There is no way I want to lose my curves! Honestly, would rather be overweight then too skinny. I find it that unattractive. There are so many people starving themselves in this country to match some f*d up ideal that makes them look like young BOYS that I don't want to be one of them!
But honestly I don't know where my ideal weight is going to be. I am shooting for a size 14/16 or maybe 12/14. When I was down at that size before I felt attractive and confident. I guess that is what I am going for over anything else. I want to feel confident in my body. That takes more than just getting rid of extra fat, it takes working on my self image. There are plenty of size 0 women that are unhappy with their bodies, and that just sets them up for eating disorders.
I have to admit (and I hope I don't offend anyone here), sometimes I see a series of before, in-between, and after pictures and think that the person looks much more attractive in one of their in-between pictures than at their after weight. It makes me sad because I know how hard it is to lose weight and maintain it. Ideally we need to be confident in our bodies and happy. I just wish that happened for people sooner for their own sake.
ETA: It's kind of sad when you know your body as well as I seem to know mine. The possibilities are not limitless. I know what I'm capable of & what my range is. There's a lot of settling here. And effort at self-acceptance. And realism. And trade-offs.
This is something that I am also having to come to terms with. I seriously spent COUNTLESS hours fantasizing about and visualizing how I would look after I lost weight. How I would have a perfect and sexy hourglass figure, normal size breast/butt, flat stomach, good skin, firm upper arms and legs, etc... Well, pretty much none of that worked out the way I wanted to. My breasts are down to pretty much flaps now (Not usually considered very sexy at 20 years old ), my butt is gone, I still have skin problems (and stretch marks that look weird and wrinkly now that the skin is looser), and my upper arms and legs are smaller but still jiggly and kind of weird looking. And despite all of this weight loss, I still have a poochy belly! And the way it hangs down if I bend over or god forbid do something like a yoga pose
But now that I'm here, with this body, I'm going to have to start the process of learning to love it. And it's not like if everything about it was perfect I would magically be happy anyway. People might treat me just a little bit better, but why would I really want that anyway if it is just superficial? I feel like the transition phase of getting to where I am comfortable in my new body (which may or may not mean gaining a little bit of my weight back --- I have a couple too many bones sticking out, that's not very comfy) might take almost as long as the loss phase did.
No matter how in shape or overweight I am, my proportions are always exactly the same, so I guess I know what my shape will be! ;-)
My waist to hip ratio is always about .8-.82, so not totally voluptuous, but somewhat "curvy" or hourglass.
When I was 23yo and in the best shape of my life, I weighed 141lbs. It's hard to picture weighing less than that at 36yo after having two kids. So, I guess I'm targeting 145, which seems attainable to me.
Edited to add: Also, I had a personal trainer when I was 23 who told me that I'd have to shave my hip bones to get smaller than a size 6. I was a size 8 at 141lbs.
I want to be slim and healthy. I don't want to feel fat anymore. I'm aiming for 120. I'm 5'2" so that would put my BMI in the normal range. I don't want to be too skinny either. I don't want to look sick or deathly. I think 120 for a 5'2" young adult is very possible. I know that I will still be a little curvy because even at my lowest weight I was curvy, and I had a booty. My butt is the hardest place for me to lose. It's always been kind of big even when the rest of me wasn't.
Okay, this is what I love about 3FC. Everyone is very real about their bodies. I do not see anyone setting unreasonable or unattainable goals. This didn't turn into an "Oh, I'm so gross and ugly so pity me" discussion. Its an inspiring thread about the diversity and wonder in all of us. I'm so genuinely pleased to be a part of group that rocks so much!
As for me, I've never been below 180 in my adult life. At that weight, I was a 16 and confident in my appearance. My goal is 150 right now. Anything I lose after that will be because I busted my fanny excercising and strength training. I'm fairly small on top- I barely fill a D at 280 now. I was talking about these body changes with Mr. cehrriins(not sure if I've mentioned this before, but sweet and funny so I will anyway). I told him, "You know, all of my friends are always gonna have bigger boobs than me." His response? "Baby, there are more important things in this world than big tits." I figure if he loves my perky top, I can too!
Its funny, the woman at Quick Weight Loss Center tried to argue with me about my height. When I told her I am between 5'5" and 5'6", she looked at me strangely and said that couldn't be right. I was probably 5'8" because she knew she was 5'10". No way she was that tall! So weird...
Hey Cali.
WOW! You really do look amazing at your goal weight! To answer your question - I am not really curvy and at 5'3" pretty short. The weight just tends to plop down on me and I look fat and even a couple of pounds really makes a difference. I am hoping for a lean, toned, sexy look to me when I am at the goal weight!
My goal weights at 5'9" are based not so much on body type as a)healthy weight - 169 and b) 145 is in the middle of the goal ranges I see for my height; I remember weighing 145 and looking okay, but I might end up at 150-155 because I have quite a bit more muscle now than I did then.
I was 145 pre-baby, and really don't know what I'd look like at that weight post-baby. We'll see where it goes, I guess. I expect I'll end up in an 8-10.
I have always had an hour glass figure. Even at my lowest weight of 99lbs I still had a noticeable hourglass figure. I like being thin. My goal weight is 120 but I would eventually like to get down to 110. I'm 5'2" so I like being smaller. When I wear more than 125 I look too heavy. So ya I want to be thin.
This is an interesting idea! I'd have to say that I'd like to be 'thin' if I had to pick. I have really small bones (I hate using that phrase, but it is true) and so the weight shows on me really easily. I'm not sure how I'll look at 120 (my goal) but if I need to readjust from there, I will. I've spent the bulk of my post-puberty life with an overly generous bosom, and so I don't think I'll really lose all of it with the weight loss (I think I've gone down maybe a cup size in the nearly 40 lbs I've lost). Truthfully, I just want to be fit and healthy and happy. The shape of my body isn't something that I can really pick, so it looks like I'll have to wait and see!
I would LOVE to be 105, but when I was there, it took so much effort to stay there! Then I got married and had kids and here I am 14 years later at 170.
My goal is the TOP of the healthy BMI range, 128. Seriously, after being so overweight for so long, I can't imagine being skinny or overly thin, I can just imagine a bit pudgy.
cali - Just wanted to say that you look AMAZING! Congrats on your losses.
I started with my goal at 161 because that put me in the 'healthy' bmi weight range and because it would give me an even 60lbs lost. When I got there, I wasn't happy with how my body looked. My goal for appearance is to look fit/toned/healthy, but also to still have my womanly shape. My biggest thing I don't want to lose is my chest. Luckily I've gone down only 1 cup size through this whole thing, but to me it would sound kind of weird to be almost 5'9" and say that I'm in the 140s... So I want to be about 150 now because I know I'll be proud of myself and happy with my body there.
Cali- Congratulations on how great you look in your pictures..
I was 130 before which is my current goal and at that size I was wearing size 3/4 and I felt great... I do a lot of exercise so I am very toned and getting under 130 would be too much for me.
I want to be thin but curvy at the same time. I want a flat belly, but I love my hips and thighs and behind and breast. You know how they say everything's bigger in Texas, well, that's me. I'm 5'2 but to hope for anything less than 130 would be silly.
), my butt is gone, I still have skin problems (and stretch marks that look weird and wrinkly now that the skin is looser), and my upper arms and legs are smaller but still jiggly and kind of weird looking. And despite all of this weight loss, I still have a poochy belly! And the way it hangs down if I bend over or god forbid do something like a yoga pose 
