Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhodesmo
You said you started with similar stats. What is your goal? Have you been successful so far? I have my goal set at 175 right now, but I'm unsure if that's realistic or not.
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I started out at 275, and lost 120 pounds between roughly August 2009 and October 2012. I have since gained about 40 of that back, and I'm working off the regain now. I'm a little shorter than you are - 5'5" when I stand very straight.
I never set a numerical goal. I had no idea when I started what the right goal weight would look like or feel like. And more than that, whether I declared my goal weight to be 170 or 160 or 150 just had no bearing at all on the choices I made or the work I had to do until I got very close to those numbers. So I put the goal weights out of my mind until I was actually down around 170 and making decisions about what to do next.
As one gets closer to a healthy weight, it becomes more difficult to lose. There is only so much calorie restriction and exercise one can practically and sustainably do. That's why the last 20 pounds of the 120 I lost took a whole year, after losing ~50 each of the previous two years. So when I reached my lowest weights and started thinking about transitioning from weight loss into maintenance, I considered how I looked and felt, and how much work I thought I could comfortably do to maintain a loss. I was very pleased with my body at a muscular 155, but it was very difficult to maintain. It may turn out that 160 is a more realistic maintenance weight for this middle-aged woman!
The point is that I am not in a position to make those decisions now, when I am around 200 pounds. The time to make those decisions in when I am at or near those weights, and in a position to try out different approaches and see what feels most sustainable. So my advice is, don't fret too much about your ultimate goals. Concentrate instead on what you are going to do today to help you stick to your plan.