How do you set your realistic goals?

sgpaschak
sgpaschak Posts: 39
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I had a question about setting realistic goal weights. I know body weight isn’t always the best indicator of health. If you take a look at an athlete like Julius Peppers(DE for the Chicago Bears), the guy is 6’7” 285 lbs. BMI calculators would call him obese. If you take a look at the guy though, he is all muscle and in unbelievable shape, so much so that he is known as the “freak of nature” for his athleticism.

I am 6’2” and have a very large frame. My bones are quite thick and strong, and I am just a larger man. All the charts and tables on healthy weight say for someone my age and height, I should be at MOST 190 lbs to be considered an average weight. I just don’t see this, especially with all the exercise and muscle building I try to do.

My question is if not using body weight, what do you use as a benchmark of your fitness and health goals?

I think I am going to stop using the scale and turn my focus more towards body fat %, general health (pulse rate, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, feeling well, healthy eating, etc.), and athletic performance.

Replies

  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
    make small goals (10 lbs at a time) as well as non-numerical ones (i.e. signing up for a 5x and running/walking it in X minutes) then re-assess as time goes on.

    i've had to throw my scale goals out the window because the scale isn't agreeing with my muscle mass any longer. THe BMI scale puts me at "overweight" too...
  • tmiqueen
    tmiqueen Posts: 254 Member
    For me, having been thin in the past, I know what looks good on me.

    My minimum weight should be 125. When I weighed that in high school, I looked skeletal and gross. The maximum I should be is 150 and when I weighed that amount, I looked healthy and vibrant. So, instead of trying to hit 125, I'd hit 150.
  • Huskeryogi
    Huskeryogi Posts: 578 Member
    When I started this I picked the midpoint of the BMI range for my height think that there was no way I could actually get there. I'm tall with broad shoulders for a woman, but I've heard that people with aggressive goals lose more weight than people with conservative goals so I went with it.

    Now I'm measuring more by BF%, but the lower my weight goes the more I can tell that my original goal weight is probably possible. I think I'll be at about 18% BF, but it is a healthy weight.

    It's hard to tell when you have quite a bit to lose what will be a good final weight - your body composition is going to change so much. You can always re-evaluate later.
  • shesblossoming
    shesblossoming Posts: 426
    That sounds like the perfect way to measure your progress. You should also take measurements as that is a great way to measure your progress. I've seen so many people not lose a pound but their body fat percentage drops, and they look like they've lost at least 20 pounds. For me, I tend to focus on measurements and performance. Combine those two with clean eating, and the change is remarkable.
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
    I didn't pick a "final" weight until I was about 20lbs from what it was. That let me change things as I went along, find out what worked on me and how comfortable I felt with things.

    Setting smaller mini-goals and a slightly random final number is what I did. I picked 70lbs to lose because it wasn't a number so big I was scared (well I was a little scared) but in the end I think I'll end up having lost 87lbs at my current final goal weight.

    I picked something at the TOP of healthy BMI, I'm a mid frame woman so it does work as part of my tools for health and went from there.
  • kellyscomeback
    kellyscomeback Posts: 1,369 Member
    I am 6’2” and have a very large frame. My bones are quite thick and strong, and I am just a larger man.

    How do you know that you have a thick/large skeleton, have you had x-rays or MRI to diagnosis it?
    My husband is 6'3" and started at 296 in June. He said he'll never be around 190 and he's now 238 and still losing. You never know what you can do until you get there.

    But if you don't want to go by lbs/kgs then pick body fat percentage.
  • Troll
    Troll Posts: 922 Member
    it is great that you know bmi is bogus. And ideal weight based on height alone isnt the best way, im 4'8" and 110lbs, but i put on muscle easily. The way i set my physical goals is measurements. for example, when i started i had 36 inch hips and was sweatpant bound. I didnt have goals except to just get better at my workout. Now im at 32 inches and if i can get down to 31 all of my jeans will fit. Basically its just a quarter of an inch at a time. I cant have a goal weight though, because no woman at 4'8" wants to weigh the same as a woman at 5'9". For your height, i have a buddy about the same, he weighs 210 and is pretty cut.
  • sgpaschak
    sgpaschak Posts: 39
    Thanks! Lots of good ideas!
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