I am looking for advice on the best way to set my goal weight. I am a male, 6'2", 336 lb, medium build. Most of the calculators that I have seen show my "ideal" weight to be somewhere in the 185-206 lb range. I believe that this is too small and that I would look gaunt and too skinny. I was thinking that my goal weight should be around 225-230 but that is only a guess. How do I know what I should be driving toward?

I think you are definitely on the right track looking to set your own goal weight, Goeff. According to the (near useless) BMI chart, even at 1:50 I would still be quite overweight. I got to 151 and I looked somewhere between just right and underweight. My daughter is a personal trainer and we talked about it last night--she says the fitness industry really hates that chart, and according to it, she is overweight by more than 10 pounds... yet she has less than 13% body fat and is not heavily muscled. So, all that said, take into consideration how fit you are thinking to be or a reasonable body fat number of clothing size rather than a pound number alone. Perhaps your weight goal could be a "try it on and see how it fits" goal.

Thanks Kate, for the feedback. I know that most of the ideal weight calculators and BMI charts that I see are many times not based in reality and I have always used them as guidelines instead of rock solid rules. In truth, I'm going off of memory of what I used to look like when I was at the 230 mark. That was a long time ago though.

Does anyone have any other responses on a strategy to use to define your goal weight?

have responses on a strategy to define goal weight?

@@Geoff

welcome, welcome newbie

looking at charts to give you a good guestimate is great

remembering the weight you used to be when you felt and looked good is also a helpful baseline

but........some charts might say ie to weigh ie 200 lbs

as you are reaching that weight you might realize that is still too much, and you want/need to lose more

or, it could be the opposite

you are reaching the goal weight "they" say, and you realize you should stop because losing more would be too much

always listen to your body

IT knows what it wants/and frequently/eventually will tell you

good luck

kathy

My nutritionist and I talked about this, I set my Goal Weight at 160lbs because I remember that being a comfortable place weight for me and I was happy there.

I am 5'3 247lbs and have no other issues other then being over weight, so she thought it was a great goal to start with and if I get there and want to lose more then I can do so.

Thanks all for the feedback. It sounds like I'm on the right track.