What are you basing your weight goals on?

emptyplate
emptyplate Posts: 62
in Health and Weight Loss
Is it a doctor recommended weight, a healthy weight for your BMI, a past weight etc...? I am unsure on how to set a target for myself that is reasonable so if anyone has any suggestions for me or just general help that'd be great.
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Replies

  • litatura
    litatura Posts: 569 Member
    Even though it might not be the greatest measure, I based mine on BMI just to give me an idea of the range I should strive to be around.
  • Impy84
    Impy84 Posts: 430
    a combination of the BMI's evil numbers, the weight btwn my skinniest when i was entertaining an eating disorder and my heaviest when i was least interested in myself and life.
  • kimberly2504
    kimberly2504 Posts: 60 Member
    For me, mygoal is to get to a weight where I feel more comfortable in my body. The last time I was there was around 180, so that's my goal for now. When I get there I will reevaluate where I want to be.
  • ValkyrieFD
    ValkyrieFD Posts: 83
    There are many ways to get ideal weight ranges, but this calculator shows all the formula results and charts. Just plug in the info to get the normal ranges for all formulas and decide on a weight that you would like that exists between the min's and maxs. I would also look at your normal body build (small frame, medium frame, large frame( to decide to go low or high on those ranges.)

    Cheers! =P

    http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html
  • curtnrod
    curtnrod Posts: 223 Member
    I'm basing mine on a previous weight where I felt and looked good, I could buy clothes off the rack. Once I get there, I'll work on my BMI
  • FuneralDiner
    FuneralDiner Posts: 438 Member
    Healthy BMI and what I personally think looks like a good weight to be at for my height and shape.
  • amandammmq
    amandammmq Posts: 394 Member
    I'm basing my goals on a past weight that I felt and looked good at.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Mine is 68.5kg which is the top range of my BMI. That and it's exactly half my body weight from my starting goal. I'll evaluate once I get there.
  • kalyn_QT
    kalyn_QT Posts: 273 Member
    well i came up with the number. its smaller than i have been in awhile. so graduating college at a weight less than i was in high school is the goal. ill be over my bmi but its fine
  • Luxxmundi
    Luxxmundi Posts: 52
    I looked at my suggested BMI range, then googled people the same height as me and the top end of the normal BMI range, decided to go for that, then see how i feel.
  • AlaskanBluEyes
    AlaskanBluEyes Posts: 3 Member
    A weight I had been previously and had maintained with ease. I am currently within 10 lbs of that and am feeling pretty comfortable. I would still like to lose but am more focused on replacing a pound of fat for a pound of muscle and let my body and skin adjust. It is a life long journey, I am more concerned about maintaining than the final number right now.
  • Kincar
    Kincar Posts: 601 Member
    I'm using past weight and fitness levels to decide. It's a weight I can maintain without struggling and I was slim & fit.

    I just tried the calculator posted above. All of the ideal weights listed would be extremely hard for me to maintain and I would be really skinny. I have a large frame and a good bit of muscle mass. I am best off toward the higher end of the BMI weight range. My step daughter, on the other hand, is my height but is very small boned. She looks good at a weight below the ones listed for our height. It really depends on your body.
  • DeniseB0711
    DeniseB0711 Posts: 294 Member
    Accordingto EVERYTHING I have read I should weight about 135lbs with 20% body fat.

    That's a few sources, like WebMD, Medline, Fitness Magazine, CDC...need I go on.

    I should mention that 135 is the VERY Top of the weight range for someone who's my height and I haven't seen that weight since i was a kid...seriously like 13 or 14 years old.

    Denise
  • Krazy_Kat
    Krazy_Kat Posts: 212
    I like round numbers. I started at 100 (kg) and am aiming for 70! On the way I hope to get fitter and stronger. So I don't really know what 70 will look like
  • akivi73
    akivi73 Posts: 27
    My goal weight is one that I really feel I looked my best at but I was that weight at a time when I was able to work out everyday and be really active. So, if I end up a few pounds over that I will be okay. Right now I'm over my healthy-range BMI so I definately want to get in that healthy range again for starters.
  • kristin1125
    kristin1125 Posts: 61 Member
    I'm basing mine on where I felt the happiest and healthiest in the past.
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
    BMI of course

























    Not, look and body fat percentage. How clothes fit and size
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    I'm basing mine on BMI and how I looked and felt at that weight.
  • spike90
    spike90 Posts: 704 Member
    I based my ultimate goal on what I weight before I got pregnant with my first kid (which was the weekend I returned from boot camp (IArmy) so my body was in the best shape of my life at that point. Mini goals along the way are from certain events in my life when I rememeber what I weighed and big milestones like 100 pounds loss, no longer 100 pounds overweight, etc..
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    Well the goal on my ticker is one based on my doctor's recommendation but I know now I'll be resetting it for a smaller goal when I hit the first one. However, it's back to the doc to get her permission first. So yep, doctor based.
  • wilkinswoman
    wilkinswoman Posts: 4 Member
    Firstly try setting a mini goal of losing 10% of what you weigh(ed) when you signed up. Then evaluate a new goal.

    When you reach a weight that you like, and you feel good at then look into BMI etc. Remember, no-one is average and bone structure is never taken into consideration with these figures. An example is me I'm 5ft 4inches and should weigh somewhere between 7 stone 10 and 9 stone 9. However the weight I got most compliments at was 10 stone 0.

    Personally I find if I set my goal at my final weight then it's too much to think about and I get disheartened.

    Good Luck
  • jra6651
    jra6651 Posts: 16 Member
    When I got married, I was at a certain weight that allowed me to pretty much dress in whatever I wanted and felt comfortable in it. That weight is my goal now. When I can go shopping for clothes without getting disgusted looking in the mirror, I'll know that I'm at a good weight for myself.
  • lc971
    lc971 Posts: 104 Member
    I went with the height and weight chart. My range is 111-150 for my height. I chose a weight in the middle.
  • MFPBrandy
    MFPBrandy Posts: 564 Member
    It's an evolving process. I based it off my healthiest-feeling adult weight, and as I get closer to it, I'm re-evaluating in 5-lb increments. I also did a BodPod session, which gives you a no-kidding body fat percentage (vs. the height-weight charts that have no way of telling how much muscle you have). So now that I'm closer to my weight goals, I'm shifting focus to my body fat percentage. Once that gets down to a reasonable level, I'll see how I feel -- I may be right where I'm supposed to be, or I might need to lose a little more weight. No way to tell until I'm there!
    If you don't have a previous healthy adult weight to shoot for, just pick something in the middle of the "normal" weight range for your height and work towards that. Once you get close, ditch the chart and go with how you FEEL (this is, of course, assuming you don't have any eating/body-image disorders that would significantly skew how you perceive yourself--if you do, get your doctor involved in the goal setting and especially once you get close to your goal).
    If you DO have a healthy adult weight you want to return to, keep in mind that what was healthy years ago might not hold true anymore. Don't judge a 40-year-old body by a 20-year-old body's standards. :)
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    I had a brief window after I lost the weight from having my son where I wasn't too thin and wasn't overweight and was going to the gym. Unfortunately, I ruined it by deciding to get super skinny in hopes of losing the last vestiges of mommy belly (not realizing loose skin isn't going anywhere except maybe with time). I remember how I felt, I remember how strong and energetic I was compared to now. So that's one goal.

    My ultimate goal though would be to get into the shape I was in when I was a teenager and taking care of our horses every day. Hauling hay, feedsacks, and waterbuckets around as well as riding is a great way to get in shape.
  • dhuffman15
    dhuffman15 Posts: 4
    BMI mostly, but I wanted to land on a good number, so instead of 115 lbs, I lowered it to 113 lbs. That way I can say I lost 20 lbs, which seems better than saying I lost 18. Plus that extra 2 lbs gives me room to fluctuate.
  • Sasha0701
    Sasha0701 Posts: 14
    I'm basing mine on the weight my body will need to be at to lower my body fat 7-8%. 140 (I'm a size 6, sometimes 4 at this weight) is my comfortable weight and one I know I can maintain easily.
  • danbradley1970
    danbradley1970 Posts: 42 Member
    This is an interesting question, and has spurred some results....I struggle with the end goal and am currently basing it on BMI.... although the big struggle here is the the recommended weight that is associated with that for my age and height is in my opinion to low.....most people tell me if i attain that weight i will blow away.

    So I know right now i am at an unhealthy weight, which has caused attributable issue with y heath. I will re-assess my goals once i get to the 200lb mark, which is a long way to go......

    So long story short, I have a target goal for phase one......the re-assess what my body what my body needs from there.
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
    My goal weight has changed several times. I have never been at healthy weight (was overweight even as a child) so I wasn't sure what I could maintain.

    I lost my weight through Weight Watchers and had a doctor goal of 139, then I joined the staff of WW and they have a problem with doctor goals so I changed my goal weight to 137, which is the top of the BMI range for my height (5'2), and now I'm trying to get to 132... just because! :tongue: If I can't maintain that, then I will be happy to stay between 135-137 range.
  • yeti2000
    yeti2000 Posts: 15
    For me the BMI is all wrong. If I follwed that I would look anorexic. I used to be in the Military a long time ago so I figured why not check out the Miitarys weight requirments for my age and height. Turns out at 50 they would want me to be 222 to enter at my age or 226 to be able to stay in at my age. Works for me! I am now at 220 which is about 12 lbs more than the BMI. And it gives me peace of midn to know that I could make the cut to get into the military at my age.

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