I know how I felt when I was thinner than I am now. I was never slender by any means. But I was happy and felt healthy. I don't know why I started putting on the lbs, but I gained 30lbs in probably 6-8 months. I want to back where I was February 14, 2007 (mini goal 2). Not skinny, curvy. I think I have 23 lbs to go before I am there, but I had a baby since then, so I may need to lose more than that... not sure.

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Current: 208lbs
Mini Goal 1: 199 - 9lbs to go
Mini Goal 2: 185 - 23lbs to go
Mini Goal 3: 175 - 33lbs to go
Mini Goal 4: 160 - 48lbs to go
Unrealistic Goal?? 155 - 63lbs to go

Cali, you look awesome! I'm also interested in how different people, even those who are the same height, have very different goal weights. What interests me even more are people who are the same height, have vastly different weights, but still wear the same clothing size!

Body frame has a lot to do with it, how toned someone is has a lot to do with it, different brands having different sizing charts has a lot to do with it, and someone on the last page mentioned how people wear looser or tighter clothes, so someone who wears looser clothes might say they're a size 16 when they're really a 14, and someone who wears tight clothes might say they're a size 16 when they're really an 18.

As for my goal shape, I like stella's "slender". I haven't been slender since I was 4 years old, and now that I feel like I've made a sustainable lifestyle change, I think I can finally get to that point. I'm 5'4" and have a small frame, so I figure if I can get myself to around 130lbs, I'll be in the middle of the healthy range for my height and be slender, rather than skinny or voluptuous.

Cali - congrats on your weight loss! You look great :)

I am currently 5'6 and my final goal is 130. That would put me at "thin" or slender but still at a healthy weight.

I'm 5'8" and 241 pounds. I am pear-shaped now (47-40-53). When I was thinner, at about 155-160 pounds, I was 38-28-40 and I think a size 12 on top, 10 on bottom. I remember squeezing into a size 10 pair of Calvin Kleins my freshman year in college and thinking WOOHOO, I have arrived! ;)

I loved being curvy, having an hourglass shape. But I have always had 140 as my goal in my head, maybe just to try it on for a week or a month... to see what it is like to be honestly thin.

At 156 (my lowest in 2001), my thighs didn't touch and that seemed like a miracle! :) I was thrilled with that, and I couldn't get over being able to wear a dress and not worry about chafed thighs in the summer or having to do a "funny walk" to get loose shorts to unbunch from in between my thighs.

My goal is losing weight is to regain my full functionality of my body (more energy and endurance, strength, range of motion) and to soothe that voice in my head saying "You're too fat! TOO FAT!", especially when I contemplate getting out into the dating world again.

Weirdly, I am much more aware of my body fat then thinner, always making sure I am covered up, feeling like people at staring at me... When I'm thin, I just am. I miss that happy freedom.

I'm using my past experience as a guide, and my decisions are lifestyle-based, as well as aesthetic.

I mean, I know I can get down really low, but I also know what that costs me, physically & mentally, and I'm all about sustainability & the long term.

I've done superskinny, which for me, meant hovering just over 100 pounds. I believe that was a size 6, with a 4 on top. (That was years ago & sizes have changed since then.) It wore me out mentally & physically trying to keep that scale in line. Also, my ribcage was somewhat frightening when I was naked. In photographs, my face is rather gaunt. And I was crazy.

At 115, I was still bingeing in reaction to the overrestricting required to stay that low. My neck was still kind of stalky-looking, but my butt was tiny. I could make this for a class reunion, maybe, but no way could I live with it for months & months. I was not quite crazy but not, I'd say, a "balanced" person.

About 125 is probably the ideal weight for me as far as my appearance in clothing. But I'm older now & I just don't want to work that hard all the time. This would require tremendous dedication. I would like to relax a bit more. I do not want to do more than 2 hours exercise a day. Even 2 hours makes me feel a bit obsessive-compulsive sometimes.

I'm shooting for a compact, athletic 135-140 range. (I say range because I know a single perfect "forever" weight isn't how my body works.) This is probably the edge of curvy for me. I'd like to see a little less booty when I'm in Warrior II pose & looking at myself head-on in the studio mirror. I'll still have rather muscular calves & thighs, but not quite so thick. My stomach will go down a little more, but it's always going to be rounded rather than flat & defined as an anatomical drawing. But maybe I won't have the menopot when that time comes upon me.

My problem is partly the loose skin on my current weight, which I'm going to guess adds maybe 5 pounds to my appearance. (I do not know what it would actually weigh if I were able to weigh it all separately from the body it's currently upholstering.)

ETA: It's kind of sad when you know your body as well as I seem to know mine. The possibilities are not limitless. I know what I'm capable of & what my range is. There's a lot of settling here. And effort at self-acceptance. And realism. And trade-offs.

There is no way I want to lose my curves! Honestly, would rather be overweight then too skinny. I find it that unattractive. There are so many people starving themselves in this country to match some f*d up ideal that makes them look like young BOYS that I don't want to be one of them!

But honestly I don't know where my ideal weight is going to be. I am shooting for a size 14/16 or maybe 12/14. When I was down at that size before I felt attractive and confident. I guess that is what I am going for over anything else. I want to feel confident in my body. That takes more than just getting rid of extra fat, it takes working on my self image. There are plenty of size 0 women that are unhappy with their bodies, and that just sets them up for eating disorders.

I have to admit (and I hope I don't offend anyone here), sometimes I see a series of before, in-between, and after pictures and think that the person looks much more attractive in one of their in-between pictures than at their after weight. It makes me sad because I know how hard it is to lose weight and maintain it. Ideally we need to be confident in our bodies and happy. I just wish that happened for people sooner for their own sake.

This is something that I am also having to come to terms with. I seriously spent COUNTLESS hours fantasizing about and visualizing how I would look after I lost weight. How I would have a perfect and sexy hourglass figure, normal size breast/butt, flat stomach, good skin, firm upper arms and legs, etc... Well, pretty much none of that worked out the way I wanted to. My breasts are down to pretty much flaps now (Not usually considered very sexy at 20 years old ;)), my butt is gone, I still have skin problems (and stretch marks that look weird and wrinkly now that the skin is looser), and my upper arms and legs are smaller but still jiggly and kind of weird looking. And despite all of this weight loss, I still have a poochy belly! And the way it hangs down if I bend over or god forbid do something like a yoga pose :dizzy:

But now that I'm here, with this body, I'm going to have to start the process of learning to love it. And it's not like if everything about it was perfect I would magically be happy anyway. People might treat me just a little bit better, but why would I really want that anyway if it is just superficial? I feel like the transition phase of getting to where I am comfortable in my new body (which may or may not mean gaining a little bit of my weight back --- I have a couple too many bones sticking out, that's not very comfy) might take almost as long as the loss phase did.

No matter how in shape or overweight I am, my proportions are always exactly the same, so I guess I know what my shape will be! ;-)

My waist to hip ratio is always about .8-.82, so not totally voluptuous, but somewhat "curvy" or hourglass.

When I was 23yo and in the best shape of my life, I weighed 141lbs. It's hard to picture weighing less than that at 36yo after having two kids. So, I guess I'm targeting 145, which seems attainable to me.



Edited to add: Also, I had a personal trainer when I was 23 who told me that I'd have to shave my hip bones to get smaller than a size 6. I was a size 8 at 141lbs.

I want to be slim and healthy. I don't want to feel fat anymore. I'm aiming for 120. I'm 5'2" so that would put my BMI in the normal range. I don't want to be too skinny either. I don't want to look sick or deathly. I think 120 for a 5'2" young adult is very possible. I know that I will still be a little curvy because even at my lowest weight I was curvy, and I had a booty. My butt is the hardest place for me to lose. It's always been kind of big even when the rest of me wasn't.

Okay, this is what I love about 3FC. Everyone is very real about their bodies. I do not see anyone setting unreasonable or unattainable goals. This didn't turn into an "Oh, I'm so gross and ugly so pity me" discussion. Its an inspiring thread about the diversity and wonder in all of us. I'm so genuinely pleased to be a part of group that rocks so much! :)

As for me, I've never been below 180 in my adult life. At that weight, I was a 16 and confident in my appearance. My goal is 150 right now. Anything I lose after that will be because I busted my fanny excercising and strength training. I'm fairly small on top- I barely fill a D at 280 now. I was talking about these body changes with Mr. cehrriins(not sure if I've mentioned this before, but sweet and funny so I will anyway). I told him, "You know, all of my friends are always gonna have bigger boobs than me." His response? "Baby, there are more important things in this world than big tits." I figure if he loves my perky top, I can too!

Its funny, the woman at Quick Weight Loss Center tried to argue with me about my height. When I told her I am between 5'5" and 5'6", she looked at me strangely and said that couldn't be right. I was probably 5'8" because she knew she was 5'10". No way she was that tall! So weird...

Hey Cali.
WOW! You really do look amazing at your goal weight! To answer your question - I am not really curvy and at 5'3" pretty short. The weight just tends to plop down on me and I look fat and even a couple of pounds really makes a difference. I am hoping for a lean, toned, sexy look to me when I am at the goal weight!

Thanks Tia, Kirjava and 5factorgirl! :-)

cehrriins, it's so weird for that lady at Quick Weight Loss Center was so off about her own height. lol!

My goal weights at 5'9" are based not so much on body type as a)healthy weight - 169 and b) 145 is in the middle of the goal ranges I see for my height; I remember weighing 145 and looking okay, but I might end up at 150-155 because I have quite a bit more muscle now than I did then.

I was 145 pre-baby, and really don't know what I'd look like at that weight post-baby. We'll see where it goes, I guess. I expect I'll end up in an 8-10.

I have always had an hour glass figure. Even at my lowest weight of 99lbs I still had a noticeable hourglass figure. I like being thin. My goal weight is 120 but I would eventually like to get down to 110. I'm 5'2" so I like being smaller. When I wear more than 125 I look too heavy. So ya I want to be thin.

This is an interesting idea! I'd have to say that I'd like to be 'thin' if I had to pick. I have really small bones (I hate using that phrase, but it is true) and so the weight shows on me really easily. I'm not sure how I'll look at 120 (my goal) but if I need to readjust from there, I will. I've spent the bulk of my post-puberty life with an overly generous bosom, and so I don't think I'll really lose all of it with the weight loss (I think I've gone down maybe a cup size in the nearly 40 lbs I've lost). Truthfully, I just want to be fit and healthy and happy. The shape of my body isn't something that I can really pick, so it looks like I'll have to wait and see!

I am just under 5' tall.

I would LOVE to be 105, but when I was there, it took so much effort to stay there! Then I got married and had kids and here I am 14 years later at 170.

My goal is the TOP of the healthy BMI range, 128. Seriously, after being so overweight for so long, I can't imagine being skinny or overly thin, I can just imagine a bit pudgy.
:dizzy:

Dawn

stargzr, you are doing so wonderfully. I'm proud of you! You're close to your new goal! :-)

..and thanks!

Cali- Congratulations on how great you look in your pictures..

I was 130 before which is my current goal and at that size I was wearing size 3/4 and I felt great... I do a lot of exercise so I am very toned and getting under 130 would be too much for me.

I want to be thin but curvy at the same time. I want a flat belly, but I love my hips and thighs and behind and breast. You know how they say everything's bigger in Texas, well, that's me. I'm 5'2 but to hope for anything less than 130 would be silly.

I think my ultimate goal for my body isn't so much about being a certain weight, but is more so about being a size 10/12 and healthy enough that my weight doesn't get in the way of me living my life.

I'm a very pronounced pear-shape with a waist-to-hip ratio of .69 and I honestly think I'd be perfectly happy remaining "voluptuous" or "chubby." My current goal weight is 162 pounds, but I really wouldn't be opposed to dropping down to 152lb - 157lb, either; I have a pretty average sized frame, but I want to make my goal weight one that I know I can maintain long-term and I really feel as though I could maintain in the 160s or 150s, even though I'd still be somewhere between 7lbs - 17lbs overweight based on the BMI scale, depending on where I decide to stop losing and start to maintain.

I'm 5'8, currently varying between 134-138 these last few weeks (trying to 'settle' in maintenance, after reaching my original goal of 140 last October).

I wear a size 8 exactly, neither tight nor loose -- so not super skinny, no.

I would describe myself as looking "thin" and "fit" in most clothing. Occasionally I am surprised to see that I can look skinny-skinny (in some clothing) as well as voluptuous (in other certain clothing, in a bathing suit or naked).

I'm not going to lie, my goal is to be thin. I'd love to be superskinny, but my body isn't built that way, and I know it'll never happen. I like my curves, but I know that fat isn't what's making them, and even if I drop a bunch of weight I'll still have bigger hips than my waist and big boobs... but that doesn't mean I can't also be thin.

Im not looking to be super skinny, I dont want any bones sticking out! I just dont want any fat rolls! Id like to keep my curves but not be chunky or on the verge of fat.

I am a true hourglass. At 5'5 and 176 pounds, my measurements are 42/32/42. I wear a size 14/16 in pants and a medium/large in tops. I wear a size 38D bra. I'm naturally muscular and I got some curves. Even at 176 (ew, ew, ew!) I only look like I weight about 160. Thank my Hispanic heritage. However, blessed or not, I'm nowhere near satisfied.

My goal weight is 140. I've been there before (when I was 14; I'm 16 now) and although at that point I hadn't stopped growing and developing, I was still curvaceous all over. Booty, hips, thighs, and a substantial chest for a 14-year-old. Somehow, even after I get the weight off, I don't see my curves going away.

I don't want to be rail-thin, although there are certainly some very beautiful women out there who are. But that isn't even going to be me. I just want to be healthy and fit. I want to be able to wear a bathing suit, a fitted top, and cute jeans or shorts without feeling self-conscious.

I just wanna be slim and healthy. Anything less than 130 lbs on me and I start to look a little weird in the face. And I like my butt (as does the bf), and I'm sad that my chest is the first area to decrease in size when my weight drops.

I'm an hourglass shape right now, and I know my hips won't be going anywhere even when I get to goal. I want to keep my curves but just have them toned and tight. My husband said he absolutely does not want to see any bones, and that's fine by me too. Lol! :)

My goal is 120 and that was a pretty good weight for me. I have always been hourglass shaped want to be at a weight where I can still be curvy. My goal is to be a size 4 because I wore that in highschool but for most of my life before that I was a 6 and was fine with that.

At my finished weight I want to be in shape but still retain all of my fantastic and curvaceous body parts. So I would say voluptuous for me anyway.