It's so funny how everyone's body is different - I'm 5'5" as well and at 161 I'm in a tight size 12 Levi's jeans. My face looks thin, as does my upper body (love the collar bones), but my thighs could loose some more. My stomach is pretty much gone - for the first time - ever!

I had revised my goal to 140 from 150, and thought I'd like to get to be a size 10, but I'm thinking I'm going to revise it up. I'd like to be able to fit comfortably in a size 12 - so I never have to go to the "Women's" section ever again (or so I can shop in as someone at Dress Barn said to me... the "normal" size section (can you believe that?!).

I'm afraid I'll look too thin at 140 - I don't want to look haggard at 50!

It would be nice to loose 125# - it's a nice round number, but I don't think I'll like how I'll look.

Sounds like they'll be a lot of us new maintainers soon!!

I was thinking about this yesterday. I will definitely stop where I feel the best. But...I'd like to get to a size 8. I'm currently 210 and a size 14. I was joking with my coach that we set the end weight too high at 160, she said based on my frame not to go lower, I said "c'mon let's go for 155, then I can say I've lost 100 pounds!". It is interesting how different everyone's bodies are. Even the 14's that fit me at 190 a few summers ago fit now at 210 when back then I had to move to a 16...weird but I'll never question IP and the magic it works! Just trust it

I just posted this in the 100% thread.

For those of you stressing about your end goal, I want to say "just relax" but I know that is easier said than done. I had a hard time too the last 15lbs because where my doctor said to stop vs BMI scale vs where I felt I still wanted to lose (as if I had a choice). I don't see or feel thin by any means because I have a large stomach roll and taking a bath stresses me because I see weird skin flaps around my thighs. I'm not convinced this is all skin but I don't know how much more I could get my weight down. I also didn't want to phase out just because i wanted to get lazy on my daily eating choices (i.e. take the easy road out). So eventually I made the decision to phase off. I know that I need time for my body to deal with the excess skin, I know I may need surgery one day to remove what my body can't deal with and I know that if I still have fatty spots that I want to address I can go back to P1. I've phased off before and went back to P1 (vacation), so I know it can be a challenge but I know it is possible to do. And once in maintenance I'm sure that I'll need to do a semi-annual reboot to deal with little scale creeps and that I could just stay on P1 for a little longer. This is now a lifetime journey so I'm no longer concerned about where / when I officially declared goal.

Going back and re-reading this before I posted, it sounds like an affirmation session. I think I needed this though as much to convince myself as anyone else. One of my daily reads from Beck Diet Solution is to remind me to give myself credit on what I've accomplished and learned instead of adding doubt.

Why does the number on the scare bother me so much? I started out at 228 lbs. I had horrific blood work. Now, I'm 178 with good blood work. Why do I think I'll feel so much better at 160 then 165? I'm wearing a 10 right now (from an 18-20). If it goes like its set up to go, I will be wearing an 8 at 165. No different then it would be at 160.
What is wrong with my head? AHHH. LOL
And its all still weeks and weeks away. I'm 178. Even to get to 165 is 13 lbs.

For me this has been the hardest part of this is to figure out what is a healthy reasonalbe weight for myself...I havent been at a healthy weight since my teenage years so dont have a clue! I wanted a healthy bmi but the weight for that is so low that I am nervous about that so then I thought I would stick with the original and see how my diabetes numbers are and what my doctor thinks! Have a Fantastic day all! :0)

Here's part of the mental trickery: if your goal is set at 160 and your maintenance range becomes 160 to 165, you'll be comfortable even when your weight is hanging around at the high end of the range (165).
if your goal is set at 165, then when it hits that high end (170) it might panic you for good (hey, I CAN and WILL control what's happening!) or evil (oh well, whatever, I can't control my weight).

The "how you feel/look" not the number on the scale is GREAT (albeit difficult in practice) advice.

The other thing that happens once you stop and phase off, no matter which scale number you pick, your body continues to change. The water weight moves around, the loose skin looks worse or better, you can see muscle then you can't then you can, etc, etc. Plus, sadly, wherever you always carry your fat, is where it will end up, albeit in a much, much smaller and healthier amount.

The problem with going too low is that you do look way too thin as you phase off and start maintenance AND you get a little addicted to the low numbers. So when it comes down to reality, where the high end of your range is the real "weight" you should be, it plays mind tricks AGAIN.

Compromise at 162.5? Or, you hit goal at whatever you weigh after an additional two weeks of Phase 1 after you hit 165? That would give you a focus on planning P2 meals & P3 meals instead of the scale.

The little voice that tells you to just lose a little more is very hard to ignore.

Weight loss can become somewhat obsessive.

I know I struggle with this.

Yes.
And the muscle definition thing.
Obsessive.

Yet, to maintain, requires that fine line between focus and obsession.
And so much of the internet plays into obsession.

I'm struggling with this question as well. I have never weighed below 150 as an adult, so I have no idea what I would look like at 125. I was trying to grab a number in a healthy BMI for my height that wasn't at the high end (so I had a 5-6 pound range). I guess it will be a wait and see once I drop below 150. I don't have bad blood tests/medical issues I am dealing with now, but I also don't want to go through this again or the whole yo-yo dieting lifestyle. I want to phase off and maintain once and for all.

I guess I will cross that bridge when I get to it. It's still several months away at this point.

I'm going to pop in here, because I played a 'mental head game' over this one too. My original weight loss goal was based on a combination of things - my Dr. had recommended a weight of 156-158 as 'acceptable' for my age; I wanted to get my BMI into the 'normal' range; and I thought I'd be fine if I got down to around the same weight as my sister, who is my height and weighs between 145-148 consistently. In my younger, slim days I'd weighed as little as 120, but now that I'm 62 I didn't want to go that low - felt I'd look gaunt. And my Dr. certainly didn't recommend it either.

I did stop when I got to the weight my Dr. had recommended (157) but then I regained about 3 lbs when I phased out, due to the return of glycogen. This affected the way my pants fitted, and put me right between sizes which was aggravating. Plus, I really didn't want to be so close to sliding back up over 160 again, so I decided to return to P1 to work down towards my original 150lbs goal... got to 150lbs, and then kept on just a couple of weeks longer to get a little additional cushion for any glycogen regain with maintenance this time. I'm happy that this time around (so far at least - I'm on my 10th day of P3 - go onto Maintenance this Monday) I've lost another lb while on P3, and am holding constant.

I think it's a process. Don't worry too much about it, you'll *know* when it's right for you to start phasing off.

I just want to be where I don't have any more size-related risk factors. I want the "normal" range for BMI and fat percentage and waist size. My current goal is set a little high, but I do not plan to adjust it prior to getting to that goal. I figure at that point I will have more information about what the right number will be. (I'm only 5'2", that's why being in the "normal" BMI range is such a low number.)

Man. The head games we play with ourselves.

For me, I went on this because my blood work was BAD. I'm 33. I had Gestational Diabetes 3 times. Basically, they told me should I not lose weight immediately, I'd be diagnosed diabetic. My doctor runs an IP program in her office. It made sense. i went on. It worked! 3 months later, my blood sugar is perfect. (Cured, my doctor says. Repaired, as my hubby likes to put it.) In any case that part makes me feel great.

I didn't want to end up like 2 of my mom's sisters who cannot fly (too heavy!) on airplanes. I'm wearing a 10. I've got to get ahold of my head games. That I am clearly doing to myself and I've got to do it before I get to gaol (whether it be 13 or 18 lbs from now.) Anyone have a suggestion as to how to go about doing that?

Here's an extreme suggestion. Since you are so close, how about doing away with the scale all together. Toss it for all purposes. No WI at home. When you go to the clinic, don't have your doctor tell you your weight. Just have her tell you if you gained or lost. Go by how you feel. When you feel like you are where you want to be. Be done. THEN step on a scale.

Thats a thought.

Totally agree, it is hard for me not be become obsessive about the number on the scale. I choose not to get measured but my clothes size has gone from a snug 12 to a comfortable 10. My goal and happy place is into size 8. My original thought was 140 but I really think that I will need to get to 135 to feel great.

By the way, you look wonderful!