REALISTIC WEIGHT GOAL


What is your realistic weight goal?   I think many people who are overweight set unrealistic goals, based on a number they remember from their youth.  Fact is, almost everyone will gain weight as they age and will be at least 10 lbs heavier in mid-life, unless they work extremely hard to avoid that.  I for one know that I will most likely never fit into my skinny jeans from my twenties again.  However, I still have one or two of them in my closet. Haha!  The fact is our metabolisms slow down a bit in our forties and the fact is hormonal changes in women, in particular, during perimenopause cause a bit of weight gain, especially around the abdomen.  This extra fat can release estrogen and mitigate the loss of estrogen leading up to and during menopause, lessening undesirable symptoms such as hot flashes and worse yet, the beginning of osteoporosis.  I have this feeling that we're not meant to fit into our skinny jeans from our youth.  I've long ago accepted that and I must admit my perfectionist streak about my looks and body waned through the years as well, which is a good thing, I think, as one is fighting an uphill battle, not only when it comes to weight.  My philosophy is do your best at any age (or weight, for that matter) to look nice without being obsessive about it.  I get ready for my day and that takes a full hour, but after that it's minor touch-ups for lipstick and such when I feel so inclined.  I could not be bothered more than that, but I know my husband appreciates my efforts. I do walk our dog and I lift weights for a few minutes and do a few of my favorite exercises, but more than that I'm just not into exercise and never have been (my bad!).  It is the rare day that I decide not to shower and do my hair and the whole bit.  It is the rare day that I decide not to dress up.  I dress up every single day, however, that is me. I also live in dresses most of the time. LOL  When it comes to my weight, I'm not obsessive. I don't weigh every day, but I usually weigh a couple of times a week, just to keep an eye on things.  In the past, when I've not been vigilant, I've been terrified to get back on the scale, and it has always been bad news without exception!  I should perhaps be a little more strict with myself, but I'm always working with food, and feel that being 6 lbs over my ideal higher weight for me at this age is not the end of the world.  However, I want to change that over the next year and get more serious as menopause is looming closer.  Weight maintenance is fairly easy for me, but my thyroid/metabolism fights me when it comes to weight loss.  I will have to really work at it!

Anyway, 'nuff about me - here is the article about choosing a REALISTIC WEIGHT GOAL.

Set a goal that is achievable.  Don't set yourself up for failure.  Don't even conform to the expectations of others.  You personally are the best judge to know what is achievable and can be kind enough to yourself to pick a goal that is realistic and will be easier to maintain at the particular age you are at now.

Many people come to low-carbing because it promises weight loss without hunger or deprivation.  We look at the height/weight charts or listen to our spouses and figure out what we should weigh.  Forget the fact, that some of you the last time you weighed what the chart says you should weight was pre-puberty.  However, the chart says that and that's what you're aiming for!  Eeek!

Those old charts are unrealistic.  Here is why:

1.  Height/weight charts were developed not by doctors, but by life insurance companies.  They used statistics to determine who was at the least risk of dying, and developed "ideal weight" charts based on who they were least likely to have to pay a death benefit to. This does not mean those people were in optimum health, but only that they were statistically at a lower risk of dying.  Had the height/weight charts been compiled by health insurance statisticians based on those for whom they were least likely to have to buy drugs or pay for specialists and surgeries, the numbers would probably be more realistic for goal-setting purposes.

2.  Most people put on a few pounds as they age; this is normal.  a woman 5'4" tall who weighed 115 lbs when she was in her teens and early 20's should not expect to remain at 115 lbs forever.  At the age of 45, 125 to 150 lbs is much more likely.

3.  Unlike a high carbohydrate, low-fat (low-protein most times) diet, low-carbing and especially exercising while low-carbing, adds muscle mass.  As far as body composition goes, muscle weighs more than fat that occupies the same volume.  Or, to look at it another way, you can lose 10 lbs of fat, gain 10 lbs of muscle, and have lost a clothing size while weighing the same as when you started.

4.  Those who have been very heavy for a long period of time (in general, more than 80% overweight for at least a third or your life) may have increased bone density.  Their bones will weigh more than the bones of slender people - and that is actually a good thing because maintaining bone density as we age can avoid the problems associated with osteoporosis.  Denser bones weigh more.

Numbers 3 and 4 deserve a closer look, because they give one information that can be helpful in goal-setting for weight loss.  When it comes to setting a weight loss goal think about your goal size and overall health.