Another point of view is to just keep losing, get say 200, then aim for 195. Keep doing that with small goals - that makes it more fun.

Wow! Thanks for the responses everyone! I feel normal now.
I think I'm going to keep 135 as a goal but not freak if I somehow find myself satisfied at 145 or if I still need to lose some when I get there. I realize now that there isn't one set weight for every height.

Now.. if I can only make it to 199...

I don't have a goal weight really. I think I looked best at around 130-135, but I am not hung up on any number except the one my cholesterol is sitting at. I imagine that I will lose weight based on the amount of activity I do in relation to the amount of calories I eat- which I intend to keep around 2000 per day. So long as I can get to the point where I can do the activities I want to do- like rock climbing, long hikes, and water skiing, I will be happy. Right now, I am too out of shape to do any of those so I just keep plugging along in the pool, weight room and treadmill...

I think that's a fine goal for your height. I'm 6 feet tall and my goal is 165, because I've been almost that low before and I look and feel great at that size. It'll put me at about a size 10, I believe. Hardly what anyone would call "too thin." I think you've got a good goal in mind and very attainable. Your friend might be overwhelmed by the goal you've set for yourself, or she might even be a little intimidated that you're so determined to get down to a healthy and attractive weight for yourself. I think your goal is very realistic.

I am also 5'4 and I think 130 pounds is a very reasonable goal! When I was 130 pounds, I was fitting into sizes 4-6 at stores like Gap and Banana Republic, which I hear are notorious for their generously sized clothes!

I think that your goal is very realistic and perfectly acceptable. My only recommendation is that to remember that it is only a goal... Until you get close to it, you won't know how your body will feel. ("Weight" is kind of a funny thing.)

I lost many pounds (around 40) a few years ago and kept it off for about 3 years. I am 5'1" and maintained my weight at about 108-112lbs. depending on the time of month. I was at the gym 4-6 days a week and lifting weights every visit (so I had put on a great deal of muscle). I felt amazing and strong - at 30 years old, I was in the very best shape of my life! I have to say, that I hardly stepped on the scale anymore after that because I let my clothes determine if I was eating too much (then I would cut back a little - or go for a workout). I had initially wanted to get down to 100lbs. - but with all that muscle (I was between a size 2-4) I found that I was heavier than my goal - but I felt GREAT!! I guess what I am trying to say is that "weight" is not everything... Get to where you feel healthy, and you can try on new clothes and feel good in them...

After keeping the weight off for about 3 years, I gained back most of it in just a few months after a severe back injury kept me from the gym (and I got sooooo depressed) and started eating to make myself feel better) which is why I am here. I am now looking forward to getting back to where I was before - one day at a time - one workout at a time. Best of luck to you and don't worry about what your friends say, they want you to stay "one of them". Be strong - do what is right for you!!

Good luck!!


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That sounds perfectly fine. Finding your frame size might help you zero in on your ideal weight better.

The link given (healthchecksystems) is excellent. I went there and confirmed I have a small frame. I remember when I weighed 154 before I had 5 3/4 inch wrists! My wrists are down to 6.5 inches from nearly 7. That means I could be near the bottom end of my BMI weight range.

With my current exercise and strengthening program I may find that 154 is too much. Wont know until I get there. I'm 5'11" and wore a size 10 when I was 152 to 154. I have small feet for my height as well, size 9.5 (US).

Health Status Calculators

This is another great web site to determine body frame, body mass, body fat, calories burned per exercise, lose one pound, ideal weight, target heart rate and waist to hip ratio.

For me, the BMI charts are square on target. I know because I didn't have a weight problem until after I turned 30. I'm 5ft 7 and med/large framed. I weighed 135 until I was 30yrs old. I wore a sz 5 or 7. I was far from scrawny.... I was thin but curvy.

As you get closer to your healthy weight, you'll be better able to determine where you want to be. I'd set my original goal weight at 153 (near the top of my range), but when I got there I knew I wanted to lose a bit more. Whatever you do, don't let other people determine what's right for you...unless it's a doctor, of course. :-)

I'm 5'4" tall (actually I'm SHRINKING - I'm now 5' 3.75" and currently I comfortably wear size 6 jeans (Lucky Brand Sweet & Low and Earl Jean brands are what I wear for the most part these days) and I currently weigh 150.5. I also have some size 4's that I can fit into if I want, but the 6's are nice and loose

When I'm at 145-147, my size 4's are comfortably loose on me!

So it's not the scale that matters as much as your body composition - I have a lot of muscle and 150 lbs of mostly muscle looks a HECK of a lot better than 150 lbs of mostly fat.

Amen, sistah!

Slightly OT: I'm amazed when I hear (read?) people talk about clothing size vs. weight. Especially when they are close to my experience. At 5'3.5" and 145# my size 10 jeans were tight & I think the thought of buying 12's were one of the things that motivated me to lose the weight (if I'd gained another ounce I would have had to buy 12's or gone nekkid). Now, at about 127, I'm just starting to be comfortable in my old 6's and I've not even pulled out my old 4's yet except as a motivator. Granted, I've only been doing strength training for a few months now and I'm still pretty flabby, especially around my middle but geez, it's disgusting that some people can be a 6 at 150 while others have to be 125

BTW, this isn't directed at MrsJim. It's something I've noticed other people saying as well - and I'm sure that all of them don't have 20-30#'s of muscle on me.

OK temper tantrum over.

I'm 5'4'' too, my ticker weight isn't my real goal weight, I am aiming for 130 ish too, but didn't want that on my ticker, coz 102 lbs was daunting enough for me to have to lose at the time I did my ticker! I'm feeling a bit more confident now, but I am not ready to change it yet!!!

BMI is an ok index, but it really is just a height/weight ratio. If you attend a gym, see if they can measure your body fat, my gym uses the electrical impedence (that's a big word for 6.30 in the morning folks!) method, which takes 30 seconds, and it takes into account your muscle weight, which BMI doesn't.

OK, a question I've never really considered before, but here goes. What difference does/should it make if you have a small frame as opposed to a large one. Does it mean that you should be aiming for a lower weight/size, or does it mean that any given weight you might be smaller than people with a larger frame? Or does it mean something else entirely? I'm just curious, because I've always used the "big boned" excuse on myself, but based on my height and wrist measurement I've apparently got a small frame

YP1- I'm right there with you. I just discovered that I am small framed too. I would assume that it means that you would look best around the lower end of your weight range. Oddly, I said earlier that I looked best at around 130-135 and my ideal weight came out to be 130, heh. My guess- and I am not an expert- is that larger bones will weigh more which is why a large boned person will likely be at the higher end of the weight range, PLUS in order for a larger boned person to not have hip bones and ribs poking out, they may have to add more lean mass (hopefully) than a small framed person.

Then again, I may be wrong, but it seems logical.