How did you determine your goal weight? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

alyssamichelle · 10-25-2009, 12:52 PM

I'm new to this...on my full second day. My first day was pretty good. I am wondering, though, how you all decided what your ultimate goal weight would be? I'm not sure what I want my ultimate weight to be. I just want to feel good, look good, and be healthy. I have decided to have mini-goals such as 5 pounds or 10 pounds at a time to try to achieve. So, from there, I guess, my ultimate goal weight will reveal itself. But, in order to calculate how many calories to eat per day and how much exercise I should be getting, according to most of the online calculators, I have to choose an ultimate goal weight. How did you decide?

Onederchic · 10-25-2009, 12:58 PM

Hmm, I am not really sure what I factored in to determine my goal weight. I initially had it set for 140 but recently changed it to 125.

Good luck with your goals and welcome to 3FC.

Hugs
Michelle

garnetrising · 10-25-2009, 01:09 PM

I looked around and found the average of my ideal body weight range. It just happens to be a nice round number. I've got smaller goals to help me get to that point, but my ultimate goal is to be the healthiest I can be.

mescelestus · 10-25-2009, 01:49 PM

Can you recall ever being a size that you liked? I had never been a weight that I liked, so I initially set it for 140, then I realized how short I am, and I want a bikini body, so I set it for 130. But I am still around 190, and I am a few pounds away from being a size 10. I realize now that I do not want to be smaller than an 8. So maybe you should use size more to determine, because that is more visual.

Mickeypnd · 10-25-2009, 02:34 PM

I went online and found what would be the healthy weight for my height range. When I reach that goal, if I still want to lose, then I'll change it.

Rainbow · 10-25-2009, 02:51 PM

I'm not sure what my final goal will be yet - I keep thinking of changing my goal to 140lb as when I originally set it I didn't believe I would get as far as I have already but on the other hand 154lb is the lowest weight I rememvber beign so maybe I will be happy around there. I will decide when I'm much nearer. I picked 150lb because it's just about a normal BMI for me - I can deal with beign a few lb over a normal BMI if that's where my body is happy and healthy (I have quite a large build and build muscle quite easily) but would still love to have a normal BMI if possible

JanetG · 10-25-2009, 03:04 PM

Very rough rule of thumb estimate from my nutrition textbook in college: Women should weigh 100 pounds for the first 5 feet and then 5 lbs and inch after that (so a woman that is 5ft 6 inches should be ~130 pounds). Need to take into account frame size, etc, but it's a starting point. And keep in mind that if you have been grossly overweight most of your adult life (as I have), then you might want to try for something more attainable to start.

Smiling_Sara · 10-25-2009, 03:08 PM

Just wanted to not be overweight and be healthy.

TMG2008 · 10-25-2009, 03:24 PM

I think the most objective way is to take a look online at calculators that show ideal weight amounts. I found that for a person who is 5'4" and a medium frame, a healthy weight is between 130-145 lbs. Also you can look at BMI charts and find info that is about the same. A BMI in the healthy range ends at 24.9 which for a 5'4" person is 144 lbs. So taking both of those pieces of information, it is probably true to say that your ideal healthy weight would be no more than 145 lbs.

However, I think that number can be flexible in that you certainly will be more healthy at 155-160 lbs than you would be at your current weight even though you wouldn't technically be at a "healthy" weight according to the charts.

Just as a side note, if you look at my progress bars you will see that I started at exactly the same weight as you are (but I'm an inch taller). My healthy weight range ends at about 149 lbs. so that's why I made my goal 150. I'd really like to be more like 145 so I have a little wiggle room to not go over the 150 mark but we will have to see about that. I'm having more trouble getting these last 10 pounds off, it's just going so slow. When I was 232, I wasn't very confident that I would ever see the 150's as the lowest I had ever been in the past was 170. But with hard work and sticking with it, I have done it and am now only 8 lbs. from my goal. You can definitely do this. Just accept whatever rate of weight loss you can get and don't make any changes that you won't be able to live with for the rest of your life.

Windchime · 10-25-2009, 03:32 PM

I looked at the BMI chart and 180 will put me at a BMI of 25, which is right at healthy. It's still about 15-20 pounds above what I weighed before I had babies, so I think it's attainable. I'll re-evaluate when I get there to see if I want to lose more.

yoyoma · 10-25-2009, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windchime

I looked at the BMI chart and 180 will put me at a BMI of 25, which is right at healthy. It's still about 15-20 pounds above what I weighed before I had babies, so I think it's attainable. I'll re-evaluate when I get there to see if I want to lose more.

I took basically the same approach. My initial goal weight was 150, which was the largest "round" number within the healthy weight range (soon after, changed to 149, cuz "in the 140s" sounded so much thinner, lol!). I subsequently notched it down 10 pounds, and after I met that, another ten, which I am now working towards

.

nooch · 10-25-2009, 04:00 PM

I took my lowest teenage weight and subtracted 40 pounds because it sounded about right. Subject to change, but it sounds good for now.

alyssamichelle · 10-25-2009, 05:25 PM

Thank you! I think I've gotten it to around 160 to begin with (which is about 80 pounds) and then go from there. 160 sounds like such a big number right now in relation to how much I have to lose, but if I get there, I can get anywhere! lol

carter · 10-26-2009, 11:30 AM

I've no idea what my ultimate goal is. It's been so long since I've been in the vicinity that I can't really guess what my body will look like and feel like at such-and-such weight. I figure I'll know when I get there.

At first it feels weird not to have a set goal in mind, but it turns out it's good for me - helps me focus on making permanent and sustainable changes, rather than feeling like "I'm on a diet until I reach ____."

JustBeckyV · 10-26-2009, 11:41 AM

I started with a 50 lbs goal and then decided that wasn't enough. I then picked 100 -- that would put me within normal BMI and high normal for my height. When I get there I will decide if I need more or if it's good and I can maintain with diet and exercise.