So, I was talking to my coach, who in my office happens to be the PA since I am doing this in my doctor's office, and she suggested to me that I might consider making my goal weight five pounds heavier than I had initially thought. This is based on how I'm looking. She expects me to lose a bit still on Phase II and wants me to ultimately end at a weight where I'm not looking boney (not my goal!) and that I can maintain without too much struggle.

The other good news is that everything that had gone wrong with my blood work right before I started IP and really prompted me to do this has now been fixed. I have really good blood work again. So, IP has really saved my life and I don't think thats an exaggeration.

What is your experience? Did you alter your Goal based on how you looked or stay with your original goal because that was what you started with?

I wanted 125 because that is right around where I felt comfortable last time I lost weight. Once I reached it I actually thought a few more lbs would be good, just in case if I mess up I never go past goal. Have only been maintaining for a month and even though I thought close to 120 was unrealistic to stay at, it hasnt been. Would 5 lbs really affect maintainence? I am thinking you should wait until u reach 165 then reevaluate, u might decide its perfect for u or that 10 more is.

Forget about the scale. When you get to a weight that feels right phase off.
If you try to get too low it is much more difficult to maintain.

THIS.

I am 5'10" as well. My coach thinks I should be 195. I was thinking more around 175, but I told her I would get to 195 and then we could see how I feel. 160 I could never do though. I don't feel or look healthy much below 170. It is interesting convo though. I have no idea what I am going to do. LOL

agreed!

I agree with the others that you should stop where you feel comfortable. I initially wanted to set my goal as 160 as that's where I thought I could maintain but decided on 150. I've been debating for a bit when to stop as I'm happy with the way I look now. I will be going to phase 2 on Friday (I see my coach tomorrow) and will start phasing off. I'm almost at the goal weight I set now anyhow.

Thank you guys. I hadn't been thinking about altering things but I do want to be able to maintain this.

Congratulations on moving to Phase 2. You have done so well!

I have been going through this very thought process over the past few weeks. I have not really given up on my initial goal (190) but decided to start phasing out at about 205 lbs. I think I will get to 190 eventually, but more gradually and through a combination of the maintenance diet and regular exercise.

I am sure that everyone is different. I know that moving on from phase 1 when I did was the right decision for me.

Age has a lot to do with this decision too. As we get older the weight goes from the face and not from the middle.
A weight that looked fantastic at 30 can look haggard at 55+.Also as we get older it takes far fewer calories to maintain. So a low weight plus being older is very difficult to maintain.

I've been going through this though process also. I'm now only 3 lbs from my original goal weight of 140 lbs, but my body doesn't look like I want it to. Therefore, i'm seriously considering changing my goal weight to 130 and see how I look when I get close to that.

I think we all need to do what makes us most comfortable and what we can live ..that causes us the least amount of stress and unhappiness.

Everyone has a different idea of what is success for them...as long as you are not feeling turmoil in your life from your decisions ...go with your Gut....that has always rule me in life!
Good Luck, Roo2

I think is a matter of how I feel, how my labs are, my doctor opinions matter to me a lot too, then I would make my decision. I've seen some people going down as far as they could because they were doing this by the scale, but honestly the look so crappy, and unhealthy.

I posted about this very thing this morning on the chat thread. I had my WI yesterday. Right now I sit at 169 and I fit comfortably in size 9/10, which was my main goal from the start.