Is my goal unrealistic?

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ChristopherCrane
ChristopherCrane Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've dropped from 250 to 207, and I feel good. I have a goal weight of 185 based solely on BMI for my height, gender, etc. But is that really logical? I do plan on working out for muscle. How do I set a goal when I really don't know what I should weigh with muscles? Or should I skip the goal altogether and just trust what I see in the mirror? I don't always like to trust my eyes, because I think that's kinda what got me in the chub-flub to start with. But in this case, how can I anticipate what I should weigh? I don't have a clue what a healthy toned me should weigh.

Advice from those who have been there?

Replies

  • sarahlucydaynes26
    sarahlucydaynes26 Posts: 263
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    hi
    i have lost 56lb before here and 13lb since joining here.
    your goal is not unrealistic if you set your heart to it :) * anything is possible if you reach past the stars and head to the galaxy! *
    good luck xx
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    For starters you are not going to put on much muscle at all while losing weight (most people actually lose muscle as they lose weight). so you have to get down to a certain weight then eat a caloric surplus diet to put muscle on. Now with only 20 ish pounds to go you should set your goal to lose no more than 1 lb/week, once you get to your last 10-15 change that to 0.5. A smaller deficit will help ensure you lose the least amount of muscle possible, while you lose weight.

    That being said focus on how you look and feel as opposed to a number on the scale.
  • CatMauro
    CatMauro Posts: 225 Member
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    It's important to have a goal because it keeps you going, however that goal doesn't have to be a number on the scale. It can be a pant size, looking good in a bathing suit, running a half marathon.... totally up to you. My suggestion though is that until you figure out what non-scale goals you want to set for youself, there's nothing wrong with setting some that are set to the numbers on the scale.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Everything I was about to say was just mentioned by erickirb :)
  • dez_yaoichan
    dez_yaoichan Posts: 454
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    i think once you get into the 195-180 range, you should stick with what FEELS good for you. do what feels right for your body and take it from there.
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
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    BMI does not consider your musculature. If you work out and have built considerable muscle, then BMI alone is not a good judge. Most gyms will have some scale that measures your body fat %, mine has a "Tanita" scale. There are also home models that you can buy that are probably decent to give you some idea. For men, 18-25% body fat is "acceptable" and 14-17% is considered "Fitness". This number can be consistent or similar to your BMI, but not necessarily. You can copy and paste the link below, it shows how to calculate what you should weigh by going from the body fat % you have now to the body fat % you want.

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/body-fat-chart.php
  • ♥xenawarriorprincess♥
    ♥xenawarriorprincess♥ Posts: 440 Member
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    skip the goal and focus on how you look in the mirror...build some muscle and be proud of your accomplishment...who knows you may still lose more weight in the process or at least several inches....good luck and blessings
  • shelbygeorge29
    shelbygeorge29 Posts: 263 Member
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    BMI does not consider your musculature. If you work out and have built considerable muscle, then BMI alone is not a good judge. Most gyms will have some scale that measures your body fat %, mine has a "Tanita" scale. There are also home models that you can buy that are probably decent to give you some idea. For men, 18-25% body fat is "acceptable" and 14-17% is considered "Fitness". This number can be consistent or similar to your BMI, but not necessarily. You can copy and paste the link below, it shows how to calculate what you should weigh by going from the body fat % you have now to the body fat % you want.

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

    Yup, what I was going to say.

    And congrats on the weight loss, well done!
  • LosingTheWeight2014
    LosingTheWeight2014 Posts: 173
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    I think "ideal" weights according to what websites or even some doctor's tell you is unrealistic for some people.

    Personally, they say at 5'7" I should be around 145 lbs. For me this just isn't a realistic thing for me. I look sickly when I get anywhere below 160 lbs. My goal is 170 lbs and then to just maintain and tone.

    It all depends on you and what you feel your body needs and if you're happy with where you are at and are healthy, then go with that.
  • CatMauro
    CatMauro Posts: 225 Member
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    I think going on your body fat percentage sets a realistic frame work. You'll get a million different opinions here, but 5% is pretty damn healthy [a lot of that would be internal around your organs, etc.]

    5% would be ripped, marathon runners have 5%. A healthy range for men aged 20-40 is between 8 and 19%
  • IMYarnCraz33
    IMYarnCraz33 Posts: 1,016 Member
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    I think going on your body fat percentage sets a realistic frame work. You'll get a million different opinions here, but 5% is pretty damn healthy [a lot of that would be internal around your organs, etc.]

    5% would be ripped, marathon runners have 5%. A healthy range for men aged 20-40 is between 8 and 19%


    i was going to say 5% is low--must be a very athletic person.
  • ChristopherCrane
    ChristopherCrane Posts: 14 Member
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    Okay, so how do I determine what my caloric intake should be? I'm doing 1570 a day, which I think might be too low. I'm 6'1", and weigh 207. I was down to 206.6, but with working out, jumped back up to 208. But I'm wondering if I'm actually eating too little for the working out, etc.
  • CatMauro
    CatMauro Posts: 225 Member
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    Use the system Luc...er I mean Chris hehe. Seriously. Trust in the MFP. Definately eat your workout calories and I would probably recommend upping your protein a bit if you're doing weights but other than that MFP shouldn't lead you too far astray. If you're really concerned about it though just alter your goal setting from lose 1 lb a week to 1/2 lb a week. Your weightloss will be a little slower but it'll give you a few more calories to play with while your body is dealing with the whole gym thing.
  • ChristopherCrane
    ChristopherCrane Posts: 14 Member
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    Thanks everybody. This is WAY better than doing it alone, I can tell you that. I appreciate your input.

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