Weight Loss: Setting Reasonable Weight Goals Scientifically for Healthy and Consistent Weight Loss

For the sake of appearance

Most of us believe that health is a secondary reason for weight loss, while appearance is the primary goal. This leads to unrealistic expectations, such as, "I can handle losing 20 pounds, 30 pounds would be even better." While that may be realistic, you can actually only handle a maximum of 10 or 15 pounds.

"If you're going to set a weight loss goal, make sure you choose one that you can achieve and maintain," advises Dr. Karen Colantano. The weight loss number you choose should not only consider how slim you want to look, but also how slim your body allows you to look. To find that natural weight, follow these three steps:

1. Start small. If your weight loss plan is ambitious, you should start by losing around 10 pounds to improve your health. This is the weight you need to lose, says Dr. Karen Colantano.

2. Find a familiar number. Now find out how much your body's genes allow you to lose. While this may sound complicated, it's not. Consider a relatively normal weight for yourself as an adult. Perhaps for many years you've weighed 140 pounds, and then suddenly, you start gaining weight. This is quite different from your minimum weight, which is probably what you've always wanted to achieve.

Body Shapes of Different Eras—Past and Future

If you've spent most of your life struggling with having a good figure, then you've been pursuing a changing goal. The so-called perfect body shape has evolved over the past century, from thin to curvy and back to thin.

"Historically, the ideal female weight has typically declined as women gained economic and political advancement, then rebounded," says Dr. Johnny Johnson. For example, in the 1820s when women gained the right to vote, the ideal body shape was thin; by the 1860s, when oral contraceptives gave women sexual freedom, the body shape returned to thin. And when each world war ended, and women returned home from their pre-war, human-dominated work, the ideal female figure became even more feminine—rounded, soft, and full-figured. Here are some examples of the ideal female figure throughout history:

In the 15th century, after a population decline caused by the plague, the ideal female figure was that of a pregnant woman, with women stuffing the front of their skirts with pillows. In the 1820s, it was the kind of fashionable, slender woman—no breasts. No hips. No curves.

After World War II, in the 1950s, the ideal female figure was sexy, curvaceous, and full-figured. Marilyn Monroe represented the body type of that time. Many girls stuffed their bras with toilet paper to make their breasts appear fuller.

In the 1860s, slimness was the focus for women. Small breasts, a slender figure, and an upright posture.

Due to plastic surgery, the image of the ideal woman became more complex and unnatural. While large breasts and wide hips usually required women to have above-average amounts of body fat, surgery allowed some very slim models and actresses who wore size three dresses to possess them. When women become the protagonists of the fashion and media industries, they play a pivotal role in businesses' profits. And when they say "enough is enough" to the unrealistic body ideals of the late 20th century, Dr. Johnson says, a corresponding shift will be welcomed in the clothing industry.

She says, "Of course, fashion goes up and down, but hopefully, you won't go to extremes or be obsessed with the ideal body."

3. Then add a little something. Now distinguish between the weight you need to lose, the weight your body allows you to lose, and the weight you actually want to lose. Your target weight should be easy to maintain in the future and fit into your lifestyle. While you may want to be as slim as Cindy Crawford, you don't want to choose a weight that feels like torture to maintain. Otherwise, you'll end up gaining weight. Therefore, your target weight should be slightly lighter than your healthy weight but slightly heavier than the weight you aspire to achieve, says Karen Colantano.

Calculating your ideal weight requires finding a balance between your desired weight, your healthy weight, your lifestyle, and your body's natural inclinations. “There are no magic numbers,” says Ciriqui Rumanica, chair and professor of the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a member of the advisory board that developed the 1995 U.S. government’s dietary guidelines for the American people. “A woman can’t simply pick a target weight from a chart. She should consider factors such as her current and previous weight, her family’s health history, her personal health goals and eating habits, and her fitness level. Only then can she set a reasonable weight loss goal.”