How have you determined you goal weight?

[Talon]

How have you calculated your goal weight? Especially for those of us who have always been very overweight.

Me: I faintly remember being 130 back in college - I was running 3 miles a day and eating about 400 calories. I remember having a thought that I thought it was a little too thin, but I can't remember specifics. A insurance "weight chart" that I just found has a medium framed person who is 5 foot 4 inches, should have an "ideal" weight of 124-138.

[nsmith4366]

I'm 5'4" and now thanks to low carbing - I guess- about 120 or less. I started at 142!

Weight charts don't take into consideration body frame, which is the actual size of your skeleton. This matters because larger "frames" have more of all body masses (muscle, tendon/bone - even blood!) and this all plays a part in the total weight of a person.

Sounds like you are kinda into the numbers of things...if this is consuming your thoughts - you might back off a bit...if it is stressing you at all.

I never weigh now - even when I go to the doctor I tell them that I choose not to know my weight. When they ask me why, I tell them "I choose not to know". :) Never had any problems.

I know I am smaller/thinner because I sold all my 10/12 clothing on ebay and now I wear 1-4's depending on the maker/style - and that's the best (healthiest way) to know - if you asked me...

but that's just my opinion.
:) N

[Natrushka]

I haven't yet determined my goal weight. It's going to depend on how much more muscle I grow and how much more fat I lose. My BF% goal is around 20. The rest will fall into place. I would imagine I'm going to end up weighing a lot more than anyone would ever guess - and I'll be doing it in a size 8 ;)

You can read more about determining BF% and using it to figure out your goal weight here:

Using BF% as Goal (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38042)

Nat

[Talon]

Yep, you are right I am obsessing with it. After trying to get life insurance and finding out (yesterday) their weight "charts".

My weight does not make me who I am, it is just I need to talk this all out and get it out of my system. Thanks for "listening".

[nsmith4366]

Oh, it's okay. I go through periods of obsessing too (just about other things!)...

Your weight does not make you who you are - why?
Because you already are who you are - and will STAY that way - STAY who you are - no matter WHAT you weigh!

Be cheerful and lighten up. Life is good.
N

[Bonnie]

When I first started this WOE... I determined I should weigh around 130 lbs.... since I have always exercised faithfully knew a certain portion of my weight was muscle...I am 5' 6"... many factors have determined my goal weight including age...and I'm not divulging that :D ...however after staying in the low forties range for 3 plus years and wearing a size eight have now realistically adjusted my goal weight to what my body feels more comfortable at being :thup:

Bonnie

[DWRolfe]

It's great to have a goal weight, but you can always change the number as you get further and further into this WOE/WOL...

For me, it's a goal weight range. I just don't know how I'll feel when I reach that range. I might be motivated to lose more. I might be working out and be happy to weigh more. There are many variables and possibilities in the future.

I think it's just as important to begin visualizing how you would like to look. Be less concerned with the number and focus more on how you want to look, how you would like to dress, doing the things you've been wanting to do.

When your reality catches up to your visualization exercises, you'll be at goal.

Good luck to you!

Donald :wave:

[razzle]

I think that if we eat healthily (and are honest with ourselves about what that means for us), eat when hungry and to satisfaction, stay away for the most part from chemicals (including food additives and drugs), exercise/move with joy and not as a form of self-abuse, we'll balance out to the weight we are meant to be.

Bad news: that may not be a socially popular weight. My original goal was 149--I wanted to get under 150. I knew that 20 years ago, I had one brief sane phase where I did not dieted, exercised a good deal but not obsessively, and was around 138-140. I knew I had more muscle mass and was older...so 149 seemed reasonable, and I hoped my age didn't matter.

But I've been 169-179 for the better part of a year now, and there was only a month of lousy eating in there and no breaks at all from exercise. So, I've slowly come to believe that this is my healthy weight range and switched my goal weight to the lower end of the range. Most days now, I even accept it with good cheer!

In my bad moments, I grieve about not being a size 8 ever again. Then I realize, it's just a number. Numbers are pretty unimportant compared to the real things in life, like health, happiness, joy, spirituality, kindness, curiosity and learning, growing, exploring, laughing, smelling the roses, hugging the dog and my friends.... I've come to use the serenity prayer as a way to look at my genetic body size and type, my weight, my loss rate--these are 'things I cannot control.'

I like Nsmith's comments on her profile--we aren't numbers. We're real human beings, valuable and deserving of love and good health at any weight. Focus on the love and good health, and the number will be what the number will be. If it's not a socially popular one, perhaps it's time to get angry at our society rather than at our own wonderful bodies.

[Bonnie]

In my bad moments, I grieve about not being a size 8 ever again. Then I realize, it's just a number. Numbers are pretty unimportant compared to the real things in life, like health, happiness, joy, spirituality, kindness, curiosity and learning, growing, exploring, laughing, smelling the roses, hugging the dog and my friends.... I've come to use the serenity prayer as a way to look at my genetic body size and type, my weight, my loss rate--these are 'things I cannot control.'



Well said razzle...all of the above statements are much more important than obsessing over numbers...a size eight was a bonus for me as I have not seen that size before... as aptly stated one has to decide at what weight you as a person is comfortable and most importantly healthier at :thup:

Bonnie

[nsmith4366]

Bonnie, "grieve"...we all do this, silly though it sounds...deep inside I think we experience the "death" so to speak of our youth when we lose a smaller size or experience in some respect a "death" in the terms of a failure - not being able to fit into a particular size.

Despite whatever logic tells us about how silly that is.

Great insight. N

[toskiagain]

I just to say Hi :wave: and about a goal weight. i have one but more than that i would just like to do thing,s i use to . like ski i have not done that in a long time. now their a real big goal :sunny: O and i like to say this is great site.seam to be a lot people going througt the same thing that i am. thanks bye

[agonycat]

When I first started over a year ago, I picked 130 as my goal weight. Now a year into this WOL I realized that 130 would have me a bit too thin. So I upped it by 10 pounds. Problem is my body has decided it actually likes being 150 and it's winning! :lol:

I know at my age I will never be super model thin, nor would I want to look like one. Being healthy and fit is far more important than trying to look as you never eat.

[Heather]

I posted my goal weight that was chosen by my doctor that he used when I was doing LC last time. This was after a 2 hour induction with him and describing my weight and physical events throughout my entire lifetime. The last time I lost weight I made it to 170, but not below.

I try to be realistic about my own expectations about this WOE. It is not a miracle in of itself, but it sure brings with it a lot of miracles like this board and the wonderful people on it.

[Ivory]

I determined my goal weight through a professionally done BF % test. It said that to have 18-25% BF I should have 30-45lbs of fat, and since I weight like 137 or something in lean muscle mass, I am supposed to be between 184 and 167lbs. Now, if I put this into a BMI calculator, it says that I would be overweight still at 18% BF and obese at 25% BF! I think thats ridiculous, I didn't consider myself obese at my heaviest, overweight for sure, but I was still able to lead a NORMAL active life. So basically I'm on a BMI boycott!

[Talon]

Ivory, I think you have hit the nail on the head.

These "averages" are just that averages. They give us a range for the average person - but lets get realistic - "average" is a statistical computation that is done amongst many people surveyed.

Everyone is unique and has to do what is best for them, unfortunately some of us who haven't seen lower weights for some time if ever, use these charts for guidance. They are nice numbers to shoot for, as long as we realize that they may or may not be obtainable of us as individuals.

[Ivory]

Its so true, everyone is an individual. I look at my own family and our weight issues, specifically my sister and I. I currently at 221lbs, and my sister is about 175-180 and we wear the same size clothing. The difference in our height is negligable. If my sister and I aren't proof that those weight charts are less than perfect, I don't know what is!

Lol when you pointed out that the weight averages are just statistical computations, I got thinking about the stats course I had to take this past year for my degree...if anything is THAT complicated and anti-logical, it can't be trusted anyway!!! Lol

I also really like what someone else said about how she'd weigh more than people thought, but she'd be doing it from a size 8! Thats about how I feel. I don't mind being 170-180lbs but I will shock people that this size 10 hottie weighs that much! Yay!