With the festive season just beginning and the new year on the horizon, the question of weight maintenance or weight loss will cross our minds soon enough. For some it will be a matter of losing a single digit and for others it'll be more. But how much, if anything, should we aim to lose and is an exact weight even a legitimate goal to set?

Weight loss goals are often set by pulling a random number off the top of our heads based on our current weight, others' weights, alleged celebrity weights or what we think would make us "perfect". Uninformed weight-setting is like picking out a style at the hairdresser based on a model's look - you can't pick a number and expect to look like a Victoria's Secret model or Ryan Gosling, let alone be a maintainable, happy and healthy new you.

Social media doesn't do us any favors either. At some point you're going to come across scantily clad toned or buffed bods and hopefully you'll ask yourself how many of those are the result of finding the right angle out of 100 shots, photo editing or medical enhancements.

If we're honest with ourselves, most of us know inherently whether we fall within a healthy weight range or not. Telling signs are clothing size, how we feel after a run or a flight of stairs and the general population when you walk outside. There are numerous ways to gauge your weight and fitness levels without resorting to the scales, but should the non-numerical signs tell you it would be wise to lose, for the sake of health and longevity, it's time to weigh-in.

uninformed weight-setting is like picking out a style at the hairdresser based on a model

The most propounded methods of determining a healthy weight and fitness level are body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. These two variables help determine which weight range you fall within and potential health risks. Calculating your own BMI is easy:

weight (lb) ÷ height (in)² x 703 (US/Imperial system)

weight (kg) ÷ height (m)² (Metric system)

Anything under 18.5 is underweight and poses its own risks, including infertility and low bone density. A normal or healthy range is said to be between 18.5 and 25, while 25 to 30 is overweight and over 30 is considered obese to varying degrees.

Waist circumference is self-explanatory and is used to assess obesity-related health risks. For women, increased risk begins at around 31.5in/80cm and 37in/94cm for men, and high risk from around 35in/88cm and 40in/102cm, respectively.

For most of us looking to get into shape, knowing our BMI is a useful guide. However, if you're exercising frequently, particularly strength training, it's likely your weight will put you at the higher end of the healthy range or you may even be classed overweight, as lean tissue is more dense than fat yet less conspicuous.

Having your body fat percentage estimated by a health professional or reliable tool coupled with regular measuring tape to monitor changes around your body (e.g. arms, thighs, buttocks) is crucial to those strength training and those intending to do regular vigorous exercise. Without these additional two checks in place, you may either be setting yourself dangerously low weight goals that can have an immediate impact on daily life, such as concentration levels and nutrition, or you could be missing out on knowing you're closer to a lower dress size. A once-a-week log of weight, body measurements, body fat percentage and a general how-do-I-feel-in-these-pants check will keep you on track and in tune with what's fit and healthy.

Setting an ideal weight for yourself should only be done after careful analysis, impartial and realistic benchmarks, and professional advice. The process really is a science, so to keep off the weight and live fully, calculating and measuring your way to a weight goal will ensure you not only look your best, but feel your best for as long as possible.