Katie asked me recently what my goal weight was. She asked nearly a week ago and I have found it so difficult to find the time to respond, although I’ve really given it quite a bit of thought!
If you were to look on the blog header, you think that my GW (goal weight) is 168, as it will be at that weight that I will have lost 100 pounds from the day I started on my latest weight loss journey. I set that as a goal weight because it was a magical round number, not because it meant anything in particular to me.
Many people want to be the size they were in high school, or in college, or on their wedding day. For me, that is not necessarily the case, as I am already smaller than I was in college and on my wedding day. (I don’t remember for sure what I weighed when I was in high school, but I think I am close there too.)
Going based on BMI, I will be at 22.5 when I weigh 140 pounds. Should that be my goal weight? For my height, any weight between 120 and 160 is considered “Healthy” and no longer “Overweight”. So, around 140 would be right in the middle. That seems low to me, but perhaps it is just my perception based on what I have always weighed!
I don’t want to stop short and deny myself an even better health, but then again, as a 40 year old woman, I am not striving for perfection and I will not be strutting any runways!
With all things considered, I am going to make my ultimate goal be 148. Once I reach 168, which will mark 100 pounds lost, I am going to celebrate. I will continue working towards 148. If I don’t make continued progress (beyond the 100 pounds) or if the remaining 20 pounds take me a whole additional year or two to come by, it won’t matter. I am not going to dwell on the pound-a-week pace not being met, and in fact, I am hoping I can omit the daily calorie counting. After a few months, I’m getting pretty darn good at predicting how many calories are entering my mouth even if I don’t pre-plan a meal with the help of Lance Armstrong’s “Daily Plate” caloric content lookup!
I’m hoping that somewhere between my current weight of 183 and my ultimate goal of 148, I will have lost more of this stubborn belly fat! With only 15 more pounds to go in my original 100, I don’t think it will happen before the 100 pound mark, and this is the biggest reason I don’t want to stop at 168. I feel like I have the arms and legs of a 150-pound woman already but the belly of someone that still weighs well over 200! Ugh.
Tags: belly fat, BMI, counting calories, goal
Jennifer, I’m thinking of and struggling with the same question. Part of it is, same as you…I’m older, I’m 50 now, I don’t expect or want perfection anymore. Not caring much about that at all now.
I’m still 4 pounds away from the 100’s. I’m thinking of getting to 195 and then upping my calories by 300 a day and letting happen what happens. I’m THINKING of it. I don’t know if I’ll do it. You know, I’m just thinking—I’ll slow the weight loss really, really down-so that over the next year, maybe I’ll lose another 20 pounds but I won’t focus on it.
I’m just not sure yet. It seems like a really big question to me. I don’t know why, exactly, to be honest. I’m liking where I am now. I’m quite tall and am in a size 14 but will need a 12 in about 10 pounds. I’m not sure I want to go any lower than that now. I’m very happy with where I am now…but I do want another 10 off my gut! Basically I guess it boils down to: I have no idea.
I am shooting for a goal of 185, right now I weigh in the 230’s. Once I get to 185, I may shoot for something lower but for now, that is my realistic goal.