When I set out on this journey, I chose a goal weight that was reasonable and attainable. I didn’t pick a weight from when I was like 13 years old, for example. I picked a weight that I won’t have to starve myself or work out like a fiend to maintain, at least within a few pounds difference. All that said, goal weight, in my opinion and through various discussions with friends, is a very tricky number to nail down for many! I’m still not even sure if I’ll feel “close enough” is good enough once I’m there.
Here’s the thing, one person’s goal weight, at the same height as another, could be vastly different depending on their body shape or bone structure. As individuals, we also all have personal aesthetics that we see as “fit” or “healthy” or even “attractive.”
Case in point. I have two friends that are both around 5’9 tall.. Both, after dieting, got what looked to be VERY slim, and by that I mean we were telling them to STOP dieting. They are completely different shapes, but one weighed 150lbs and the other around 175-180lbs.
I also have friends in the 5’2 to 5’3 range. One wants to be 120 lbs and the other around 135lbs. Both of them look fantastic and fit at those numbers.
Lastly, I’m almost 5’8 in height. I have friends in the 5’4 bracket that have the same goal weight as I do, yet their doctors would tell them they were still too heavy, or at least at the high end for their height.
If you go by those doctor’s charts, BMI, or a multitude of other charts online, sometimes the “goal weight” seems highly unrealistic for many. My friend that is 5’4 hasn’t weighed 120lbs since she was in grade 6. It ain’t gonna happen!
So, my question is…..what’s the deal with this “ideal goal weight” thing anyways? Do you care what “they” say you should weigh? Do you go by what you “once upon a time ago” weighed? Do you just go by how you feel at a certain weight? Do you aim for a slightly higher weight because you know that you can at least get there? Do you even HAVE a goal weight in mind, or is it more of a “I’ll know when I know” kind of thing?
All of these variations on women’s shapes, sizes, and various goal weight struggles has me asking if there just really isn’t a “one size fits all” answer to this question!
By the way, I’m currently measuring weight goals by past occasions in my life such as “pre-babies weight” and “wedding day weight” and finally “lowest adult weight.” Each time I hit one of those markers, I get a little excited for the next.
wasn’t there a “famous” dr in ottawa that tweeted a while ago something to the effect that “your healthiest weight is the weight where you are leading your HEALTHIEST and HAPPIEST LIFE” I really like that. I’m healthy and happy right now, able to maintain this and feel good. I think that’s my goal weight
AWESOME POST Tracy!
My Dr told me I should be 112 at 5’2″…not likely. I am about 153 now and am aiming for 135, which is the high end for my height. Once I get there I will live there for a year or so and then decide if I need to go lower. If as I can run and do Triathlons and maintain it easily, I will probably stay there. I do not want to pick a number I can not maintain and yo-yo and feel bad about.