How did you choose a goal weight?

[PopsFury 38]

I see a lot of you talk about your goal weight. Sure, I put one in here, but it isn't anything I really thought about. I'm curious, how did you choose your goal weight?

• Was it a weight from a point in time of your life?
• Did your doctor help you choose?
• Did you reference height/weight charts?
• Something else?

I've shied away from thinking about an ultimate goal, but have set some smaller, more quickly achievable goals. I like things I can reach within a month or two vs. focusing a year away. Still, I'm starting to think it might be fun to have an end goal, and perhaps a stretch goal as well.

How did you think about it?

[elcee 3,341]

Mine was from remembering when I thought I looked and felt good. It also needs to be within the healthy weight range, I don’t see the point of going through surgery and having a weight goal that is still classified as overweight

I have found the Hall’s BMI calculator to be useful. It has better info than most of the other calculators.

[Creekimp13 5,840]

I'm a very muscular person and BMI doesn't work for me.

What did work...was body fat percentage found with Hydrostatic underwater weighing.

I love my new weight:) I aim for 25-30% body fat. Am at the low end of that these days.

My doctor suggested 170 as a goal weight...which I loved, but my body seems to want to weigh less.

I'm eating 1600-1800 calories a day and having a hell of a time keeping weight on. Still losing.

My doctor suggested my body might want to weigh 155-160. Less than i'd like...but i'm ok with it.

Less than 155 and i'm gonna start eating french fries daily. LOL:)

[Healthy_life 1,437]

21 minutes ago, PopsFury said:

I see a lot of you talk about your goal weight. Sure, I put one in here, but it isn't anything I really thought about. I'm curious, how did you choose your goal weight?

• Was it a weight from a point in time of your life?
• Did your doctor help you choose?
• Did you reference height/weight charts?
• Something else?

I've shied away from thinking about an ultimate goal, but have set some smaller, more quickly achievable goals. I like things I can reach within a month or two vs. focusing a year away. Still, I'm starting to think it might be fun to have an end goal, and perhaps a stretch goal as well.

How did you think about it?

I pulled it out of the air.

For me, It's not so much a number or size. It's getting off medications, reversing type 2 diabetes, being active, finding adventures, playing with the kids. Learning and continuing to live a healthy for years down the road.

I like the idea of focusing on small goals and reward yourself when you hit them. Your goal number does not need to be decided on right away.

Congrats on 117 pounds down. fantastic!

[boringtessa 39]

I chose by BMI - my goal is the weight right at the border of "Healthy" and "Overweight". Also, 150 is a nice, round number, and it is almost exactly half of my starting (and highest) weight.

Edited October 18, 2018 by boringtessa

[FluffyChix 17,415]

I'm 5'4", my first goal is 150lbs--my high school weight (although my body comp is dramatically different now than then).

My second goal weight is 144lbs--the line where I "magically" cross into normal weight territory. Funny, I used to say, and my mom told me I was big boned and muscular and to pay no attention to the charts that said I was overweight or obese. That kind of cognitive dissonance got me a lifetime invitation to the Obesity Ball.

Where I stop after the 144lbs/normal weight range? I don't really know. I will just ride the wave of healthy eating, healthy exercise and strength building, and continually evolving lifestyle modification and see where things shake out. I've no idea how low my weight will go--but at this point as @skinnylife said, I'm focused on health improvements and cancer prevention.

(And I'm damn sure not gonna stop this whole process by artificially inflating my nutritional intake and calories while still being in an obese or overweight category! This will end up being the easiest it's ever been to realize normal weight. *laugh* And it's also the hardest thing I've ever done, including fighting cancer with surgeries, super strong chemo and 33 days of radiation.)

Edited October 18, 2018 by FluffyChix

[elcee 3,341]

2 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

Funny, I used to say, and my mom told me I was big boned and muscular and to pay no attention to the charts that said I was overweight or obese. That kind of cognitive dissonance got me a lifetime invitation to the Obesity Ball.

That and being told it was just "puppy fat" and that it would disappear when you got older

[Jeaniered 183]

The goal I set was too extreme. But glad I set it as a goal as it gave me the drive I needed. So go for it - reach for the stars then you will be happy when you reach the moon! I knew when I got there, the hardest part now is to maintain at this weight. I’m still loosing and beginning to look a bit too thin lol.

[CrankyMagpie 509]

Whatever number I put on here is random. The number in my head is 165, but if I lose just an average amount, I'll be somewhere closer to 190. Which is fine. Life at 190 pounds is fine.

BMI is bull💩, scientifically speaking, but 165 puts me at a lower BMI rating and, one assumes, better treatment by medical professionals (because they use BMI for every-dang-thing, despite what nonsense it is). So it's worth striving that extra little bit, to me, if I'm still feeling good when I hit Goal 1.

[PopsFury 38]

36 minutes ago, CrankyMagpie said:

BMI is bull💩, scientifically speaking, but 165 puts me at a lower BMI rating and, one assumes, better treatment by medical professionals (because they use BMI for every-dang-thing, despite what nonsense it is). So it's worth striving that extra little bit, to me, if I'm still feeling good when I hit Goal 1.

Tell me about it. I've needed a new hip for over a year and I can't find a surgeon who will even talk to me about it until my BMI is at 40. I'm at 41, and they wouldn't schedule me for a CONSULT. Ludicrous.

And I've been doing research on the complication rates for BMI over 40. They go from about 4% to 6% and can be influenced by other things. Denying me care should be criminal.

[salsalawyer 5]

I picked it based on BMI and my high school weight.

[GreenTealael 25,430]

I played spin the bottle with a BMI chart, then 7 minutes in heaven with a pair of calipers.

😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

In the end... It will choose me.

[Phinley 94]

I aimed for the exact centre of the healthy BMI range.

Edited October 19, 2018 by Phinley

[Lynnlovesthebeach 626]

I put the number my Dr said he thought I could get down to and figure I'll reevaluate when I get there. It's been a long time since I was in the "normal" BMI range. The top of the "normal" range for me is 123.

[Lynnlovesthebeach 626]

I just looked up the low end of the "normal" range BMI for my height and it is 92 lbs! No, not gonna happen! The lowest I can ever remember weighing as an adult was 112 and that was in college 40 yrs ago.