How did you determine your GW (Goal Weight)?

[fifofum]

When I look on the fitbit site I see the SW (starting weight), CW (current weight), GW (goal weight) on many people and I am just wondering how you came up with your number?

Several years ago I went on a diet but first did as they suggest, "visit your doctor before startying an exercise or weight loss program.." The Doc said based on my age and frame and whatever else he used I don't remember, but the weight he told me is still in the overweight range of the BMI scale. I would have to lose an additional 14 pounds to get to normal BMI range. 

Needless to say, I want to go with Doc's suggestion! I only have 14 pounds to lose now because I have dropped a lot in the past 3 months. I'd have to lose 28 pounds to meet BMI standards! 

I'd like ot see other opinions on this Subject.  Thanks,

[WendyB]

Its pretty much a personal thing.

I went with what my Dr said. I still want to lose a few more though. 

[Raviv]

I could have done a wide range of weights.

When I looked it up on a chart, it said I should be 125, which is ridiculous.  When I was 125, I was 16 years old and looked like a tweaker.  When I became an athlete a year later, I had actual muscle and weighed 130-135, which was a really healthy weight for me at the time.

Now I'm 50.  I have been 145 before, and that was... almost right.  I chose 140 as my goal weight because I think that would be a good weight for me physically and mentally.  If I never make it below 145 or if I get down to 135, then it's all good.  I'm not totally hung up on a number, and I'm much more concerned about how I feel.

[Colinm39]

I have a large frame structure as measured by my doctors and fortunately at my age my maintenance weight is 5% over my National Service weight. The fitest period of my life.

This weight still keeps me in the overweight BMI area

So I get comfort by keeping an eye on my waist measurement.

Check the internet at this link

http://www.livestrong.com/article/36520-calculate-accurate-bmi-large-frame/#page=2

[DominicJ]

I dont often agree with Yard Dog, but he suggests 

Height in inches timed by 4 minus 128 (I think)

So for a 5ft 6 me, I get 136lbs

Less scientifically, Vegeta is 5ft5 and weighs 123lbs

Most people WILDLY overestimate how much they should weigh

BMI isnt perfect but it does give you a 30lb range to work with so is more accurate than most people are prepared to admit.

[fifofum]

DominicJ,

Acoording to the inches times 4 suggestion, for me would be 76 x 4 = 304 - 128 = 176. Yes, I'm 6 foot four inches and if I weighed 176 I think I might be dead! I will admit, I did weigh 170 pounds 30+ years ago. I'm guessing with age we get to cheat a little? 

[Raviv]

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@fifofum wrote:

I'm guessing with age we get to cheat a little? 

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I'm actually counting on it.  Just a little bit...

[DominicJ]

140lbs for me would be 126lbs "lean" 14lbs fat

So 10% body fat, which is about aslow as "normal" gets

[Proudpatriot]

So men and women of the same height have the same ideal weight?  You know that can't be right.

[AmandaBee]

I definitely think it is a personal decision.  For me I used to be really stuck with the number on the scale, I wanted to be a certain number and anything more than that I thought I was fat.  I more recently educated myself more about body fat and learned that I care much more about my body fat percentage than I do my weight on the scale.  Since muscle weighs more than fat me picking a number is unrealistic seeing as I wanted to be lean.  I also look at the inches now too, in the end it just depends on how you want to feel which I am sure for everyone is healthy and in shape!

[SunsetRunner]

Started to loosing more weight by not logging food, eating mostly nutritient rich foods.. sometimes having a treat like a bit of chocolat.

When eating, basing portions on hunger, trying tuning into what my body feels like (feeling more satisfied, not stuffed).. Let my body guide if it needs more vegetables, or telling when being truly nourished (not needing more).

Can be scary, but having let go of the scale, trusting the bodies wisdom to go where it wants to be. Being free in food choices, but tuning in not eating past satisfied.

Let my body guide where it wants to be with telling what it needs, how much, telling it has enough (or making up for it by having more if having eaten less previous days). Being at a healthy weight, though a bit of tummy.. yet being free in choices, listening to the bodies signals when needing nourishment, trusting internal wisdom to be where it likes to be, not letting a certain weight determine happyness. Go by feeling.

[fifofum]

Hello Amanadab,

"Muscle weighs more than fat" I hear that comment and want to make sure
people understand the perspective. If you have 10 pounds of muscle and 10
pounds of fat, which weighs more? Answer: They weigh the same.

I think what is needed to be explained is the mass or size of 10 pounds of
fat is about the size of a bowling ball and the mass of 10 pounds of muscle
is about the size of a softball. Needless to say, 10 pounds of muscle on
your body is going to look vastly different than 10 pounds of fat.

Muscle does not weigh more than fat.

I strive to turn my fat to muscle rather than get hung up on goal weight
too.

One of the things that does amaze me in seeing others GW is how high the
number is. I have to conclude these high numbers 190 - 210 for females
especially, must be first Goal only? I can't imagine any woman would have a
goal weight of 210 as their final goal weight.

I'm 6 foot 4 and 210 would be healthy for me (but still overweight by BMI
standards), but I can't imagnine the average female height which is 5 foot
5 inches where 210 pounds would be healthy.

[DominicJ]

Saying muscle weighs the same as fat is like saying concrete weighs the same as cottonwool

Sent from my iPhone

[fifofum]

Which weighs more -

10 pounds of concrete or 10 pounds of cotton?
10 pounds of iron or 10 pounds of feathers?
10 pounds of muscle or 10 pounds of fat?

Answer -
They weigh the same.

[Raviv]

That's why I just say that 10 pounds of muscle takes up less space than 10 pounds of fat.

Then I don't get the arguments.

[fifofum]

Raviv,

A good way (pun intended) to put it.

[SpunDreamer]

My Original goal weight was 180, it's where I was at after my first baby, I was 190 after my second a year later. BMI goal weight is 169 (High end of normal, and I'm 5'9") I'm 27 years old, and have a lot of weight to lose I put 169 as my final goal weight, I don't remember at what point between 120 (14 or 15) and 180(19) I looked and felt healthy, as I was a teen, then a young bride and mother, I didn't step on a scale while I wasn't pregnant between those weights. 

[DominicJ]

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@fifofum wrote:
Which weighs more -

10 pounds of concrete or 10 pounds of cotton?
10 pounds of iron or 10 pounds of feathers?
10 pounds of muscle or 10 pounds of fat?

Answer -
They weigh the same.

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A weeks seconds last as long as a weeks hours therefore hours last no longer than seconds....