Realistic Weight Goals: A Personalized Approach for Men

Question
Lawrence
I am a 50 year old guy, 5'8", 240 pounds. I am naturally stocky plus used to lift weights so I have a fair bit of muscle under the fat!
I am on a diet and exercise program and slowly losing weight, but I would like a target weight to shoot for.
The height and weight charts say I should weigh 150 pounds which is unrealistic for me-I weighed that when I was 18 before I got into working out!
Any help appreciated!

Answer
Your current BMI is 36.5 which is considered to be Obese.When I did your calculation your max weight should be no more then 164 lbs. You said that you are pretty muscular so you might be able to carry slightly more weight then that, but you would need to have a body fat reading done to find out if what you think about your bodies muscles condition is really true. You should be trying to get your waist size down to a max of 36 inches, this is considered healthy, ideal would be 32 inches.
Honestly carrying more weight then your body is designed to maintain is even more dangerous after you reach 40 years of age. Blood pressure, Diabetes,and cholesterol are easy to obtain if you are Obese. If you are not on any medicine now, believe me you do not want to be on any. The three problems that I mentioned earlier in this paragraph lead to heart disease and many other issues that could destroy your quality of life and I am sure you do not want this. I do not want to sound so negative , but I am just trying to help by showing the repercussions of excess weight.

Good luck and write me back if you need more help