Ok, I have another burning question (see what happens when all of you are so helpful????).

Weight Watchers says my goal weight for my height is 153 lbs. I thought that sounded reasonable till I talked to my sister last night. She has lost and maintained 70 lbs. She is 5'3" and weighs I think around 165. She does not look overweight to me at all (but who knows?--when you're over 300 lbs not many people look big to you anymore). I mean she doesnt wear plus sizes or anything anymore and feels really healthy and good. She said her goal weight is something like 145 but she had a really hard time taking off the last 20 lbs. I mean, like she wasnt even eating 1200 calories a day toward the end. She got so frustrated and fed up with it that she decided to just go into the maintenence phase.

She has kept the weight off. The thing that concerns me is that I am 4" taller than she is (but still her baby sis-ha) and my goal weight is only 8 lbs more than hers. In addition to being taller than her I also have a larger bone structure and am more muscular. That's just the way I'm built. Now, while 153 lbs doesnt seem deathly thin to me or anyone else, I am afraid I am setting myself up for failure because now I dont think that is really a realistic and maintainable goal weight. Dont get me wrong--I'll keep going on this thing till the cows come home. But I am afraid I'll never actually reach goal weight if I set it at 153. Does this seem out of whack to anyone else? My sister says she is still considered "obsese" by medical standards! How can that be???

Hi there Amy,
I totally get where you are coming from, for my height I the chart says I should weigh 125-135 and I am 5 feet 5 inches tall...now the way I am built I look ill at that weight so I went to the doctor and he said it is different for everyone and that I was just fine at 150 and healthy so not to worry anz he changed my goal slip, one size does not fit all if you get my drift Wishing you all the best .......

W/W is based on an old Insurance Chart as well as BMI which isn't always accurate because it doesn't take into account those who have a higher muscle to fat ratio. It is only based on height and weight.

If you want to be higher than the range that W/W gives for your height just talk to your doctor and set a goal weight, have him/her write a short note on a prescription pad or letterhead stating that xxx is your goal weight chosen by her and you. W/W will accept that and let you become lifetime.

Part of her problem may have been not eating enough calories at the end but it may be because she built up more muscle mass and thus it made her look heavier on the scale but yet she was thinner.

Why are you comparing yourself to someone that is not simliar to you? Weight is very individualized and if you need someone to help you see your doctor.

That is because her BMI is probably still in that category but like I said it doens't take into account the muscle mass. Tell her to go get her body fat checked...she is probably in a good healthy standard if she goes by that.

Christian--Yes, I agree that 125-130 seems very thin and sickly for someone who is 5'5". I'm 5'7" and I cant imagine myself even close to that thin.

Kelly--you are right, I shouldn't be comparing myself. My sister and I look like we were cut from different cloth in a lot of ways, even tho we have the same parents (I think...just kidding!!)

Thank you both for recommending I ask my Dr. I hadnt thought about that before--duh! My Dr is really cool and I'm sure she'll be thrilled I am doing something about getting healthier (that's what Dr's want, right?) and will be happy to help me. I do think 153 is pretty low for someone who is a big-boned 5'7" and I'm almost certain she'd agree. Now I am wondering what she will say...maybe 165? Hm.

Hi, my highest weight was 350. I started this time at 312 and will be thrilled to get to 250. Hey, let's be honest -- even 270 would be less than I've weighed in close to 20 years. At some point, I would want to hop on again & get to 225, at which point I will willingly give up dieting for ever & ever, amen, as long as I can maintain that weight. It is realistic for ME, & I finally am fine enough to know that the WW goal is absolutely & totally unrealistic for me. Then again, I am the only one who has to live in this bod (& I'm OK w/that!). Best wishes always!

yeah I had my doctor set my goal weight too as I felt WW goal for me was unrealistic for many of the reasons you have!

Thanks for all your input guys! I appreciate it!

You will be able to get a better handle on what your goal weight should be when you get down to about 30 pounds of your goal weight. At that point, you can reassess and really see what your body wants to be, and, if painfully necessary, deal with any loose skin issues that may arise. You can also set an interim goal that works for you. For example, set 175 as your interim goal, and then, at that point, decide what you want your final goal to be. That will probably be a few months away and at that point you will have a really good idea of what works for you.

Congratulations on starting on this journeyl.

YOu don't set your goal until you are closer to it so why worry now. Few people are big boned. We like to think we are but unless you are a real athlete you probably aren't. Right now I'd focus on setting some 10% goals and others I can achieve in a shorter time. By the way, I once weighed 356 am now 155 and am 5'6" tall. When I was younger (now 64) I maintained at 135 just fine. My big bones turned out to be little ones.

It sounds lame, but you'll sortof know when your weight is the right one for you. I know *I* like to have something to aim for too though. What about a particular size? Go for size 12 or 14 and see what you think. My goal is 168 at 5'9", six years ago I was there and out walking and a truckful of teenage boys whistled at me (not mooing or barking, wolf whistling)! Of course, they were looking at my behind and not my 36 year old face I was wearing a size 12. The smallest I've been as an adult is size 10 and I have to really fight to get much smaller. I'm too old to fight now, I just want to be comfortable and healthy. My doctor actually told me that anywhere between 160 and 200 would be fine for me.

Hi ladies,

I agree with you completely. I am almost 35 years old and I'm 5 foot tall. That's it 5 foot no inches, well not in height anyway , only inches in the waist. My Weight Watchers goal is 102 lbs - 123 lbs. Right now I'm 165 lbs and I cannot see myself at 102 or even 123. I am taking each day as they come and whatever I can do I'll do. I will not kill myself trying to get down to 123 lbs. If I feel comfotable at 130 or 135 I will stay there. ANyway I better go and have my morning coffee and get my day started. See you later.

Kim

I agree with the person who said that you'll start to know once you about 30-50 pounds away from the goal WW set. When I started at 286 lbs., I picked 140 lbs as my ultimate goal. Why? It's in the middle of a healthy BMI range for my height (5'6"), and a friend of mine who was my same height weighed 140, wore a size 8 or 10, and looked good. Well, now that I'm hovering between 160 and 165, I wear a size 10. I think if I lost 25 more pounds, I'll actually look emaciated. So, I'm aiming for 150-155 pounds instead (a change I just made about six months - or 20 pounds - ago).

When I feel like my goal range is two low for me, I think it is because I have always been overweight. I have always seen a fat person looking back in the mirror and so can't imagine thin.

I have 4 close cousins (and my sister) and we are all about the same height.

C: 5' and 95 lbs
J: 5'2 and 105 lbs
T: 5'2 and 135 lbs
E: 5'2 and 165 lbs
Me: 5'2 and 196 lbs
Sis: 5'4 and 175 lbs

We are all built pretty much the same so it makes for a good comparison. I can see what I would look like at any given weight. And even though I can't ever imagine being as little as Chris, she does look great. I never even knew we looked alike until she was really pregnant and retaining water (mostly in her face) and everyone commented how much we looked alike. It sort of gave me home that maybe if I got down there I would look the way she does now. Though I am pretty sure my stomach could never shrink to that flattness.

Well I am 5'3" and all through H.S. I weighed between 170-150...mostly 165. I wore a size 11-13 sometimes a 10. I eventually got down to 143 and I wore a size 7 (that was short lived lol). Now I'm 225 and an 18-20. I've been told a LOT that no one would guess I'm the size I am. My friend is 200 and she looks a LOT bigger than me (she's an inch or two shorter) and she wears 1 size smaller but to look at us both she looks heftier. It really depends on your body and how you carry weight.

Those "ideal weight" things are mostly guidelines.