Am I crazy? How did you decide?
 

Last night I was having a conversation with my friend about my weightloss goals. I told her that I would like to be somewhere between 130-140lbs and she was shocked. I've never been thin, so I don't have any past weight to go by, but I'm 5'4 and I thought that seemed about right. I want to be strong and have muscles and curves, so I'm trying not to aim too low. She acted like I wanted to be a size 2 or something!

She is very encouraging and supportive of my weightloss efforts so I don't think she is trying to sabotage me. However, she and most of my other friends are all at least slightly overweight and so maybe her perception of normal is off.
So, this morning I checked the BMI for 5'4, 130lbs and it is healthy. I don't fully understand the BMI thing, but a lot of people use it as a tool so I thought it might help.

Did anyone else use a BMI calculator to determine their goal? What are some other ways and how did you all decide? Does anyone else think my goal is unreasonable?

Your goal sounds fine to me!

I kinda plumped for a weight that I thought would suit me, but then I realised that it might be unrealistic, and my goal is changing almost every day! Do I want to be a size 6 or weigh 154 or be able to lift 100lbs or what? All of them please! :rofl:

But yes, I do check with the BMI calculator and if you're very muscley then sometimes it can be off, but your goal sounds just right! She's probably jealous that you want to weigh less than her!

I found that I really had no idea until I got closer. Your friend is probably just blown away by the magnitude of what you are trying to do.
You'll figure it out the closer you get.... and your friend will see.
Wouldn't it be great if you were the catalyst that sent a bunch of your friends down to a healthier weight?

Good question.

I decided to go with 155 because I'm 5'7 and I was at that weight like.. one time in my adult life and it was perfect.

Honestly.. I liked myself at 170 too.. I was a size twelve and that was good enough to get into all my vintage dresses.. and show off my curves. Because if you've got em.. flaunt em :lol:

I think your goal is great... you might even get to 140 and stay there.. you never know.. I think as long as you like yourself and your healthy.. thats all that really matters.. and dont worry about what other people say.. I have friends who were overweight and when I lost weight in my teens it was like I was evil and trying to show them up. Hopefully your friend isnt like that..


amanda

I think that it sounds like a healthy weight. I haven't used a BMI calculator, but where I work our health insurance pays for a group to come in once a year and give us all a little physical at our office and with that they tell you if you need to lose weight and what your ideal weight would be according to your height and whatever other factors they take into account. I'm 5'11" and they said that my ideal weight would be 152lbs. I am certainly on my way, but have found that even now at 178 lbs. (size 14) I am quite happy. Not happy enough to want to stay here, but far happier than I was at 215!! :lol: Go for your goal, but if you find along the way that YOU think you would be happier and/or healthier at a higher weight you can always change your goal. Good Luck!!

I just had a talk with my dr. about this. He suggested I go for 120-125 and let it be 10 pounds either way(115-130 ) I am only (almost) 5 foot tall and he also said BMI's can be false as they don't take into consideration muscle weight as opposed to fat. Good advice I just got was from a nutitionist she said lost pounds do not make you healthy. Feeling good, be comfortable and fitness levels (ie: good cholestrol level, blood work good etc..) are what's important. We have a person here where I work who is soooo thin , but she smokes and has no exercise habits.. She lives on cigs and coffee.. her tests results are horrible. I'd talk to my doctor about a good weight. I have a friend who just took off 100 lbs only thru diet changes and exercise and her BMI is too high but she is at a good weight and has curvy curves (as she says) but can wear a bikini with no flab- she is very, very, very toned.
Keep going! :D

What's your frame? Are you medium, small or large framed? It really depends on your build. Here's a link that might be helpfull: http://www.healthchecksystems.com/he...hart.htm#frame

I'm 5' tall and my goal is 130-140. But, I am compact with have lots of muscle and a large frame (hey, the doctor says so too ;) .)

When you get closer to your goals, you can always adjust your expecations.

I've found that friends, especially heavy friends, don't really have a good idea of what a healthy weight is for other people. Go with what you know for yourself.

Take care,
Sarah

At 5'4" I think you have picked a great goal weight. I'm 5'7" and my goal now at my age (old) is 150. I'm 165 right now and I look fine,but in pictures I can see that with 15 more pounds gone, I would look better. Also that would put me in the normal BMI range for 'normal'. I do agree with whoever above said that if you work out alot those BMI scales might be alittle off (I do workout alot, therefore have alot of muscle).
I think your friend is either jealous or is clueless about what is healthy. Either way it doesn't matter, you are the one to decide and no one else!

I think its a perfect goal weight. I am 5"4' In my thin days I was about 120 lbs. (that was a size 4). I think you are doing great.

I think your goal is reasonable. Just be flexible as you go and pay closer attention to how you look and feel than what the scale says. You may find that you are perfectly happy at 150 or you may decide that you'd feel better at 125. Shoot for what you think is about right and then evaluate yourself once you are almost there.

I agree with whoever said that your friend is probably just overwhelmed by what you are trying to accomplish. Losing weight is hard and unless you are ready as little as 10 pounds can seem impossible. You are obviously motivated and want to succeed (and have already!) so 70 pounds probably isn't as intimidating to you as it might seem to her.

I think your goal is great, because it's the same as mine! :lol: I'm also 5'4". I had the opposite reaction talking to people though -- I told my mom my goal was 130 and she was like "That's it? You don't want to lose more?" :p

Anyway, 130 is right in the middle of the healthy BMI range, which is why I picked it. I'm happier with my body every day lately. At 141, I can fit into size 8 jeans, and after all this working out my health has never been better. I'm keeping my goal at 130 for now, but my real goal is "whenever I think I am the right size." It might be at 135, it might be at 125, I don't know. Even if I never lose another pound, I am waaaay better off now than I was at 185!

130-140lbs is so NOT a size 2.. Well depending on ur height it could be... But ud have to be way over 5'6. I am 5'6 and I used to be about 140 my senior year of high school and I was a size 5-7!! So that is totally not true... It does depend on the person however. But I am cuban, so I have curbs!! I also worked out so I was getting fit.. My goal is to be 120. And even then I dont even think I'll reach a size 2.. I have the cuban booty!! :)

I think your goal is reasonable, but if you are a bit higher, take your muscle mass into consideration. I'm about 5'5" or a bit taller & when I weigh in at 135 lbs. I usually wear a size 6 or 8...it all depends how the clothes are cut, (I have a few 4s) and where your weight is distributed. As you get smaller, you're going to lose at a slower rate, so it might take another 3-4-5 months to get the last few lbs. gone.

congrats on your progress!

I think you have to reavulate as you go along. I am 5'1" and I set my goal at 110. When I got to 115 I decided that was low enough. To loose any more I would be between sizes and have to loose down too much to fit in another size. So I'm happy with my weight now, and I'm on the low/milldle range of the index. When you start getting close to your goal, start to really look at how you look and feel.

I just picked mine because it was a nice round number to lose and it was under a BMI of 25 (I'm 5'9). If I get there and feel I can lose more, I might try. But to be honest, I don't know whether I'll make it that far. I'd rather go on clothes sizes than weight or BMI alone, and I'm wearing far smaller clothes than I expected to be in at this size, so if I get down to even smaller sizes and feel happy with the way I look at say 175 I'm not going to get all worked up about those last 15. I've never been thin so I don't know exactly what I'm aiming for, everything is guess work.

I'll see what happens, I just wanted some sort of number to put on my ticker!

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... :lol:

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! :)

Let your body decide...
 

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!! :goodluck:


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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" :lol: 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. :lol:

Amen, sistah! :strong:

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 :tantrum:

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. :p

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 :faint:

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.

Your frame size is the size of your bones, rather than your height. For example, I'm 5'3", but have very broad shoulders, a wide rib cage, and hips. Not fat- you can see all my bones and muscle definition, but they are wider and heavier than most other women's.

YP1-Someone with a larger or heavier frame will have a higher BMI and weight than a small-boned person, even if their body fat percentage is the same. If you truly have a heavier frame, your bones just plain weigh more.

Julia- Muscle definitely takes up less space than the equivalent poundage of fat. The longer and heavy you train, the smaller you will get :) When I started lifting seriously and heavy, I weighed 135 and wore a size 8. Two years later, I weighed 135 and wore a size 4. At 10 pounds less, I'm still in a size 4 because my BONES won't fit in anything smaller.

Wow, I just found out I am a large frame...always thought so but wasn't sure. I think that is why people usually guess I weigh about 20 lbs less than I do weight!
I am only 5'1" and would like to get to 123. My dr. says to shoot for about 130 as I am 48 and diabetic. I have my goal at 123 if I can do it!!
Interesting and thank you!!