Determining Goal Weight

[angelpie06]

Most of us have that perfect, magic number in our heads. I sure do, although over the years, it keeps getting revised upward! :lol:

However, I wonder if I'm going to revise it even further upward in light of some information I've recently discovered.

My doctor, who is a bariatric physician (meaning she specializes in the treatment of obesity) has a handy-dandy computer-driven scale that measures all sort of things...how much your bones weigh, or the amount of water you're carrying. It turns out that my essential parts - bones, muscles, organs, necessary fluids - weigh 128 pounds. That could change a bit due to increased muscle mass, but it's an essentially stable number.

So that means that the only way I can attain my goal weight (which I had already revised upward to 135, just trying to accept that I'm nearly 50 and so on) is to either have nearly zero body fat (unattainable and unhealthy) or lose a limb (also unhealthy and certainly undesirable). :lol:

If I were to have approximately 18 to 24 percent body fat, which is the "normal" range, that would mean I would weigh between 150 and 160 pounds. At 5'4", with a medium-large frame (I'm on the cusp in all the means of measuring frame size), that is definitely in excess of what I would have thought was appropriate. And yet, it makes total sense in light of what I've learned at my doctor's.

Has anyone else had the experience of realizing that your initial goal weight was unattainable and/or found that they feel and look great at a higher weight than they first expected?

[NYNikki]

YEP! I also picked a goal weight of 150 (I'm 5'9" medium-large frame) but when I hit a stall and stayed at 170 for a long time - I realized that 170 is what I imaged 150 was going to look like on me. I was satisfied at 170 but no sooner did I say that (as you will read in the link) - I've broke out of my stall and now moving closer to 150. My main reason for low carbing was more for health reasons then it was for weight so, 170 or 150 doesn't make a difference to me as much as getting back to being healthy.

This was my post a few weeks ago ...."To goal weight or NOT to goal weight...that is the question" http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=316586

Nikki

[Dodger]

Most of us have that perfect, magic number in our heads. I sure do, although over the years, it keeps getting revised upward! :lol:

However, I wonder if I'm going to revise it even further upward in light of some information I've recently discovered.

My doctor, who is a bariatric physician (meaning she specializes in the treatment of obesity) has a handy-dandy computer-driven scale that measures all sort of things...how much your bones weigh, or the amount of water you're carrying. It turns out that my essential parts - bones, muscles, organs, necessary fluids - weigh 128 pounds. That could change a bit due to increased muscle mass, but it's an essentially stable number.

So that means that the only way I can attain my goal weight (which I had already revised upward to 135, just trying to accept that I'm nearly 50 and so on) is to either have nearly zero body fat (unattainable and unhealthy) or lose a limb (also unhealthy and certainly undesirable). :lol:

If I were to have approximately 18 to 24 percent body fat, which is the "normal" range, that would mean I would weigh between 150 and 160 pounds. At 5'4", with a medium-large frame (I'm on the cusp in all the means of measuring frame size), that is definitely in excess of what I would have thought was appropriate. And yet, it makes total sense in light of what I've learned at my doctor's.

Has anyone else had the experience of realizing that your initial goal weight was unattainable and/or found that they feel and look great at a higher weight than they first expected?The whiz-bang scale is likely wrong. At best, it gives a rough estimate.

Pick a goal to aim for that seems realistic. The goal can be changed anytime that you want. What is more important than a weight goal is a commitment to stay on a low-carb eating plan for the rest of your life.

[jkmfrog]

I've recently revised my goal weight so I ahve been considering this issue a lot recently. For my height, I have seen estimates of anywhere from 121-158 lbs being a healthy weight. I'm not a small gal, never have been, I was wearing a size 10-12 womens size by the time I was 11 years old, with wide shoulders and quite a bit both "up front" and "in the trunk" so to speak I carry more weight than others my height. After fluctuating anywhere from 130 to 215 as a grown woman, its difficult to settle on a right size. I've picked 155 because its the weight I remember wokring pretty hard to get to and maintain (unsucessfully) a number of years ago. At that weight I vaguely remember feeling a right fit in clothing and in my body, and being able to be most active in things I enjoyed like hiking, canoeing and biking.

Having not maintained any weight loss for more than 2 years, I'm really hoping that I can listen better to my body this time around. Since I've decided that this really is a WOL this time, I believe that my body will simply decide for me when it is at a good weight based on my eating and exercise habits. I doubt that I can reduce my calorie intake to a level that would get me to 125lb. As a former chef, I still love to cook and eat a wide variety of foods. When I look at what I like to eat - those calories tend to add up to around 1700-1600 calories. I imagine can get to 165, below that its going to be about more activity and careful LC eating.

Yes, I can exercise more, but I prefer to be active, not go to a gym (so boring and not good with my lifestyle!) I am getting more active - and that will certainly help - but with a sedentary job, an hour of commute time, and working long extra hours several months of the year - daily exercise is a challenge.

Its gonna be a wait and see thing for me - but aiming for 165 and below.

[ReginaW]

Most of us have that perfect, magic number in our heads. I sure do, although over the years, it keeps getting revised upward! :lol:

However, I wonder if I'm going to revise it even further upward in light of some information I've recently discovered.

My doctor, who is a bariatric physician (meaning she specializes in the treatment of obesity) has a handy-dandy computer-driven scale that measures all sort of things...how much your bones weigh, or the amount of water you're carrying. It turns out that my essential parts - bones, muscles, organs, necessary fluids - weigh 128 pounds. That could change a bit due to increased muscle mass, but it's an essentially stable number.

So that means that the only way I can attain my goal weight (which I had already revised upward to 135, just trying to accept that I'm nearly 50 and so on) is to either have nearly zero body fat (unattainable and unhealthy) or lose a limb (also unhealthy and certainly undesirable). :lol:

If I were to have approximately 18 to 24 percent body fat, which is the "normal" range, that would mean I would weigh between 150 and 160 pounds. At 5'4", with a medium-large frame (I'm on the cusp in all the means of measuring frame size), that is definitely in excess of what I would have thought was appropriate. And yet, it makes total sense in light of what I've learned at my doctor's.

Has anyone else had the experience of realizing that your initial goal weight was unattainable and/or found that they feel and look great at a higher weight than they first expected?

It's true gaining significant weight adds to muscle and bone weight - bigger bones are needed to support the weight, bigger muscles to move you around...keep in mind too, depending on what your diet looks like and how you lose the weight, you can and will lose some degree of lean-body-mass - the goal is to try to minimize such losses! I'd suggest just keep doing what you're doing and not worry too much about a number on the scale - you may be surprised you can reach a particular goal weight - then again, you may never be able to without jeopardizing your health.....wait and see for now :p

[angelpie06]

I didn't post this out of worry that I wouldn't reach a specific ideal weight. I was just so astounded that my basic parts :lol: weigh more than I thought all of me should weigh. Another unrealistic expectation shot down! :D

[kebaldwin]

Just keep losing weight until you feel your body fat is low enough and people tell you to stop losing weight. Your "lean weight" will change over time and by who calculates it.