How much weight loss should I aim for *pics*

age, height, current weight?

numbers are just that, numbers. What looks good in reality and what looks good on paper are sometimes very different things.

It's really hard to tell, up front. It can be fine just to set a provisional or partial goal, then reassess when you get close to that, at which point you may be able to get a better idea. I think that can work fine, for someone who doesn't have a seriously distorted body image to start. (You sound pretty level-headed. 🙂)

Even beyond that, there's no one number that's ideal, in the sense that we as individuals have appearance preferences that can differ, may find a particular weight easier to maintain than another, etc. It's pretty individual, IMO!

I know that MFP asks you to put in a goal weight. I hope you realize that what you put there isn't used by MFP to calculate your calorie goal? (It's just used for progress messages, and things like that.) Besides your personal characteristics (age, activity level, etc.), MFP uses the weight loss rate you select (pound a week or whatever) to calculate a starting calorie goal for you. It will give you the same calorie goal for those settings, no matter whether the goal weight you put in is 10 pounds away, or 50 pounds away. So, if you wish, you can make a guess, and adjust as you get a clearer idea, without any affect on progress.

Best wishes!

Really good advice. the 10 at a time. reading that actually helped my mental being today. You just never know what will help you.