigh day for me - another 4lbs down this week...so that's what exercise does to you!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    MKEgal wrote: »
    Talk with your doctor or dietitian.

    I started aiming for the top of a healthy BMI range.
    BMI-Chart-eng.png

    Then I changed to 10 lb under the top.
    When I get there, I'll see how I feel & look.
    I might go as much as another 15 under that (so 25 under the top), which would put me squarely in the center
    of the healthy range. But I can't imagine going lower than that.

    I'm almost to a healthy body fat % as well. If I eventually get into the 'fit' or 'athletic' category, that's a bonus.


    Also, the search function is your friend.
    This has been addressed many many many many many times already.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/search

    Where's that chart from? BMI charts I see have me (5'1", 150.8#) at 28.5 BMI (overweight). Yours says that's "healthy". Can I use your chart from now on?

    OT: I picked the highest weight for "healthy" on BMI for 5'2". Then I found out I'd shrunk an inch and would need to lose an extra 8# to be "healthy". I'm having enough trouble getting to 140, so 132 is right out.

    No it doesn't ...it says you're overweight ...
  • crazychic_1133
    crazychic_1133 Posts: 10 Member
    I chose towards the high part of the health BMI for my height. I know BMI charts are not perfect, but I aim to re-evaluate as I go and my body changes shape, and to see what I'm comfortable with.
  • megaiken92
    megaiken92 Posts: 42 Member
    Mine is at the high end of "normal" on BMI, as I've noticed a lot of people are saying. However I've been really overweight my entire life, so even being "overweight" would be a big accomplishment! Ideally I'd like to be, like, a size 10 jeans I think. That's how I'll know I've reached my goal, then I'll go from there.
  • leviathas
    leviathas Posts: 37 Member
    Hi OP
    Congrats on the hard work! You look amazing! I am also 6ft and broad shouldered/larger framed. I based my weight goals on the BMI chart BUT at the higher range. I've weighed 185 as a competitive athlete and been above my BMI by the chart but the fittest in my life. Just as a reference! I'm currently aiming for about 170-175 mostly because I'm not as jacked as I used to be! Good luck with your continued success. Cheers!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    MKEgal wrote: »
    Talk with your doctor or dietitian.

    I started aiming for the top of a healthy BMI range.
    BMI-Chart-eng.png

    Then I changed to 10 lb under the top.
    When I get there, I'll see how I feel & look.
    I might go as much as another 15 under that (so 25 under the top), which would put me squarely in the center
    of the healthy range. But I can't imagine going lower than that.

    I'm almost to a healthy body fat % as well. If I eventually get into the 'fit' or 'athletic' category, that's a bonus.


    Also, the search function is your friend.
    This has been addressed many many many many many times already.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/search

    Where's that chart from? BMI charts I see have me (5'1", 150.8#) at 28.5 BMI (overweight). Yours says that's "healthy". Can I use your chart from now on?

    OT: I picked the highest weight for "healthy" on BMI for 5'2". Then I found out I'd shrunk an inch and would need to lose an extra 8# to be "healthy". I'm having enough trouble getting to 140, so 132 is right out.

    No it doesn't ...it says you're overweight ...
    Missed the color coding. Stupid me thought the titles were in the proper place on top.
  • AbbieBeckett
    AbbieBeckett Posts: 70 Member
    Just popped by to have a read because I'm always curious myself as to what my "goal weight" is, I've never actually had a number in mind... All of the comments seem helpful, but I found myself wanting to comment just to say well done, you're doing brilliantly and those photos are fab, you really do look great! x
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Hello MaggotPig,

    I am here with another variation for you to try. Work from your body fat percentage goal, rather than a BMI generated one.

    I have an average scale at home that gives me a reading of 21.1. Now, I have always known it was wrong, but it was good to watch those numbers go down as I lost weight and added a little muscle.

    Last night, with you in mind, I ran my numbers through 4 body fat calculator sites. The results of 3 were consistently 22.7 ( 1.6 above scale) with the 4th being 25.5.

    (I might have tried yours too but was doing it on my phone and I was squinting a lot)

    All of those numbers are good, and eventhough I know they are not the most accurate, knowing I have a good body fat percentage makes me feel better than having a lower BMI.

    The sites I visited were:-
    Healthstatus.com
    bmi-calculator.net
    linear-software.com
    Calculator.net.

    As I said this is not the most accurate way to measure body fat, but it may give you an alternate way of assessing what your goal weight could be.

    Cheers, h

    If anyone out there has a preferred BF calculator could you please post it, ta.
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
    edited August 2015
    I don't know that I honestly care what the weight is. Do I watch it yes, but I don't set a number. I am focusing on decreasing my body fat. The problem with BMI is it is designed to look across large samples of populations in general and it just isn't a great measure for individuals. It doesn't take muscle mass into account at all. You look like you have made great progress and congrats to you on that.

    [Edited by MFP Staff]
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
    I first aimed for a number and an action. The number went out the door after the action happened, though I do try to maintain close to the number I had reached at the time. That was when I decided that while I may eventually cave to reaching that original number in the name of making my doctor shut up, it was drawn from a chart that probably didn't apply to my situation anymore.
  • MaggotPig
    MaggotPig Posts: 89 Member
    edited August 2015
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    Hello MaggotPig,

    I am here with another variation for you to try. Work from your body fat percentage goal, rather than a BMI generated one.

    I have an average scale at home that gives me a reading of 21.1. Now, I have always known it was wrong, but it was good to watch those numbers go down as I lost weight and added a little muscle.

    Last night, with you in mind, I ran my numbers through 4 body fat calculator sites. The results of 3 were consistently 22.7 ( 1.6 above scale) with the 4th being 25.5.

    (I might have tried yours too but was doing it on my phone and I was squinting a lot)

    All of those numbers are good, and eventhough I know they are not the most accurate, knowing I have a good body fat percentage makes me feel better than having a lower BMI.

    The sites I visited were:-
    Healthstatus.com
    bmi-calculator.net
    linear-software.com
    Calculator.net.

    As I said this is not the most accurate way to measure body fat, but it may give you an alternate way of assessing what your goal weight could be.

    Cheers, h

    If anyone out there has a preferred BF calculator could you please post it, ta.

    Thank you once again! When I can walk again, I'll grab a tape measure and get measuring.

    (Did my first kettlebells class tonight. Oh-Em-Actual-Gee do I ache!)
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