[ma26]

P.S. who else has heard about the 100 pounds at 5 foot and +/- 5 pounds for every inch after that? That is actually why my goal weight is 155. I heard that is a good slimmer weight for most people. So 5'11" is 11x5=55 plus 100, so 155? I do plan to get my body fat tested again when I meet my 155 goal. I have weighed that low in the past, and did feel like i wanted to lose more weight. So I am afraid that I'll feel that way this time too,. Hence the plan to get the percentage tested.

[Nada]

My theory is that every woman in America who is at a "perfect" weight for their height says they need to lose 5-10 pounds--so you'll just be in good company!

[JayEll]

ma26, that 100 pounds at 5 ft. and 5 pounds for each inch above is a one-size-fits-all standard. It would put me at 115, and I simply can never reach that weight. At 18 years old I weighed close to that, and I was rail-thin and exhausted. (I was working as a motel maid that summer, a highly demanding physical job.)

I hope people will look around at several different tools for "ideal weight." They vary widely. For me, the range is 115 to 140, which is a pretty big range.

Jay

[ma26]

Jay- Yeah I think body fat percentage is best. That is supposed to only aaply to woman. Jay could be a guy or girl though? If you are a guy it definately would be way to low for you. And yeah I agree. If I get to 165 and feel great, then stopping there should be the plan. I definately have weight to lose, but sometimes I think "Do I really have 25 lbs of extra fat? I can definately see 15 haha!" I really want to go for the 22-23% body fat personally.

[Cali Doll]

Originally Posted by saef

I also wanted to point out that The Number is not simply what you can reduce yourself down to. The Number is also what you can maintain over time, with a reasonable amount of effort, while still enjoying a good quality of life & without feeling like it is the sole focus of all your mental & physical energy.

For me, from hard-earned past experience, I know that I can be 20 pounds lower than my current weight, but that the effort hold that number steady over a long period of time is more than I am willing to make. At that point, I think about food & my weight more than I want to, and exercise becomes more like a compulsion, requiring upwards of two hours a day in my schedule. And I get sad & begin feeling enslaved by my precariously maintained routine.

Weighing the effort against the prize -- holding up the trophy of The Number & the cute smaller size clothes -- and the diminishing benefits to my health, mental & physical, it feels like knocking myself out for a grade of 98, when I could live with a grade of 91 & have a better quality of life, too. I opt for the 91, personally.

I agree completely. It's about quality of life for me. I can lose 10 or 15 more pounds but I am not sure I could maintain that in the long run. I'm not sure that I would be happy trying to maintain such a low weight.

I don't have a desire to get down to this tiny number/size only to be forced to live in a constant battle with food and exercise. My goal = be thin, look great, feel great while being able to live.