Hey chicks. So I've recently decided that I don't want to be thin.

I was trying on a pair of flats and I couldn't help but notice how much thicker my ankles are compared to most girls'. My wrists are thick too, so I think I may just have a large frame. I'll definitely never be one of those dainty little things.

I figure if I were thin, I would look strange naked. Very strange. I don't want to be deflated, saggy, and oddly proportioned, and with my terrible skin I can expect that. I'd really like to be a healthy looking girl who's a bit on the chubby side. Nothing wrong with that, right? I'm just having trouble finding the right goal weight.

Right now I'm:
168 - 173 lbs
5'8" - 5'9"
No muscle

I think that I'm too thick but I find it impossible to gauge what the best weight would be. 140 lbs is the ideal healthy weight (and thin), 150 is too close to that to be chubby, but 160 is too close to what I am now to not be fat (well, what feels fat to me). I guess I'm basically asking you girls to choose for me, because I'll be debating over it in my head for days to come if someone doesn't make up my mind.

Thank you.

I say you should find a pair of jeans that you would like to fit in for your goal. Then it's all about inches and less about the scale so you can find the thickness you like.

Me too! Up until a week or so ago, I had my goal set for 150. I recently increased it to 170 because I realized I don't want to be thin. And, I figured I could always go lower, but I wanted to feel the success of having reached my goal. So, I really have no idea what I want to weigh in the end.

I'm already starting to shift my focus a little bit from losing weight to gaining muscle. Maybe that would help you, too? My first steps are to add a bit of strength training to my exercise every other day and to read the book The Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto who is a body builder, but wrote this book for ordinary people.

Congrats on your success so far!

I'd say, aim for 160. That's at the high end of "normal" (that is, not overweight) for your height according to the BMI charts. You won't be "too thin" at that weight.

"Chubby" is a state of mind, judging from the many posts I've seen on 3FC. Why define yourself that way at all? You say you have "no muscle," and to me that's a bad thing. I'm not sure what you mean by it. Are you reasonably physically active? That's a big part of being healthy and fit.

Good luck!
Jay

I was 150 when I graduated from HS. I was looking at pics of myself one day, and I realized I don't want to be that thin. I am shooting for 170. My sister (same height, similar build) is about 170 give or take. That is about where I want to be - but a little more on the muscular side. I really do want more of an athletic build. I want to have arm muscles and leg muscles. And I want a weight that is easy-ish to maintain.

I think you should start weight training to build some muscle, it'll make your body look much better as you lose the last bit of your weight.

I get what you mean about how you look, I was under 130 pounds throughout high school but photo's of me make me think I looked strange and awkward. I wonder if I will stop at 150 instead of 140.

But now I've started weight training and I can see that as I lose weight my body will look great at a healthier size so I think I will make the trek to 140.

Do whatever makes you feel best, but I suggest you start working those muscles because that is what will make you look and feel best.

The only reason I set my goal to where it is now is because I have a twin sister who had just gone on a diet and right now she's 145 pounds. I know I can never really get down to like 130 or 125 because when i look at her she looks so skinny!

but we have big boobs, and we have wider hips so I don't think we can every really get any slimmer. I guess I'll go from there when i get to 145 and see if i can or want to lose more or not.

Women are built for curves!

I don't want to be thin, either. I've got curves, always have, and I love them. They're powerful and I use them to their complete advantage.

As long as you're happy, healthy, and feel good about yourself the number on the scale really doesn't matter.

And that's my two cents!

Ditto.

I love, love, love my curves (more now that I have the defined hour glass )

Women are supposed to have curves imo . . . . Marilyn Munroe, to this day still a sex symbol and she had great curves.

Ultimately, you need to decide what you are comfortable and happy with - not let some one else or a chart determine that. Go with what you're happy with as long as you're happy and healthy I say.

I'm fairly close to your height (5'7.5'') and I'm planning on 150 for now. I have a medium frame, and know I wouldn't look good being too skinny either. I do have quite a bit of muscle in my legs, so I doubt I'll ever weigh what I think I "should" but I'm planning to decide on my final weight based on how I look and feel, rather than a number. 150 is really just a guiding point, since I've never been thin in my adult life (or since jr high, for that matter). I'm with the others, forget the number and just work on getting to the size/thickness that you want to be. Those numbers look so different on everyone's builds anyway.

No muscle? You need to get some exercise going, both strength and cardio and tone up what you have. I always thought I was big boned, turns out they are small, it was the blubber that made them big. I go to the Y 6 days a week. I'm 69 and have COPD and asthma with 47% lung capacity. If I can do, most could if they tried.

Exactly! I looked my best at 140-145 but was also working out pretty heavily. That is my goal, I want to be "fit" again and not jiggly. Whatever weight that leaves me at is fine with me.

We are about the same height and I'm shooting for 140 lbs. I tend to carry the majority of my weight in my lower half, which can make me look like I weigh more than I do (and means my jeans are bigger too). I'm going to see how I feel when I get to 150 to see if that would work for me before I go ahead and lose the last 10 pounds to get to 140. I would see how you look and feel at 150 and then evaluate when you get to that point.

Dhani