A Question About Goal Weight
Eric, I just turned 34 years old. I am 5'4" tall. In the last 10 years I have weighed between 136 and 157. I have a lot of muscle now, compared to 10 years ago when I weighed 136 (I was jogging 40 mins 5 days a week). I like my muscle, but want to lose the fat and get down to a size 4. I am now a size 8 and weigh 155. I am having trouble setting a goal weight for myself. Do you have any idea what a 5'4" woman with a lot of muscle should weigh?
Thanks,
Kristen
Kristen, Thanks for the inquiry. Yours is not an unusual question, especially from the female-gender perspective. Women somehow seem highly obsessed with "scale weight". Keep in mind that a scale is merely a device that tells you how much gravitational force you can apply upon it. In other words, it does not reflect your state of fitness / fatness, height, percentage of lean mass, water, etc. It merely reflects a number. How you look, feel and perform are far better indicators than the scale. To answer your hypothetical question, a woman of 5'4" with a lot of muscle and low bodyfat would weigh what she actually does weigh! Does that make any sense at all? Think about it-- Rather than choosing an arbitrary number as a goal weight, instead look at it aesthetically- Do I have adequate muscular development, not hidden beneath a deep layer of bodyfat, wear my clothing well and still appear feminine? My opinion is that "that" is the concern and approach. Let's also evaluate your fitnesss quotient. Are you flexible, have ample stamina, endurance, strength and a genuine vitality for life? So in fairness, I can't predict a precise number alone that will factor in all of those things--no one can.
Hope this has shed some light for you.
-Eric Shrieves