Weight Goals, Health, and When to Skip the Numbers

On optimal, setting a weight goal is optional. This page explains what weight-based guidance can tell us, what it cannot, and why for many people the healthiest choice is to skip weight goals entirely.

Health is not a number, and weight is not a moral achievement.

Why Weight Is Tricky

Weight has a complicated place in health and fitness culture. It can sometimes correlate with certain health risks at a population level, but it has also been used carelessly to judge, shame, or oversimplify people’s bodies.

Because of this, weight is never required on optimal, and it is never treated as a measure of worth, discipline, or success.

What Weight Ranges Actually Represent

Many health systems use a statistical tool called BMI (Body Mass Index) to study large populations. BMI is calculated as:

BMI = weight (kg) / [height (m)]²

In population studies, a BMI range of approximately 18.5–24.9 is associated with lower average risk of some conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

This does not mean:

• There is a single correct weight for you
• People outside these ranges are automatically unhealthy
• Changing weight will automatically improve health

When Weight Goals Are Often Unhelpful

Weight-based goals can be misleading or harmful in many situations, including:

• People with a history of eating disorders or body image distress
• Highly muscular individuals or athletes
• Older adults experiencing natural changes in body composition
• People managing chronic illness, disability, or hormonal conditions
• Anyone whose wellbeing is negatively affected by frequent weighing or number-tracking

If focusing on weight increases anxiety, shame, or obsessive thinking, that is a strong sign that it is not the right metric for you.

When a Weight Goal Might Be Useful

For some people, weight can be a helpful secondary signal, especially when used alongside other measures such as energy, fitness, mobility, blood pressure, and medical guidance.

Even then, it works best as information, not a target to chase at all costs. A more useful question is often whether the habits you are building are improving your health overall.

A Gentler Way to Think About Health

Long-term health is shaped by many factors:

• Regular movement
• Sleep quality
• Nutrition and access to food
• Stress and recovery
• Connection, purpose, and mental wellbeing
• Genetics and life circumstances

Weight is only one possible reflection of what is happening underneath, and often it is not the most useful one.

Focus on the Behaviours You Can Actually Sustain

For many people, health improves more reliably when the focus shifts away from the scale and toward daily habits. That might include improving sleep, reducing sugar, reducing salt, moving more often, or simply paying better attention to patterns over time.

If it helps, keeping notes can make those patterns easier to see. The goal is not to become perfect. It is to understand what actually supports your health.

Talk to a Health Professional

If you are considering weight loss or weight gain for medical reasons, or if you are unsure whether weight goals are appropriate for you, we strongly encourage you to talk with your GP or another qualified health professional.

Final Thought

You do not owe anyone a smaller body, a different shape, or a number on a scale. Choose goals that help you live longer, feel stronger, and stay connected to your life.

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