So what do most of you choose as your goal weight?

Losewtforlife4him
Losewtforlife4him Posts: 422 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So do most of you just pick a random number that you want to weigh to be your goal weight or do you use the national numbers set for what you should weigh for your height and BMI? Just curious if my goal should be unreasonable like the lowest on the chart (in a healthy range of course) for my height or in the middle for the healthy bmi? I'm 44 and 5'6 and weigh around 144-146 given the day and weight fluctuations. I started at 168 lbs. Also, after I decide to maintain, any of you at this weight find it difficult to maintain this and do you eat more calories as listed on mpf?
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Replies

  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 422 Member
    pebble4321 wrote: »
    I don't have a goal weight.
    I'm going to see how I feel as things change and will probably have a maintenance stop along the way.
    I see so many people on this forum having a crisis because "it's too hard to lose the x last pounds", and that seems wierd to me, to put so much store on a number.

    I agree! I actually feel great and getting lean with exercise but I guess part of me would like to get down a little lower for some "wiggle room" but know that's crazy too. I guess it wouldn't hurt for me to get down to 140 at least since that looks better on the bmi chart

  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    I chose a range that keeps me at a BMI of 20, which for my height is anywhere between 108-114 lbs.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,339 Member
    My goal weight was originally 120 lbs...I'm 46, 5'2...but I reached 120 a couple of weeks ago (without meaning to, thanx illness!), and I'm not happy with it. I'm happier a few pounds heavier, me thinks...so I've slowly added a few more, and I think my new "goal" is between 123 and 125.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    My first goal was the top of the normal BMI range. This is a reasonable goal for pretty much every overweight person. As I got closer to goal I re-evaluated and moved my goal down ~10lb from there. However, that re-evaluation was based on BF% and is currently holding true for getting down to the BF% I want.

    In a few months my goal will be to add 10lb, if for no other reason than it is a nice number. However, I want those 10lb to be mostly muscle.
  • plantgrrl
    plantgrrl Posts: 436 Member
    I go for middle, ideally. But honestly, I'll probably be happy with anything into the normal range, but I'd like the buffer of being more to the middle.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    When I first started my goal was simply to get into a "normal" bmi, so I guess the upper limit for my height. Then it was to get more to the middle of the healthy weight range for my height. Since then I've figured out where I personally feel and look best- a range between 138-145 (145 is in the middle of "normal" bmi for me and I look best just a smidge under that as I have a somewhat smaller frame than "average").
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    edited May 2016
    I never had some arbitrary number in mind, I look more at BF% and my overall composition. The actual number on the scale doesn't really matter.

    Understand also that BMI is a range in order to accommodate different frames and body types, muscle, etc...it's not so that you can just pick and choose arbitrarily within that range. My wife for example is 5'2" and has an athletic build and good muscle mass...her range is 105 - 130. She weighs around 125 and looks awesome at that weight...because of her build and frame, she would look sickly at the lower end of that range which would be for a more petite frame. She would also have to lose some muscle which is pretty much a non starter right there.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    I set mini goals. Not even going to worry about an overall goal weight until I'm much closer. Otherwise it feels a little overwhelming. My next mini goal is to get to 175.
  • SignpostPsycho
    SignpostPsycho Posts: 40 Member
    I just wanna be back to where I was in high school/early college. I was 5'2" then and haven't grown a centimeter since, or had kids...118-125 with at least a little abs visible! Smack dab in the middle of "healthy". I felt great about myself back then, and can't wait to have the confidence of a teenager again.
  • _Tink_
    _Tink_ Posts: 3,845 Member
    I don't really care about the number as much as I do about body composition. If having a specific goal weight is important to you, set a mini goal. Shoot for midrange BMI and when you achieve that, assess how you look and feel and decide how you want to proceed from there.
  • JustAnotherOneOfThoseGirls
    JustAnotherOneOfThoseGirls Posts: 165 Member
    I would suggest working on getting to the middle of your healthy BMI weight, and then getting your body fat percentage tested and getting that into the healthy range. Once you've done both those things, see how you feel and take it from there. Personally, being quite a small build and very athletic, I aim for a BMI of 19-20, and a body fat percentage of about 18-20%
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    I am 5'6" and my goal is 135-140lbs. That would put me in the middle of the normal bmi range. Also, I remember being really happy with my body last time I was 140. However, that was 12 years ago and my perspective may have changed. I fully expect to reassess my goals once I get into the 140s.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited May 2016
    puffbrat wrote: »
    I am 5'6" and my goal is 135-140lbs. That would put me in the middle of the normal bmi range. Also, I remember being really happy with my body last time I was 140. However, that was 12 years ago and my perspective may have changed. I fully expect to reassess my goals once I get into the 140s.

    This is exactly my thought. I'm also 5'6", and my current goal is 145. With the exception of the last 3 years, I've been well over 200 lbs my entire adult life. I have no idea what 145 will look like on me. I'll probably reassess as I get closer (I'm about 18.5 lbs away)
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    My original goal was 150, which I remember being approx 13 years ago. 3lbs left for that. Already planning another 15 down so that I can start the process of building more muscle and work my BF% down. I figure when I'm done, I'll probably be 145 but hope to have my BF% down to around 20 range.
  • ObsidianMist
    ObsidianMist Posts: 519 Member
    I had been at one weight which was healthy and looked good on me for years before suddenly gaining 30 pounds so I just chose my pre-weight-gain weight as my goal weight.

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