Looking Good, Feeling Great - Would you stop If you reach your goal size before your goal weight?

I hope this is in the right area of this site...
Anyways, Been doing some thinking about goal weight verses goal size.I have 44 more lbs to lose to reach my goal weight of 150 But I always thought a size 8 would be a perfect goal size for me.(WHO KNOWS)
Anyways~I am in 11's & 12's right now at 194.2 and 5ft 5 inches And was thinking that maybe I might look to frail or thin at 150(Again who knows)
I Think by figuring I will be in a size 8 at about 165 to 160.(just guessing/who knows)
Again~this is just some thinking I am doing And was wondering What y'all thought about it.
I Just would like to keep some of my bazuumbas and some of my j-lo butt.
Plus I am 33 and wanna keep some of my curves~which who know Maybe a size 8 will come with my goal weight or when I get there I might wanna try to get to a 6 since I have never worn either size before.
Or maybe I am just freaking out because this is all gonna come to me in the near future because I am so use to the way I eat I never binge and I know I'm just gonna keep losing Staying on plan.I just do not wanna feel like I never made it to my 150 if I stop at a size I feel & look great at. But I do not wanna go to 150 if it's gonna make feel to thin ~ect ect ~Which who knows what size I will be at ect ect ect. I may even wanna get under 150 eventually~it's so confusing sometimes!

Anyone else feel this way???

All suggestions helpful.

I let my body pick my weight. My original goal was 165 then 145. I didn't change my eating or exercise much when I hit goal and settled where I am now (anywhere from 135 -139 depending on the day). If you are eating a healthy diet with enough of everything you won't keep losing forever. Eventually your body will reach a comfortable place, at least that was my experience. As far as looking too thin, 150 isn't a bad weight on a 5'5 frame, but you need to figure out what feels comfortable for you. That's harder than an absolute perfect weight to height. If you haven't seen this page, http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.shtml, check it out. It really helped me figure out how I looked before and how I might look. It's a good dose of reality.

Congratulations on your success so far!

Thanks CYNDIM`that site is aweome! 150 at 5 ft 5 looks perfect to me.
The girl in that space for that size and height still has curves and Upper and lower as I am wanting so that is making me feel better.....Plus she at 150...I think I am just totally freaking out...Why? who knows LOL! Guess I have never been skinny before ever And When I get there I wanna feel pretty and comfortable I guess.

Everything you said makes alot of since! Thanks for posting

Personally I think you're freaking out because you are normal :) I know I did last summer. I'd been fat most of my life and the only times I lost weight I gained it all back with interest within 6 months. I was afraid of that but I was also just not sure what it meant to be thin. I'm still figuring that out because it is different. I'd spent most of my life seeing myself as a fat person and there was a certain comfort and familiarity in that. What do you hide behind when you're thin?!

Your body won't be perfect when you reach your goal and being thin won't make your life perfect. If you accept those two things I really think the rest will fall into place. Have you started reading the maintainers forum yet? I did a lot of that and it helped me get ready for the day to day highs and lows.

I wouldn't gain weight back to be a size 8 but I did love being an 8. It was the best size at the thrift store - tons of cute clothes in great shape. Isn't it fun putting things on and knowing you will look terrific in them?! Sure beats trying to squeeze into something so you don't have to buy a bigger size.

My stopping point is definitely about my body and health and lifestyle rather than about the scale. I wouldn't say it's about size either, because sizes change over the years. I realize "body and health and lifestyle" is really vague ;) but that's OK as long as I know what I mean. Mostly, it means whatever weight/size I am when I'm eating and moving in ways that I feel are healthy and reasonable and make me feel good. But if I thought I was living "right" and still felt too big or had some other problem, I could reconsider whether further changes in my lifestyle were warranted. It's a give and take process. I won't sacrifice my lifestyle to reach some arbitrary ideal set by society; and at the same time I'm human and not completely immune to vanity. I seem to be maintaining 140 with fairly sloppy eating and without consistent exercise. So I do think I'll reach my goal with just a healthier daily routine and without restriction just to lose weight.

I'm an inch shorter, and currently at 145-148, and I still have plenty of curves. I hit size 8 in pants at about 155. I'm still in a 10 in dresses in order to fit thru the chest, but I'm a 34DD, so everything is a size bigger on top. I thought 8/10 was my goal size, but I might revise it. The last poster nailed it when she said that this size is abundantly available in thrift shops. I've bought more clothes in the last 3 months than in the previous 3 years.

As for stopping, I never plan to. What I mean is that I plan on maintaining an active lifestyle and eating in moderation.

Totally true Julie08....And your totally right~I am freaking out because even though I am still overweight I am more so normal now and yes its freaking me out a bit.

I will also checkout the maintainers section on here.
I am so glad you replied to this thread....You have helped me out so much!

dixied~I am never gonna stop either but I meant maintain.Stop eating and working out enough for losing and just maintain.
I guess I will have to see when I get there what size is good for my body & health ect. ect.~What is feeling right for me I guess.Since everyone is different.
I guess we know when we get there....Thanks so much for replying too.HUGS!

Y'all have been a great help for me.

When I can fit a UK12 consistently, then I'll stop, regardless of how far from target I am. I'm only 5'2" and have the definition of a barrel, so that will still look cuddly.

My goal weight is right now in the middle of a healthy BMI range. Not too small, not too big, but at the weight that will have the fewest long-term risks for disease.
I would be equally comfortable at the high end of this too, because for me, health is the priority. The rest is vanity. So once I get to the high end, I'll reassess and go from there. If I'm at the high end of a healthy BMI and I really like my lifestyle and diet, I'll stop, regardless of the size.
Currently I am a solid size 12, sometimes 10 (and sometimes 14 depending on the label!). I am higher than the top end of the BMI scale, so I'll continue down.

Kira

My stopping point is definitely about my body and health and lifestyle rather than about the scale. I wouldn't say it's about size either, because sizes change over the years. I realize "body and health and lifestyle" is really vague ;) but that's OK as long as I know what I mean. Mostly, it means whatever weight/size I am when I'm eating and moving in ways that I feel are healthy and reasonable and make me feel good. But if I thought I was living "right" and still felt too big or had some other problem, I could reconsider whether further changes in my lifestyle were warranted. It's a give and take process. I won't sacrifice my lifestyle to reach some arbitrary ideal set by society; and at the same time I'm human and not completely immune to vanity. I seem to be maintaining 140 with fairly sloppy eating and without consistent exercise. So I do think I'll reach my goal with just a healthier daily routine and without restriction just to lose weight.

I agree with Julie. I think I'll stop when I reach my goal size (or a size I feel good at) and have a lifestyle that's healthy. I've been 188lbs+ for my adult life, and I don't know how my weight and clothing sizes correlate with each other, so I can't really rely on a number. I left this forum for awhile and gained a bunch of weight... I'm 223 right now, which is the biggest I've ever been, and I'm still a size 16, the same size I was at 185-190.

I plan on stopping when I feel that I look healthy and toned, no matter what the scale or pants size says. We all carry our weight differently, and I've been overweight so long that I don't even know at what point I'll be happy.

I'm about the same height and weight as you (5'5", 193lbs) but where you're in a size 11-12... I'm still fighting to get into size 16's, so who knows what my body'll be like -40lbs from now. I figure I'll know when I get there what a proper weight will be.

Thanks for your replys everyone.
I Thinking I was just having a freaking out moment.
It's only been 7 & 1/2 months since I was wearing tight size 20's(needed a size 22) and now 10 size later So soon I am just freaking out I guess~Do not get me wrong I am happy as heck at my progress~I just think My mind finally noticed yesterday when I posted this thread. I got to panicing...I am sure I will know when the time is right to maintain and I would love to get to a heathly BMI ~since I have worked so hard to do this and to be healthy~I even quit smoking about a year and a half ago. I plan to be healthy~I told myself that was my goal when I started ~I am already feeling like a new me and my doctor told me 140 to 150 is healthy range for me.
He actually told me My lungs sounded like a 20 year olds And was super clear When I went there last week ~he said due to quit smoking and losing so much weight and told me to keep up the good work.
(I am 33 ) Anyways~Thanks for everyones support.
You all are great and each make good points.
I will check back in later to see if anyone else has posted.
THANKS AGAIN

I would use one of the online Body Fat Calculators. These are based of real scientific standards. What you want, is to get into the "normal" range based on your height and weight. This is really just a ratio between your height and weight known as your Body Mass Index. Everyone's BMI should be between 18.5 to 24.9 if you are in a healthy weight range.

My goal size is a size 2 because that's where I'll look my best in my opinion. I think my goal weight will accomplish that size. We'll see when I get close to it. I can always adjust as needed later. :)

AWESOME news about your lungs! Quitting smoking is such an accomplishment! 150 is at a healthy BMI, so if you can just GET there, then you can reassess...
You can do it...you are only 40 lbs or so away, and you can almost be there by Christmas!
:hug:
Kira

I agree Lori, it's so hard to say what number on the scale will work becuase height, shape, and personal preference must be taken into consideration. Personally my goal weight is rather high but becuase I am a curvy girl and have never been thin I believe I will be comfortable there. So right now I'm playing it by how my clothes fit and how I feel.

Totally true Julie08....And your totally right~I am freaking out because even though I am still overweight I am more so normal now and yes its freaking me out a bit.

I will also checkout the maintainers section on here.
I am so glad you replied to this thread....You have helped me out so much!

Thank you, that made me feel so nice :) Your loss has been so inspirational.

Sizes are a bit irrelevent because how would I know what size I really wear? I'm currently wearing size 10 & 14 pants. My dresses are usually smalls. So...it really doesn't make any different as far as those numbers go.

I plan to stop actively trying to lose when my body reaches a healthy size. My weight goal is just a guess. I'm not attached to it. :)

I don't have a goal weight. I don't have a goal size. I just plan on continuing as I've been doing until I'm happy with how I look and feel...then up my carbs a tad and maybe knock my exercise down a fraction to maintain. The smallest I've ever been as an adult was a small 16/large 14.

Right now I'm @ 260 and wear a small 18/large 16 (believe it or not! Friends who are dieting as well all tell me I look like I weigh about 200 lbs.). I am very heavily muscled and have enormous hands, feet and very wide shoulders. So I really have no idea what the smallest size I could wear, and still have curves, is. 10/12 is my best guess. I just think I have too much shoulder to ever wear an 8. But who knows, it's awfully fun finding out!

Everyone that has posted has been so helpful. Thanks so much.

JulieJ08~Your always nice girl! I Am always glad to read your posts.
I am sending a big hug your way!Thanks bunches ~you hit it on the nail exactly what I was going through ~I am feeling alot better now about Everything and My freaking out has ended for the moment LOL!
Again thanks Bunches!

Like DCHound and others, I'm going to continue what I'm doing and see where I end up. I'm not wed to any certain weight or size. The reason I chose 140 as my goal weight is because I was at that weight at the age of 19 and I felt great--27 years ago! What I'm doing is working and I feel awesome regardless of my weight or size. I don't have any desire to achieve a weight that is difficult to maintain. I refuse to exercise all crazy like and starve myself to maintain some elusive number on the scale or items of clothing. I want to feel good!

Good question, Lori - I've been noodling this one myself. When I look in the mirror, I can see where I'd like those 8 pounds to come off that I have left, and that's what's pushing me to the 150 total. Plus, I decided I really, really want an iPod Touch, and it's sitting down there at 149.5 ... ;) I'm more concerned about my functional targets anyway - I want to touch my toes, I want to do a pullup, and I want to be able to run a 5K without walking. I have no clue about what weight I'll be at when I get there - none! I like my eating plan and I figure I'll just keep at it til I truly stop losing for a couple of months at least - and then call that "maintenance". :)

Good question, Lori - I've been noodling this one myself. When I look in the mirror, I can see where I'd like those 8 pounds to come off that I have left, and that's what's pushing me to the 150 total. Plus, I decided I really, really want an iPod Touch, and it's sitting down there at 149.5 ... ;) I'm more concerned about my functional targets anyway - I want to touch my toes, I want to do a pullup, and I want to be able to run a 5K without walking. I have no clue about what weight I'll be at when I get there - none! I like my eating plan and I figure I'll just keep at it til I truly stop losing for a couple of months at least - and then call that "maintenance". :)

Great points~thanks for posting.:hug:

I think it's good to have a certain weight in mind because it's motivating. However, the weight that you end up being ultimately comfortable with may be different from that magic number, especially if you are working to tone up your body. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat.

Good point kimmie

Yes, I have a few nice pieces of clothing in a size 4 and I'd be very happy with that. These fit when I was 130 and they fit when I was 122. Soooo ....

I've been an 8 before and that was nice, but i still had some problem spots that im sure would be gone at a 6 so that is where i want to stop, when i can fit into a 6 in all my brands (they all size so differently, in theory 10s are tight in elie tahari 10s fit perfectly and in jcrew 10s are big on me right now so who knows) anyway ill be done regardless of what i weigh but based on the past im pretty sure i have around 30lbs left to lose to get there. we'll see. :)

Sizes are all over the places...I have tens that fit me and fours that fit me. Depends on the maker/store. Then there's Chico's that has their own goofy sizing, so I guess the best thing to do is look in the mirror and decide if you are happy with how you look.

I know if I get too thin my face will be too bony, so when I get to that point, I will stop.

kiramira -- I'm going by BMI as my guide, too. It's very nice looking better and fitting into smaller sizes, but my main reason for doing this is for health. I will turn 55 in September and my goal is to be the healthiest then that I've been in 20+ years. Who knows, maybe I'll do one of those TV commercials! LOL! Meanwhile, everything size-wise is relative, and shopping for size 14 sure as heck makes me feel better than shopping for 18W! :)

You are SO going to get there! I'll look for you in the informercials!
BTW, what DOES the "W" stand for in 18W...I always mentally thought of it as "18 WIDE"... :lol:

Kira

LOL Kiramira ~ I think its 18 womens Not 18 wide. LOL~Now you have me wondering too?
hahahaha Cute thought!

I'd like to be firmly in a size 10 pants, then we'll see from there. I'm hippy so the last time I was there was around 140. I'll go from there and see how I feel about the way I look at that point.

I think you should stop when your body is toned and fit. If that is a size 8, then perfect, it's a 10 or another number, then it's no big deal. Remember not all of the size 8s in the world are the same.

My goal is anything in the 120's. I want to be solidly in the low-range of normal for my height. I feel it is comfortable for me and I like the way it looks. My thighs are stubborn and in order for my legs to look nice, I have to get down. Because of vanity sizing, I do not pay much attention to what tags say. I like the measuring tape and scale. The other day at Kohl's I put on a pair of size 2 pants and they fell off! That is a great example of vanity sizing. I am a consistent size 4 and can wear some 2's.

As you know Lori, my "girls" have bid farewell. I am okay with that though. There are things that can fix that! You are doing an amazing job in your journey down the path. You are looking really great. I have found that I must evaulate and revisit my goals every so often. I wasn't sure what my goal was until recently.

THIGHS~SOOOOOOOO GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU GIRL! 4's and 2's?~WOW~
Oh My!You little hot Lady you!
Curious as to size you started out wearing?
I think I am going to 150 at least And then will see from there No matter my size.
I made that goal weight and I plan to reach it~I think I was just freaking out because I am nearly 2/3 of the way to my goal~which is exciting and scary as heck all at the same time.
I aint never been A "normal" size ~I have always been the chunky /heavy/Overweight Me.
Type soon thighs!

Everyone else thanks for your posts also.Great points

I definately will. I use the number on the scale as a guide, but ultimately I just want the size 10's in my closet to fit again, comfortably without a muffin top! I was the most comfortable and confident with myself at that size.

Don`t know yet, to be honest. It will depend on how I feel. If I get down to a size 10 and feel that I had really enough of dieting, I may at least take a break. If I don`t I`ll continue until I get down to a size 8. Size 6 would really be to small for my frame, but if I`m, say, 3lb away from a nice round number (weight), I may be tempted to lose these as well just for the sense of achievement I may get from getting down to that number. Generally, I feel size is way more important than weight.

Lori - a new pic :) You look good girl!

It's been an interesting thread. I hope you got what you needed. This is such a process for those of us who have just about always been fat! I've lost weight before but always gained it back within a year (and it always brought friends back with it!). I was determined not to that this time. For me that's really meant that maintenance isn't really much different from losing. I can skip a couple of days exercising now and then or eat a little more off plan once in awhile but if I'm not vigilant the pounds do start creeping back. It's a good thing I really like most of my food choices!

I am just now starting to see myself as a thin person though I still make mental references to my fat a**. It took months to be able to find the right size on the rack. I kept picking out bigger sizes! It's the second best thing I ever did for myself (quitting smoking was the best) but it was so much more complicated than just finding the right "diet".

Sounds like you are on the right path Lori. I'll be watching for updates :)

Cyndim~Thanks for commenting on my new pic~And thanks for posting~You make so much since to me.I definetly quit freaking out~ I have decided I am getting to that 150 regardless of size! LOL I am determined~If it puts me in a size smaller than an 8 so be it.Or if I am larger than an 8.
I wanna healthy BMI.Your right quitting smoking was #1 And now this will be #2 For me.

Thanks again everyone~Your posts have helped so much and Made me so much more calmed.

Those who may post in future I will check back in from time to time to read.

Goodluck with your goals everyone

No, I wouldn't stop until I reach goal. Right now, I'm 3 pounds from being "overweight" (I'm still "obese" now...I blame my boobs!)

But, I CANNOT stop until I see 160 on that scale. And that's the high end of my healthy weight range.

For me the size is more important than the number on the scale. When I weighed 250 lbs. if you told me I'd be wearing sizes 12/14 when I weighed 190 I would have said you were crazy! I guess my numbers were all skewed in my head because that seems way too high of a number to fit into those sizes. But here I am living it! lol

My goal weight is sort of random, basically just a big fat guess. I've never been a "normal, healthy" weight my whole adult life because I started to gain and get quite big when I was about 15 so I really don't know what weight I should be at. I'm shooting for a size instead and it's somewhere around a 6 or 8!

Thanks for posting that chart.. of course the model at 5'8" & 130lbs is a guy in baggy clothes... lol!!! Oh well.. ;)

For myself, I really like to be slim & trim, don't mind small boobs & butts, so i'm really aiming for that 130lbs.. I'd like to be a toned sz.4/5. But I also want to be able to maintain without starving myself or working out 24/7... so.. I guess when I get close to my goal i'll reevaluate and see how it's going.

Thanks for posting that chart.. of course the model at 5'8" & 130lbs is a guy in baggy clothes... lol!!! Oh well.. ;)

If you click on the pic and scroll down the page there is a woman with a pic. I do love that page and have found it really helpful in reframing my mental image of myself at different sizes.

I plan on stopping when I feel that I look healthy and toned, no matter what the scale or pants size says. We all carry our weight differently, and I've been overweight so long that I don't even know at what point I'll be happy.

Agreed with all this. My goal weight is just something I use for an estimate. I was at my GW a few years ago and was very active and healthy and felt good, and that's why I use it. I just want to look and feel better, it doesn't really matter to me exactly what the scale or the tag on my clothes says.

WOW~Very interesting to read all the posts again~Thanks for posting everyone. Great points of view.

THIGHS~SOOOOOOOO GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU GIRL! 4's and 2's?~WOW~
Oh My!You little hot Lady you!
Curious as to size you started out wearing?


LOL--notice I left in the "hot little lady" thing..LOL

I started in an 18! Just before vacation last year I had to go shopping for 18's--all my 16 summer wear was too small. :(

WOW~THIGHS GIRL!!!! You have Really came along ways~although pretty either size!

And you deserve to keep in the hot little lady thing Because you so ARE!
HUGS

I keep thinking about this thread because I have all these battles in my head over what should my goal weight be? Exercise is so key to how I look and how would I like to look when I hit the maintainers end of this journey?

I want my strong dancers legs to be ripped
I want my belly fixed but still soft (I have the flap from giving birth)
I want to stay at least a D cup
I want my cheek bones to show, but not lose all of my cheeks
I want good tone on my arms and back

See I look at my profile pic and and other pics of me, scrape off my belly, refine the jawline a bit, and I think I am all set :P Where is that at for me? Somewhere between a size 9 and a 12 I think or 150-173 lbs. It's a journey and I will figure it out :)

As much as I want to see that number on the scale again, and I want to know in my mind that I am that light, if I got to the point where my goal clothes in my closet are loose, I would probably stop, becase I would be my goal size. But at the same time I have been this weight before, and fit in those clothes, so the only way that I would weigh more and still fit into them is if I gain significantly more muscle than I did when I first lost this weight. Which now that I think of it is a possibility because I am in the gym a whole lot more this time around. Hmm....I guess it would depend on whether I could afford a new wardrobe or not lol! But really the main thing is feeling better about myself, and I know that in size, I look good, and feel good, regardless of what the scale says...

I would stop as soon as I felt good about myself. But I don't see that happening before my goal. I don't even know if I see it happening AT my goal. *sigh*

This is something that may well happen to me. At 204lbs I am a UK size 12-14 (US size 8-10) which I always think seems smaller than average for a 204lb person. My goal is 112lbs, which for most people would be a UK size 8 (US 4) which would be my perfect size.

If I got to 130lbs and was size 8, I would quite possibly stop there. The number is just a number, the size is what would count for me.

This is something that may well happen to me. At 204lbs I am a UK size 12-14 (US size 8-10) which I always think seems smaller than average for a 204lb person. My goal is 112lbs, which for most people would be a UK size 8 (US 4) which would be my perfect size.

If I got to 130lbs and was size 8, I would quite possibly stop there. The number is just a number, the size is what would count for me.

:hug:Thanks for posting~great point of view On the subject.

I love your avatar pic by the way of the kitty~ADORABLE!::)

I don't think I would stop once I reach my ideal size, only b/c many studies have shown that the clothing sizes are actually increasing in measurements over time. So that size 8 you wore 20 years ago might actually be a size 6 today. At least I know my weight is a static number and so I know what my body looks like at one weight versus another, the size associated with that weight may vary over time based on what the industry is doing with the measurements of each size.

My pre-pregnancy weight was 140-142 (8 years ago!!!! sad I know). I was really comfortable at this weight. But, ive heard people say recently My body has changed since than I might be more comfortable at 150lbs. Shrugs. I guess Ill find out when that can of worms opens!

Yes I would Im not mostly concerned about the weight its more of how I carry it. Not really sure how I woul dlook at goal sooo

I'm definitely more about how I look than what the scale and tag on my clothes say.

I'd like to weigh around 133ish but if I look great at 140, which I won't because that's my normal weight and I still look sloppy, I will stop actively trying to lose and start maintaining.

I'd like to say that I'll stop when I feel like I look good, but realistically I still don't have a concept of what I look like. Even though I know it's not true, I feel like I look the same as I did at 180 (and at 180 I didn't feel overweight). I feel like for goal I need a concrete weight or size so I have a real stopping point.

I'm back with a more definitive answer ;) Back when I posted at the beginning of July I said that I'd like to be in a size 10 but I'm at 155 wearing a 10 and I know that I don't want to stop here. I like to lose at least another 10-15 lbs.