That was interesting--I can see how women who are obese might choose a goal that is "only" overweight instead of normal. In fact, I did that with my first round of weight loss. And the reason was simply because normal weight looked like such a long way to go from where I started!

Jay

That was interesting. Thanks for posting it ^^

I think that is true to a large extent. I also spent a good portion of my life rejecting thin. "I am genetically curvy", "I have big bones" "I would have to be unhealthy to be thin" "I would look like a skeleton below 135"

hmmm.... might explain why now I am struggling to stop binging. I spent 20+ years saying that 120's would be too thin for me and now I realize it isnt. Gotta reprogram me.

I definitely took my weight loss goals in segments.

I also think the thinnest people I know are the most ...obsessed? dissatisfied? I have a friend who is 5'8", 117, 16% body fat and she thinks she has "big thighs and a gut". She thinks her ideal weight is ~ 115.

I thought that it was interesting that the researchers were surprised by the fact that most women show a lot of common sense when it comes to their weight. The fact that obese and normal sized women would make rational choices about their weight goals really seemed to amaze them. I think it's pretty common for scientists to over-estimate the influence of skinny celebrities; apparently they're surprised that we aren't all sheep when it comes to this stuff.

Having been around scientists most of my life (and being one myself), I can say that many scientists seem to be amazed by what everyone else already knows.

Jay

My current goal weight is just inside the overweight range because having been large all my life I can't mentally conceive of anything lower yet. I figure when I get there I can re-evaluate.

It is common sense, but the part of this that struck me the most was about young overweight women and the fact that those that had better body images were less likely to gain more weight. When you feel good about yourself you take better care of yourself.

I think it's not a always bad thing people choose weights that are "overweight", and what I think they may be neglecting is in fact people's varying builds. In my experience, people who are overweight tend to be those who started out big to begin with, and felt their weight a lost cause, and so gained more through apathy. I'm currently shooting for 160, and according to my doctor, that's about where I should be. I have to admit I'm a bit offended by the implication that this is preventing me from losing weight. It's not, and generally, being just overweight isn't a health risk if you carry it in the right way.

!!!!!

I can't say that I've never thought "Oh I wish I were that skinny"... but really what I'm thinking is "I wish I could be my skinny." I'm not blind or deaf, I realize plenty of people idealize celebrities & models as being "perfect". But, I find their "perfects" as strange as they must find my "perfects".

It's interesting. Even though I have an overall goal of 125, I have been telling myself to look toward a normal xl top as a victory... I think because it's also about being generally healthier when you're coming from a really large size/build so it's not always necessarily about that certain number or size. I also think by taking it in steps, you're less likely to give up because it won't seem so impossible to lose weight. Also, I think the reason overweight women aren't as influenced by the media is simply because the media doesn't target them... the media doesn't see overweight women as worthwhile so it doesn't bother trying to influence them... at least that's the way it seems to me.

That is an interesting article. And I think a lot of it is pretty basic.

Most of us emulate the people around us, whether it's because we gravitate to people with similar habits to ours or because we just find it easier to "share" habits. So it makes sense that if you have bigger friends, you'll be bigger yourself. Also wasn't there a study years back about how if you lived with someone who had an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia and/or binge eating) you'd be likely to develope said disorder as well?

On the flip side, if you have healthy friends then you'll be more likely to be healthy yourself.

With a starting weight of 295 I still consider it a victory that I am out of obesity and maintaining! Getting to a "normal" weight was a thought I couldn't wrap my head around. I think it definitely messed with my weight loss. As soon as I got out of obesity I started sabotaging myself.

I'm not disappointed with where I am, however. I never thought I'd be able to shop at "normal" stores and wear a size 12!!!

I am another overweight woman who has set her (initial?) goal at just under obese. There's many reason why. The lowest weight I've been in 30+ years as an adult was around 155 and that was many years ago and pre-pregnancy. I simply can't ever see me being smaller than I was then. For me not being obese would be a major victory. In addition I am one of those people who is heavier than they look. Even at 230ish pounds I'm comfortably wearing a UK size 20 (US18) and I'm only 5'4". I have a friend who although only an inch shorter wears the same size as me and is 40lb lighter.

In addition as mentioned in the article, a target weight of just under obese is still a mountain to climb for me, whilst getting to normal BMI would have seemed more like Everest back when I weighed 290.

Kitty

Kitty,

It sounds like you and I have similar body types. I was a size 18 at around 230lbs as well, and am also 5'4"...and that was a couple years ago when vanity sizing wasn't quite as rampant here... my sister claims to be around the same weight as i am now.. she's a couple inches shorter.. and she's a 22. I currently wear a 12 in most clothing brands, and even fit into a size 10 dress recently.
I don't put a lot of stock in BMI because while i feel that i am currently overweight, I am not obese. I have a large bone structure, am quite fit and heavily muscled and we are the kinds of people for whom BMI calculators are inaccurate. I put my goal weight into the calculator and it is within the "normal" range for me, however considering how I feel and look, I may stop way before the goal I have set. I have not been smaller than 165 (still overweight according to the calculators) in my adult life, and I was 135-140 in high school.. I saw pictures of myself at my HS reunion (I have always been VERY camera shy and have next to no pictures of myself as a teen) .. I was a STICK. Looking at those pictures I'm not sure If i'm comfortable going there again...

Well.

My goal is 190. That's how much I weighed in...6th grade...at 5'6''.

I remember being pretty happy that weight. Sure, I was fat. But it was mostly chubby arms and a pooch. I wasn't huge. I was happy. People treated me well and I had all kinds of attention from boys.

So that's all I can hope for again.

When I was in 4th grade I weighed 140 lbs. I was 5'3''. This was before I went through puberty and got breasts and hips. I can't remember my body from then. Am I really supposed to weigh what I did when I was 10? I guess it is a better weight. But it just feels weird. lol.

I think those researchers don't realize that most of us just want to look normal. The average woman wears a size 14, and that probably means overweight. I have a friend who is 170lbs. and she has a body like a goddess. I wanna be her.