Target weight?? Normal BMI/drop-a-dress-size/pre-dc/wedding day or dream weight?

[reallifegetsintheway]

Hello- just that really. Being doing this for 4 weeks and have lost 9 pounds. Still overweight according to BMI. Will keep going until at least normal BMI. But do I carry on beyond? Stop when happy? Will I plateau? How do you decide the end point and when to maintain?? I know it may be personal choice but want to be realistic and keep it off. Couldn't find answer but have been lurking!

[BsshBossh]

My original goal when I was BMI 36 was to get just inside a healthy BMI band (24.something). I maintained at that healthy BMI for a few months then realised I'd look even better at a lower BMI. So I aimed for BMI 21. At that BMI I really liked how I look in the mirror so decided to stop at that. But I've been ill this week and have dropped to BMI 20 and can see that I'm beginning to look scrawny around the chest and tummy area so I will aim to go back to BMI 21.

[mercibucket]

i am bmi 25 and aiming for the middle of normal bmi. gone from 25.6 in a couple of weeks so hopefully it is a realistic target

[reallifegetsintheway]

Thanks - maybe I should be patient and see how I feel at a normal BMI. This is 11 stone 10 at my height. Still got a long way to go. But pre-DC was about 11 to 11.5. So once at normal BMI I will be motivated to get down to this again. Fingers crossed.

[reallifegetsintheway]

Forgot to say well done Bssh - you must have lost lots of weight.

[BsshBossh]

Yes, 6 stones in total. It literally is a weight off my shoulders :)

[postmanpatscat]

My original goal was to get back under 9st, then I was finding 5:2 so simple and effective that I thought 8st 10 would give me plenty of wriggle room to gain a bit on holiday etc but still stay under. It took 12 weeks to reach that but that was in May 2013 and I've actually settled about half a stone lighter with fasting on average once a fortnight. I do a lot of exercise though (e.g. Have run 20 miles so far this week and will do more over the weekend). When I started 5:2 I wasn't exercising at all.

Sometimes it is hard to know what your goal is until you get there.

[DorisAllTheDay]

Hello, reallife. Last week someone posted this link in the mega-thread. It will help you determine whether you're a small, medium or large frame. You can then decide whereabouts in the BMI range you would like to be - if a large frame a BMI of 23/24 might suit you, for a medium frame 21/22 and for a small frame 19/20. But these are only approximate as everyone is different.

I've been wondering about an end goal myself. I've lost a lot of weight, and I now have a BMI of 24. I'm 5' 3" and large-framed, so numbers-wise I'm already OK at 9 stone 9, but I'm apple-shaped and carry my excess in the most dangerous of places - around my middle. My waist measurement is 32" and I know that a waist measurement of more than half your height is considered a health risk. So I'm wondering now whether I should disregard what's on the scales, and set myself a waist-measurement related target. I do still have a significant pot belly which I'd like to reduce even if it's unrealistic to think I can lose it altogether.

[reallifegetsintheway]

Thanks Doris- an interesting link. I have just found a measuring tape. DH is watching the rugby and looked up and says 'what are you doing? (quite hard to measure your own wrist!). Found out I am medium. The logic of what you say about BMI makes sense. For me 11 stone 7 is 24.4 and 11 stone is 23.4. So I should probably aim for nearer the lighter end. That means just under 2 stone to go! Well done for getting into the 'normal' range. I have read about the waist measurement too. I think some women are predispositioned to put on weight around boobs/tum, others face/ bum or thigh/hips etc. I worry about the danger of getting too low and not keeping it off. (Maybe should worry about that when I get there!)

[TalkinPeace]

it really, really depends on what your build turns out to be.
cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.html
Bssh and Eatriskier and Postman are all people who discovered that their true build was a lot slimmer than they thought

I look crap at BMI 28
pretty dire at BMI 23
reasonable at BMI 21
and would be v v happy at BMI 20

On the other hand I have friends who, due to their build , look lardy at BMI 21 !

[BigChocFrenzy]

For me, the target isn't BMI, it's % body fat and in particular waist measurement, as the best indicator of visceral fat and body composition. Exercise is an important part of my life, so I want to lose only fat, not muscle, which is difficult, but I seem to have achieved so far.

I've got down (very slowly) from 31" waist pre-52 to currently < 27" (BMI 24.9 to 22.5 BMI). I'm very muscular, so my approx 21% body fat is technically below the lower limit for healthy at my age (57). I feel I can safely lose a little more fat, but BMI 21.5 is probably my lowest possible.

Some other intense exercisers have had health problems with ADF or LeanGainsIF. Hence, I'm continuing my snail pace, to ensure I retain muscle, health and fitness.

This is my WOL now, so no hurry.

[MelanieCheeks]

What BigChoc said. I'll be eating this way for the rest of my life, in all probabaility, so I'll tweak it to maintain/ lose those holiday pounds ect as I go. My first target was a sub 25 bmi. Having acheieved thtt, I'm not working on fitting comfortably into my size 10 clothes.

[MelanieCheeks]

NOW working on, as opposed to NOT working.....

[LifeIsForTheLiving]

I'm getting married on 1st June so my motivation is very much my wedding day ATM. I've been going since 6th Jan and lost 11lbs so far doing 16:8, from 13st 4lbs to 12st 7lbs :)

This is without a doubt the easiest 'diet' I've ever done. I tried 5:2 and just didn't get on with it. After a couple of weeks I was dreading my fast days and I hate counting calories. With this I fast every day, eat healthily but no calorie counting required.

I work better with smaller goals...so ATM my mind is focused on losing another 8lbs so I can get into 'the 11's'.

I'm hoping to get to 11stone by my wedding so another 1st 7lbs in 4 months. Then I want to get to 10stone (my ultimate target) by August which is when we go on holiday.

10stone is smack in the middle of my 'ideal' range and pre-dc I was 10 stone and a size 10 which I'd be thrilled with.

[RufusTheReindeer]

Keep changing my mind,

Firstly I don't want to be overweight any more so that is 11 stone 6
Then 11 stone is a good weight with a bit of give IYSWIM
Then 10 stone 6 is slap bang in the middle of my bmi so that would be good

If you had asked me at the beginning of jan I would have said 11,6 but the weight is coming off well at the moment so maybe I will one day see the 10 s!

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

I was aiming for size 10 then did the body frame thing and Realised I was small framed despite being tall so aimed for size 8 and was happy at that and weighing around 9.5stone but i put some back on and stopped exercising so now aiming for a round 130lbs and true size 8 which gives me a little wiggle room

[bibliomania]

First goal was to get into the overweight rather than obese category, which I have just about done.
Next goal is to get into the normal weight category.
From there, I think I'll just see where I end up. If I plateau anywhere within normal weight, I'll take it as a set point.