Setting a weight goal

[MarieDe]

I'm trying to decide what my ideal weight should be. When I look at the various tables for my age (26) and height (4' 11") I get anything from 85-124 pounds. So technically by the most liberal definition, I've never even been overweight, yet I have this big soft belly and none of my jeans fit anymore (I have up to size 12 and I've heard plus sizes start at 14, so I guess that means I'm plus-sized now?). I've been down as low as 91 pounds (when I was 20) but that was doing this awful self-enforced semi-starvation thing like I've been doing recently. Most of my adult life (all 8 years of it) I've been in the 100-110 pound range, which is OK, but I still felt a little too fat at the upper end of this range. I think maybe 100 pounds is a good goal, it's a nice even number and if I can get one pound below that to 99 pounds that is terrifically satisfying (how many healthy, non-anorexic adults can honestly say their weight is in double digits?!).

[sophiasapientia]

I think the important thing is to find a weight that is healthy for you, that you feel good at and that you can easily maintain through your habits. Obviously this will vary depending on your activity level, what you eat, your frame size, etc.

There are some interesting goal weight charts out there but these don't account for things like muscle mass and the like. (For example, I'm wearing clothes that I last wore in the high teens/low 120s even though my weight is higher, probably because I exercise a decent amount.) My own plan is to continue with my No S habits and exercise and see where my body settles naturally.


http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm
http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms ... appyweight

[BrightAngel]

I'm trying to decide what my ideal weight should be.
When I look at the various tables for my age (26) and height (4' 11")
I get anything from 85-124 pounds.
I've been down as low as 91 pounds (when I was 20)
Most of my adult life (all 8 years of it) I've been in the 100-110 pound range,
which is OK, but I still felt a little too fat at the upper end of this range.
I think maybe 100 pounds is a good goal, it's a nice even number
and if I can get one pound below that to 99 pounds that is terrifically satisfying
(how many healthy, non-anorexic adults can honestly say their weight is in double digits?!).

One's ideal weight is a very personal choice.
I believe that any choice of weight inside the "healthy BMI" range is Great.

Charts I've read indicate that Larger boned people are intended to be nearer the top of their range,
Small boned people - nearer the bottom of their range.
and Medium boned people somewhere around the middle of their range

My goal weight number is 115 lbs,
but I've set myself a goal "range"
because salt/water/waste causes my weight to bounce around a lot
--the graphic in my signature shows the details of my range.

Based on your post, Perhaps 105 would be a great goal number for you,
while you work to maintain in a range of between 100 - 105, or thereabouts.
5 lbs on either side of your range could be acceptable or unacceptable,
depending on your feelings about weighing within a 95-100 or 110-115 range.

[wosnes]

I never set a goal weight. I figured that if I was eating well my body would find the weight that was best. I'm older and taller than you. My "ideal" range is probably 120-130, but I feel best 5-10 pounds higher than that.

So my advice would be to go for a weight where you feel well. I can't tell you what that might be, but you'll know it when you're there.

[Nichole]

I'd set some small goals and go from there. When I was 150, I tried to get to 145. Then I tried to get to 140, then 130. I settled comfortably around 133.

[DaveMc]

People 'round here have heard my comment about this way too often, before, but I'll say it again: I think we put far too much emphasis on the number reported by the scale. If your concern is that your stomach is too big and your jeans don't fit, why not focus on those things directly: your "ideal weight" could be when those problems have been resolved, rather than a specific number. I never know whether to laugh or cry when people post that they've dropped their waist size, fit into all their clothes better -- and are very angry about it because they haven't lost any weight! Maybe how you feel and your body's proportions are the more important thing to care about?

The wide range of weights you've found listed as "ideal" just goes to show how hard it is to boil down a person's physical state to a single number (whether it's weight or BMI).

[reinhard]

I'm trying to decide what my ideal weight should be

Here's the official No S diet formula for determining this:

From:

http://www.everydaysystems.com/bb/viewt ... 4865#64865

Eat moderately. Move moderately. See what happens.

That's your "ideal" weight.

My guess is that most people will actually wind up weighing a lot less following this rule than by striving for some semi-arbitrary number based on crude metrics like BMI. And they'll certainly wind up feeling a lot better about themselves.

Reinhard

[mimi]

I'm trying to decide what my ideal weight should be

Here's the official No S diet formula for determining this:

From:

http://www.everydaysystems.com/bb/viewt ... 4865#64865

Eat moderately. Move moderately. See what happens.

That's your "ideal" weight.

My guess is that most people will actually wind up weighing a lot less following this rule than by striving for some semi-arbitrary number based on crude metrics like BMI. And they'll certainly wind up feeling a lot better about themselves.

Reinhard

I had forgotten this...thanks for the reminder Reinhard! I also think Dave's advice is very wise as well...now - I need to begin following this advice and stop fixating on that number on the scale! That causes me lots of anxiety...

Mimi

[bluebunny27]

4'11" ?? ... hello !!

Ok, I just checked my favorite BMI site and to have a BMI between 20 and 25, which is considered healthy you would have to weigh between 100 and 125 pounds.

If you are a bit too 'soft' then I would suggest not to worry to much about the number of pounds but how you look instead, if you would train harder, maybe even using weights, your jeans would fit better even if you weighed a lil' more due to the muscle toning and then you'd hear WOLF WHISTLES on the street too.


Personally I'd choose 125 pounds with an athletic body any day over 90-100 pounds and a stick thin girl but that's me ... I like the more muscular look better than the 'stick thin' ... also if you could grow an inch or two, it would definitely help to lower your BMI, lol !

Good luck !

Cheers !

Marc

38 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)

Current Weight : 195 Pounds

[BrightAngel]

Actually, the BMI Categories are:
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
• Overweight = 25-29.9
• Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
• Underweight = Less than 18.5
• Anexoria = Less than 17.6

For 4'11", most charts say:
BMI - 18.6 = 92 lb
BMI - 25.4 = 125 lbs.

So it looks like the appropriate range for Healthy Weight
would be between 92lbs and 125 lbs.

We all (especially females) carry our weight differently,
so the location of your fat deposits can make a difference in your personal goal weight.
None of us here on the Forum can give you that kind of personal information.
Only you know how you look and feel.
Your own opinion about your own body is the only opinion that's important.

[connorcream]

Only you know how you look and feel.
Your own opinion about your own body is the only opinion that's important.

This is 100% true. I chose 145 for a height of 5'8.5" because it is smack dab in the middle of Fitday's BMI which can vary from about 125-164. WW gave me a goal weight of 158. I chose this number because I like how my body looks. and feels. My first goal was 160 and I am very glad I kept going to 145! You can chose first best, you don't have to settle for seconds.

[paulawylma]

IMHO the ideal weight is the one you can maintain. Does it really make sense to lose, say 50 lbs if you can't keep it off? As other posts have indicated weight depends on bone size and muscle mass as well as fat. I second the notion of starting small developing good habits that you can maintain and see how you feel. Good luck.

[clarinetgal]

I'm at the point where I think I'm going to set a very generous range for myself of 120-129 pounds. For where I'm at now (hovering around 128-129. I'm 5'1), my size 4 and 6 jeans fit me very comfortably. According to the weight charts, I could weigh anywhere from 100-131 and still be at a healthy weight. I'm choosing to stay in the 120s, because I have a larger bone frame, and I think that looks better on me.
Anyway, this is my long winded way of saying that you don't have to pick one number for your goal weight.

[Cassie]

Adding to what the others have said, I have found that I feel at my happiest & most sane when I don't weigh myself more than once a month. I used to have a weighing-myself habit / addiction. I would start each day by stepping on the scales. Since I've cut that down at once I month, I find that I focus more on other signs of how I'm doing. How my clothes feel, how comfortable I feel, more generally, in my body, what I eat (whether it's healthy & nutritious) & whether I follow the NoS rules...

I would also wholeheartedly agree with Paula. The best weight for you is the one you can maintain without much difficulty over the long term.

[bluebunny27]

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

Awh ok .. yes, I see now it wasn't 20-25 but 18.5-25 (although I've also seen sites where they talk about a 20-25 range, so) ...

Hum, I was under the impression it was 20-25, I'm pretty sure in many of the programs I watch they always say 20-25 so that's why I didn't even check. (In the SUPERSIZE VS SUPERSKINNY tv show I'm almost certain they always talk about the 20-25 range as being healthy)

Anyway since I am not close to a 20 BMI I was paying more attention to the higher number, I'm not in any DANGER of going under 20, heh !

Stick thin look isn't really better anyway, why not add a few pounds, tone those muscles, and go for a more athletic look. Looks more attractive than 'Stick thin' in my opinion. I mean a BMI of 19, that's not too far from an anorexic's look. (They say if your BMI is under 17.5 you are dangerously skinny and under 15 you could actually have serious health problems : possible death under 14.)

Chris McCandless' BMI, remember the guy who was in the bus in Alaska, died of starvation ... interesting page there ... wow that film was terrific too, Sean Penn Directing. "Into the wild".
http://tifilms.com/wild/call_debunked.htm

Cheers !

Marc

38 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)

Current Weight : 195 Pounds

[BrightAngel]

Stick thin look isn't really better anyway

I'm stepping in here to say,
There are many different shapes and sizes of the human female body.
All of us have individual preferences re body appearance.
My personal body type gives me sort of a bottom heavy hourglass figure,
and I like the look a great deal.

There is no "right" or "wrong" normal-weight body look.
Genetics play a big part in where fat deposits are;
how "model thin" one can be,
how "athletic" one can look,
and how "curvy" one can be.

Some people are thin everywhere but their middle,
and when they lose weight they have a "stick" figure.
I think it is a bit offensive for a male to put-down any female body type,
especially inside a weight-loss forum,
even when stating his own personal asthetic preferences.

[bluebunny27]

People get offended verrrrrrrrrrry easily sometimes, lol !

Sorry, heh !

Cheers !

Marc

38 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)

Current Weight : 195 Pounds

[clarinetgal]

Brightangel, I'm more of a bottom heavy hourglass, too. I like being curvy, but you're right that there's no one, set idea on how a female body should look.

[connorcream]

I was clothes shopping today at my new eight. What a treat that was. Even with almost 45# gone, my body doesn't fit in clothes that other women with larger weights than mine do and similar height.

As I am still learning about my new body, I am thinking about what shape I am. Also will be chatting with other tall women.

As I have come to find out on weight forums, personal appearance, is a sensitive topic. One, perhaps with some men, cannot understand but should accept that it is.

DS is stick thin because of Crohns and he is sensitive to these types of remarks.

[sophiasapientia]

I think it's great that we come in all different shapes, heights and sizes and aren't cookie cutter images. That's normal and natural. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... --you.html

(I'm not sure what my own body type is ... I've always been called an hourglass but may be more of a skittle or a pear. I've always had a small waist and my thighs are my "problem area." *shrugs*)

[oolala53]

I agree with the person who said since you are in your normal BMI range, perhaps you should shoot for a little more exercise to get a bit leaner. A year ago, I weighed aobut the same as I do now, but I was working out more, not even fanatically, and I could wear smaller clothes. I've had a terrible year at work and let it get to me, becoming a slug in my free time. I put on extra weight, and No S so far has brought me back to about the same weight. I'm still experimenting with S days and I will get more active now that I have some time off and I will have a different assignment at work next school year. So No S is only part of it.

This doesn't mean you can't continue to monitor your food intake and keep seeing if what you are eating is moderate for you. It might be less than you think.

You should probably take almost all of our advice with a grain of salt since many of us have not reached a goal weight AND KEPT IT OFF for 18 months, which is the minimum to be part of the National Weight Loss registry. Then again, it's possible, perhaps even probable, that people who end up losing the weight they want and keeping it off end up drifting away from this website, as they don't need to focus on it anymore.

To come full circle, perhaps you should experiment with weekly measuring of your waist, hip, and thigh measurements and forget the scale. Or, invest about 40 bucks in an Omron hand-held bodyfat percentage analyzer. It's not NASA accurate, but it's rated decently, and is a more representative measure of the goal you have, which is to look leaner.

good luck!

[BrightAngel]

You should probably take almost all of our advice with a grain of salt
since many of us have not reached a goal weight
AND KEPT IT OFF for 18 months,
which is the minimum to be part of the National Weight Loss registry.

For anyone Interested,
I reached my goal weight of 115 lbs in January 2006,
and have maintained that weight-loss for about 4 1/2 years since then.
I have also been a participant of the National Weight Loss registry for several years.
....................Does that mean that ONLY my advice counts?...............
Probably not.

[oolala53]

You and Reinhard!

I like hearing from everybody, especially when they agree with me , but I respect those with maintenance longevity the most. And I don't even always agree with them! But maintenance, not getting there, is what it is all about, in my book. I've "successfully" lost weight and even dieted down to 19% bodyfat, but it wasn't a sustainable life, even though it was so much fun to see my hipbones so clearly! If you had heard me in the middle of it, I would have been saying how wonderful it was and how worth it, but here I am. I sometimes think that if people had emphasized fitness back then and I'd been willing to incorporate more fruits and veggies in my routine, I might never have gone through so many years of anguished food control and loss of control.

I've spent a lot of time on other boards on which young women, just to get to some weight in the lower end of their normal BMI, keep trying to eat very low calories and then binge all night. They hate themselves for not having thinner bodies and they hate themselves for bingeing. It's a terrible cycle and very easy to get into. I like No S because it supports moderate eating for moderate goals, as well as the interests of a few who might want to tweak it more than others.

[osoniye]

At your height, I'd shoot for a 90-100# range and if you keep it there for a year or so, see how you feel. If you want to build more muscle and weigh more or whatever, that would give you a baseline to start with. Just my 2 cents.

[pepper]

I know this may be a bit harsh but weight is complete phooey. The best measurement of health is: 1)fitness and 2) bodyfat percentage (sure, you could add physical age vs chronological age and internal health such as risk for atherosclerosis but I think that's too much).

I never put much stock into weight except when I calculate how many calories and grams of protein I need to consume(which I got into recently). I only use it to gauge whether or not a new change I've made in my regimen has resulted in what I predicted it would.

Weight doesn't always signify health either. Someone could eat utter crap and somehow manage to stay super thin(like my cousin) but I think he has a Vitamin D deficiency due to lack of sunlight.

If you want to fit into Jeans again, lower your BF% through caloric deficit(exercise eating same quantity but healthier foods).

Not the easiest but is it worth it? absolutely.