I was attracted by the title of this thread because it relates to some thoughts I've been having about body image.
As to the original question about "goal weight":
When I was twenty, 150lbs seemed outrageously heavy. Now, at 72, it sounds like a dream weight.
However, since I have managed to maintain somewhere between 135 and my all-time high of 192 for most of the past twenty years, I consider myself a low-carb success.
I'd describe my body as X-treme pear. In other words, an extra 20 lbs. (at least) sits inaccessibly in my butt and thighs. Even when I ran a full marathon (at the age of 33) and weighed 125 lbs. all the remaining "fuel" was stored in my thighs. Body shape can be more annoying than body weight for some of us.
However, we're told that pear-shaped women are less likely to have heart attacks than apple-shaped women, and also that having a little extra body fat is associated with longevity for women. Okay fine, for me. But that still doesn't make any type of pants fit me better, unless there's an elastic waist.
On a recent vacation in a very popular national park, I saw hundreds of people of all shapes and sizes and nationalities, all dressed casually. On the one hand, I admire people (women in particular) who seem comfortable enough with their size to let it all hang out. Me? I want to be happy with how I look in the photos, let alone in the mirror. So I work at weight management, and dress in the most flattering way I can.
Goal weight? That depends. And changes. Nobody but you knows what it is. However, as much as I try to avert my judgmental eyes, personal appearance matters to me. And I wonder how very fluffy people can ignore the issues that go with being...fluffy.