Where, for you, does the shift happen from "I have to get this off" to "I want to get this off?"

Early journey I was convinced 145 (normal BMI) was my cut off between have-to and want-to.

Now I'm not sure. I no longer feel like I HAVE to lose weight. I don't think any doctor would have "that discussion" with me.

Not that it matters! I'm just being nosy...something to talk about.

That's a great question!!
I think for me, it's around 140-ish. I never got "That talk" at that weight, but lost more and looked better. My ultimate goal is around 125, but when I get in the area I will re-evaluate to see if I really NEED to go further.

I think part of my vanity is the sound of the number..... I want the number to SOUND as little as possible!!

No docs gave me grief when I was thirteen pounds into the overweight category. For me, the optional part will occur at about 159, 10 lbs into the normal category. The reason is sort of silly...I want to be far enough into "normal" that my redline zone doesn't fall in or too near the overweight category.

Silly...BMI is just a number, but I need a metric of some kind and that seemed sensible to me.

(Not in 100-lb club, hope it's ok to post )

When I reached about 150lbs I was definitely looking better and back to a decently comfortable weight. I was in my normal BMI range. I was back to the normal-Megan, no longer fat-Megan...if that makes sense.

But I guess I felt that if I had come that far, I didn't want to settle. If you're gonna do it, do it right. I WANTED to be a THIN person. I was tired of being envious of girls that could wear anything and be thin little dainty things. *I* wanted to be a thin little dainty thing. And I'm glad that I did. I've never experienced being skinny, and there's a remarkable difference between even being "healthy average" and "skinny." I personally prefer "skinny."

That being said, I don't have an obsession with getting as skinny as I can, and I am certainly not wanting to lose anymore. I definitely understand the fact that there is such a thing as being "too skinny." I am at a fairly low weight for my height (BMI is around 19.8), but I have a small frame and I actually still have quite a decent amount of padding, hehe.

Hmmm, I haven't been below 150 since college, but I do like how that "sounds". When I make it to 150, I am more than positive that I will want to go a little further. Personally, I would love to hit the "metric" of being "at" 135 - that's my perfection number.

So, I guess those 15 pounds between 135 and 150 would be my vanity pounds. I think I will enjoy that dilemma.

I didnt read through all the responses so someone might have already said this. I feel like if your numbers are good. Blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, cholestoral. Then your probably in the "want to lose weight" catagory. Things like body type can play a role here. I hate my big thighs and hips, but I know carrying weight there is definately less of a risk than other places. PLus depending upon bone deinstiy, muscle mass and such, healthy weights can vary hugely. A thin person who eats a poor diet and doesnt exercise may have dangerous level of fat clogging their artieres and make them suceptible to a stroke or heart attack, while someone who has a BMI overweight may have a clean and healthy system even if they are carrying more body fat.

When it became less about attaining a particular number, and more about achieving a particular look.

Then I knew it was more about aesthetics.

It started off as being about health, my terrible fear over symptoms I'd been experiencing & my intimations of mortality.

At some point, I passed from panicked to feeling I had this thing under control. Successfully losing weight for a while left me feeling able to change things. I was confident I could continue to make myself into the image I'd started to have. Maybe this is a form of hubris, though, and I am deluded in thinking I have that much control over my own flesh, because genetics likely has the final word on that. Maybe the best I can hope for is fighting genetics hard so everything is at a standstill for a couple years, till age takes over or I get too tired or distracted by some brilliant new project.

I am more in the category of wanting a particular look now. I am no longer horrified by any particular part of my body. My numbers are all good, BP, resting HR, blood sugar...not sure about cholesterol. It WAS high. That may be a determining factor right there.

I'm happy with the way I look...content. But I'm only if I compare myself to where I was at 235. I am now officially the same size I was when I got married (though 20 pounds heavier ). I know this because I tried on my wedding dress yesterday. I was NOT happy with my body then, so why am I happy with it now? Because I've learned so much! I know what fat really is!

Megan, I want to be skinny and dainty too. That's the first time I've ever admitted it aloud! LOL! I've always wanted to be the swooning female the lead characters carries off into the sunset. Trouble is, in reality, I'm actually quite strong, independent and determined. No swooning from me!

I'd say that'd be at my 100lb mark.... but honestly I already am at a point (after being as big that I was) that if I stopped today I wouldn't ever hate myself again the way I used to.

However, I'm also really going for that healthy BMI.

Once I reach those two.... I think it'll be an "Okay you did it.... if you lose more, cool, if not, cool too."

I am happy with my size. However to me it's a number thing. When I started in jan I said my goal was 150 by my birthday. On Oct 29th I will be 36 and I will be 150 by then...keeping fingers crossed lol

I was thinking about this very thing on the way in to work this morning. I was thinking that my "major goal" is 175, but being 5'7", that's still overweight... Maybe I should lower it to 150? Or 158, which would be 100 lbs off.. I don't know. I have never been thin, or small, or not the biggest girl in my "group" .. I went to a private school most of my childhood where there were only 4 girls, and I was the biggest. I was the biggest of 4 girls in my family of cousins. I'm no longer the biggest in my group of friends, but only because my BFF has some serious medical problems and some of her meds throw anything she does off wack, ... But, I want to have to decide this, I think.

Maybe when I get to 175, I'll be happy. Lord knows I'll weigh less than I did in High School! (And maybe even middle school, I dont remember back that far... but it does make me want to go get my medical records, lol..)

I dont want to change my goal and have the weightloss number seem SO MUCH MORE daunting. I mean, I've lost 31 so far, and thats great, but... sheesh, I'd still have so much more to go.

Now I'm rambling, ... Back to the point, I agree with Poppy.. I will enjoy that dilema of trying to figure that out.

I wonder at what point I will be all 'hey, I'm good.. maybe I want to keep going, not that I need to"

Sorry this is so long, I'm kind of talking to myself. LOL!!

For me - the real answer is that vanity lbs can be at almost any weight....if you are losing the weight for the wrong reasons. Appearance over health.

Im 135 this morning. While people might say any further loss is vanity lbs, my goal isnt to be skinny.

My goal is to be strong and to advance my health. If that is the primary driver, and where my weight lands is secondary - these still dont feel like vanity lbs.

I agree completely with Xty.

I'm at 14% body fat. Yes, that is in the healthy range, but I'd like to be as healthy as I can be and to keep working on my health. It might result in my losing weight or possibly even gaining weight (if it is muscle). I do know that I'd like to get my body fat percentage down some more.

Well, for me, they're ALL vanity pounds, from the first one till whatever my last one will be! LOL I want the weight gone so I'll look good. I wasn't worried about health or anything deep like that, just how I looked.

I still think the best goal has to do with health. I've said it before - I have weighed in the 170s and been a size ten and have been 165 in a tight size twelve (same brand of jeans). I was ill @ the lower weight - no muscle tone! At the higher weight I was jazzercising five times a week and had smaller waist, hips and legs with nice muscle tone. Maybe a body fat percentage? I think that really tells the truth about things!

Although . . . I check the scale. I go to WW and they weigh me. I certainly need to lose at least 80 more pounds to even be in the healthy weight neighborhood! That being said, after I'm in the range I would like to be fit and wear a size 12 again.

I'm six feet tall so if I get too skinny I'm afraid I'll look like a middle-aged brunette big-bird!