What is a realistic goal weight?

silry · February 16, 2007

when i was first coming up with my goal, i googled height/weight and for my height (5'1) the chart i found said i should weigh between 105-115. so i choose 115 as my end goal since it was on the higher end. my mom is 4'11 and weighs 98 (naturally) and she has a bigger frame then i do. so my goal didn't seem too unrealistic to me...

but... the very few people i have told have all said in a concerned tone of voice that 115 is not realistic and i would be scary skinny at 115.

so now i have doubts and i'm just not sure. i want a goal to work towards but i don't want to set myself up for disappointment.:phanvan

how did you guys decide what to make your goal?

i am really interested in how you came up with yours!!! did you research the height/weight thing? did you have a doctor advise you? did you just pick a number out of the air and deem it your magic number?

thanks! :hug:

kebsa · February 16, 2007

What I have chosen to do is have a rough figure in my head based on a weight that I felt good at in the past and charts, but I accept that as we get older most will have trouble getting back to the weights we were when we were 20yrs old. So I am setting mini goals- when I reach one I re evaluate how wether I have more to lose etc. If I get to the point that I am say 20 punds over what the cahrts say is ideal and I have been struggling to lsoe weightl or maintain weight loss- I would probably revise it. live it for a while then look again!

TheCascadian · February 17, 2007

Uhhh... I was totally just guessing. I've never been thin as an adult, hell, not even as a teenager. So I just sort of went with a number that got me out of obesity-range on the BMI side of the scale! LOL.

Ariel · February 17, 2007

My doctor picked the number. She said it was based on the fact that most people lose 70% of their excess weight.

silry · February 17, 2007

My doctor picked the number. She said it was based on the fact that most people lose 70% of their excess weight.

but then you'd have to know how much you should weigh to determine how much your excess weight is and thus how much to lose, right? so the doc would be the one that comes up with that number? i wonder what they base it on...

Jachut · February 17, 2007

This is a bit of a bone of contention for me.

First and foremost I think the right weight for you is the one YOU choose, and if that's 20 lb above your ideal weight then so be it.

But it does disturb me that so many people say "I should weigh 115 but that would be too skinny, its ridiculous, so I'm shooting for 135". That makes no sense to me. If its your ideal healthy weight range, it wont be too skinny (but you personally might not like how you look at that weight, especially if you end up looking older!). There's nothing that says that because you've been obese, that you're not allowed to reach a healthy weight. Personally, I think in many cases, its a reflection of how obese people simply cannot see themselves as they are, and the fear that many have of truly being of normal weight. They feel they must stop short of that for some reason.

On the other hand if you have to exist on 900 calories a day and exercise for two hours a day to maintain your "ideal" weight you may not want to do that and I cant say I'd blame you. I would choose to be heavier too.

It depends what your goals are and how difficult you find your weight to maintain. It also depends a lot on what you're doing it for. At 39 and with no health problems, my motivation was to prevent future problems but was also a lot to do with vanity and how I look. So there's no way I'm stopping here at 180lb and 5ft 10. I didnt have surgery not to reach a weight low in my healthy weight range (based on my build of course). But if I were 55 and had beaten diabetes and back pain, reduced my sky high blood pressure and cholesterol through weight loss, I dont think I'd be disappointed with a weight that was a big higher!

Its entirely your choice. I knew I wanted to get to 75kg at most when I started this journey, but I may adjust it when I get there, as will probably nearly everyone who's initially picked a 70% weight lost number or a no longer obese number.

You stop where you're happy and all that matters is that YOU'RE happy.

luv2blab · February 17, 2007

I am 5'10 with a large frame and naturally large breasts....currently 278.

The "charts" say I should weight 140!

BUT...I had a complete screening with a nutritionist who used some sort of water/fat machine she hooked up to me. With my height and frame...

she says a healthy weight for me would be at 186.

You have to find out what a realistic weight would be for you as an (individual). Also, the weight that you are comfortable with. Those

charts are not made to fit everyone. Good luck in your journey.

February 17, 2007

When I got hired at the job I still work at I weighed 116 pounds. Nobody thought I looked "scary skinny" then. Seven years later I gained about 100 pounds over an 18 month period. Then, I turned around and dieted off 85 pounds. People at work were telling me I was "too thin" and asking whether I had an eating disorder despite the fact that I was still 15 pounds heavier than when they had first met me. Isn't it funny that nobody considers you might have gained weight because of an eating disorder??? I think people get used to us being large and that includes our faces. When you do lose weight you look weird to the people that know you. You probably look perfectly normal to strangers. I'm going for 130-135 but I have also heard that 70% can be lost with the lab band. So...I guess the rest will be blood, sweat and tears!

I think what previous posters have said is true. You have to go to a point where you feel healthy and attractive and are strong enough to do all the things you want to do in your life. If you get there and people call you "scary skinny"....go get underwater weighed and find out your true BMI for yourself. If the doctor tells you you are healthy...ignore the naysayers.