As I get closer to goal....

[jsj0305]

I'm finding that I'm not slowing down with my weight loss. Now, to goal weight to begin with is pretty high for someone 5'3, but I thought with the muscle mass I do have, that anything under that would look silly. As I get closer, I realize I want and need to lose a lot more that 12 more pounds.

Did any of you guys have a high goal weight just to find that you needed to lose mor than you thought...

AND I am always reading how when you get closr to goal, your weight does slow down...how close to goal should that be happening??

Thanks so much. I have done this a million times and have never made the progress I have right now..so this part is all brand new to me. LOL

[hrgillespie]

I personally haven't made it to goal yet but I am all ready finding myself fairly certain my goal will change .......... I ahve a goal of 150 for now and when I started at 231 that seemed like a wonderful place to land and don't get me wrong it will be marvelous!!! BUT with that said I can allready tell it won't be the stoppping point for me My guess is at my age probably closer to 140 will be my ultimate goal ......... My loss started slowing drastically when I hit the half way mark .......... I have 30 to go and it's going very slowly ........... Just keep on keeping on!

[*Emma*]

I guess for the most of us it seems to happen at about 10-15 pounds, though i'm thinking my goal weight will need lowering eventually, i'm struggling to get it to what its at now.

You can call goal whenever you want to, if you're not struggling to lose i'd say - just go with it, be aware and keep reality on your body, don't go too far!

[Discolemonade]

I have 10 lbs to go and my loss has picked up really unexpectedly well. I too think I need to lower my goal weight even though I can't fathom weighing less. I can pinch way more than an inch per say. Wait and see what that last 12lbs looks like gone then decide.

[julirama723]

It's hard to put a number on what "GOAL" looks like, especially if you've never been there before, like me. When I started at 265 pounds, the thought of being under 200 was almost impossible to imagine, and knowing that I'd gotten to the 180s before, I set my goal at 190, since I had a lot more muscle this time around. When I got into the 190s and I realized that 190 was too high, I lowered my goal to 180. Soon I lowered my goal to 170. Then I lowered my goal to 160, which is where I'm keeping it for now. At this point, I have about 13 pounds to lose, and since I got under 180, it's like I hit a brick wall. My "weight" loss has been slooooooooooooow, but I continue to lose inches. When the school year ended in June I was a size 12. Now, a new school year is barrelling forward and I'm basically a size 8. I've lost barely 10 pounds in that time.

At one point I thought that 150 would be a doable goal. But now, seeing how I've lost inches but no pounds for many weeks, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to keep exchanging fat for muscle, so my number on the scale will be higher to accomidate that. I think 160 will be a very healthy weight for me. I'm not sure what size that will be for me...most likely a size 6 or 8 (I'm a size 8/9/10 right now).

[Einy]

Just curious here.. When you set a new goal, do you still approach that through the OWL, pre-maintenance or by restarting induction?

[jsj0305]

That is some really great advice, thanks so much you guys.

This is my first time ever being this weight, that I can remember, so it is very hard. I will just get these 12 pounds off..and then re evaluate. It's weird b/c even though I have lost 30 pounds, I am still wearing the same jeans! LOL Granted the 13's from oldnavy i had to pour myself into...and the other 13's I couldnt wear at 180 are starting to loosen up..so i'm so curious as to what size I do wear what tru size I really started at! LOL. I think the weight loss will slow soon..but the inches are flying off so fast too...I do my measurments once a month, which is tomorrow, so I will definately post the difference.

So when you guys decided your goal weights, did you do off of BMIs? B/c my 140 goal is at th very tippy top of the healthy BMI for my height. The BMI is the center of the healthy weights for my height is 125..so perhaps thats when it could get harder?

This is so confusing and exciting at the same time. LOL

[julirama723]

Einy--I just keep going with OWL, there's never any reason to re-start induction...unless you really need to get rid of intense cravings from a fall off the wagon or something.

Don't put too much faith in BMI charts. It doesn't account for bodies with muscle, it calculates BMI based on WEIGHT rather than lean mass or fat mass. It might be a better idea to strive for a healthy body fat percentage.

[jsj0305]

okay gotcha. I do have one of those scales that does the body fat percentage, or is there a more accurate way?

Also, what is a good body fat percentage range??

Thanks so much for all the help!

[SugarFreeSheila]

When I was 140+, I was convinced that I was large-boned and extremely muscular, and that 125 would therefore appear anorexic on me even at 5'3". However, once I got to 130, then 125, I saw that I had more work to do and kept going. I took it just one pound at a time, since I was hitting uncharted territory in terms of scale weight; after all, there was no possible way I would know how I would look at a certain scale weight until I was at least close to it, since everything is so relative.

Turns out while I am indeed very muscular, mesomorphic female, I'm actually medium-boned according to my doctors. Since I carry my weight very evenly, it fooled my untrained eye at the time! So, please take it very slowly; you will know when you have hit on your goal weight once you are there.

http://www.musclesurf.com/ideal-bodyfat-percentage.html
With respect to the ideal body fat percentages for you, I would discuss this goal with your doctor.