What target weight should I be aiming for?

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tonilaporta
tonilaporta Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I've been using MFP for about 2 months now and I've lost around 6/7 pounds.

I'm 23 and 5 foot 8. I currently weigh 11 stone 8 with a 1st goal weight of 11 stone 3 (This is a goal set for me when I used to do Slimming World and it was a goal of losing 10% of my body weight.)

My second goal is the lowest weight I can remember being as an adult which is 10 stone 8 which was when I was in my 2nd year of uni about 5 years ago.

Yesterday just out of curiosity I looked up what my ideal weight would be if I was bang in the middle of my BMI weight range and was shocked when it came back as 10 stone 3! For me that seems so low and such a long way. It's disheartening to think that to achieve that I still have over a stone to go just to be average for my height.

When I started my weight loss journey last July I was 12 stone 6.5 and it's been hard to get as much weight off as I have.

How much stock should I put in the BMI weight?

Replies

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,072 Member
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    The BMI range is fairly useful unless you're extremely tall/short or if you're particularly athletic with a great deal of muscle. The healthy range for your height is a good starting point.

    My own plan is to aim for the top of the BMI healthy range and then I can review again when I get there.

    Don't rely purely on weight, take measurements and progress pictures too.
  • HDBKLM
    HDBKLM Posts: 466 Member
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    If you leave aside the various outlier stories like how Arnold Schwarzenegger is (was?) classed as obese because of his major muscle mass, BMI is a pretty decent measure for most of us. In other words, I don't think it's a question of whether BMI is the weight measurement tool par excellence in an objective reality, which is the way I understood you question.

    Having said that, 'normal' on the BMI chart is a range for a reason, and factors that you haven't shared in this post will play in, like your frame size/bone structure, whether you're quite strong or all flab, etc. There is also the subjective component—do you like what you see in the mirror? Can you pinch an inch? Could be that depending on your body composition that the top of the normal range is right for you. You'll have to make your own assessment about whether it seems worthwhile to put in the additional effort to get to the middle of the range. Remember you'd not only have to get down to that weight but maintain it, so if, say, the number of calories you'd be allowed to eat at a particular weight would cut into your quality of life because you'd have to be so vigilant about how much you eat, that alone might make it not the right weight for you.
  • andreaen
    andreaen Posts: 365 Member
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    It all depends on what you prefer really. I am your height and age and I am around 120 lbs. This is quite low, and I am working on building up my muscle mass to gain up to at least 130. I would say 10 st 3 sounds like a reasonable goal, but always go by how you feel in your own skin. If you are happy at 11 stone 3 and you are feeling healthy and good at that weight there is no major need to diet further :)
  • Johnd2000
    Johnd2000 Posts: 198 Member
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    If you’re fairly tall, BMI can be quite cruel. I’m 6’3” and a shade under BMI 25. If I was at the middle of the healthy scale, I’d need to carry weights in strong winds.
  • tonilaporta
    tonilaporta Posts: 9 Member
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    I've got a curvier figure, with a bum and hips on me but I carry a lot of my weight in my lower tummy which I hate.
    When I first started losing weight I was classified as being overweight based on my BMI but through the weight that I've lost so far I've managed to get into that healthy range category. I think I'm daunted by how slow my progress has been so far.

    For the first month and a half I was having 1,200 calories a day and was advised that apparently that was too aggressive. I've been working on 1670 for the last 2 weeks and I have still seen progress which is positive.

    One of my concerns is that I've always had issues with my weight ever since I was a kid. I've always felt like I need to lose weight so i don't know what weight I'll be happy with. Maybe that's why I'm seeking a target to strive for externally. When I was 10 stone 8 I probably still wanted to lose weight.

    I'm feeling better in myself from the weight I've lost so far but then the bad thoughts creep in again and I think 'If I look big now, how did I look before?' I'm trying to balance the mental and psychical sides of losing the weight.

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,072 Member
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    tonilaporta wrote: »
    I've got a curvier figure, with a bum and hips on me but I carry a lot of my weight in my lower tummy which I hate.
    When I first started losing weight I was classified as being overweight based on my BMI but through the weight that I've lost so far I've managed to get into that healthy range category. I think I'm daunted by how slow my progress has been so far.

    For the first month and a half I was having 1,200 calories a day and was advised that apparently that was too aggressive. I've been working on 1670 for the last 2 weeks and I have still seen progress which is positive.

    One of my concerns is that I've always had issues with my weight ever since I was a kid. I've always felt like I need to lose weight so i don't know what weight I'll be happy with. Maybe that's why I'm seeking a target to strive for externally. When I was 10 stone 8 I probably still wanted to lose weight.

    I'm feeling better in myself from the weight I've lost so far but then the bad thoughts creep in again and I think 'If I look big now, how did I look before?' I'm trying to balance the mental and psychical sides of losing the weight.

    The closer you are to a healthy weight range the slower it is. Are you doing any strength training? that can really help maintaining muscle (so you don't just feel like a deflated version of your heavier self).
  • tonilaporta
    tonilaporta Posts: 9 Member
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    I've been slowly getting back into the gym - going once or twice a week. My gym membership allows me to bring 4 friends across the month so I've been going with my boyfriend and my sisters.

    I usually do cardio like a 30 min bike ride but on Sunday I tried to mix it up with 10 minutes on the Stair-climber and 20 mins of Kettlebells (Which I used to do lots and liked) - definitely still aching as a result of it though!

    To be honest on a side note I'm never sure which exercises are best to do at the gym for weight loss!
  • sorchaedwards1991
    sorchaedwards1991 Posts: 19 Member
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    I have almost your exact stats!

    I'm 27, 5 ft 7 and weight 11 stone 5. Has taken me a while to get there too.
    When I checked the BMI I found out i'm only now just inside the healthy bracket, seems absolutely ridiculous to me that I need to lose another stone at least to be mid way in the bracket. To lose another stone would probably take me a lot of effort and a lot of time and I would be very thin. Saying all this, I would still like to try...i just think i will find it very hard to maintain around the 10 stone mark

    Good luck to you!
  • nndarden
    nndarden Posts: 16 Member
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    tonilaporta wrote: »

    I've been using MFP for about 2 months now and I've lost around 6/7 pounds. ....

    When I started my weight loss journey last July I was 12 stone 6.5 and it's been hard to get as much weight off as I have.

    I'm 71. I've been losing weight for a year. Yes, losing weight is a challenge. You are doing fine.

    What does your doctor say about what is a good weight for you? It might be nice to know what is a good weight to shoot for from a health standpoint.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,072 Member
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    tonilaporta wrote: »
    I've been slowly getting back into the gym - going once or twice a week. My gym membership allows me to bring 4 friends across the month so I've been going with my boyfriend and my sisters.

    I usually do cardio like a 30 min bike ride but on Sunday I tried to mix it up with 10 minutes on the Stair-climber and 20 mins of Kettlebells (Which I used to do lots and liked) - definitely still aching as a result of it though!

    To be honest on a side note I'm never sure which exercises are best to do at the gym for weight loss!

    Food is more important for the weight loss side of things.

    Cardio
    burns more calories, so is good if you're looking to increase your deficit or increase your calorie intake (but can also make you hungrier or rungry lol).
    Good for heart health and for improving your general fitness level.
    Even walking is a good way of getting some extra exercise in, or you could go hiking, rowing, jogging, swimming, take a class like dance or kickboxing or take up a sport like tennis/basketball/etc

    Strength Training
    doesn't burn as many calories, but is good for helping to maintain the muscle you have and improving your body composition. It's also good for improving bone density, which decreases the risk of Osteopirosis.
    You don't have to use any fancy equipment, you can start out with bodyweight exercises and bottles of water.
    There are some great programs around - http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    The important thing is to find something you enjoy, because otherwise you'll find it hard to stick to and incorporate into a lifestyle change.

  • Sunna_W
    Sunna_W Posts: 744 Member
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    You are making great progress. This is a marathon, not a sprint. It's about changing your eating habits for life not just long enough to lose weight.

    While it is true that it's calories in / calories out - just by changing what you are eating over time can make a huge difference.

    Have you thought of "recomping" as part of your weight loss? This involves paying attention to your macros.

    What I found that worked / continues to work for me is to avoid excess sugar (over 50 g) and carbs (over 100 - 150 g) and try to get 88 g of protein and around 70 g of healthy fat each day.

    Here is a sample daily eating plan that I use (1400 calories + / -):

    Breakfast: 2 HB eggs, 100 g cold steamed potatoes with skin, 32 oz coffee plus 2 oz half and half (330 calories)
    Note: I cook everything up in advance so it's very easy to take the portion I need into work for breakfast.

    Lunch: 8 oz mixed chopped vegetables (red and green cabbages, carrots, broccoli, jicama, bell peppers, radishes and celery; 3 oz plain roasted turkey breast (170 calories)
    Note: I buy 3 packages at 16 oz each from Trader Joe's (Lidl in UK) and mix them in a gallon plastic bag with raw apple cider vinegar and salt and it lasts for 6 servings. I buy the 1 lb. roasted turkey breast already sliced and just measure out what I need.)

    Dinner: Using 1 lb of meat (ground chicken, pork, lamb, beef, or turkey) I cook it with various green vegetables, onions, peppers, and sometimes add 2 servings of cooked rice or pasta. This gives me 4 servings with 1/2 serving of a carb. *Or* I will have add a can of beans (like white beans) which gives a .85 serving at 100 calories (comparable to 1/2 serving of pasta or rice). For example, "Turkey Chili" is 330 calories a serving; add a few corn chips and 1 oz cheese and you are still within your calorie / carb limit.

    Snack: I really like peanut butter 1 oz is 190 calories or a meat protein based bar (EPIC brand here in the US - but beef jerky, if it's a thing, would work).

    None of the above recipes have any added sugar; I purposely shop for things that have no sugar or where sugar occurs naturally (like in dairy).

    I changed my way of eating gradually. Week 1 (breakfast); Week 2 (breakfast / lunch); Week 3 (breakfast / lunch / dinner);

    I still go out with friends and eat out; but, I cut back on my alcohol consumption by half. I order a pint of beer or a glass of wine plus a seltzer water with a lime. I have to finish both before I can have another round. It has made a huge difference for me.

    Here is a link about traditional foods and why they work:
    https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/principles-of-healthy-diets-2/#guidelines
    https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/myths-truths-about-nutrition/
    https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/making-it-practical/taking-the-fear-out-of-eating-fat/



  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    My friend is same height as you (but older) and she is maintaining 145-148lbs and is extremely lean - her BMI is 22-23 which is well within normal.

    Everyone is different, you'll know when you reach a weight that looks good on you, its likely you don't need to drop as low as 10st 3 (143lbs).

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