I been reading a lot of threads and BMI is the big determining factor in a lot of peoples idea weight. Is there anything elso out there that we should take into concideration when picking a number. I feel as though I am picking a number and hoping I look good when I get there. I see that there are a big number of people that pick 150 as their target. I think that is a wonderful goal. I was that at 14, can I expect to get below that at 30? I want to go less then 150 but my adult weight has never been less then 190 and I am getting close to that... Any wisdom?

Honestly, my advice would be to stay away from a number. Numbers are arbitrary, especially since so many people here have been overweight their entire lives. Maybe the last time they were at whatever size was when they were 7.

I have often told my husband that I could weigh 300 pounds, but if I weighed 300 and wore a size 12, I wouldn't care.

That said, I HAD a goal weight based on the adult weight that I was last comfortable with my body. But I quit thinking of it in those terms. I ertainly don't need to set myself up for disappointment, and something like "happy when I look in the mirror" or "X size" is enough to satiate the goal-oriented side of me. If I feel healthy and am happy with myself at a higher weight, I will be ok. If I'm not happy at that weight and want to keep going, I will keep trying to go down.

Of course you can, dont understimate what you can do with enough determination.

But a number doesnt mean much, to me, getting to a normal BMI was very important, I didnt have surgery to remain overweight. But I had NO idea where I would choose to stop and to be honest, despite having a pic of me in a bikini on my avatar, that is one helluva lucky photo, and I've still got considerable work I think I need to do. I never for an instant considered that I would be shooting for a BMI of say 20, but I think my build is such that I need to be very thin to not be lumpy. But I didnt know that till I got somewhere in the general vicinity, you know?

I reckon shoot for the top of your healthy weight range first, fine tune later.

There seems to be a bunch of different opinions on this. I am a person who needs an absolute goal to work towards achieving in order to maintain a proper regime. I have no idea if I will need to tweak my weight number down the road either way and right now it doesn't matter because I have a ways to go before I get there. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. For now, working towards that number I've chosen (which is right in the middle of my healthy weight range) is working for me and that's key. Find out what works for you and DO IT!!!! Good luck in whatever you choose.