Your Goal Weight?

[mommabear]

I have a question...

Is there anyone out there that has set a different goal weight for themselves than the one that Dr. C sent you?

I was told my goal was 130. I think I might have weighed that in 7th grade. I have never had a weight problem until I was 25. I just always looked thinner than the numbers on the scale? So, when Dr. C said my goal was 130 I thought that was crazy. I changed my goal to 150. I am not interested in being bone thin. I still have 14 lbs to go and will probably be in a 9/10 at the end. I personally think this is a fine size for me at 42 years old. But, I got the following message from my consultant:

You may decided to change your goal weight to a higher goal if you wish, but we do encourage you to please try to achieve the goal weight that Dr Cohen has recommended for you because body will cope better after the program if you no longer carry excess fat. Please remember though, that we cannot see you ? as such, if you have a heavier frame, or more muscles, you may very well need a higher goal weight and this is why we agree to changed your goal to 150 pounds for now.

When setting your personal goal weight, please keep the following in mind: Have you ever noticed how you gain weight faster the more overweight you become? This reason for this is that if you still carry excess fat your body will be prone to storing fat. We encourage you to try to loose all the extra fat because we would like to see you successful in the long term, not just in loosing the weight, but in keeping it off as well.

Re-feeding is the name of the final stage in Dr. Cohen?s program and may only be requested when you are 5 pounds away from your goal weight. Taking the Re-feeding before you have reached your target weight will cause weight gain because of the gradual introduction of large food quantities as part of the Re-feeding process. Re-feeding is there to train your body to cope with more food in a controlled manner when you have lost the excess fat.
I felt really crappy after reading this...any and all advice would be appreciated!

[fitby26]

I too have always been heavier than I look so I really get where you are coming from.
I am already getting comments that I don't need to lose anymore weight and I get crazy looks if I say I want to lose 40 more pounds, but I am going to get as close as possible to my suggested goal.

IMO 120 as a goal does seem outrageous for myself, but if I get to the stage where I really think I am thin enough before I reach 120, then I will stop there. **ETA I am 5'4 and a bit**

Also, it seems that those who have finished refeed fluctuate up and down 10-15 pounds depending if they have a good christmas and whatnot. I think I would rather be at the bottom of my comfort zone than at the top, so if I feel like I am really comfortable at 140 pounds, I might go to 130 pounds.

[luvbun79]

I was told that my goal weight was 130 as well, but I would look like a stick if I got to that weight. So I informed the consultants that, due to my body structure, my goal weight should be 150. So they changed it to 150. Im sure they will change it if you ask. :)

[rreed]

Hi there, my goal weight was 120-126...and I felt the same way as you MommaBear. I know for a fact that I was 12 years old when I weighed that last as i have my high school entrance results at home - do i think I will be this skinny...it depends on how I feel. I am 149 right now and still feel that there is a fair amount of fat to go, but do I think it is 25 more pounds, we'll see. All I know is for right now, at this moment, I feel great and am placing my trust in the Doc to do what he does best, make an assessment based on information provided by us. Good luck with reaching what Peter Pan called his 'happy place' :D

[Chris68]

They set my goal at 140 and I said no way, let's make it 150. I got to 141 and that was SKINNY. I have gone back up a few pounds and it is probably somewhere in the middle of the two with some wiggle room. At 141 I totally lost my boobs and butt, some of that has come back, now I feel more like a women. I am also 5' 7".

Chris

[Ms. CrackerHead]

5'5" and goal is 130-136. I think that is perfect for my small bone structure.

Can we all add our heights into our posts? That helps give perspective. :)

[Key]

I don't think my gaol was at all unrealistic. I'm 5'2" with a small frame and my goal was set at 125-130 pounds. Actually, I think it was intentionally set a little high by Dr. Cohen due to my age - I'm 54 (my doctor says I can weigh anywhere between 110 and 135). I'm at 130 now and think I'm looking a little scrawny although I still have areas (only seen when I'm naked) that I'd like to be smaller; saddlebag area and tummy. My upper body is actually bony (who would have thought this would happen at 130 pounds?!?) and like Chris, I also have lost my boobs - fortunately small looks better on me than a big honkin' chest. My body is definitely telling me it's time to stop dieting and start working out. I will start refeed on Saturday. After that (my refeed program lasts 18 days) my focus changes to fitness. After working out, I may end up with a higher weight (muscle weighs more than fat) but wearing a smaller size (maybe a 4 petite instead of a standard 4?!?)

Mommabear - don't stress out... see how you feel at 150. Listen to your body.

[mommabear]

Thank you for all of your input! I appreciate hearing from everyone. I am happy to hear I am not alone in this struggle.

I meet with my family DR this coming Monday and am going to have this conversation with him as well. I still want to look like a woman with curves, etc. I don't want to be a straight up and down stick.

I am hoping my DR will be able to give me some advice as he will be able to see me, assess my bone structure, etc. Then I will go from there. I will let you know what he says!

[KMac]

Hello All,
When I read my goal weight was 140- I cracked up laughing! 140- I have no memory of even being 140. WW always gave me a goal of 150,160, so when I started I thought, ok maybe I'll hit 150, 160. I am now 142, ( I've been stuck there for a weekk ;( ).
I am 5'7, I thought what the consultant wrote was really interesting, I did not know that about the goal weight & gaining weight back.
I too have heard don't lose anymore weight- (that started 25 pounds ago)
For myself, I just want to do it- and if that will help me keep the weight off later, - terrific.

[Kala Lina]

I am 5'5" and my Dr. C range is 120-126. I couldn't believe that when I first read it. All I could think was that my head was going to be too big for my body.

Then I remembered back to when I did a popular diet a few years ago that has since gone bankrupt--they wanted me to get down to 127 pounds. I was 130 about 3 years ago and I was really happy with that weight. I still wonder how thin I will look, but I'm still going to shoot for 120 which is only 22 pounds away.

[Jules]

I'm new to the program, but had similar reaction to Dr. Cohen's advised weight: 118-128. I'm 5'5" and have not been below 130 pounds since high school and that was over 25 years ago. I set my goal at 150 which is a 81 pound weight loss. After I reach that goal, I'll re-evaluate, as I don't know how I'll look or feel at 150.

[dtb1003]

Hang in there Momabear! I too thought my target was set too low for me. I am 5'2" and 55 years old. The optimum according to Dr. C was 130. I wrote back and said that I thought 135-140 would be more realistic and they changed it to 135 *sigh*. I will keep plugging along and will try my best to get to the 130-135 weight. I only have 47 pounds to lose but I am already down 14 since last week so only have 33 to go. It does seem "doable" now.....we'll see!!!

[Key]

Hey dtb - you and I are almost identical! I'm 5'2" and will be 55 in May. My goal was also set by Dr. Cohen at 130. Don't sell yourself short - 130 might be perfect for you. I started refeeding at 130 pounds and have lost an additional three pounds since... I think my body is finding where it wants to be. Yours will probably do the same. When you closer to goal, you'll know.

[Aqua Eyes]

O.k... so that's strange. I am also 5'2" and I'm just a year younger than you (54 on Feb. 3rd) and Cohen set my goal at 120! I looked fabulous at that weight but it is very hard to maintain it there... always has been (been there before a couple of times but only for short period of times). I'm o.k. with being 125 - 130. So I wonder what the age cut off is for the increased goal weight that they set for you. Knowing that you both have the goal weight of 130 given to you, makes me less likely to beat up on myself if I'm between 125 - 130. Still... I'd like to keep closer to 120. I love it when people call me "little". ;)

[Dayanira]

Are we a club of 5'2" or what? I am 5'2" and I'm 45. DrC set my goal at 114! As all of you, I was shocked as I can't remember being at that weight. I do remember that when I finished High School I was 110 and stayed like that for about 10 years. When I got married I was around 120 and before my first child I was 125 pounds. I reached that goal to prove myself that I could reach it, but I don't like how my face looks. I think 118 to 120 is best for me, (that's where I am at the moment). But I want to be 110 just before my trip to play with 10 pounds during our holiday (1 month). When we come back I plan to stay around 120lb. I hope I'm not messing around with my hormones by doing this!

[Key]

I think there must be more involved than just age and height when Dr. Cohen determines our goal weights. Are blood test results figured in? (I don't remember if we do a blood test before being accepted into the program) I also remember that I was asked for my shoe size... thought it a funny question but maybe it gives an indication of frame size? My doctor told me I could weigh anywhere between 110 and 133 pounds. I'd like to be closer to the lower number but I'll wait and see where my body is happy. When I start working out seriously again I know I'll weigh more but will look smaller.

[ElizabethRedux]

Hi, everyone. Since these posts were made back in January, I'm just curious if anyone has gotten closer to the goal Dr. Cohen set? I'm only on Day 3 and I'm already fretting over how much I'm expected to lose in 12 weeks! I, too, am 5-2 and he set my goal at 120! I weighed 118 as a senior in high school, but I'm 40 now...is that very realistic?

[OopsieDaisy]

According to my plan I am supposed to go down to 106. Yikes! I have never been 106 as an adult, so I am more than a little nervous. I am 5'1" (well almost) and I just turned 27; I imagine that height and age had a lot to do with the Goal Weight. I will have to wait and see what happens with my boobs, because I never really had a butt (ha! maybe it will go concave). I am 1 pound shy of being half way to my goal and people are already asking me when I am going to stop.

[m01e]

i am small (height: 59.75 inches) so my target weight per cohen calculator would be between 47 - 50 kg (103 - 110 lbs). during my "lighter" years the weight i maintained for the longest time was 110, although i had about a year at 105. i would like to aim for 105 so i get to have a buffer to move around and at the same time i do not want to lose "my excesses in the right places" as my hubby would put it.

we'll see... happy to reach 110, blast to reach 105. :weights2:

[apachejenn]

Mine is 128. I thought it was a very small number, but I met someone my height at that weight, and it didn't look bone thin. Hopefully it will be the same for me. I don't want to look emaciated.

[Nina]

Same stats as a lot of you: 5'2" and my goal was set at 119 - with 113 to 119 being my range. My age 46. My weight has been a lot like Dayanira's. I was 105-108 upon graduating high school, and about 125 when I became pregnant with my first baby. My highest weight - post-pregnancies - was somewhere around 150-155 pounds. The lowest I've been since having my kids was 130. I was shooting for 125 at the time but never made it. I know 119 is going to be hard, but I'm excited about it. I wouldn't mind going a little lower.

I know that 30 pounds may not sound like a lot to lose to some people. I've had people comment to me, mainly the girls at work, that I don't need to lose any weight at all. But they don't realize that what I'm carrying around IS a lot of extra weight to me. I'm tired of having to wear clothes that make me look like a shapeless blob. I hate having my picture taken because I have a round, fat face and I don't feel or look attractive. Not only that, but my blood pressure is high, as is my cholesterol, and I'm sick of dealing with all the stomach issues. The drugs I have to take in order to keep it all in check is expensive. If I can eliminate that expense out of my budget, I would be ecstatic.

[KMac]

When Dr. Cohen gave me 140 as my goal. I was 44 & 5'8 tall, I thought.. yeah right..
I had not been that weight since- junior high? maybe? But as the weight started coming off
140 seemed realistic- and it was. My advice is to put the goal weight on the back burner, break your weight
loss goals down to 5lb- 10lbs at a time, it helps to push you through ( 220,210,200,190...etc.. I would lose the 5 lbs, and I needed another 5 to get me out of that digits) As you get closer to your goal you see how your body looks, and then you decide what works for you.
Starting the diet and stressing over the goal weight takes the focus off the diet, focus and keep pushing and you will get there.
Good Luck :)

[dtb1003]

Hi Key! I haven't been on the blog for a while! I am going to try to get to the 130 mark too. I about halfway there now, have another 21 pounds to lose but it is going VERY SLOW! I just bought my next 12 weeks and hopefully that will be the end of it all. I would have been closer I know if I hadn't gone on a 2 week vacation and gained 5 pounds though!! hahaha...it took me another 2 weeks to get back to where I was before I left so I feel like I lost a whole month there.

It was very inspiring to hear of your refeeding at 130 and losing more weight. Are you still refeeding? How has it been to maintain the weight? One thing for sure, I have definately learned what a portion is and I feel so much better eating healthy food too. After the vacation I felt yucky and couldn't wait to get back on the diet again!!

[dtb1003]

Yup, I agree Nina, it's how you feel not much about how you look to others. I've had people say that I don't need to lose anymore but I feel like I need to. When I started I weighed in at 177, the highest I have ever been and that is even when I was pregnant! I'm probably in my 140's now since I was at 151 last week. It's coming off slowly but at least it's coming off!

[dtb1003]

Great advice KMac! Thanks for your inspiration!!

[dtb1003]

Yes we did have to take an initial blood test. I thought it was funny about the shoe size too until I talked to one of the nurses here in our building who started the diet before me. Age wise we are about the same, I think she might be a year or two younger but shoe size is different. She wears a size 7 and they set her goal at 120 where as I wear an 8 1/2 and my goal was set at 130. Of course the blood test falls in there somewhere too but it would be interesting to find out about how the shoe size is broken down in the plan!

[sassamafrass]

My optimal weight falls between 113-123 pounds, according to Dr. Cohen. Now, although those numbers sound "nice," they are totally unrealistic for me. I am 5'5" and my personal best was @ 145 pounds and that was when I was 18-22 years of age. I probably could have gotten away with shedding 10 pounds leaving me @ the 135 pound mark. The women in my family are not naturally big and fluffy (except me of course) but we are broad boned... big hips and wide shoulders and rib cages. If I ever got down to the weight range recomended for me, I WOULD LOOK SOOOOO SICK! Not to mention totally unproportionate. My goal is NOT to be scrawny and sickly. Instead, I plan to look healthy and slim. Evryone carries their weight differently. I can't tell you how many times ppl would ask my weight and say, "Noooooooooooooooooo... You look at least 20-30 pounds lighter than that!" This was obviously years ago... LOL! I believe my goal should not drop below 135 pounds, therefore I went with 137 pounds, leaving me with an even 100 pound weight loss. Oh my...

[mommabear]

You are not alone, Sassy! According to Dr. Cohen I was supposed to get to 130. My local doctor (that has known me since high school) told me 145 would be the best weight for me. He agrees that I have dense bones and that I look much thinner than the numbers show. I am very content where I am at.

[sassamafrass]

Good to know others feel the same... Guess I'll just have to see when I get there huh! :)