Ideal Weight... or Fantasy Weight?

Tiny Tummy Tips, Issue #64: Is Your Goal Weight Realistic?

What Is Your Ideal Weight?

• What is your DREAM weight?
• What is a weight you would be HAPPY with?
• What is an ACCEPTABLE weight?
• What weight (less than you are now) would you be DISAPPOINTED with, if you were ONLY to achieve it?

Well, a study was done in which participants were asked these very questions prior to embarking on a 48 week weight loss program. Here's what the participants said:

• They defined their Dream Weight as 38% less than what they currently weighed
• Happy Weight was 31% less
• Acceptable Weight was 25% less
• Disappointed Weight was 17% less

Now...do you know how much weight you can expect to lose after a weight loss surgery?

25-35%!

Can you see what's happening here? Two words:

Unrealistic Expectations.

Wanna know what happened at the end of the study?

• 0% had achieved their Dream Weight
• 9% had achieved their Happy Weight
• 24% had achieved their Acceptable Weight
• 20% had achieved their Disappointed Weight
• 47% did not even reach the weight they defined as one that they would be disappointed to reach

So what was learned from the study?

...most people have an unrealistic ideal weight in mind to start, then go on a weight loss diet… or have weight loss surgery.. and expect to lose more weight than can realistically be achieved by surgically altering the size of the stomach!

It's no wonder weight loss is so frustrating! So in order to answer the question of "What is my perfect body weight," I believe the words realistic, achievable and sustainable need to be taken into consideration.

If your goal weight isn't these things, you are only setting yourself up for disappointment.

For some help with what your (realistic) ideal weight might be, check out this Ideal Weight Calculator.
It uses 4 different methods to help determine healthy, achievable and sustainable ideal body weight ranges.

It's one of my favorites!

Likely the ideal body weight you come up with isn't the weight you were in high school or the one you were 20 years ago before kids and/or a career!

And most importantly, remember that weight loss is an OUTCOME goal. It’s the result of healthy behaviors repeated over a long period of time.

Those of you who work with me one-on-one know I always talk about setting BEHAVIORAL goals vs weight loss goals, because you have control over behaviors… not outcomes!

Learn more about behavioral goals vs weight loss goals in my short video here!

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Comments? Ideas? Feedback?

See you in the next issue!

In Health,