The Actual Long Term "goal Weight."

[Troy Spiral (13)]

Do you ( i mean anyone that might be inclined to respond) feel like people that clearly (like myself) need to lose a few pounds, knowing some exact goal weight is of use to actually encouraging changing our diet & exercise? I'm not being sarcastic or trying to make a point with that question, I'm really curious. For me the of lets say, if i need to lose 25 or 45 pounds seems just something to stress myself out. Its usually quite clear clear if we have fat to get rid of isn't it? For me it just seems like a mental exercise that really doesn't lead to any real action.

Not that i haven't spent plenty of time measuring myself and jumping on the scale every 2 days in the past. I need to create a calorie deficit somehow, check my weight to see if I'm losing or gaining or staying the same... but do i actually care about some specific mystical future number all that much? I need to lose if its clear, just by looking in the mirror that i still have more to go?

I'm seriously curious about that one, does it really help to get some specific number? I cant fully see much use in it unless I'm in clearly "good shape" then it might become useful. Until i get into the "pretty good shape" area, it almost seems like useless info, since its just crystal clear i need to change my lifestyle, not necessarily my weight.

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

you can still be overweight, and be in shape....

don't know how, but its true...

anyways... i think that for women, an actual goal weight, when losing a significant amount, is better than just saying "i need to lose such-n-such amount of weight"

for men, I have noticed, that losing inches, vs. is a better motivator (my mom worked in weightloss for like 8 years, and owned her own clinic.... so yeah.... i know ALOT about this stuff) not claiming to be an expert, not by any means, just observations....

anywho... personally, a goal weight is better..... if i was actually on the track to lose weight... now, in general, its if my arms appear smaller, and my pants fit a little loser, than I am doing something right...

[Ice Queen (1)]

I never put an emphasis on a number, even when I had extra weight. I just wanted to feel good and be happy with my body. Weighing occasionally is ok, but it sets you up for a fall. Whenever I got on the scale and saw I lost weight, it made me hungry and seeing you gained, how discouraging. Are your clothes tighter? then you gained. Not as tight, then you lost; no change, well what do you think? Much easier to not obsess about the numbers in my opinion. Good luck to anyone fighting the battle of the bulge!

[TygerLili]

When I was losing weight I passed my goal weight loss really quickly, and after that I never had a specific number in mind, it was more about getting into clothes.

I did have a scale that registered fractions of a pound, and I would weigh myself constantly, as in more than once a day. A lot of people would call that obsessive or pre-anorexic, but it really worked for me. I read content lables, but I didn't keep an exact calorie count, so that helped me judge how much I was eating. I would only have liquids after 7pm, unless the number was down a couple ounces from what it was that time the day before, then I'd allow myself a small snack. It sounds weird, but it worked.

[Destroit]

Don't weigh yourself more than once every three days or so. Seriously you can have "false" weight results due to things like water content, food in stomach, and POOP!

*tee hee*...I said poop.

Anyway, back on topic. Uhmm basically I don't ever "diet" for instance. I consider everything a "lifestyle change". Try to take food choices day by day...meal by meal. Never be like "I'm going to eat this this and this." When it comes time to eat just be like "I'm gonna bake this potato instead of frying it". Boom...right there, saved yourself like 300 calories. After that I'll be like "Well real butter is DELICIOUS...but I really should just use this practically no-calorie spray stuff" eliminating another like 200 calories.

Get muh drift?

Don't worry TOO much about numbers...like I said take every meal as a single battle, not as a big picture (because if you do everything on a grander scale it makes it seem harder and too complex to plan out).

If you feel like a sexy-Troy-biotch...well then we'll probably all think ya are too. That's what matters...

But I will say that I am hurt about your decision to cancel your membership with the Fat Club (to other DGNers, it's an inside joke between me and Troy). BUT...I have good news...with my recent brokeness I've been playing DDR and obviously not eating SO this summer there will be openings for the very new "Sexy Thin Bitches Club". Wanna join? There's cool laminated membership cards and a free trip to the beach so all the chickies in bikinis can swoon over your newfound abs.

Edited February 25, 2008 by Chernobyl

[torn asunder]

weight is a waste of time, honestly... body fat percentage is a better gauge/indicator. if one is "fat" one should work on building muscle mass, (and no, i don't mean steroid-bloated-arnold-mass) because muscle is metabolically more demanding than fat. as you create more muscle mass, you will burn more calories, even just sitting/lying in bed! for most people, getting into a habit of exercise is key - making it a natural part of everyday life. i've found that, once i start exercising, my body will "tell me" to eat healthier, but when i'm away from the gym, i crave unhealthy foods. i'm always going to keep my goals set at making exercise a habit, until the time that i don't even notice i'm doing it consistently.

and the thought of needing to lose "XX lbs" does nothing but frustrate, and depress me, so i don't pay any attention to my weight *as a determining factor*. i still watch my weight, but if i go up/down 5 lbs or so week to week, i really don't care. in fact, i don't care what i end up weighing - i just want to look good naked!!

btw, i just want to remind everyone - "that which you're against, weakens you; that which you're for, strengthens you!" (paraphrased from wayne dyer)

don't fight being a "fat person" think of yourself as a thin/fit person, and work towards it!

Edited February 25, 2008 by torn asunder
edited to add a thought...

[creatureofthenyte]

Troy, like TA says, body mass index; body fat percentage should be the number to look at.

Also, something you said, you pinpointed it exactly, changing your lifestyle is the main thing you need to do in order to improve your physical health.

You can eat all the healthiest food available, but if you don't excercise, or engage in some form of other physical activeness, you will still get fat.

It is possible for a person's body dimensions to change(the waistline could get smaller), and have their weight stay the same.

When you get rid of fat from your body, either by modifying your diet and or excercising, you are changing the fat/muscle ratio of your body.

Muscle weighs more then fat and takes up less space.

(unless you're a gigantic bodybuilder, with shoulders wider then a city block)

Now, I remember reading in a post on the board somewhere, that you are 6'4.

That helps.

As far as a goal weight goes, well it doesn't, IMO, have to be a specific number.

Rather a range of numbers, like say between 240-260lbs.

I'm no doctor, so I don't know what the actual weight is that would be proportional to your height. However, in my mind's eye, I think if you got to say 245-255lbs that could be a good point to start with and go from there.

[torn asunder]

i would just like to add - i think the people who came up with the BMI (body mass index) should be (virtually) shot for it!! i greatly dislike that thing!

Edited February 25, 2008 by torn asunder
spelling

[creatureofthenyte]

i would just like to add - i think the people who came up with the BMI (body mass index) should be (virtually) shot for it!! i greatly dislike that thing!

They should be!!! It makes it sound like a truck being measured on a weigh scale almost.

[bean]

I need numbers, I need something to work towards. I have the end goal in mind, but in the meantime, I have mini goals that I work towards with due dates.

I also keep strict track of my calorie intake.

I don't eat after a certain time in the day.

I make myself do some sort of exercise for at least 15 minutes per day. I know I need to add more to it, but I'm still trying to figure out how to budget my time between everything I have going on in my life at the moment.

I need goals because I would have never lost a pound if I didn't. It's just how I operate.

I used to weight myself 5-6 times a day as a kind of a motivator to not eat so much. Now I only weigh myself first thing in the morning after I wake up.

[Destroit]

I need numbers, I need something to work towards. I have the end goal in mind, but in the meantime, I have mini goals that I work towards with due dates.

I also keep strict track of my calorie intake.

I don't eat after a certain time in the day.

I make myself do some sort of exercise for at least 15 minutes per day. I know I need to add more to it, but I'm still trying to figure out how to budget my time between everything I have going on in my life at the moment.

I need goals because I would have never lost a pound if I didn't. It's just how I operate.

I used to weight myself 5-6 times a day as a kind of a motivator to not eat so much. Now I only weigh myself first thing in the morning after I wake up.

I'm the same way with the number thing. Like I have a goal weight: 127-130. I know the number and know it well, and off the top of my head I'm like...25 lbs off? I'm gettin' skinny, but not quite there yet. You keep up the good work and I'll keep up mine!

[bean]

I'm the same way with the number thing. Like I have a goal weight: 127-130. I know the number and know it well, and off the top of my head I'm like...25 lbs off? I'm gettin' skinny, but not quite there yet. You keep up the good work and I'll keep up mine!

Sounds like a plan to me!

My goal is 115 pounds...though a certain someone thinks that's way too skinny *shrugs* we'll see.

Edited February 26, 2008 by bean water

[Destroit]

Sounds like a plan to me!

My goal is 115 pounds...though a certain someone thinks that's way too skinny *shrugs* we'll see.

Naw, that's about right actually (you're slightly shorter than I am). That's not too skinny! Pssshaw, they don't know what they speak of, whomever that is. Keep goin' gurlfrieeend *does ghetto finger snap*!

Edited February 26, 2008 by Chernobyl

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

yeah, mine's 135-140... i need a goal too... i think that i should think about setting little goals, as well... work my way down... good idea Bean Water...... I think that i should start working on getting back to being able to do 1000 crunches a night... and cut back on the food intake.... BUT my god-mom doesn't like to eat past 5, and then I get hungry again in the middle of the night!... I wanna move at least my eating time to like 6:30, 7... i need to stop snacking in the middle of the night, but my hunger keeps me up. I don't gorge myself, or even eat a full meal, just enough to quiet the growling... anywho...i miss my thin self, and I, like some ppl, need a goal to work towards.. i haven't given it much thought, but everyone else is, and its easier to do it together, than alone! Even if its just discussing the little achievements! So! here I go.. This is a goal to get healthier, and to feel better, physically. I am comfortable with me, now... but in the long run, and with my family history, i need to get the weight off now, before it turns into something worse, down the line. I will say this tho: i must be doing something right, even in this lazy state I am in, because I have gone no higher than 220, in the past 3 years! so that's good... i am down to 205-210, as of now, but I am actually trying.. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Great Topic, Troy!

^---Im the pink one

*giggles*

[sass_in_the_pants]

See I'm a numbers girl myself. All day long I work with numbers. I total up my grocery bill AS I go shopping. I do the bills. Numbers, numbers, numbers. I like numbers.

If it only frustrates you, drop it. Don't worry about a goal number.

For someone like me, numbers let me know how I'm doing. If I lose two pounds, I can't see it on my frame, but I CAN see it on the scale and that gets me all geared up.

[GOREgeouslyDecorated]

well, I'm slowly getting to my goal, I'm down to 150, as opposed to the 165 I was a few weeks ago - my goal is roughly 130ish... I wanna keep my womanly curves ;-)

[Troy Spiral (13)]

*reads intently*

Thanks for taking the time.

[jadnifer]

Changing the way that you eat, really isn't going to help in the long run if you don't exercise. I will use an example of a topic that I saw on Oprah. (Yes, I do watch it occasionally)

There was a woman on there that weighed 1,000 pounds. I do NOT discriminate against people that are heavier, but I felt SO bad for her. She weighed so much that she couldn't get out of bed or do anything for herself. Even a glass of water made her gain weight. This here is a good example.

I used to weigh myself at the same time once a week to see my achievement. Sometimes it would go up a little depending on what time of month it was or water retention. More likely than not though it would go down because I was strict about it and I exercised by walking a lot on campus. I needed to see the actual weight that I was though. I didnt give myself huge goals but little ones because I didnt want to discourage myself. Numbers do help, but it doesnt help to overdo them either.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I have been hesitant to post. I'm terminally skinny, so normally get shouted down with any view I have on weight gain or lose. But I am 40. Things are changing.

I would think a number is useless. When I am looking in the mirror and trying to convince myself that I am still sexy.. I don't think in numbers... I think in terms of "I have miniature love handles? When did I get those?" and "My boobs are sagging a bit. I need to tone up."

[bean]

I have been hesitant to post. I'm terminally skinny, so normally get shouted down with any view I have on weight gain or lose. But I am 40. Things are changing.

I would think a number is useless. When I am looking in the mirror and trying to convince myself that I am still sexy.. I don't think in numbers... I think in terms of "I have miniature love handles? When did I get those?" and "My boobs are sagging a bit. I need to tone up."

Very good point, but I think different things work for different people.

If I went on looks alone, I would have shot myself a long time ago. I didn't start seeing noticeable weight loss until I had lost about 50 pounds..now it's noticeable every 10-15 pounds lost.

I need the numbers to keep on track. I like knowing when I have lost a few pounds - that keeps me focused.

But, that's just me.

Now when I get to a more normal weight, then it would be feasible to go on looks alone. At that point, it wouldn't be about weight loss, it would be about tone vs. flab.

Edited February 26, 2008 by bean water

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

point to you.

[Destroit]

*eats Reese's cups*

EPIC FAIL. Just thought it was suitable for this thread.

[creatureofthenyte]

I think it would be a good idea keep a record of your progress with your weight loss. Write down the date and what you weighed in at on that day, and keep recording it. That way you can track your progress. AND AND AND if you are having a bad day, and need to cheer up, you can take out your weight tracking notebook and look at it, and smile and say: Holy Shit!! look how far I've come!!!

[bean]

I think it would be a good idea keep a record of your progress with your weight loss. Write down the date and what you weighed in at on that day, and keep recording it. That way you can track your progress. AND AND AND if you are having a bad day, and need to cheer up, you can take out your weight tracking notebook and look at it, and smile and say: Holy Shit!! look how far I've come!!!

I do that!

And then I can figure out how much weight I've lost since such and such date, then how much I lost from month to month and then weekly, and average it, then figure out how much weight I could potentially lose on average per month, then figure out how many months it would take to lose the rest of the weight...

Yes, I'm a nut.

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

no, bean water, you are consistent. And that works for you... and i don't know about the rest of everyone, but I am happy for you that you are achieving your goals. You, it seems to me, have always been beautiful. Its hard to feels beautiful, when you don't like what you see in the mirror... Believe me, I know.....

I think that this is my problem... you all see me with my clothes on... clothes that smooth out here, lift there, this that, and the other.... you don't see what I see... not that I am calling you all lier's, because i firmly believe that you believe that I am pretty. I love me... the me that everyone sees... its the me they don't see, that I have a problem with. AND I am working towards changing that. My tummy's getting tighter, and my pants are getting HUGE! So, eventually, I will be that 135 lb girl that loved to run around her house naked... LMAO.... until then, I don't think that I will like myself very much...

Another reason why I have such a hard time believing complements, or don't know how to handle them, is because for a year, the guy i was dating (back in 2004) called me worthless, fat, stupid, all kinds of things along those lines... tho I am the one that did everything around the house, did everything for him.... when i realized what was going on, I got out... but not soon enough.. the emotional damage had been done... unfortunately... now I am way more cautious than I use to be..

anyways... I will continue to work hard, to get where I want to be, and Bean, good luck sweetie! You've done so well, so far! ANd to anyone else that's trying to lose weight: good luck to you, as well!