Does anyone feel that their "Target Range" is too low of a w

MissingMyOldSelf
MissingMyOldSelf Posts: 689 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
For my height, which is 5'3", my ideal weight is between 104.1 and 141.1. I was 140 lbs when I graduated high school, but my ultimate goal is 150. I just feel that 140 might be a bit too ... I don't know.... like I'd look "sickly." Ever see a person who used to be bigger, but after they lost weight, they just look sick??

I've always been somewhat more "fuller figured." Even as a teenager, I was more solid, but never "Fat."

Does anyone else feel that way, and have their goal weight outside of their "target range"?

Replies

  • trulabfloyd
    trulabfloyd Posts: 50
    I do feel that the target range is gigantic. So much depends on your build etc. Go with what you feel comfortable with!
  • gdr1976
    gdr1976 Posts: 460 Member
    I know what you mean. They say for my height my ideal weight is between 135-165 pounds. I have a big frame to begin with, I would look sickly at that weight. I'd be happy with 200-220 pounds. I will still be considered obese, but any smaller would look stupid, I think.
  • papastu
    papastu Posts: 737 Member
    I felt that way and saw my doctor, my goal according to weightwatchers was 13 stone 7 lbs but after talking to the doctor and him looking at my frame he advised a target of 16 stone then a re-visit

    hope this helps
  • gfergus1
    gfergus1 Posts: 17
    BMI calculations are inaccurate because it can't portray fat to muscle ratios, every person's body is proportioned differently. If you are concerned you should talk to a doctor.
  • brit1329
    brit1329 Posts: 293 Member
    I guess it depends a lot on your frame (I think that is why the range is about a 40 lb range) I am 5'3" and currently about 132 and still need to lose more. However, I have a pretty small frame. I've also seen a lot of people say that they don't think they'll get down to the target BMI range because it would just be too much. I think it's an ok tool for giving you an idea of healthy and if you do have a larger frame then you would aim somewhere around the higher end of that range. I don't think there is a perfect number though, you don' t magically have a healthy body just because you lost .2 lbs and went from 141.2 to 141... I'd say stick with your goal and then you can reevaluate once you get there and see how you feel.
  • LeelaLosing
    LeelaLosing Posts: 237 Member
    I'm 5' 0.25" and my goal range is 98-128 and I'm good with that, I'm currently 149 and I feel that I could easily lose another 30 lbs. About 5-6 years ago I was down to 138-142 range which was at least 15-20 lbs too much for me. Some people carry weight better than others, but I find being short, it's not a good look on me but that 5 lbs looks like 10 lbs too much. And I also feel fitter and more athletic the lower I get....less weight to cart around and on my bones and joints.

    I know that older people who lose weight often look worse because they look older when their faces which were full start drooping, but I've never noticed it in a younger person, I think all I've seen look better when they get thinner.
  • melibea
    melibea Posts: 228
    I'm 5'3 too and I started MFP at 140 lbs, because I was at the verge of becoming "medically overweight" and I was really unhappy with my body. I have been as big as 160 lbs and I can tell you, people DO have trouble adapting to seeing you smaller. I'm currently ~124 and people that haven't seen me in a long time freak out. But for people who see me everyday as I gradually lose the weight don't really think I look sickly. At this weight I am starting to notice how tiny my frame really is, because even at this weight I can see the bags of flabby fat hanging at random places of my body, especially my thighs.

    Everyone knows BMI is just a rule of thumb and not a perfect guide, but I do believe that generally, the healthy range it promotes won't make anyone look sickly. The change itself might freak you or others out until you get use to it. Then when you are used to seeing the new you, you'll see old pictures of yourself and wonder why you couldn't imagine how small you really were underneath.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I'm 5'4" and 74 kg (163). I was aiming for another 7 kg to get to the top of the healthy BMI range for my weight, but I think that might be too much. Now I'm aiming for 70 and if I can get fitter and more toned and stay at that weight I'll be very happy even though I will still be in the overweight range.
    I already notice a whole lot more wrinkles in my face, I don't want them to increase!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Calculating your goal weight based on body fat percentage is much more accurate and realistic than BMI. According to the BMI, as a 5 foot 7 inch tall male, my ideal weight should be between 140-160, but 8% body fat would put me at 180. Heck 160 is my lean body mass, so to get to a "normal" BMI I'd have to drop about 20 pounds of muscle. Maybe just chop an arm off...

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/body-fat-chart.php

    That should help give you a more realistic goal.
  • SimplyDeLish
    SimplyDeLish Posts: 539
    I think most people know when they get to their ideal body weight. For me, my target is 198 - right at the high end of the "overweight" BMI according to MFP. Dukan Diet says 225 should be my ideal weight. I'll figure it out when I get there - you will too!

    One trick I learned a long time ago...lose about 10 lbs more than where you want to me and then gain that 10 pounds back over a few weeks. It helps fill our face back out and you don't look sickly and old.

    Good luck on your journey!
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
    I know girls who are at my height and weigh 105-110lbs, which puts them at about BMI 20.5. They have very little fat, which is good, but also not much muscle! My body may be different from theirs, but to use them as a comparing point -- when I lose excess weight and tone up more, I'll probably be around 120-124lbs. That would be around BMI 23, which is within the "normal weight" range.

    I'm not too concerned about my weight, though. All I know is I want my stomach to be flat and muscular, and my whole body to be fit!
  • Jennyisbusy
    Jennyisbusy Posts: 1,294 Member
    I am 5'3 ish too and when I talked to my doctor she said that is considered the healthy range and she recommended that I aim to get those numbers and then decide if I will feel more comfortable with 5 or more extra lbs. That way the work of losing the last 5 pounds isn't clouding my judgement.

    we'll see - shrug-
  • MissingMyOldSelf
    MissingMyOldSelf Posts: 689 Member
    I've talked to my family doctor about the bmi thing... and he just shook his head and told me that my body frame just couldn't work with being that 104 pounds. It's just not right on my body size. MAYBE the 141.... but we'll see.

    I've lost 37 lbs so far, and I'm just overjoyed that I've started to find my waist :) right there in itself is a victory!
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    i know how u feel. Those ranges don't work for everyone...they are just a range to determine if you are within the typical healthy range for your height.

    it depends on things such as frame size, and body distributions. ex. if you have a large frame, large boobs/butt, thicker neck, longer thighs than calves etc...it is only expected to have a higher body weight than someone who is flat chested/flat butted etc.
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    i know how u feel. Those ranges don't work for everyone...they are just a range to determine if you are within the typical healthy range for your height.

    it depends on things such as frame size, and body distributions. ex. if you have a large frame, large boobs/butt, thicker neck, longer thighs than calves etc...it is only expected to have a higher body weight than someone who is flat chested/flat butted etc.

    ps: i am short and small-boned, so my features are naturally smaller all-around...thus I need to lose more weight than someone with a different body type.
  • AshDHart
    AshDHart Posts: 818 Member
    At 5' 7" most charts say I shouldn't weigh over 160. Two different doctors have given me a goal weight of 195 and 200. I'm going with 195 to get me out of the 200's. Once I get there I can evaluate if I want to go lower. But in any case from my previous thinner days 160 would be way small.
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    i dont think 140lb on 5ft 3 is going to look sickly at all, but it depends how you carry weight and what youre happy with
  • smkcx♥
    smkcx♥ Posts: 317 Member
    I'm 5'5 and I feel the same way. my "range" is 119-145lbs (according to the doctor) . But I'm shooting for 160-170lbs. I still want to have some of my curves. If I decide at 170lbs I still want to lose 10 more lbs, I will. I dont care what the doctors or those calculators say I need to weigh, I know what i want to look like and what i dont lol :)
  • kleavitt1992
    kleavitt1992 Posts: 592 Member
    I've talked to my family doctor about the bmi thing... and he just shook his head and told me that my body frame just couldn't work with being that 104 pounds. It's just not right on my body size. MAYBE the 141.... but we'll see.

    I've lost 37 lbs so far, and I'm just overjoyed that I've started to find my waist :) right there in itself is a victory!

    hmmmm well im 5ft 3 also SW:182 CW:141 GW:125 maybe 115 depending on when i get there but im still very unhappy with my weight :S i guess everyones dif.

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  • northstar699
    northstar699 Posts: 99 Member
    I'm 5'5" and it tells me that my ideal weight is about 115. I got down to 125 once and I looked emaciated! And that was without ever working out, so I had no muscle and I still looked terrible. My goal weight is 15 pounds heavier than the "ideal." I'm not a super bulky person, but I do have an athletic build. Either way, I'm still 5 pounds away from my goal weight and I'm looking pretty good, if I do say so myself! Don't let a computer tell you what you should weigh, you have a mirror and can tell how your clothes are fitting. Good luck!!
  • kleavitt1992
    kleavitt1992 Posts: 592 Member
    I'm 5'5" and it tells me that my ideal weight is about 115. I got down to 125 once and I looked emaciated! And that was without ever working out, so I had no muscle and I still looked terrible. My goal weight is 15 pounds heavier than the "ideal." I'm not a super bulky person, but I do have an athletic build. Either way, I'm still 5 pounds away from my goal weight and I'm looking pretty good, if I do say so myself! Don't let a computer tell you what you should weigh, you have a mirror and can tell how your clothes are fitting. Good luck!!

    she's talking about bmi.... at 5ft5 115 is at the really low end of bmi 19.1 so your highest end of the bmi would be 149-150 and thats the 141 she is talking about for being 5ft3 :)
  • uberlaut
    uberlaut Posts: 44
    The medical community says a healthy body fat percentage is between 19-24%. You can use a calculator such as this one to estimate your body fat percentage. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/

    When I reach my goal, I will probably still be "obese" by the BMI scale, but as long as my body-fat is under 24%...I don't care.

    BMI says I should weigh 110-150. My goal is 180 (I currently weigh 185, and my top weight was 312).
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