Is 125 the "magic" number?

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meechi53
meechi53 Posts: 195 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just notice by looking at a lot of people's fitness/weight loss goals and no matter what the height, it seems like 125 is the "magic" number for many people. Why 125? Why not 128? why not 123? Is it a "media ideal" number? It's not only on this site, it's women in general. For some 125 would be healthy, for others, seems (and looks) underweight. I remember reading some article in Cosmo or something similar in where a man was quoted as saying "anything over 125 is a fat girl" and then he was shown a picture of a pretty, athletic, curvy girl that weighed 150 and he couldn't believe it. Many men are clueless...smh..

Just a subject for discussion.
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Replies

  • Gwoman2012
    Gwoman2012 Posts: 163 Member
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    I've never weighed 125 as an adult, even while trim and fit. There is no way I could go that low. I am 5'7 with lots of muscle and a large bone structure, 140 is just about perfect for me.
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
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    I don't understand either. I'm 5'9" and I would be disgusting if I was 125. My goal is 150.
  • beccala18
    beccala18 Posts: 293 Member
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    I think in answer to the first part of your question (why 125 and not 123 or 128?), I'd say that numbers divisible by 5 sound better. I have a goal weight of 135 not because that is the weight I want to be specifically (really a range around there is fine), but because I like how it sounds.
  • TamaraHaase
    TamaraHaase Posts: 39 Member
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    I'm between 5'6 and 5'7, and at 150 I'm a size 6. I've never been lower than that, and that is my ultimate goal in weight loss this time around. Well, between a size 6 or 8. I'm also quite muscular and curvy, and the difference for me between a 6 and an 8 is about 5 pounds. So I cannot imagine what I would look like at 125 - I'd imagine quite emaciated and sickly. Not to mention that I currently have 124 pounds of lean body mass, so that wouldn't even be 1% body fat, lol.
  • threnners
    threnners Posts: 175 Member
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    For me, 125 is the "I look like I need to eat a ham sandwich or ten" number.
  • charcharbec
    charcharbec Posts: 253 Member
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    My goal is 107. :D Take THAT. :D
  • pinthin87
    pinthin87 Posts: 296 Member
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    My goal is 5 pounds lighter than that so I am not sure what the deal is with that number.
  • freezerburn2012
    freezerburn2012 Posts: 273 Member
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    People like round numbers.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    I'm 5'11. 125 is NEVER going to be an option for me. EVER. I'm about 153 and a size 6. You can see bones in places...At the lowest healthy weight for my height range I could be 135, but I'd look very sick.
  • cardiokitten
    cardiokitten Posts: 401 Member
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    My magic number is 120-125. That's my goal weight because that's what I was when I graduated HS and I look good back then so I want to get back to looking the same :)
  • Charloo1990
    Charloo1990 Posts: 619 Member
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    Haha funny that. Im 5'3 and my target is 126lbs. Thats my target cause its bang on 9st which is bang in the middle of a healthy weight for my height. My target used to be 119lbs but at my lowest of 124lbs my family was saying it didnt suite me and that i looked too gaunt in the face. So im hopinh that when im at my target of 126lbs, im happy and i'l stay there.
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
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    I am 125, and my goal is 125 :) I'm 5'4" with plenty of muscles and I am now competing in triathlons. For me, that's perfect. My original goal weight was 117, but when I got to 125 and 19% body fat I realized that I would lose muscle if I lost more weight, and that was unacceptable. I'd probably stay happy in a range of 122-128, but this is good now.
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
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    Statistics?

    Average female height is 5'4". 125 pounds at 5'4" is a BMI of 21, squarely in the middle of the "normal" category.

    So, of course you'll see lots of women targeting 125, because lots of women are about that height.
  • kayleesays
    kayleesays Posts: 564 Member
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    125 - not as low as 120, but a hell of a lot better than 130?

    I dunno, I'm an even number freak, so my goal weight is either 132 or 134.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
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    I just notice by looking at a lot of people's fitness/weight loss goals and no matter what the height, it seems like 125 is the "magic" number for many people. Why 125? Why not 128? why not 123? Is it a "media ideal" number? It's not only on this site, it's women in general. For some 125 would be healthy, for others, seems (and looks) underweight. I remember reading some article in Cosmo or something similar in where a man was quoted as saying "anything over 125 is a fat girl" and then he was shown a picture of a pretty, athletic, curvy girl that weighed 150 and he couldn't believe it. Many men are clueless...smh..

    Just a subject for discussion.

    hm...nope. 125 is NOT the magic number for me...I'm 5'8 1/2. I haven't weighed 125 since I was in junior high school. My goal is 150.
  • arw060310
    arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
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    I think for ME 125 is perfect because I'm 5'4. It makes me look thin and lean without looking ill or sick. It's literally my magic number!
  • npdivy
    npdivy Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm 51 years old, athletic build and my most healthy weight was 132. At my age, I would settle for 141, because it's a start. I started at 185, I'm now at 162 and I'm slowly reaching my goal.
  • EpiGaiaRepens
    EpiGaiaRepens Posts: 824 Member
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    my initial goal weight was 145.
    then it was 135.
    then it was 130.
    then it was 125.
    then it was 121. That was the first time I picked a goal weight based on a mathematical equation to determine what i would weigh at my ideal BF%. Up until that point, I was just picking numbers based on where i used to be and felt ok. I felt ok at 145 ten years ago. But when I got there this time, I just felt like i could push it further.

    Now i feel like i can push it further again.
    new goal weight: 115.

    but before MFP, the lowest my weight ever got (without an ED) was 135. I genuinely thought that was as small as I could go while still eating. But it turns out I was wrong!!!
  • hnsaunde
    hnsaunde Posts: 757 Member
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    I Googled what the ideal weight was for a 5'3 woman, and 125 was what came up. When I get there, I'll re-evaluate and will probably end up with a number more or less than that. I'm sitting around 138 right now and I'm pretty happy with that and concentrating on strength training rather than the scale.
  • kd80538
    kd80538 Posts: 97 Member
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    For me, 125 to 130 is my range. I'm 5'4" and 125 is smack dab in the middle of a healthy BMI for me and puts me right where I need to be in terms of my bf%. I'm currently at 131 and a size 6 or 8 (depending on the brand and the day). Originally, my goal was anything under 140, but hit that and kept going. I made it to 122, and that was too low - started getting a lot of comments about being too thin. 125 is pushing it for me, but gives me the buffer and flexibility to fluctuate as I continue to learn how to maintain and become more lean and fit.

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