The first time I lost weight, I thought I would be super-happy with weighing 160, wearing a size 12 -- but when I got there I realized I could easily go lower....and so I eventually got down to 117 (too low for me), then gained back to 125-130.

This time (after gaining an unwanted 30 pounds over the past several years), I set my goal at 130, and it seems pretty good. Sometimes I debate whether I should get down to 125 -- or if this blasted belly is simply going to stay forever.

Sizes are so weird -- I'm 5'7", weigh 130#, and I wear a 6 or an 8. Those blasted low-rise pants on me require a slightly bigger cut (they dent my belly area in) -- who in the heck ever thought of something so absolutely uncomfortable!? Give me a full-waist anytime! So many of the cute styles (like all of my capris) have the low-waist....

Some of you (in this thread) are wearing such small sizes with so much more weight....I really have no understanding of how weight is distributed! I exercise, eat carefully, yet will never get into a 4.....

Bonnie,

Your after photo looks great. The size you are at seems to fit you quite well.

I am currently 7 pounds away from goal. I chose 140 for the same reasons your chose your weight goal. 140 is the highest end of the scale I can be be "healthy" and look "acceptable" (size 10), and I had so much to lose that setting my goal lower than 140 was too overwhelming.

In the past, I look healthy but slender at 130/135 (size 7), the lowest I have been able to get before without looking TOO thin is 122 (size 5).

I am still unsure if my weight goal will change. I'm in a size 10 now, a little ahead of schedule, but would like to see a size 7, possibly a 5 if my body will allow it in a healthy way. I've found myself losing more inches than pounds with strenuous exercise and getting into lower sizes at a higher weight.

I'll stop when I like the way I look in a pair of snug jeans and my BF percentage is at least in the "fit" range, not necessarily what the scale says.

I never set a goal for myself. I just knew at under 5'3" and 148lbs, I was too heavy and felt awful. I think my body just stopped by myself. My body feels comfortable at this weight. I'm convinced everyone has a natural set or comfort zone. Towards the end, I was melting away pounds. I did slip down to 105lbs and I did not look good and I felt weak. I admit, I did not look at a scale during my weight loss, and it did shock me how thin I got. I feel much better now and look better.

My goal of 150 lb came from being 158 lb when I was pregnant with my first child, 17 years ago, and 152 lb when I was pregnant with my second child, 15 years ago. When I hit 158ish (75 kg on my metric scale) I seemed to hit a barrier - whenever I went below that (down to 73.5 or 74 kg) it bounced quickly back to that weight. After finding that pattern for 3 months, I decided to call it quits - that 75 kg - a loss of a round 10 kg - was what my body seemed happy with. It was also just at the edge of normal weight by BMI, and is a size 12-14 -not slim, but normal women's size.

For about half a year, I maintained that 158 lb. Recently, I regained a little. Now I am many days 76, even 77 kg, and as soon as I see that, I am back to a fairly strict diet. So, I am no wiser - I am no longer sure whether 75 is any easier to maintain than 72 kg - which is what my goal would be, and am debating whether I should try hard again to go on the diet down to 72 and then maintain.

It sounds like you all ended up adjusted goal downward. I am not in that danger. On one hand, I have heard people state that I regained some of the weight, so they have seen it. My mother is the only one who feels my face looks better now than when I was a bit thinner and feels I shouldn't loose (she is also a person who controls her food in order not to gain - not specifically low carb, but sensible old fashioned low fat diet - i.e. steak and salad, not indulging on pasta!). I feel I should loose more, and it might be useful to have a bit more buffer - everytime I gain another 2 lbs I am feeling fat again.

My goal was 180...I got there, and have maintained for a few months now I guess....
My doctor is immpressed but said if possible I should try and lose a little more down to about 165 or so. I am basicly happy how I am now, but I can definately see a little more off would probably be best.....
My biggest problem is I so need to get back into the habit of regular exercise, for the past 6 months I have been so sedentary.... Who knows, I probably just need to tone up a bit.

Glad I found this post. It's inspiring to see that so many maintainers haven't been fixed on a number and have gone by the way they feel about their bodies and pants size at a certain weight .

I just hit goal last week and I've gone through the same thing. Like many here, originally I set a size goal rather than a weight goal (size 6, which is what I was 10 years ago when I got to goal through Jenny Craig.) Then I started weighing my progress every week and set a weight goal of 115-120 (I was 116 at size 6 ten years ago so I thought that would do it.) However, I found at 125 my size 8's were getting lose. I got down to 123 and went to Wally's to buy jeans and fit nicely (meaning, not cutting off my circulation ) into size 6 stretch jeans. One pair of jeans I bought even says size 4 but I'm suspicious it's a misprint in size.

I wouldn't be unhappy if I went down another 5 pounds or so but I'm happy with where I am right now (of course, now just to maintain it...) I think age has a lot to do with it - I'm no longer in my 20's and have visions of flat stomachs in my head. I'm more realistic about what I can maintain and how I look.

I also thing exercise was really one huge key for me. I didn't have that component 10 years ago and I think that's probably why I reached the same size at 7 pounds heavier than i was then.

Tam

Tam- good for you! I think the exercise makes a big difference too, but so many of us on a LC plan hve found we are smaller at a higher weight.
Welcome!
E

Thanks to you all for posting in this thread. I have no idea if my goal is realistic (I've never weighed 125) but if it makes sense to tweak as I go, I'll certainly be in good company.

The first time I reached goal it was 137. I am 5'9" so that was pretty small. I maintained easily for 2 yrs.I regained and then some over an 8 month period. I am at goal now again,only this time I set a higher weight as my goal. i think I was terribly thin.

UPdate: my body has gone down even lower than I was before...136..and last week 135..unintentionally. I'm not sure what to think. I bought some Ralph Lauren pants in a 2 yesterday. The truth is that is too small for a 5'9" woman. My head is fighting with my scewed body image to try to figure out what I want to do. ARGHHH...anyone else have this problem?

No, I do not have that problem. I can not lose my last 2 pounds.

My original goal weight was 128--based on a WW goal from decades ago. I stalled for a long time (LONG! LONG! ARGH!) at 142. Then I decided anything under 140 would be fine, and I worked to achieve that. Finally reached 132.

My body has now decided to be happy at 135, and I'm fine with that. I exercise daily--cardio and weights--and I am very fit at 60. I'm a classic pear shape, so the fat sits where I sit. But my tush looks better than ever.

Yes, I still think about 128 most of the time. It keeps me alert as I continue my LC maintenance.

well I am one that needs to go alittle bit lower then I thought. 135 seemed ok, but still have soom fat hanging that I don't like so I have lowered my goal to 125. Of course this could be a numbers thing for me. I wear a size 6 junors low cut jeans. and I am very happy with them, but until I get to that magic 125 I just don't think I well be happy happy till I see that number

I posted in this thread when it first got started, but things have changed for me since then, and Bonnie's post above jumped out at me, LOL

My goal weight has changed slightly now that I am in full blown maintenance. I originally wanted 130 as my ideal, maintaining now between 131-135, which is definitely small enough.

I'm 5'5, in a size 4, which is equilivent to the size 5/6's I wore 15 years ago (the lowest size I can go without looking anorexic) --usually at my current weight, I am comfortably in a size 7/8. The difference for me in being able to carry a higher weight is where I lost it this time around. No matter how hard I have tried in the past, I have ALWAYS been stuck with a big butt and thunder thighs. LCing for some reason changed my fat distribution -- my butt and legs are tiny for the first time since I was a teenager.

I had quite a battle with the low rise jeans, I hear ya on that one, LOL! I wore nothing but straight leg, shrink to fit, 501 Levi's when I was slender before, and unfortunately discovered that they don't sell these in my current size anymore. After a nightmarish shopping spree, temper tantrums in every store in town, and pressure from my family to buy something in style to go with my new figure, I broke down and bought some -- the low rise, literally, was the only style of jeans they had in my size. I found high waisted jeans at WalMart in a size 8 that my husband had to wrestle away from me, LOL -- they were way too baggy and made me look "dumpy" when I tried them on.

I felt extremely self conscience in the low rise at first, but now find them quite comfy....took a little while to get used to. My abdominals are completely shot from age/pregnancy/weight gain, and I have stretch marks to boot. As long as I wear support panties and avoid half shirts, I'm fine.

I'm still new to maintenance and hope my abdominals will improve as my body stablizes and I work them more. I'll probably never wear a bikini bathing suit again....but I don't look half bad in a one piece!