Is My Goal Weight Realistic?

Setting your goal weight is usually the first step in initiating your weight loss plan. However, if your weight loss goal is too lofty, either week-to-week or in total, then you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.  It's important to understand what an ideal weight is for your body type and your height to keep your goal realistic.

Ideal Weight vs. Okay Weight

If you’d like to get a good idea of what you should weigh, click on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines for assessing your weight and links to additional resources.  Generally, a BMI of 25 or higher, a waist-to-hip ratio of  greater than 0.8 for women and 1.0 for men, and a waist measurement more than 35 inches and 40 inches for women and men respectively, are the indicators that you need to lose weight. While a weight loss goal is important, you may get below these three parameters well before you reach your goal. Use discretion as you get closer to your ideal weight to determine if those last few pounds are necessary to lose.
The healthy weight range is Body Mass Index (BMI) 19 to 24, with a BMI of 19 to 21 best for a small frame, a BMI of 21 to 23 great for a medium frame and, for a large frame and for most men, a BMI of 23 to 25 is the easiest to maintain.  Of course, exceptions do apply, especially for very muscular people who often maintain a healthy weight above the normal range.

Does size matter?
As a New York Times article outlines, “The size of your waist can tell you far more about the state of your health than the number on a bathroom scale.”  A large waist is a risk factor for heart attack, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. But once a woman gets below a 35-inch waist and a man gets below 40-inches, it may be fine to let the size obsession go.  After you reach the healthy weight range, knocking off inches around your waist will get harder and harder. Your body has limitations based on frame size, body shape, and where your fat is distributed.  For tall women, being a size 6 or 8 is usually the aspiration, but don’t beat yourself up if that goal eludes you. The small sizes are generally made for the women who are naturally short.  If most of the tall women wear a size 4, then what will the short women wear?

What will it take to maintain?
While following extreme measures is needed to lose the weight, don't bank on continuing to work out six days a week or to heavily restrict your calories every day for the rest of your life.  There should be a light at the end of the weight loss tunnel, and knowing what that light is means figuring out what kind of lifestyle you will need to maintain your goal weight.  Consider the daily amount of calories and exercise you will have to endure when you reach your goal. (Calorie Count's Calorie Target Tool will give you that number.) If getting down to 120 pounds means exercising 6 times a week and eating only 1500 calories a day, do you think it’s possible or necessary to maintain that weight?
Being healthy means enjoying life and not stressing about daily activities.  Eating and exercise should be fun. At your goal weight, you should be able to do both without feeling deprived.  Focus on staying healthy, rather than on a number, and the most important goal - a long, fulfilling life - will be achieved--- By Carolyn Richadson http://caloriecount.about.com/profile/carolyn_r