Goal weight versus healthy weight

Smoothroz
Smoothroz Posts: 77 Member
edited November 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I am 5'6"...I am 58 years old and my current weight is 218 (after losing 13lbs recently). My goal weight is somewhere around 175-180lbs. My doctor says a healthy weight for me is 135lbs. Any thoughts?

Replies

  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    i started at 260.6 and wanted to go under 200 pounds..when i was there i thought oke 175 is nice too
    and 160 and now 155.8...go towards 145 and than i see

    So my thought is just lose weight and see were you go. You can always change your mind :)
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    You might be underestimating how much weight you can lose. Have you been overweight for a long time?

    I've seen a lot of people here on MFP say they completely surprised themselves how much weight they could lose, and were so happy when they got to the medically-determined healthy weight instead of their earlier estimate.

    Some people find it helpful to have an easy goal to start with, then see how they go. Nothing wrong with that.

    I'm one whose goal is the middle (or thereabouts) of the healthy weight range for my height. That's what your doctor would be hoping for you.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Your doctor's number is right in the middle of the healthy BMI range, but the top end goes up to 155. Your number (175) is about BMI 28, which would be classified overweight but not obese.

    I don't think it's that important to worry about goal weights at first unless it is motivating to you. Getting to 175-80 would be a positive thing, and being out of the obese category helps with most of the health risks. You could decide then if you wanted to lose more.
  • Smoothroz
    Smoothroz Posts: 77 Member
    That's a really cool idea...thanks for the input. I will be so excited to get out of the 200s which is my first goal.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Well, the normal range of BMI for your height is 115-154. 135 seems kinda smack in the middle. I think a range makes for a softer landing and gives us more flexibility than a hard number target. Weight fluctuates a lot on a daily basis. What if you go for 135-140? Still all within the healthy range. And then see how you feel.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Ha, three of us posted at the exact same time, so the above posts might get missed.
  • CAC10456
    CAC10456 Posts: 117 Member
    Doctor is right. I am also 58 yo, 5'6" and started out at 197. Obese is 185 lb.(by BMI), so you are saying that you just don't want to be obese, which I totally understand as that was my first goal, too. However, if 'not obese' is good (and doable), why not keep going? Normal BMI is 155 lbs. I have now reached 145 (it's taken a little over a year) and I must say, I feel so-o-o-o much better. Go for it!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2015
    Yeah, I think it's great to have lots of goals along the way. Getting below 200 was my first also!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    @Smoothroz - what's your wrist circumference? What size shoe do you wear?

    http://health.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Frame-Size-Wrist
  • Smoothroz
    Smoothroz Posts: 77 Member
    CAC10456 wrote: »
    Doctor is right. I am also 58 yo, 5'6" and started out at 197. Obese is 185 lb.(by BMI), so you are saying that you just don't want to be obese, which I totally understand as that was my first goal, too. However, if 'not obese' is good (and doable), why not keep going? Normal BMI is 155 lbs. I have now reached 145 (it's taken a little over a year) and I must say, I feel so-o-o-o much better. Go for it!

    I do not want to be an obese person however I don't want to set myself up for failure with an unrealistic goal either. I am considered morbidly obese in my current weight and know it's unhealthy. I need to reach a lower weight than I am now and then I can always set another lower weight goal. I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. I wear a size 8 shoe and I have thick wrist for the person that inquired. Step by step and pound by pound.
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