Ok Folks.

I have been comparing weight with some others who want to lose weight... Some of these people wear multiple sizes bigger than me. I don't know what gives... Are some people just heavier?

At my most I weighed 309lbs.

I currently weigh 276lbs

On my wedding in 2012, I weighed 265lbs... I remember weighing myself multiple times that day to make sure my dress would fit!

Here is a picture of me on my wedding. I wear approx a 1x in clothing, 18 in jeans, sometimes a 20 if they are higher waisted. I am about 5'4-5'5... Average height. My Doc weighed me and told me that I should weigh 125 pounds! HOLY MOLEY! That is a huge loss and I almost can't believe it. Honestly I would be very happy being around 180. Am I a mutant or is my doc crazy? Obviously my dress is holding some of the blubber in; but it is accurate. I posted a wedding shower photo for comparison in normal clothes. Me on the left obviously.

Honestly, you won't be able to tell until you get closer to your goal. When you lose fat, you also lose water, tissue and some muscle. Based on BMI alone, 125 would be an estimate but you could put a goal at 180 and see what happens when you get there.

I'm 5'7" and the middle of the healthy weight range for me is 140, but I've been 140 and actually prefer being lower if I can.

at 5'4", 125 is probably your mid-healthy range weight. But big goals can be very intimidating. I agree with nelie - if 180 sounds good to you, go for 180. When you get there, you may decide that you want to go lower or even that 180 is too low for you.

To me a measurement of height/weight BMI is a joke because it doesn't take into consideration muscle mass or body build it only considers weight to height. However, 125-130 is an average healthy weight for someone my height which is 5'5". Though when I was 120 lbs which is still "healthy" I looked very boney because I am "big boned". When you start losing go to the doc and get your BMI my another means, Calipers, water, etc. Good luck!

i am 5 foot 4 and im around 180s range right now...i have solid muscles based on what i can do at the gym with weight training...i also have dense, heavy bones and i'm not making that up, i have doctor's tests that show that LOL...i think this is why i LOOK like i weigh less than i really do...even my doctor told me i look like i weigh around 160 when i really am in the 180s...

point being, i think it has more to do with how YOU want to look, what is healthy on your frame, what you are comfortable with

i'd like to shoot for weighing 150 but i'm actually pretty happy in the 180s too

I think 125 is the lower range of the healthy scale for a woman your height. I'm 5'3" and my healthy weight range for having a small frame is about 115-130. I'm aiming for 125 because I was always in the low 120's for most of my adult life, and I felt thin and healthy.

I think what's most important is your BMI calculation, and also your waist to hip ratio. Your doctor gave you your most healthy "ideal" weight, likely due to concerns for your health. But of course, how you feel in your own skin is important too.

I was just almost offended... Put off by 125, which seems like an almost unobtainable goal to me. I mentioned I thought losing about 100lbs would be a good start and this did not seem to satisfy her at all, and she is a bigger woman... Close to my size and height, a little leaner.

Then I spoke to my specialist (I have an autioimmune disease) and he seemed to think that even losing 15% of my total body weight (a little over 40lbs) would make a huge difference in how I feel.

Lots of docs don't have a very attractive bedside manner...I know the feeling. But I do want to say 125 is obtainable. I started at 217, yes 50 pounds less than you, but I'm now at 142 after 2 years.

I think losing 100 is a great idea. I don't have any knowledge of autoimmune disease, but if weight loss would make you feel better, I'd definitely do it.

Every pound you lose will make you feel better.
http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.html

This site shows different "real people" at different weights and heights. It might help you visualize different weights without having to picture your face on them, which might make it easier to see.

There's a poster on here that went from 344 to 119 with no surgery, so it IS possible. I've seen many people here who thought they could never be a certain weight or size, and sure enough they are now.

You'll know if you want to lose more as you go along. When you get to 180, you might find you want to go another 10, 20 or whatever - or maybe not.

If you feel you must make a final goal now, it's probably a reasonable goal to shoot for somewhere in your BMI range.

In my younger days I weighed 135-140 at 5'9". If I had never weighed that and you told me now that I had to lose 50 pounds, I'd think you were insane. But when I weighed that much (or little) it worked for me and didn't feel too skinny.

Just keep going and see what things look like.

Weigh back when I got to lifetime at WW, my goal weight (I'm 5'4") was 125. I actually got to 119 at my low point. At that time, I could not sustain that weight and I regained.

With what I know now, I'm not making that mistake again in losing weight. I do my goals in stages. For WW, my goal is 146 pounds which is the top of my range (basically to get to below 25 BMI). But, on Fitbit my goal is set to get to the 170s. Once I get there my goal will be to get to below 175 (into overweight and not obese).

The thing is that I think it is very demotivating to me to be thinking now about getting to 125. I figure that this time I'll get to the top of my healthy range (I was able to stay in that range for about 3 years so I think I can stay there) and then I'll consider whether I want to try to go for more.

So - while 125 might be a good weight (or even an ideal weight but I think that is really very subjective) - I don't think it serves any purpose to even worry about it right now. Pick some interim goal and work on getting to it and then reassess when you get there.

This. Whether you set your arbitrary "goal weight" at 130 or 150 or 170 won't make an iota of difference for what you have to do to stay on your plan today. So don't waste an iota of time worrying about it.

I love that!! For the longest time I was so concerned with that last number in my profile, but it always seemed to far away and I always quit. This time, I put a high number (what a normal BMI would be for me) and don't ever look at it. I pay attention to the one in the middle.

Hi Carbzi, best of luck with your program. Lots of good advice on setting smaller, shorter term goals. I always tell myself you can't lose 10 pounds without losing 1 pound, those 1 pounds add up over time.

It's important to incorporate changes you can live with long term, so you can keep off what you get off, I suggest starting off with some healthy habits, keeping track of what you're eating, drink enough water and if you can some light exercise.

Like others have said, if 125 doesn't seem to you where you want or need to be, don't make that your goal, I know for myself I couldn't get there, I couldn't maintain in the 130's.

Whatever you decide, don't quit, keep at it, you'll do great.

By the way, beautiful wedding dress!


Again, best of luck to you