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Goal Weight

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:43 pm
by TexArk
So I have been at maintenance stage for awhile. And I am still losing slowly.

My questions are:

If you are at maintenance, did you pick a goal weight or did it pick you?
Have you decided on a goal weight? If so, how?
Do you really not pay attention to the "number"? What about clothes size?
What is your criteria for being satisfied?
Have you ever had a weight you were satisfied with?

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:55 am
by ladybird30
TexArk, I will be very happy to answer your questions when I get there!

Seriously, I was never happy with my weight, even when I was skinny. I have a mental goal weight, but will have to see where my body ends up. If it is heavier than the goal, but I am not prepared to eat less, so be it. I will concentrate on keeping my muscle mass up through strength training. My goal weight is based partly on BMI and partly on the weight I maintained as a young adult.

Whenever I plateau, I tell myself that I am practising maintenance.

Re: Goal Weight

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 12:57 pm
by LifeisaBlessing
TexArk wrote:So I have been at maintenance stage for awhile. And I am still losing slowly.
Congratulations on arriving at maintenance! It's a fantastic feeling, isn't it? :)
If you are at maintenance, did you pick a goal weight or did it pick you?
For me, it's a combination of both. I picked my initial goal weight over two years ago, but found that my body (like yours) continued to lose. I eventually settled at a weight range that met my aesthetic goals and was healthy, doable, maintainable, and comfortable.
Have you decided on a goal weight?
Yes
If so, how?
See the answer to the first question above.
Do you really not pay attention to the "number"?
I most definitely pay attention to the number, as it is the only objective measurement available that reinforces that I'm at goal. I weigh daily, and adjust my eating accordingly if the number falls outside of the range that indicates all my objectives above are being met.
What about clothes size?
I get what fits and looks good. Clothing sizes (more so for women than men) vary so widely, that I really don't get hung up on "getting into" a certain size. I fit into 4s, 6s, 8s, and 10s--it really depends on the brand, style, and type.
What is your criteria for being satisfied?
My satisfaction criteria are being happy with how my body looks, and keeping it that way by adhering to my objectives above.
Have you ever had a weight you were satisfied with?
Absolutely! The one I'm maintaining now. :)

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:40 pm
by TexArk
Thanks for your response Life's a blessing.
I asked these questions because it has taken me a lifetime to get where you are in my thinking.
I started WW about 48 years ago and was a perfectly acceptable weight even by their charts. But I am not a petite person and I grew up in the age of Twiggy and had thin friends so always thought I was overweight. My body build is curvy but I didn't accept that. So WW set my goal 10 pounds lower. I could get there and lower for awhile but never could sustain it. The cycle began of dieting and regaining over and over with each regain being more than before. And with that came, Diet Head.
I think using bmi charts and weight and height charts are almost useless, but that is what I looked at for years.
So now I am satisfied with how I eat, how my clothes fit, and how much exercise I can enjoy. I also weigh daily so I am not surprised with a weight gain, and I use a trend spreadsheet which really helps because of all the ups and downs. There is still a little part of me that thinks, "well, a few more pounds off would be nice" but I do not change any behavior.

All of the above, is the reason I advocate with just starting out with a maintenance mentality and see what you can manage in the way of eating and exercise. If you know you are overweight and are following NoS and after a couple of months are only maintaining, then adjust what is on your plate and be mindful on S Days. That really is all there is to it. Not a crash diet, but a slow process that is lasting.

Re: Goal Weight

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:10 pm
by Whosonfirst
TexArk wrote:So I have been at maintenance stage for awhile. And I am still losing slowly.

My questions are:

If you are at maintenance, did you pick a goal weight or did it pick you?
Have you decided on a goal weight? If so, how?
Do you really not pay attention to the "number"? What about clothes size?
What is your criteria for being satisfied?
Have you ever had a weight you were satisfied with?
Congrats on reaching your goal/maintenance stage. I read an article several years ago, that everyone has a built-in goal or ideal weight through genetics, lifestyle, and the whole gamut of external and internal factors acting in confluence to adjust our natural bodyweight. The article may have been anecdotal more than scientific, but it made perfect sense to me. While she may have not been the perfect subject, they were using Oprah as one of their case studies. In my opionion, for the people who adopt a different lifestyle such as NoS and possibly an activity that becomes their normal daily ritual, I think "some" of them might alter that natural bodyweight or at least readjust it.

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 10:07 pm
by Healthy and Happy
I really subscribe to Reinhard's advice to "think ideal behaviors not ideal weight".

I've lost 20 lbs very, very gradually by following a No S like approach. My original goal was just to "tighten up" what I was already doing, with an eye to eating well and managing blood sugar. I thought I was at my "ideal weight" for my age and also thought I had a "set point" that I couldn't budge much. Ha! Turns out that eating 3 great meal per day, watching portion sizes, and cutting out most snacking meant that I now weigh what I did 20 years ago. Still can't believe it.

Like you, I am still losing slowly so have been wondering where this will land up. I notice that I have started to have a weight 3lbs less in mind as my "goal" but I think I need to resist this and just keep focussing on the ideal behaviors. I can feel "diet" thinking creeping in as it would be easy to fast or diet my way down just 3 more lbs - and then gain it all back just as fast.

tl;dr I'm going to keep focusing on eating and moving well and let the lbs fall where they may. :)