My thoughts on this are kind of scattered right now, so forgive me!
I've been crunching numbers in order to set some mini-goals for myself to help keep me motivated. I really like seeing the mini-goals many of you have set for yourselves. In doing that, I've found myself looking at a lot of healthy weight range charts and BMI calculators.
I'm only 5'0". According to all the charts and calculators, my ideal weight (and for a normal BMI) would be between 97-128lbs. Now, there's a part of me that thinks, in finally taking this weight off, I want to end up maintaining at a weight that isn't just a pound or two away from landing me right back in the overweight category, you know? So maybe most people would say, ok then, 120lbs would be a great goal weight! Right?
So why do I get all weirded out at the thought of setting a goal weight under 130? What's holding me back? 130lbs would still be considered overweight, which I absolutely do not want. Maybe it has to do with not being able remember a time when I weighed less than 150lbs. I really want to be healthy. I take after the women on my mom's side (out of whom I am the tallest, if you can believe that!), and all of them are overweight or obese. There's so much diabetes and other health issues among them that it scares me. I need to be here for a long time. I'm terrified of leaving my kids without a mother at a young age 125lbs just sounds like such a crazy low number! As my 4yo would say, "that's not even a real thing!" LOL
Would love to hear if anyone else has felt like this. Any other short women here who're looking at a similar goal, or who've reached it? Thanks!
Last edited by MakingSkinny; 01-12-2010 at 03:38 PM.
Most people just pull a number out of a hat, so to speak--or they look at the BMI tables and see where "normal" is. But in reality, who knows what your very own ideal weight would be?
And really, it doesn't matter whether you have 135 or 125 as a goal when you have a lot to lose... You can always re-evaluate when you get to 135!
I agree that my goal number was kind of, sort of pulled out of a hat. Kind of. BMI numbers were a big influence in my decision, but mostly... I picked 99lbs just for the bragging rights. I mean, we're short, right? There's not too much we can do to make others envious. But having a weight that's in the double digits is something we can do while still being healthy. So you can call it shallow, but my goal weight is there to make others green with envy, hehe. (That, and it'd just be so fun to be carried around and stuff!) I was also inspired by the BMIs of people I'd consider gorgeous and who I wanted to emulate (which got my goal down to 101lbs, or something, so I just shaved off 2lbs from there for the fun of it).
It's so much better, I think, to have a goal of 130s though, because that's certainly achievable. 99lbs may turn out to be impossible to achieve for my body type, and I might have set myself up for failure where as you're setting yourself up for success! And as JayEll said, you can always re-evaluate as you go along.
I've been doing my weigh-ins with Wii Fit, and I found that to get out of the overweight range and into the normal range, I need to weigh about 147. So I set my goal weight at 145, to account for the fact that my weight could increase 2 pounds just by drinking a lot of water or weighing in with heavier clothes than normal (sadly, not all scales subtract clothing weight like the balance board!).
I would just, just be out of the overweight range at 145, but I don`t want to sabotage myself by aiming so low that it`s nigh on impossible for me to maintain it. I think that may be why you`re so reluctant to place your goal weight below 130.
The way I look at it is, if I was the ideal weight for my height, gaining a couple pounds would knock me right out of being at that perfect weight. If I maintain at 10 or so pounds over the ideal, gaining a couple pounds would still leave me at the same place I was to begin with. For example, if I`m 150 pounds and I gain 2 pounds, I`m still overweight. The number changed, but not the status. But if the ideal weight for my height is 125 pounds, if I gain 2 pounds, I`m no longer ideal.
The rational part of me knows that 2 pounds one way or the other is nothing to worry about, but not all of me is rational.
If you feel more comfortable setting your goal weight at 130, even if it`s not in the ideal range, I think you should do that. You can can always decide to aim lower later on. I think that goals need to be realistic and achievable, and no one knows what`s realistic and achievable for you better than you do. Go with your gut for now, and adjust later on if you need to.
For me, the choice of 180 was kind of obvious. I've been that weight before, I felt great at that weight, I had more options when it came to clothing... And let's face it. Me being under 150 ain't gonna happen, even if I am only 5'4. (The following is not an excuse, it is a fact.) Nobody in my family has ever stayed skinny past their 14th birthday. NOBODY. My son is only 11... But I'm going to make sure he doesn't lose that wonderful metabolism that keeps him so skinny. He's tall for his age too... He goes up to my nose!
Getting back on topic here... (I do that a lot, I go off on a tangent without meaning to.) 180 is attainable for me because I've weighed that much before and I know I can get there if I eat properly and exercise when I can. You can do this... And even if it seems like you won't get there, you will. Although I do suggest following the advice given already... 135 seems more attainable for you -at this particular point in time- so set your goal there, then adjust as needed until you get where you want to be.
This is probably one the top 10 questions asked on 3FC. And Jayell is right when she says that most people just pick a magic number. I really wouldn't worry about a goal "weight" right now. I'd just focus on staying on plan...One day at a time. I changed my goal several times on the way down, and still don't know if I'm where I want to be...it's all trial and error.
Here's a suggestion - why don't you set your temporary goal at 140? That's a weight you KNOW you don't want to stay at, but by that point you'll have a MUCH better sense of whether you need to lose another 5 or 10 or 20 to be where you want to be. If you set at 130 and reassess then, it becomes really tempting to keep your goal there because it's EASIER. If you set your reassess point at 140, you're going to have to keep losing either way - the question is just how much. It might trick your mind into stressing less about the number until you're closer and can realistically balance abstract charts and the reality of your own body.
I first wanted to leave obese and then overweight category. I adjusted from there. You know the right direction. Just start going that way. When you find the right spot, you will know it.
175 is at the top of my 'normal' range weight. I think its actually the man's weight for my height, LOL. But I thought that would be a good weight for me. I"ve been there before and was happy. My Mom is my height and about 40lbs below that, I think she's too thin. {but don't tell her I said that!} I have a muscular build {which I exercise hard to support/keep} so I'm always going to weigh more than I look.
I figure when I get to 175 I can always change my mind and try for more.
Most people just pull a number out of a hat, so to speak--or they look at the BMI tables and see where "normal" is. But in reality, who knows what your very own ideal weight would be?
Yeap! I originally had 150 as my goal weight since it was in the "normal" range of the BMI chart and it just sounded good. I adjusted it lower when I got close to the 150. Then the number seemed really far out of reach so I just focused on 10lbs at a time....like Thighsbegone said, just start going down & you can always reevaluate the big goal at anytime!
idk really..i will probably reevaluate once i get to that point..my goal weight its still considered. overweight..i'll just be happy out the 200's period.
I set 230 as my initial goal, because I always seem to plateau at 240, and I want to see if I can get past that barrier this time.
160 is my goal weight. A doctor and I agreed on it. It's the smallest I ever weighed as an adult, when I was 19 and pregnant. It might be attainable again.
I didn't want to set a goal that was *not* biologically practical for me. Coming from a family of stocky builds, I don't think I'll ever be fashion-model skinny, and if I'm not, that's OK with me. Even the non-obese members of my family have big bones, and I'm fairly muscular as well. I'm most likely going to end up looking reasonably slim, but maybe weighing 10 or 20 pounds more than someone else my height with smaller bones and less muscle.
When I was 150 (not all that long ago), I was quite thin, but I kind of think that 145 is more of an ideal and it also gives me wiggle room. I'll be very happy anywhere between 145 to 150, but I haven't been 145 since I was about 20, so I'm not even sure if that's attainable with all the extra skin I'll be carrying around. I just looked at a height and weight chart and it says I should be around 130 with my small frame. I can NEVER EVER weigh that little. I would be skin and bones. I know that even at 150, everyone thought I should really stop losing and that was the thinnest I could be. So, back to your question (sorry for the ramble!), I was able to determine it based on how I felt the last time I was at that weight. It feels right. I am determined to enjoy it this time. Last time I was there, I was super self-critical and didn't really enjoy what it was all about....but I've learned my lesson well! I know they say third time's a charm, but in my case, it has been wayyyy more times than three.
How did you determine your goal weight?
125lbs just sounds like such a crazy low number! As my 4yo would say, "that's not even a real thing!" LOL 
we're the same height! Yay!
I just looked at a height and weight chart and it says I should be around 130 with my small frame. I can NEVER EVER weigh that little. I would be skin and bones. I know that even at 150, everyone thought I should really stop losing and that was the thinnest I could be. So, back to your question (sorry for the ramble!), I was able to determine it based on how I felt the last time I was at that weight. It feels right. 
I am determined to enjoy it this time. Last time I was there, I was super self-critical and didn't really enjoy what it was all about....but I've learned my lesson well! 
