Whose Ideal?

[bnzstar]

I'm just curious. For those of you who are on the path to weight loss, at what point are you or will you be able to accept your weight? When you reach your own personal goal? A certain size? Someone else's standard (weight chart, BMI, Hollywood, favorite celeb's weight, etc)
As a woman I really struggle with this. I'm 5'8 and right now I wear a size 8 or 10. I have a bit of a belly...but no rolls and nothing jiggles when I move, etc.
For most of my life with the exception of puberty I was rail thin--until I hit 30 and its like eveything changed. I went up two cup sizes and my flat stomach disappeared. When I was tiny I loved being able to wear ANYTHING and feeling like it fit perfectly--except jeans because I am a butt challenged woman...anyway....Now I feel so self conscious about every bump no matter how small.
I would give my right arm to be that size again, but to do so I really have to go to extremes...even on a low carb diet it's hard for me to get past about 140 lbs without a lot of exercise and very minimal food.
However my doctor says for me weight and frame where I am or just a few pounds lighter is perfectly healthy for me. Most of my firends are double digit sized...no one is obese...but probably technically overweight but they seem to be able to accept how they look better than I can/
Am I alone in feeling this way?

[not2late]

My current goal is a size 8. But that might change. I might be happy in a size 10 or a size 6---don't know until I get there.

As for clothing...I'm coming to the realization that the family curse is on me. I'm from a line of busty women---on both sides of the family. You'd think with 60 pounds gone and 6 dress sizes, I would have shrunk abit. NOPE! It's a big pain in the rear because it's making buying clothes very difficult---if I buy a blouse that fits my chest, it's too big everywhere else. If I buy a blouse that fits everywhere else, it doesn't fit my chest.
:sadblinky

Anyhow.....

I think as women we've been brainwashed into thinking we have to be X, Y, Z in order to be "pretty" or "lovable" or whatever. We're women. We have breasts and hips. We're not pre-adolescent girls without hips or breasts. The fashion industry is almost pedophilic in the way they promote fashions for grown women that fit best on 10 year old boys and girls, imo.

[maysea]

looking good

i think i will except myself with nice neat curves and not road humps :yikes as im not weighing myself.just want to look nice and sexy in my new body :dancingb:

[Pam_C]

I agree not2late. I kept hearing that when you lose weight you get smaller up top and I was happy to hear that but to my suprise I actually got bigger up top. I think that is weird but it is true. I hate picking out tops because if I get a button up shirt people think I'm pregnant because of all the excess material at my waist. I'll just stick to my pull over tops. I don't have a particular size I want to be. I just want to be in a healthy range. I don't care if I wear a 10 or a 4 when I get there just as long as I am healthy.
Pam

[cleochatra]

I'll be happy with my weight when I'm within a good goal range for my height and am in a size 6-8, depending. I'd like to weigh 125, but I'll take whatever weight I'm fit at if I can hit the goal for size.

[Kent]

As a guy, my end weight or goal is probably not so much weight related as it might be a BF%, exercise ability, or body image related. I work in a field (IT) where one can never settle or say there is nothing else to do, and I am beginning to view my body as the same way. I am happy with who I am now, but that does not mean I am goal. Anymore than I could say I am goal with my career and all I have to do is maintain. The specifics of any goal have to be internalized or the quest to achieve is never as satisfying. I will probably always have some goal ahead of me to keep me motivated and still in control of my weight or habits.

[soliwit]

I just want to be in the healthy range and not in dangerzone, I never really thought about sizes untill you asked actually.
Well and hey I love it when I look nice with it, I don't mind at all, but i don't dislike myself now, I will just like myself more I guess :nod

[spazzyhilo]

Thats exactly why my goal is 180. according to doctors and charts and what not, for my height I should be between 165-175. But at 180 I felt my healthiest. Plus I'm also a busty girl and don't want to feel like I'm going to snap in half trying to fit into a size 2. So I figure I'll down to 180 or thereabouts and see how I feel

[IrishIrish]

http://www.drkoop.com/tools/93/ibw.html

This is a website that allows you to figure out what is an "ideal" weight based on your frame. It will give you an idea. You may just have to up your exercise or do exercise specific to your problem areas. Think about moving up to OWL if you haven't done so.

[love2beeamom]

well, I can honestly say, I am forever changing my goal.. when I was 350 pounds, I thought, if I can ever get under 200, I will be satisfied. Then, my goal was 175..which I haven't weighed in years.. and as I approach that, it has changed once again. I have lots of jiggly skin and problem areas that I think will never look toned without some kind of surgery, which I am just not interested in.. so I now think I would be totally satisfied in a size 10.. and to not be in the overweight range on the charts, which for me wil be around 145-150.

[borntolose]

My ideal weight per the charts is between 137 & 151 because I am a large frame at 5'5".

My hip ration will always be poor because I have strong V shape. My biggest weight problem is a huge spare tire in the middle. At my largest my waist was 50 inches.

My personal goal is to lose enough I can no longer grab a hand full of my middle.

This WOL helps us be our best in personal weight and health. :joy

BJ

[tabekat]

not all big is bad


bnzstar, I'm sure you are not alone in feeling frustration with baffling physical changes that occur over time.

I personally, don't feel extreme measures should be taken to stay one particular weight though. if your doc believes you are healthy, i'd take some real comfort in that.

Thanks for the link IrishIrish - that weight loss guide was very interesting. Apparently my ideal is 124. I don't think I ever weighed 124, not even as a baby.

This is a fascinating topic. I've always been overweight so I don't have any skinny years to reference. In my head a size 14 is blinking in pink neon lights. if I can get to a size 14, I think I will be overjoyed.

I'm not putting any pressure on myself to be a particular weight. I'm watching to see what my body prefers to do with itself now that I'm eating healthy and getting regular exercise.

I believe that if I keep sticking to my Atkins regime, my body will release most of its fats stores. If it reaches a standstill at 150, 140, 130 - I'll still be pretty happy with that.

It would be nice if my non-supportive husband didn't worship skinny women. I feel pretty good about myself until her opens his yap!

[Elizellen]

My personal goal is to lose enough I can no longer grab a hand full of my middle.

Me too :yes
Like many of us I have never been slim so really have no idea what my 'goal weight' should be.
I picked mine as being half of my start weight and will probably lower it when I get there and see what I look like nekkid :yikes

[teejay]

Being that I do not have a realistic self image, my husband and I have made a deal

Although until a few years ago I weighed between 95 and 110 lbs, I am aware that this may have been too little due to the fact that I am a little muscular. Soooo I am aiming for 120, however if my hubby says that I am starting to look sick, like I was before then I have promised to stop trying to lose weight at that point. I was really not unhappy with myself when I weighed 210 lbs. because I have a husband who loves me and accepts me however I am happy. But that dread diabetes started sniffing around and I really don't want that. Every one of my dad's brothers and sisters, including my father ( that is 12 total ) are overweight and diabetic.

No thank you :no

So though my goal is 120, I have a non-biased judge to help keep me in check.

TJ

[moonwish]

I have to admit I wanna be thin.
I have never been thin so I just wanna know how it feels. Whatever number it is, I wanna see no visible fat on my body... altho right now it seems like it's never gonna happen :anger