Help me choose a healthy goal weight.....

So I am 5'11" tall and have never really had to worry or try when it came to my weight. I am 26 and just had my second son 8 weeks ago and am ready to try to get my body back - I currently weigh 154lbs

In high school I maintained 118 without trying or doing any dieting and now realize that was unhealthy and probably did not look all that good

SO now I wanted to have a goal weight of 135lbs but that puts my BMI in the underweight category - the lowest I can go would be a BMI of 20 and that would be around 145lbs which is 15 more than I planned

That seems like a lot to me - what do you think? What would be a reasonable goal weight that would also look nice on my body???

I think this depends a lot on the person and their body frame. If I were you I would aim for 145 and then see how I feel.

I personally am at the lowest weight for my height range, which technically is a BMI of 18.5, and I don't look underweight AT ALL! I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I have a very small bone structure. I know a lot of girls my height that are 10-15 pounds heavier than me and look great, so it really does depend on the person.

I think aiming for 145 is a safe way to go, then you can feel it out from there.

I think that for someone at your height, 145 sounds the most practical. If you get down to that weight and don't feel comfortable with your body (since everyone is built differently), you can always go a bit lower if you care to (though it would probably be best to consult a doctor before you do if you want your BMI to be under 18.5).

Don't rely soley on BMI.  While it can give a good guideline, it doesn't factor in muscle mass, bone structure/density, etc.  If 145 seems too high, reevaluate when you get to that weight.  Maybe when you get to 145, see how practical it is for you to maintain.  If it still seems too high head down 5 at a time.  Remember, building muscle tone will help your weight stay in the healthy range, while still taking off inches.  So, as part of your weight lose, try to incorporate that in and see how it goes.

Also, some women are just built smaller.  While many supermodels are unhealthy, a lot of them still are generally built taller and very slender...naturally.  And it's very possible you fall into that category.

I have two children myself, and after each one my body has changed a little.  So, it's probably better to lose weight slowly and evaluate regularly.  Maybe ask someone close to you who can give you a honest opinion throughout this process.

Good luck!!!  Many Blessings!

Thanks for the replies so far..... I never thought I looked terrible even at 118 when I was a size 4 but I know I dont want to get down that small again - I do think that I have a small frame and will eventually want to be 135 - mostly the toned look matters more to me than the number in general

My mom is super small as well as my sister also without really trying - my mom is in her early 50s and had 3 children and still wears a 0 or 2 in clothing and can wear a bikini no problem! Sometimes it depresses me that my mom has a better body than me without working at it at all but sometimes it motivated me to know I have that ability too...

Thanks again - I am keeping my calories between 1500-1600 a day and right now only exercising an hour a day three days a week (30 minutes of cardio and 30 of strength training) and one of those days is with a trainer

I dont want to do any more than that because I dont want to take away from my family time even if it is for weight loss reasons - my boys will only be little once......

I am 5'11, and 145-150 looked best for me.  Slim but with curves.

I'm 5'11 and weighed 125 lbs in high school. I ate junk all the time and even had a little belly and never thought about losing weight. I went up to 160 and then down to 135 before and felt great at that weight. I'm at 150 right now and I'm trying to get back down to 135 because that's where I'm most comfortable. I think it all depends on the person.