Should I Change My Weight Goal?
 

Luckily, goal weights aren't set in stone. You get to change them as many times as you like. You can always re-assess as you get closer.

My original goal weight was one that I picked because it was the lowest that I remembered being as a young adult. When I actually got there, I DID indeed lower it. I was eating and exercising so well (as opposed to the last time when I was near that weight) that getting lower was not such a hardship -at all. I DID want to get within a healthy weight range and it wasn't. But now that I was totally into this healthy lifestyle it was well within my reach.

The bottom line is, you'll just have to see when you get there.

The thing is, everyone looks different even with the same weight and same height. Because of my frame and the way I'm built (I'm pear shaped with very muscular legs) at 120 I think I will never be lower than a size 6 or even 8 in pants (and I'm fine with that). Yet, I just looked up a picture of a girl, same height and same goal weight as mine and she's a size 2!

I would say try not to think about anyone else's goal weight. Focus on yours. Reach the goal weight you've set for yourself for now and see how you feel when you reach it. Would you feel better health-wise and physically at a lower goal? Go for it! Only you can know what weight you'd truly be happy at.

Only YOU have the right to decide what your goal weight should be. Choose the weight that you feel best at - not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well.

Also, remember that your goal doesn't have to be set in stone. Once you reach your goal, you can decide whether or not you want to stay there or choose a new goal (either higher or lower). You can change your mind at any time.

I list 150 as my goal, but I'm not so sure that I'll end up there. I suspect that I may decide before I reach 150 that I'm happy where I am, and I'll stay there.

I needed a goal slip for my TOPS group (I no longer belong, because I have a schedule conflict with the local groups' meeting times). My doctor asked what I wanted as my goal weight, and I said 200 lbs. He asked me if I was sure about that, and I assumed he meant that the goal was too high, so I said "Well, I think that I'd like to try to reach 200 lbs before deciding that I can lose more." He laughed and said he meant that he thought my goal might be TOO ambitious, and suggested 250 instead.

If I think about it, I have at least half a dozen goals that I could be happy with (and I've chosen to list the lowest one here, though you know, maybe I should list one of the higher one, and only change it after I've reached it and decide to continue on. I think I will do that).


299 lbs (under the dreaded 300).

250 lbs. Doctor's suggested goal weight

225 lbs. I have a photo of myself in my 20's, when I weighed 220 lbs. In the photo, I'm sitting in a tree, trying to look sexy (a boyfriend took the photo). At the time, I thought I looked hideous, but looking back at the photo now, I think "Damn, I did look sexy."

200 lbs. (or more precisely, just under 200 lbs, even if it were 199.9 lbs). I associate "under 200 lbs" as being the cut-off for "normal." There's no rational reason for this, it's just always been my interpretation.

155 lbs. This is the lowest weight I have ever achieved as a result of dieting (I was also 15 and was taking prescription amphetemine diet pills).

150 lbs My doctor's goal weight for me when I was in high school. When my weight loss plateaued at 155, my doctor lowered my goal weight to 145 (maybe he was trying to encourage me to keep losing, but instead it discouraged me to the point that I abandoned the diet, altogheter figuring that if I couldn't reach 150 lbs, 145 lbs was impossible, and what was the use anyway.....).

145 lbs. The lowest weight a doctor has ever given me as my goal weight.


Who knows if I'll end up at or near any of these goals. The goal really isn't all that important to me at this point, because I'm not any where near most of them, so all I have to remember is that whatever I choose as my ultimate goal, I know I'm not there yet. 299 is just around the corner, but until I see it on the scale, I'm not going to feel it's real.

I think being healthy and happy at your goal weight is the most important especially for a young person who will need to maintain for a long time. The weight must work for YOU not anyone else! If 170 sounded perfect to you when you started then don't change because of someone else.

BTW: I see you've already had great success. Congrats. :cheer:

I think it's fine to have a goal for now and then assess once you get there, or at least close, on whether you want to change it.

However, I will say that once I found 3FC, I was inspired to lower my goal. I had originally figured I'd try for the 180s, which would be lower than I have any recollection of being as an adult. But when I read the stories of people who had successfully gotten down to and maintained much lower goals than that (proportionately speaking taking height into account), I decided to aim higher, so to speak, and make my goal weight lower.

I think that you should wait to get to your goal weight, once you are there if you decide to lower than lower. Why stop? :)

Congrats on the weight loss that you have already accomplished!

I understand where you are coming from. I see a lot of folks that weigh 150 (my goal weight) & they are the same height as me but their goals are way below mine. As everyone else said, it depends on how your body looks at that weight. I personally am thin at 150. I wear a size 8 juniors at that weight (we all know how little junior sizes are cut). In fact the last time I was around 145-150 I wore a bikini & it looked pretty good (I think it did anyways... LOL!).

If you get to your goal weight & you are happy with yourself I would stay there.

My goal weight is set for 195, which is now well within sight. I have been thinking for a long time that I'm going to lower it when I get there, but I've resisted changing it officially, because I figure I'll have a better idea of how much more I should lose once I'm actually AT that weight, and can see what it looks like on me. In other words, I don't think there's anything wrong with picking a goal weight you think you can get to, and then reevaluating once you get to it.

bleh, I think specific goal weights are kind of dumb. Too many people set their goal weights on some arbitrary thing ("I want to be at the exact midpoint of a healthy BMI"). So what if you get down towards there and your body's natural equilibrium is 5 lbs higher? Does your body care about your goal?

Before my wife and I had kids we were often asked that question of how many we were "planning" on having. My response was always the same, "I'm pretty sure that having a child is one of the most life changing events I will ever go through. That event will drastically change how I think about that question so it's silly of me to think I can have a real answer to it now"

Yet despite all of that, having "goals" is clearly a proven method to motivate and provide a light at the end of the tunnel.

I really like what a lot of posters do here by setting a number of mini-goals on their way to some number they picked. Keep your goal at 170 if you want and reevaluate as you get closer.

You've made so much progress (congrats!) that you of all people know that when you hit 170 it's not going to be some miracle "gates of heaven" opening experience and you will never gain or lose another pound.

I say keep doing whatever it is you've been doing, you're obviously more successful than 99% of the rest of us already!

i randomly chose a goal weight and figured, once i got there, i could always lower it. I think seeing how far I have to go is intimidating at times so I have also considering INCREASIng my goal weight to 200 and then lowering it as I go. Most of it is just a mental game to try and keep myself motivated without being overwhelmed. =0)

We sound a lot a like! My goal is around the same as yours, im only an inch taller, and I def think i carry my weight well...(well not right now, theres too much LOL) BUT also, ive lost alot of weight before, got down to 145 when i was pregnant (not sure why/how) and i didnt like my face..i looked like a heroin addict..cuz of my prominant cheekbones..it was icky... and id much rather be a little pudgy than thin-thin cuz i dont like that LOL!

sooo no dont change your goal! (IMO) I put my goal at at 170-175, and if i get down to 160, than thats buttah! if not, thats cool too... heck maybe ill be thinner at 170 than i was at 145 cuz of muscle LOL

But yea i think ur goal is ur own personal choice, and i say go for it!:carrot:

Sigh...I've been going through the same dilemma. I noticed quite a variation too. My original goal weight was 150, but now after getting to within 25lbs of that, I'm thinking there's no way just 25 more lbs. lost is going to be sufficient. I have been 150 in the past and was pretty happy with it, so it's just hard to tell. I'm exercising this time around too, which I didn't do before. What I finally decided to do is what everyone here is suggesting, just wait till you get there and then re-evaluate how you look and feel then.

This is an excellent thread with input on goals from our Maintainers.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/livi...-pick-you.html

it all depends on you. when you hit 170 if you feel like you want to lose more go for it if you are comfortable at 170 thats fine too.. its your body..