Just wondering how all of you maintainers determined what your "ideal" weight was. Was it based on doctor's recommendation, a weight you once was in the past, height/weight chart guidelines, etc.?
While on the road to losing weight, my initial goal was 135 lbs (I'm 5'3.5"). I determined that weight because looking back at past pictures I thought that weight looked ideal/realistic & I figured I would be able to maintain it.
I've been holding steady at 130 lbs (give or take a few pounds...although up to 134 lbs during that time of the month) for almost a year (next week 10/1/09 makes 1 year of maintenance!). Initially I wasn't sure if I could maintain at 130 lb but it feels "right" for my body as I've learned to improve my eating habits & not overcompensate w/ exercise (as I did in the past with the "I run so I can eat" mentality).
As I mentioned in another post, my MIL is obsessed with her weight & totally believes in those height/weight chart recommendations (100 lbs at 5 feet & add 5 lbs per inch). I personally hate those charts because I believe they are unrealistic. If I were to follow the recommendation I "should" be 115 lbs. Of course, my MIL mentioned THAT to me on more than one occasion to which I replied, "I don't want to look like I'm emaciated" (to which she always has no comment). She's 5'4" & wants desperately to get down to 120 lbs (she's about 130-135 lbs & she looks fine). It seems like she's spent a lifetime trying to lose those "last 10-15 lbs" & never completely satisfied with how she looks...to the detriment of her daughter who is about 50 lbs overweight.
However, I've noticed quite a few people who are much taller than me whose goal weight is the same as mines or less. I know there are all different body types & compositions but it leads me to wonder if our "ideal" weight is unrealistic & we should give ourselves a break & tack on even 5 lbs or 10 lbs to make it easier to function in maintenance mode?
I picked my goal weight by looking at the BMI chart and picking a weight in the middle of the "normal" range for my height.
IMO, if you have lost weight, then you "should" be whatever weight you are capable of maintaining comfortable. If you have to struggle to maintain it, it's probably too low.
There are so many factors to consider when you choose a goal weight, such as your age, your fitness level, your bone structure/genetics, etc. I'm 5'4" and 64 years old. I could never maintain at what the height/weight charts say I should weigh, which according to your MIL's formula would be 120. Eeek, I'd look like I'd just come from a concentration camp. If you feel good, look good and can maintain where you are comfortably, it's really no one's business what you weigh. As many people here have noted, we don't walk around with our weight tattooed on our foreheads!
Oh how I agonized over a "goal weight". I know I started at least 3 threads trying to figure it out....lol My original goal was 175 pounds, which was 158 pounds lost. When I got there I decided to flip it around and get to 158, (upper normal BMI for my height) with a 175 pound loss. I actually did give maintaince a shot when I reached 158, but never quite figured out my perfect formula and lost another 5 pounds in the 8 weeks of trying to tweak my eating plan. Then I thought, what the heck, I'll just go for 143, which will be 190 pounds lost, and just about the middle weight for a normal BMI. I guess the way I see it, if it takes me the rest of life trying to get to 143, at least I'm not gaining. My doctor thinks I'm great where I'm at. These last few are 100% vanity pounds for sure. I don't know, right now I'm a size 6 in most every jean I've tried on, and 5 more pounds will probably put me inbetween sizes. ACKKK!!! Oh no, here I go again.
I wouldn't be willing to decide on a lifetime of restricted calories and extra exercise just to maintain a particular weight. So that means my ideal weight is that at which I settle when eating and being active in ways that feel right to me. This might not be true for everyone, due to different food issues and backgrounds, and different levels of interest in structured diet & exercise programs. But it's my guide.
I wouldn't be willing to decide on a lifetime of restricted calories and extra exercise just to maintain a particular weight. So that means my ideal weight is that at which I settle when eating and being active in ways that feel right to me. This might not be true for everyone, due to different food issues and backgrounds, and different levels of interest in structured diet & exercise programs. But it's my guide.
I can totally understand where you are coming from. I really think this is one of those issues that is totally different for a person starting out super morbidly obese vs. in the moderately overweight range. For me, coming from the depths of obesity ****, I had to be willing to decide on a lifetime of restricted calories and extra excercise to maintain a good weight. With my track history, the minute I do what I want, instead of what I need to do, I'll balloon back into a 300+ pound woman....sadly.
It's awesome that you don't have to be that restricted. Wish the same was true for all of us.
I set my original goal at 127, which was a 15% loss from where I started out that time, a 45 pound loss from my high weight. I hit 127 and then continued to lose another 8 pounds to 119 in my first several weeks of maintenance, too. After my breast implants I was back up to 122, from the weight of the implants themselves. I've been maintaining in the 122-126 range for a while now. It pretty much picked me. I don't have a huge amount of trouble maintaining at this level right now, we'll see if I can stay here as time goes on.
I wouldn't be willing to decide on a lifetime of restricted calories and extra exercise just to maintain a particular weight. So that means my ideal weight is that at which I settle when eating and being active in ways that feel right to me. This might not be true for everyone, due to different food issues and backgrounds, and different levels of interest in structured diet & exercise programs. But it's my guide.
I've been trying this method and finding that I'm still not quite satisfied. My "happy weight" seems to be about 140, but I'd like to get to 135 now bc I am in between sizes and I want 140 to be my red line.
Also, I don't put too much stock in BMI bc I don't think it's good at describing individuals (ok for aggregates) and I think a lot of studies just prove that we don't know as much as we think we do about weight and health, BUT imo the best evidence points to a bmi range of 23-29 being most highly associated with longevity, so I don't want to go below BMI 23. However, something that came out a couple days ago was reported to say each BMI point increase reduces you chance of living to 70 by 12%. That doesn't make any sense (even underweight people?) so I'm curious as to what the study actually says. In any event it's not a hard and fast rule bc like I said, the science isn't that good anyway.
How did you determine your ideal weight?
If you feel good, look good and can maintain where you are comfortably, it's really no one's business what you weigh. As many people here have noted, we don't walk around with our weight tattooed on our foreheads! 
My original goal was 175 pounds, which was 158 pounds lost. When I got there I decided to flip it around and get to 158, (upper normal BMI for my height) with a 175 pound loss. I actually did give maintaince a shot when I reached 158, but never quite figured out my perfect formula and lost another 5 pounds in the 8 weeks of trying to tweak my eating plan. Then I thought, what the heck, I'll just go for 143, which will be 190 pounds lost, and just about the middle weight for a normal BMI. I guess the way I see it, if it takes me the rest of life trying to get to 143, at least I'm not gaining. 
My doctor thinks I'm great where I'm at. These last few are 100% vanity pounds for sure. I don't know, right now I'm a size 6 in most every jean I've tried on, and 5 more pounds will probably put me inbetween sizes. ACKKK!!! Oh no, here I go again. 
