Hi folks,
I have been thinking about my goal of 180lbs. I'm 5'6" and my lowest adult weight was 165-170 (maintained) at 19 yrs old. I was a size 12, with dresses sometimes in the 10s. I lost fast with Atkins. You know how it is, you loose fast and you seem to be so thin, but really just in comparison to your old self. My weight stayed there until I had my son. I can't even imagine myself at say...145lbs?

So for the question: Those who have met your goal, have you found you wanted to set a new lower goal for yourself? Did you underestimate your weight loss potential? What do you think about the body frame sizes on the weight charts? Did you really think you were a large frame (as I would think for myself) only to find there was a petite little thing hiding inside all along? The charts for "large frame" say I should ideally be 140-159lbs! Oh my! 180 would give me a BMI of 29...

Thanks!
~Lianne

I just want to get to a weight where I'm comfortable with my appearance and myself. I chose 175 for now because I think it's doable and it's maintainable. If I end up going lower that would be great but I've been so overweight for so long that being lower than 175 doesn't seem like a possibility.

When I was in my late 20's I was at 155 and thought I was too big! I'm 5'8" and I was just right! But now that I'm older, I'm not looking to get in a bikini or miniskirt. I'm looking to stay healthy and fit.

I have already warned DH that I will be a pile of saggy, baggy skin but with clothes on I won't be half bad! He just wants me to be healthy and happy.

<<I have already warned DH that I will be a pile of saggy, baggy skin but with clothes on I won't be half bad! He just wants me to be healthy and happy.>>

Haha, everything seems to be a trade off doesn't it? I remember getting to my lowest weight and being a 36(small)B cup and being stunned at the change. I am a 40DD now, that would be even more drastic. But hey, a smaller cup size could make certain exercise (jump rope, running) easier I think.

I think being a size that I can find cloths that fit, look good, and are not plus sized will be awesome! My bottom is always proportionately much bigger then my waist, which makes all my pants fit tight in the rear and gap and pull down at the waist. Maybe if I get thin enough it will improve? lol

I never set a final weight-loss goal- I just wanted to lose 20lbs and get my insulin controlled, so I could see if my CRP went down. This is where I ended up. I first lost 20, then 30, then stayed ther about 4-5 months (very happily) then all of a sudden lost another 25 pounds. Then I added more carbs into RM to stabilize. I put the 150 as my goal when I first joined this site as it was what I actually weighed then.
I think any number (weight, size) goals just don't make sense for me.
HTH-
E

I can totally relate to each of the previous posters. When I started the CAD last year on May 1st I was disgusted with myself and figured anything below 200 lbs would be better than where I was. As I lost weight I figured that to be around 150 lbs would be the lowest my body could handle, but now that I am getting close to that I know for sure that I will not be happy with my body at that weight. I had been a 38DD and thought I was "big boned", but now I am a 34D, although the D part is now mostly not-so-full skin.(That is a whole nother issue!!! Yuck!) Having a 34 measurement tells me that I am probably more on the petite size underneath all of this fat and extra skin, and that maybe my goal weight should be closer to 135 lbs. At this point I have decided that I will continue to try to lose weight until I feel comfortable in my own body, and I will try not to obsess over any specific number. I have friends that weigh the same as I do now, yet one of them looks really thin and healthy, and the other looks heavy and in need of a little weight loss. That tells me that the charts that tell us what we should weigh can only be a recommendation, but each person needs to find the weight that works on their own body. So for now I figure I have at least 20 more lbs to go, but we'll see along the way how I look and feel and not worry about a "final ultimate weight goal". Good luck to you!!!!

url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/w0UQsuI/]

hi NK-
welcome!
WOW- you have done great!
One of the things that I think helped me was exercise. What do you do? I think it tightened up my whole body while losing.
E

As for exercise, right after Thanksgiving I joined Snap Fitness, which, in case you don't have them in your area, are 24 hour centers with the standard circuit machines, weights, treadmills, all the basic cardio workout machines. I have only missed 2 days since the end of November. I do the circuit machines, and then either walk/run/walk/run for 4-5 miles, or I do about 3 miles on the ArcTrainer. Either way it says I'm burning between 500 and 700 calories depending on intensity. I have noticed some changes, but I think the initial weight loss came faster than my skin could handle (the first 48 lbs came off within 14 weeks) so I'm hoping now it will adjust accordingly. The majority of the women in my family are overweight, some slightly, some extremely, and unfortunately the ones that have lost weight are not very toned. I guess I'll have to just work really hard and hope it pays off. One thing I know I have to change is that although I do a pretty good job keeping away from most carbs except for during my reward meal, I have been bending the rules by subtracting fiber or sugar alchohols from carb grams and then using the net carbs in deciding what to eat. I have to become more strict with that but it is sooooo hard to find things to eat on the go. Enough making excuses- I just have to make up my mind and do it right. Right????

Right. There are no net carbs in CAD. I just have my protein and veggies and plan on a really good RM.
So glad you are here-
and that workout sounds amazing. Good for you!
I lost the first 30 in about the smae period of time, but I was lifting weights and walking the whole time. Some of the lumps and bumps smoothed out after the first year, and I think I look pretty good. I have a bit of a saggy tummy, but I had 2 kids too and that is just how it is.
E

I figure you really shouldn't worry about a goal weight until you get much closer to it. When I started, I had a goal weight of 135 lbs. I'd love to weigh that, but it's not going to happen. I finally landed around 175 and though I've often gone lower to 167ish, I usually rebound back up to 175. As it turns out, I'm happy here. I wear a size 14 jean (smaller in dress pants and dresses), look pretty decent and am healthy.

I think coming from such a high weight has a big influence on how I feel about my weight. My sister and I are the same height, my frame is actually slightly smaller than hers (my fingers/wrists are skinnier than hers), but she has always been thin, around 125-130 lbs. Even after both pregnancies, she went back to her normal size. I sit here at 175 and feel fantastic about my body and she's gained weight as she hit her 40s and feels terribly fat at 160.

So, I think a goal weight has a lot to do with personal preference and perspective. My advice is to set a goal that gets you out of the obese BMI category and into the overweight one. That'll get you healthy. Then, anything after that, figure it out as you go, depending on how you feel.

Great advice, Valerie!
E