Assuming one of these days i get a signature, i will have to get a ticker Except i don't know what to put on the other side! my Husband and i did some research and decided on 135 but now i think that seems like too much (like i should be thinner). Plus i don't know what i'll look like, how i'll feel, or what size i'll be in, although i know none of that will really be the definitive factor. What *is* the definitive factor? i am fine with not having a goal for now but as the infamous zig ziglar said ,When you set goals, something inside of you starts saying, "Let's go, let's go," and ceilings start to move up. And if i don't set a goal, how will i know when i am there.

edited to add, here are my stats: 35 years old, 5'6", exercise 30-60 minutes per day walking or exercise biking, i have no honest idea about my "Frame" although i would guess small - medium, even though i am chubby i have thin wrists & ankles, i have a collarbone.

Thanks for listening
-fm

You're an inch taller then me and my heathy weight is 140 and under so that for me would be my goal because it's what I used to be before I allowed myself to gain weight and become over weight. If you feel 135 is too much for you too keep with because you feel it might discourage you, then try mini goals, maybe go for 200 pounds first and once you accomplish that then see how you feel and then try 180 and so on.

Mine changes with my mood. I like the idea of setting a goal and working toward it UNTIL I discovered how slow my weight was going down -- it's been about a year and a half now, but *only* a year of actually heading down, since I bumped back up over the holidays last year. So I started to think I would change my goal to a higher number so I could move on with the happy maintenance part of my life.

My goal has been as low as 120 lbs and as high as 135 lbs. I don't think I would be able to get as low as 120 lbs now that I am over 35 (things definitely changed in my body) but who knows, maybe.

I'm close to 135 lbs now and not happy with how I look but if I toned up that might take care of things. I'm definitely happier with my body than I was 16 lbs ago!

I have seen women our height at 145/150 lbs who are toned and look fantastic.

My current goal is around 129 lbs, just 'cause that's the lowest I've been in a few years and I looked good at that weight.

Hope that helps at least a little ... 135 lbs or even 140 or 150 lbs seems like a great goal (I think around 154/155 lbs is the upper limit of "normal" for 5'6" going by BMI). Then you can adjust lower as you get closer if you want. In my case, ten pounds from 148 to 138 made a HUGE difference.

One thing I want to point out is how much you strength train will vastly affect your results. Perhaps you should count by size of clothes? (no clue where you are now) but for me, I went from a 22 and am hoping for an 8.

Also, some women lose LOTS of weight and very little inches, others it's the other way around. For example, I weight about 30 pounds more than anyone thinks I do. I've looked at special photo sites and people who are my height and wear a size 14 are all 10-30 pounds lighter than me. I read one lady on here who lost 35 and 1 size. I go realllllllly slow weight wise (35 pounds in 2 years) but I've gone from a 22 to a 14 (so....4 sizes?).

I guess what I'm trying to say, is don't be afraid to think outside the box.

Thanks guys... i think i will put 135 for now, and then when i get there, i will have to reanalyze. i think i felt i had to decide right now and make it be right first thing off the bat. i probably need to be a little more flexible.

i do want to add weight training as i go. i have no idea if it will help with the saggy skin, but when i lost alot of weight in college i was using universals and boy it sure did seem to help. i promised myself if i tried to lose in the future i would do weights.

i'd really like to buy a small set of some kind of handhelds and keep them in the basement.

Thank you all for giving me such good information & ideas.

-fm

Just to add my two cents...

Set a weight goal, but expect it to change. My initial goal was 140...then 135...now I'm weight training a lot and I'd be happy at 145-150 if my body was a solid size 6 (and had low body fat).

Have something to aim for, but know it won't be the be-all and end-all. The closer you get to goal the better you'll know your body.

Any goal is good, as long as they are attainable and realistic.

As I get closer to my goal I'm wishing I'd set my goal HIGHER. Just saying. I now wish I'd set it at 145, my entrance into normal weight according to BMI. I have it in my head that that's my real goal, but my ticker says 135. I'm finding it really, really hard to get these last pounds off. IF I had set it at 145 I could then reevaluate and move at my own pace toward the lower 135. But since 135 is my original goal all my mental games are screaming "You haven't been successful."

So I suppose it depends on your personality. For me, setting the lower goal backfired.

Oh Eliana! i think the one lesson i took from this thread was flexibility. It's like asking myself, what will i be like in ten years? Who the **** knows! Asking myself what i'll be or feel 100 pounds from now? Who knows.

i think you should move your goal if that is what works for you! Don't worry about anyone else on the board or here or anywhere. A normal BMI sounds like a great goal to me. Then you can just decide exactly where you want to be and how to get there.

You have to make yourself happy.

Good luck!!
-fm