Does anyone know the process LA went through to guide you to a weight where you started maintenance and ended the diet? Just wondering. I want my goal to be realistic and not a number or size that I just pulled out of my head.
They had a binder with heights and corresponding weight ranges. They told me for 5'6 and meduim bone structure to be between 118 and 138. That being said I am very small at 135 which is my goal. No way I could or would want to weigh 118, I would look sick. Check out a bmi chart to get an idea but keep in mind it does not take into account if you are very muscular and would therefor be heavier.
There was a chart that told the counselors the lowest weight that you could safely obtain however as far as picking your weight goal we actually weren't suppose to. Someone that weighs 300 pounds and wants to weigh 200 pounds is fine, if they wanted to weigh 150 it's fine, it's all individualized and what that person felt their ideal weight should be. You can take two people of the exact same height and weight and they can look totally different. As far as choosing your weight choose something realistic and healthy that you can maintain. A lot of people try to shoot for weights that are very hard for them personally to hit and that's when people sabatoge themselves.
Personally I like to look at shooting for a body fat percentage instead of weight. There are lots of web sites that will help you estimate your body fat percentage based on your height, weight and measurements. You can get a ball park figure.
Classification Women (% fat) Men (% fat)
Essential Fat 10-12% 2-4%
Athletes 14-20% 6-13%
Fitness 21-24% 14-17%
Acceptable 25-31% 18-25%
Obese 32% plus 25% plus
*American Council on Exercise
This is a chart that I've seen a couple of different places. So estimate your current body fat percentage, figure out your approximate lean body mass, and figure that you are going to keep that in your weight loss journey, or at least the goal is to maintain most of your lean body mass.... Personally I find below 18% a real challenge to hit and stay there... I do think if you are aiming at a number below that it will be very hard to maintain and you will need to be constantly vigilant and very active to achieve it. I've read several places any number below 15% is likely unhealthy, although many hollywood stars are at 10% body fat, which is classifed as unhealthy, so I don't know why so many of us are trying for that kind of leanness!
Barbara, I agree about the body fat percentage. I am measuring mine every month and I know in the past I've seen that go down when the scale hasn't. My first goal is to get below 30% BF and see how I feel from there. It would be interesting to see if I get in the healthy body fat % range what my weight would be...and what BMI would say.
How do you get a body fat estimate? Do you have to go somewhere (like a gym) to have them do it, or can you buy scales that will do it at your house? Thanks.
I re-did my measurements - apparently I have lost inches since my last lawl measurement even if I have not lost any weight. Even with that, I'm still at the very top of the "acceptable" range. Sometimes I think my weight is fine and other times I really do think I should lose 10lbs more for my height. I wonder also how the extra skin plays into all that... I have a quite a bit around my middle...
Julie, I'm pretty sure that these tables do not take extra skin into consideration, so it is very likely that you are doing a bit better than it indicates. I took estimates from probably half a dozen or more places, and some of them were very high. I think perhaps the ones I sent are on the high side.... I have a scale that measures and have been measured a couple of different of ways over the years, so I have an idea of where my lean body mass should be, so that helps me rule out ones that show that I have suddenly lost 10 pounds of lean body mass.. doesn't make sense unless there has been something traumatic.
Picking your ideal weight
