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Ideal Weight...
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- 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 could expect to lose if you went and got gastric bypass surgery?
25-30%!
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 and expect to lose more weight than can be achieved by surgically altering the size of the stomach!
It's no wonder weight loss is so frustrating!
I used to have a perfect body... ...it was April 14, 1985...
...from 7:00-7:15 a.m.
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 ideal body 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 fantasize about. But don't get so caught up in feeling like you have to lose 40 pounds that you forget to lose 1 pound.
Fun (or not so fun) weight facts:
- The average American woman is 5'4" tall and weighs 140 pounds
- The average American model is 5'11" tall and weighs 117 pounds
- Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women
Here's some more:
- 25% of men and 45% of women are on a diet on any given day
- 80% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance
Women tend to desire an an unrealistically low body weight, while men tend to allow their ideal weight to be higher than medically recommended.
Personal Nutrition Guide Home Page.
