Help me choose my target weight!

Maximus

Gold Member
It keeps changing. Even the suggested BMI changes depending on where you look!

I'm a 5ft 6in 46 year old male. I just want to try and set a realistic target range. So much conflicting info - I'm hoping there might be some logic.

I suggest no more than 11st 7lb but my new gym instructor reckons that is too low! - minimum is much lower than that.

Not sure if it is relevant but I'm a sagittarius;)

Seriously though folks from a medical/health or even the dreaded BMI point of view help me decide, at least until I get my next docs appt.

Thanks

Steve
 
LOL it's complete chaos- sure I'm only just in the healthy range now.

The NHS thingies reccomends the max healthy is 11st 0lbs for you. :| I think it's a case of chosing a number and then changing it if you want/need. I think the only thing you can do is chose the 11st 7lb that you wanted then see when you get there, if you need to lose more. :)
 
I think it depends on how weight is carried.

My hubby lingers around 11lb 10ish but just a few lb's less & he looks really gaunt!

I think its case of seeing for yourself what you look like & more importantly feel like.

You don't have to have a target weight, you could always get there one week & think you know what, i'm happy as I am now - lets call TARGET!!
 
I think it's all down to how you feel when you get close to it. I'm 5'2" and am currently 9st 1lb. Many people at my height would want to be 8st but my husband and others tell me I looked better at 10stone and I have to say that I agree with them, I liked being 10stone and I felt better than I do now but I don't want to purposely embark on a weight gaining exercise incase I can't stop LOL.
I wish I'd assessed thoroughly on the way down and stopped sooner even though the charts wouldn't have agreed with me.
 
The BMI thing, which is often seen as the be-all and end-all is, at best, only a guide, and at worst, an unhelpful distraction!

However (and that's a big however), because I know what a "healthy" BMI is for my height, I can't help feeling determined to get to it. Despite the fact that I know I'm large framed, and heavy boned, and therefore I should adjust it to get to something realistic for me, I can't help focussing on it, to a certain extent.

So what I've done is to set my initial target at a weight that would give me a BMI just into the healthy range. When I get there, I will assess whether I myself think I should go a little bit lower, or even allow myself to put a little bit back on. I'm really not going to know, until I get there, whether it's a good weight for me. If I start to lose more weight in my face, or something like that, I think I'll be happy to go back up a bit.

I'm sure the process is similar - but slightly different - for all of us. It's being healthy and happy that really counts, after all, not what some arbitrary number appears to say.
 
My hubby is 6 foot and he looks chubby at 13.7 stone but just right at around 11.7/12 - so for your height maybe 10.10 or thereabouts - but honestly only you will know what looks right on you xx
 
I agree with all the above. Also I don't think that a gym instructor is qualified to say how much you weigh :p
 
I agree with all the above. Also I don't think that a gym instructor is qualified to say how much you weigh :p
100%

Gym instructor hasn't a clue tbh.

I'm thinking 11.00-11.7 as healthy for me at this stage

Can anyone confirm what the BMI range is for a 5ft 6 male - just curious

Steve
 
No idea on the BMI for your height, however, I just wanted to say don't get too hung up on your BMI. Its a good guide, but tbh a look in the mirror will tell you where you want to be.

When I did WW you couldn't get to target if you weren't within your healthy BMI range. For me this meant I had to get to 9 stone odd, but I was perfectly happy around 10 stone. It took so much hard work and effort to lose those 3-4 pounds that I wasn't really too bothered about at the time. I see that now as one of the main reasons I went of the rails and here I am now! Part of me would like to get nearer 9 stone, but tbh I will see how I feel when I get back to 10. I can honestly see myself calling target at 10, then hitting the weights to tone up.
 
If you look in the booklets that came with your new member pack in the choose success booklet there is a BMI chart. I haven't got my glasses handy so don't know exactly but it looks like a BMI of 25 for you would be 11 st. Your consultant also has a BMI chart that is a bit clearer so you could ask them.

Teresa
 
So what I've done is to set my initial target at a weight that would give me a BMI just into the healthy range. When I get there, I will assess whether I myself think I should go a little bit lower, or even allow myself to put a little bit back on. I'm really not going to know, until I get there, whether it's a good weight for me. If I start to lose more weight in my face, or something like that, I think I'll be happy to go back up a bit.

I've done this also. I mean, you know whats best for you, and your family and friends, partner etc should give you honest feedback. That's what I'm relying on anyway!
 
It's a hard one.

I agree with the suck it and see theory. You will know when you look the way you want to look and feel.
I recently adjusted my target weight by dropping it a further 5lbs and what frightens me is I now look in the mirror and see myself as fat again.
 
I thought the BMI thing in the book was quite low - I had assumed it was for women as it doesn't differentiate between male and female - unless I misread it.

Oh I know when I will feel comfortable, but what works for me is aiming for figures. I am very much target driven.

As such my original target was 11st 7. I think the lower range will be 11st - this allows me 7lb "comfort zone". After all, I'm going to Florida in May and will need a little room to grow;)
 
The BMI will be the same. It's what is considered the healthy range, and where overweight and obese start that will be different.
 
My OH is 6 2, but has no fat on him anywhere except his stomach! Real beer belly, he can get down to 11 7 but looks too skinny but still has a huge belly! He has tried sit ups etc, not properlly mind you, but that does seem to move it. So he hovers at around 12 even though for his height thats really skinny, hes a lucky bugger.

Hope he doesnt mind me saying this, he says it himself! Its all about where you feel comfortable. And like said before, gym guy knows nothing, mine told me the wrong bmi cuz he was an idiot!
 
Thanks everyone for all comment and input. I hadn't realised the healthy range was for both sexes.

I alway clung on to the belief that being a male I had a bit room for manoevre;)

I know the BMI is not the be-all-and-end-all but I am driven to be described as "normal" even if it is only notional lol.
Steve
 
Have you checked your body frame size? There are lots of calculators if you google it. It will give you an idea of whether you should aim for the top or bottom of the ideal weight range for your height.
I'm a large frame and am at the lower end of the ideal weight for my height. I think this is more accurate than BMI alone.
 
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