How Did You Set Your Goal Weight?

[Raven21 121]

Just curious how/why people picked the numbers they did.

My doc asked me what my goal was. I guess she figured it was reasonable so she didn't try to talk me out of it. I just picked a number that I remember being happy at, but that was over 20 years ago! Although right now I'd be happy if I was within 20 pounds of that!

[TheGamer 406]

My surgeon's office did a whole mess of stuff for me, and one of those things was setting my goal weight. My first goal is 220, my second is 150. I'm not so sure about that last one, though. I'm 5'10" and my frame is pretty large (even without all the fat ) so I feel that at 150 I'd be almost *too* small.

[Raven21 121]

Holy cow, 150 at 5'10" seems crazy. I'm 5'7" and fit into a size 8 jeans when I was at 150. Now granted that was 20 years ago but still!

[RastaSleeve 10]

I would love to say my goal weight would be 130 im sure if I work at that weight I could probably get there I'm only 5 foot 1.

[TheGamer 406]

Yeah, personally I'm going for around 180. I'd be happy there.

[lsereno 2,525]

I set my goal weight 15 lbs. higher than the weight I was happy at in my 20s. When I was younger, I was always at the low end of the healthy BMI range. At that age, I was happy with that weight, but in my 50s, I felt it would make me look gaunt and be too hard to maintain. Also, I have extra skin that I didn't have in my 20s, so I'm sure a few lbs. are taken up with that. And I felt that weight would be good if I lost or gained 5 lbs. So far, I've only dropped below goal weight a couple of times. I have to watch it now to stay in my goal range.

I am 5'6"

Lynda

[delta_girl 931]

I'm 5'3" and I looked at several healthy weight and BMI charts. I started off at 216 and my first goal weight that I considered was 135 lbs, then I revised it to 115 lbs, which puts me in a mid range for healthy weight for my height. I really have no idea what that will look like on me. I have seen other people here who are also short have goal weights of 170 lbs, 150 lbs, etc. One of the goals I have along with weight loss and health is that I really, really, really want to run and I know that the less stress on my joints the easier that is going to be for me at my age of 44. I didn't ask the doctor, nutritionist or nurse what they thought my weight should be.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

My doc didn't set my goal either.

Here was my thinking - I have weighed under 145 2X in my adult life, and only stayed there about 2 weeks. I spent a lot of time in the 155-175 range and felt that was more reasonable to maintain. I picked 158 so that my goal loss would be an even 150#.

158 puts me at a 26-27 BMI which is just over normal, but I had read that given my lifetime of obesity is probably a good BMI target too (excess skin, heavier bones due to the heavy weight lifting so many years etc). I am in the 180s now, so I will adjust as it gets closer.

My general thoughts about goals is they should be exciting and motivating, but could backfire on you with regain if you try to maintain at a weight loser then is realistic for your body. Well, my experience anyway was I could only stay in the 140s (my idea weight is 142-144) if i was exercising for hours a day and being really paranoid about food - and that was when I was young! I figure my metabolism has not improved over the decades.

[meplus3 8]

My goal weight is 100 pounds less than what I am now if I lose more then that so be it... if not I'm happy with that!!!! )

[iggychic 1,405]

I went with a combo of a healthy BMI as well as with a weight I maintained up into my low 40s. My goal is a rounded up number from that weight (I was 108 through my 30's and early 40's). So I chose 110 just to make it an easy number. I have been as low as 98 but I have to constantly focus on food to stay at that weight, and I don't feel terribly healthy there so I went with the higher number. 45lbs to go

I think its easier to set a weight if you haven't struggled with your weight since young adulthood. My sister has never been at a healthy weight and when she works on losing she normally shots for 150, which is (IMO) very heavy for someone at our height (we are an inch apart). But she's never been healthy so that number feels comfortable, where as she sees my number as an insurmountable goal.

I think that's why you see such a wild variation in goals with people here. There are those, like me and cowgirl and others who have been in a certain range within their adult life, which gives us a great starting point for making goals. And then there are those, who like my sister, have been overweight since their youth and have only a BMI chart to go by (which is not really the best way to determine weight because it does not take muscle mass into account). I think the above 5'10" at 150 sounds totally doable.... (using the age old standard of 100lbs for 5' and then adding 5lbs per inch above that) but that also depends on body frame size and since I can't see her, I can't say that shes a small frame so 150 makes sense. According to that type of goal setting I'd be at 100, (I'm 5') but recent history tells me I don't feel good at that weight.

It's all kind of a crap shoot For all I know I could become some kind of exercise freak by the end of my journey and will feel incredibly healthy at 98lbs...I doubt it LOL but it would be kind of fun to weigh less than onederland LOL (Do they even have a name for that????? Oh...stupid skinny right? LOL)

BTW, I was 95 in high school. I don't expect to be going back to those weights any day within my adult lifetime!

[lisa2job 130]

I spoke with my doc and we decided to try and stay in the guidlines for a "normal " weight/ BMI for my hieght. I am 5 9 and decided 165 was my number... we shall see, I think that may be too small but hey its somethng to shoot for.... I did however tell my doc that even 200 was a good number for me since I am so tall and large frame I carry my weight very well !!! right now I am excited to hit 250 , I havent weighed under that for over 10 years ..... 20 more lbs for mini goal

[Katie713 423]

I set mine at 150 based on my previous healthy weight of 135 as a teen wearing size 5-7 and added some lbs to accommodate my age now 57 and changes in my body over time, but as I get closer to goal I may revise down to 135. I am just short of 5 ft tall but have a voluptuous body type, curvy with a large bust and a sturdy frame.

If I do plastics down the road that may take me from my mental comfort zone of 150 to 135 anyway...we shall see. All I know is my doctor said I am in the perfect range of already having lost 60% at month 7 and should make goal at 1 year (next April 2013) if I keep up the good work, a healthy balanced diet 1000 calories, less than 50 carbs and 70 grams of Protein daily and all my Vitamins.

[cherrybombknits 184]

I remembered being 140 a lifetime ago and being very happy with myself at that weight. Not too thin not too fat. It is in the upper third of normal BMI for me. 110-120 would probably be reasonable, I'll see when I get there.

[Red_Charms09 102]

My doc didn't set my goal weight. I want to lose 100 pds to get farrrrr away from the 200s

2013 is my year....SD 11/19 Methodist Hosp in NY

[LeannePilot1 1]

My doctor set my goal weight, which just happened to be the same weight where I tended to hover before I had a weight problem...