Healthy Goal Weight

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PrincessSparkle5253
PrincessSparkle5253 Posts: 28
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello my MPF friends

Just a quick question, is there any way besides a BMI calculator to determine what a healthy weight would be? :)

I am seeing all of these other members with goal weights of 100-120 lbs, and i'm starting to wonder if 155 is a bad goal! :(

Replies

  • tattereds
    tattereds Posts: 120 Member
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    I would love to hear responses to this question too! BMI just seems so... hit and miss.
  • georgiabridget
    georgiabridget Posts: 10
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    it's a very personal thing, and can change depending on your natural body shape/build and muscle etc..

    i suggest that you should only set an approximate goal, and simply stop when you look in the mirror and it looks just right! and this is coming from someone with a lot of personal experience on this topic haha. i only say that because it comes across as a very amateur thing to say. i promise it's true though!

    get to a point where you love your body, and your body is healthy.
    best of luck! x
  • MiNiMoNkI
    MiNiMoNkI Posts: 447 Member
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    I would like to say i had a goal weigt originally of 117llbs, after reaching my goal i decided to go further to 110llb, i packe din extra workouts, changed my diet to a very "clean" one and upped my water etc, everything possible, my body is just not wanting to shift any more, im 5.2" and after 9ish weeks stuck now at 113.4 i cannot get any closer to 110, my body is extremely comfortable at this weight now, so ive decided thats where its going to stay, you have to listen to your body, pick a realistic goal weight and see what happens. Im comfortable now and concentrating on toning, if my body is happy so am i...good luck folks xx
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
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    Hello my MPF friends

    Just a quick question, is there any way besides a BMI calculator to determine what a healthy weight would be? :)

    I am seeing all of these other members with goal weights of 100-120 lbs, and i'm starting to wonder if 155 is a bad goal! :(

    Depends on your height and build.

    112lb is fine for me at 5ft 1in and small frame but would be far too low for someone 5ft 6in with an athletic build.
  • Gabby215
    Gabby215 Posts: 69
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    I'm not sure I have a specific answer to your question but I definitely don't go by BMI. If I did, what they say would be healthy for me would be totally unrealistic and I would look and feel horrible (not sure my body would even let me get that low!)!!!! I think BMI is flawed because it doesn't take muscle into account. I've known people who are in the best shape ever, fitness instructors with very low body fat, and according to the BMI scale they are obese... So I think you just go on your journey and see where you feel comfortable and confident and stop there. Also, I know it's tempting, but try not to compare yourself to others. One person's goal weight might be totally wrong for you! But I hear you - I'm only 5'2'' so a lot of people my height have goal weights that would be WAY to low for my body and sometimes I do think - man, why is my goal weight so much higher than them? But then I just try to focus on me :) HTH
  • mowu
    mowu Posts: 245 Member
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    I took the liberty of looking at your profile - and I immediately saw that you say you felt confident at about 160 lbs, so I think 155 lbs sound like a very realistic and healthy goal.

    BMI may be used as a tool to set goals - but the way you feel about yourself is what should be measured.
  • mizfrankie
    mizfrankie Posts: 100
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    I totally agree with the comments on here. It depends very much on your height and then how much muscle you want to have.

    I have been hovering between 145 and 150 for a few years but since I've joined MFP and have made an effort to eat less and work out more I have noticed a change in the size of my body...but not my weight so much.

    So yeah - 155 sounds like a good goal and then when you get there don't suddenly stop working out and eating well...keep it up and just see what happens. Your body might be happy with that weight while your body's makeup continues to change :)
    All the best!!!!
  • aliceguy
    aliceguy Posts: 128 Member
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    20 years ago I lost a lot of weight, and I had gone as far as I could. People were saying I was too thin and didn't look good but according to the BMI rubbish I was still about 10kgs above my weight goal. 1pound is about .450gms so over 20lbs still to go so I dropped trying to get to the target. I saw a book which called in to doubt some of the calculations used in the BMI as it doesn't and can't take into account different genetically inherited body characteristics. I am stretching my memory here but I think my body was categorised as "endomorphic" or something similar, excuse my ignorance if I have totally got that word or relevance incorrect, but there were about 3 or so body types which we are preprogrammed with and a blanket weight and BMI doesn't take this into account so this book claimed. It was interesting....
  • freeloaves
    freeloaves Posts: 281
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    Hello my MPF friends

    Just a quick question, is there any way besides a BMI calculator to determine what a healthy weight would be? :)

    I am seeing all of these other members with goal weights of 100-120 lbs, and i'm starting to wonder if 155 is a bad goal! :(

    I think 155 is my GW too (70-72kgs, not used to this whole lb thing :p) and though that's at the higher range of healthy, I just think I would look so unhealthy any lighter! So I'm putting it as my initial goal and going from there.
  • fionarama
    fionarama Posts: 788 Member
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    I think the BMI thing is weird. If I went by that I could go as low as 49 kgs! that would be 12 kgs lighter than I am now. I would be tiny. I can't even imagine managing to get that low.
    I think its probably better to go for body fat percentage.
    I found this table,f rom WHO

    Women

    Age Underfat Healthy Range Overweight Obese
    20-40 yrs Under 21% 21-33% 33-39% Over 39%
    41-60 yrs Under 23% 23-35% 35-40% Over 40%
    61-79 yrs Under 24% 24-36% 36-42% Over 42%
    Men

    Age Underfat Healthy Range Overweight Obese
    20-40 yrs Under 8% 8-19% 19-25% Over 25%
    41-60 yrs Under 11% 11-22% 22-27% Over 27%
    61-79 yrs Under 13% 13-25% 25-30% Over 30%
  • rschuurman
    rschuurman Posts: 32
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    I go by tummy fat - if I'm doing plenty of exercise and toning I want to get to a goal weight where I'm not carrying much tummy fat as that's the dangerous area in terms of health. I know by my body that it will never be a "flat tummy" but if I feel healthy and look good in clothes that's good enough. Maybe stick with your initial goal and then review it once you get there whether you want to do more?
  • shaylealicata
    shaylealicata Posts: 4
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    Hello!

    I was always told that it is about how you feel. When you look in the mirror, you are comfortable with your body and how it looks and not so much concerned with weight. And REMEMBER muscle weighs more than fat!!!! I did put an ideal weight goal down but if I never make, I won't worry so much because if I feel great and confident about myself I have technically accomplished what I have been wanting!

    I wouldn't worry to much about what the scale says... :) If you are happy with your body and feel great then that is an amazing accomplishment!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    BMI is useless in my opinion. The best way to determine goal weight is a mirror. Lose until you like what you see, and forget about a number.
  • candb
    candb Posts: 238
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    I use BMI as a guess, but I'll know I'm at the right weight when my body looks the way I think it should. I don't expect it to look perfect so I'm not worried that I'll try to get to an unhealthy too low weight.
  • PrincessSparkle5253
    PrincessSparkle5253 Posts: 28
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    Thank you all, i guess i just wanted some reassurance that i can focus on how i feel instead of focusing on BMI or a scale :) you all are awesome, so glad i joined mfp!

    <3

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