What should I weigh? how to determine?

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amtyrell
amtyrell Posts: 1,449 Member
edited August 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
So I started obease at 224. I told myself I would get to normal bmi and figure it out then.
Well I am getting close 2 lbs till normal bmi.
Normal bmi for my 5 ft 10 height is 129 to 174 lbs. That is a huge range.
I know in high school (all state distance swimming) I weighted 138. I think that would be too low now in my 40s.
So how do I figure out my goal between 138 and 174???
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Replies

  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
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    It's just trial and error as you play around with what feels/looks best to you. Also, weight can affect blood work, so that may be a factor as well, (I have to be at the low end of the normal bmi range in order for my glucose number to be in the normal range/former prediabetic here).
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Just figure out what seems right to you. My goal was 120 but I'm hanging out around 125 working on recomp. I'd still like to lose more fat, but don't care what the number on the scale is. I know someone my height (5'3, my former trainer) who has a build I'd love, and she's around 135, because more muscle.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
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    What's your doctor recommend?
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
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    Totally up to you...given where you're starting, targeting the high end of a healthy weight range is not a problem at all. You can always decide to keep going once you get there. The important part is to get to that range!

    That said, most of us have a weight where we're happiest with how we look. I'm 6'1" and am targeting a weight at the higher end of healthy per the BMI charts (175-185 pounds). Theoretically, I could go way below this and still be in the healthy range but given my body type I know that anything below 175 and I start to look a little too lanky and malnourished.

    Also, clothes that fit me at 175 will also fit me up should I increase to 185. If I drop below 175, I have to buy a size that will only fit me up to 175. Knowing my tendencies and that entropy rules, it's best for me to 'hedge' myself a little bit to make sure that I don't have to have two wardrobes!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Congrats on getting so close! I'm 5'7" 62 yo andam hovering at the top end of my range. I was about 20-25 lbs less in my 20s but I don't feel that would be right for me now. Plus, it would be just toooo hard to get there and maintain it. I decided I would rather weigh a little more and be able to maintain it successfully. It depends on how you carry your weight too, the pounds look different on everyone. At this weight I've got a little more fat than I would like, but I can do what I want to do, and have improved my shape even in maintenance, through continued strength training and swimming. I suggest you get within the top 5 lbs of your BMI, set a 5 lb maintenance range, then see how it goes and how you feel. You might just want to get comfortable at that weight for 3-6 months, do some strength/resistance/weight training, then decide if you want/need to lose any more.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
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    I can really only tell you what I feel good at...I'm 5'11, 38 years old, and FEEL good at 150. I'm 160 now and I feel the extra 10lbs. But you may feel better in the 140's or even in the 170's. It's all trial and error...
  • LibbyR88
    LibbyR88 Posts: 2 Member
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    Congrats on being so close!!! Personally for me I don't follow the BMI scales. For one, I used to battle an eating disorder and fell into my range in High School. Even in the middle of the range I was way too skinny!! Even my family said I was! I am supposed to weigh 130-160lb. I follow what my body says. A year or so ago I dropped a lot of weight. Now I am trying to get down to my goal of 200lbs but I am unsure that my body wants even that. My body naturally floats between 225-250lb. It's like it tells me "Okay honey your eating too much again. I am narrowing your appetite for a few weeks." or "Okay your loosing too much. Lets increase." Our bodies are amazing at telling us where we belong! I am not knocking the BMI Scale but for some it's simply not a good fit for them. I am one of them! I feel beautiful, I am healthy, what more do I need? So my advice is listen to your body. Slow your progress when you hit your top range number and listen. If it says it needs more off to function, take more off!!! It will tell you when you hit your magic number!!
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    edited August 2017
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    I would base it on your body frame. Do you have small, big bone or muscular frame? I have a small frame on a 4'11 height so I'm always on the low end of weight for my height but I still stay somewhere in the middle. Maybe get to a weight in the middle of your range and see how you feel.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Nobody can answer this as variable such as frame and muscle mass are going to come into play. I'm also 5'10" and I'm overweight as per BMI by about 8 Lbs (182)...but I'm at a perfectly healthy BF% and have no love handles or gut or anything like that.

    I have a medium frame and decent muscle mass, especially in my legs from cycling my *kitten* off.
  • dietstokes
    dietstokes Posts: 216 Member
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    I've always heard frame is a load of bull and accounts for a minuscule difference in weight. I say pick a weight that puts you at a BMI of 22-23. See how you feel there. Try staying at maintenance there fro a while. Then you can see if you want to drop a little lower, do a recomp, or stay right there :) Congrats at getting yourself to a healthy weight :) I found getting a dexa scan that lets me know my body fat, muscle ratio really helpful (way more expensive than a bod pod by me, but way more accurate and I don't need to get in an egg shaped machine or dunked in water). This was really helpful in setting goals for myself as well. I learned I didn't just want to drop weight...I wanted to improve the ratio of muscle to fat....note....it comes out way higher in body fat percentage than any of the other methods b/c it can scan between all of your organs etc. So really pick an accurate method of tracking body fat like bod pod, dunking, or dexa and stick with it for a check up 6-12 months later to see progress :)
  • mranlett
    mranlett Posts: 56 Member
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    I'm a 5'10" guy, about to turn 41. I'm currently at 190, but I'm shooting for around 150. About 5 years ago I was in the upper 160s, did Crossfit and ran a marathon. I still had a spare tire around my middle that I didn't like the look of. That's why my goal is where it is.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Another thing to think of when deciding your goal weight is how many calories you will get to eat.

    There is a difference in calorie allawance between the top and bottom of your BMI range.

    Play with your numbers on your goal page and see what calories you get at different weights. That may at least help you decide on what weight you don't want to go below.

    Take into account the amount of exercise you are willing to commit to long term.
    (I knew I would not do more than an hour 5-6 days a week, so could take that into consideration.)

    If you are happy with your body, in general, and your calorie intake when you reach whatever weight you decide as maintenance, but would like to lose some fat/jiggle, think of doing a recomp.

    Actually, if you aren't doing some strength training at the moment, you may like to start now. It will preserve bone and muscle and help re-sculpt your body.

    Cheers, h.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    amtyrell wrote: »
    So I started obease at 224. I told myself I would get to normal bmi and figure it out then.
    Well I am getting close 2 lbs till normal bmi.
    Normal bmi for my 5 ft 10 height is 129 to 174 lbs. That is a huge range.
    I know in high school (all state distance swimming) I weighted 138. I think that would be too low now in my 40s.
    So how do I figure out my goal between 138 and 174???

    Start with 170... see how you feel.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    This is entirely for you and perhaps your doctor to decide (my doctor was happy once I hit a normal BMI).

    Weight range is there to account for variations in frame size and muscle mass.

    Somewhere along the spectrum of where the weight range is for your frame size and muscle mass is the weight you feel you look your best, the weight you feel comfortable carrying, and the weight that easiest for you to maintain.

    Bear in mind that the weight that's easiest to maintain might not be the weight at which you feel you look your best, but it might be a weight where you feel you look good enough :)

    I started out with a high goal weight and have tentatively set a new goal as "I'll know it when I see/feel it".

    You'll know it when you see/feel it.
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
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    I have aimed at a couple of kilos below the high end of my healthy BMI. It's kind of arbitrary I suppose and when I get there I might reassess whether or not I want to continue. If I do I will be doing it very veeeery slowly I think :)
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
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    At this point it might be more helpful to work on other aspects of your health/appearance outside of your weight. For example, I'd like to get my waist down another 5". I don't know how much weight loss that will require (I'm still 20 pounds outside a healthy range), so I'm focusing more on that particular metric than what's on the scale.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,439 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    This is entirely for you and perhaps your doctor to decide (my doctor was happy once I hit a normal BMI).

    Weight range is there to account for variations in frame size and muscle mass.

    Somewhere along the spectrum of where the weight range is for your frame size and muscle mass is the weight you feel you look your best, the weight you feel comfortable carrying, and the weight that easiest for you to maintain.

    Bear in mind that the weight that's easiest to maintain might not be the weight at which you feel you look your best, but it might be a weight where you feel you look good enough :)

    I started out with a high goal weight and have tentatively set a new goal as "I'll know it when I see/feel it".

    You'll know it when you see/feel it.

    Endorsed.

    I also set a provisional goal at first, then switched to a very slow loss rate and "I'll know it when I see/feel it". As it got really close, there were some specific benchmarks I was looking for (like residual abdominal fat shrinking enough that it wasn't pulling downward on loosening skin). I literally woke up one morning and said "this is it".

    Trust yourself. You'll know.
  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
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    I think aiming for the higher end of healthy range and seeing how you feel/look at that point is always a safe bet.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
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    2 guys both 5'10", both weigh 180lbs, so by BMI they are overweight.
    One is 40% bodyfat, the other is 10% bodyfat (Around 12% bodyfat is where you start really noticing if a guy has a 6 pack).
    Do you like what you see in the mirror? Then that is right for you.
    If you don't like it, what needs to change to make you like it? Less fat, so that muscle shows? Bigger muscles? Both? Maybe just knowing that you can bench press your own body weight?

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