Vanity weight vs. healthy maintainable weight

leighdiane91

My main question is : has anyone else reached a weight that they are 1. comfortable with being (no HBP, can easily do things with friends, in somewhat of a shape) 2. that is a lot (like 20ish pounds more than) higher than their original goal weight?

I am 175. It seems that my body likes this weight. When I started counting calories I was 207 and started eating 1800 calories a day. It worked for a while but when I hit 183ish MFP wanted to change my calories a bit because I had lost weight so it put me where I currently am at, 1670 (which according to my TDEE is fine for lightly active, I still eat back my exercise calories though since my job makes me lightly active without ever "working out"... if that makes sense?)

My original goal weight was 160, and my ultimate goal weight range was 145-155 (I am 5'6 and am large framed) but I am 15 lbs from my goal weight and 20 from the top of my desired range. I don't know how else to keep losing weight (I am not going to reduce my calories anymore. I feel like I am starving and go on a rampage on low calories and low carbs) without starting to sacrifice foods that I love. I also do not know if it is sustainable or realistic for me to start cutting out "unhealthy" food.

Has anyone else gotten to a weight higher than your goal weight and just stayed there because it was healthy and realistic for you?

(sorry this got a little long and wordy :flowerforyou: )

CipherZero

Has anyone else gotten to a weight higher than your goal weight and just stayed there because it was healthy and realistic for you?

The scale is a lousy indicator. Weighing 175 lbs tells you NOTHING about body composition. I'm at 184 and stuck there, but my bodyfat is dropping and lean mass is going up. I'm okay with that.

mrsvanderpool

I'm exactly like this! Same height/weight and everything. My body seems to carry 175 extremely well and I feel healthy. I still would love to be smaller, but realistically, I'm happy where I am now.

mrsvanderpool

Has anyone else gotten to a weight higher than your goal weight and just stayed there because it was healthy and realistic for you?

The scale is a lousy indicator. Weighing 175 lbs tells you NOTHING about body composition. I'm at 184 and stuck there, but my bodyfat is dropping and lean mass is going up. I'm okay with that.

This is so true! According to the scale, I've only lost 5 lbs since last July...however my entire body has changed tremendously! Two sizes smaller and so much stronger and tighter! The scale stinks!

SJackson50

As long as you are happy and healthy, can participate in the activities you want to do, and feel good about yourself, scale be damned!
Good luck and congrats in all your successes!

60x60

I have spent the past year maintaining my 100 pound loss -- at 10-20 pounds over the marker that would get me from overweight to normally (as defined by a variety of my doctors). During this time I have been practicing maintaining all of my successes -- weight loss, normal blood pressure, normal cholesteral, and activities toward preventing cancer recurrence. I have been emphasizing developing increased strength, balance and endurance to great success. It has been great, almost like a sabbatical (note I did not forgo my quest to health)!

However, I have started seeing some creep not just in weight but in blood pressure and cholesteral. So I'm back to concentrating on getting back to normal weight. Despite my enjoyment of weight maintenance, if you are on the younger side and have a family history of weight related illness, I'd recommend pushing onward to a normal weight as defined by you and your doctors.

lilbrighteyes

Technically for my height, I'm supposed to be anywhere from 93 to 124lbs to be "healthy" but I know I don't look healthy at that weight because I've been there before. This time around I'm aiming for a more realistic weight:130-135. I was happiest with my self and what I could do at that weight so I'm screwing what the experts have to say about that and doing what's best personally for me lol.

BeachIron

OP, I've gotten well past my original goals (which were pretty much what you describe) by simply continuing the same process and being patient. Vanity weight vs. healthy maintainable weight is a false dichotomy. The reality is that if you continue to cut slightly and don't quit you can and will get the body you really want.

Edit to add: BTW, you can chose to eat at maintenance for a while and take a "diet break." I've done this a few times and it works as the weight comes right off when I start to diet down again. I've seen various explanations for this but the why is less important than the fact that it works.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Katla49

OP, I've gotten well past my original goals (which were pretty much what you describe) by simply continuing the same process and being patient. Vanity weight vs. healthy maintainable weight is a false dichotomy. The reality is that if you continue to cut slightly and don't quit you can and will get the body you really want.

Excellent advice. You'll need to keep this up to maintain your new weight anyway. I've been a yo yo dieter before and it is not a good health strategy. Stick with your current plan and continue to work on your fitness. Long term, you'll be healthier and happier.

leighdiane91

Thank you everyone! I am definitely not quitting!! And I do have a very scary family history for weight related health issues (my father, and his father both died in late 40/early 50s from weight related health issues) which is why I decided to start losing weight in the beginning (I had HBP at 21 years old!!) I still check my BP and blood sugars once a week to make sure all is still well.

toutmonpossible

We don't want to torture ourselves, but think it's important to be aware of current ranges for healthy weight. I'm not a doctor, but 180 pounds sounds to me like a high weight for a woman unless she's very tall and very athletic (low body fat %) and maybe not even then. Does the doctor say that this weight is absolutely healthy? That you are at the best weight to protect your health?


I have a much milder version of this problem. In the last few years I've been as high as 105 and am 99, 19% body fat today, but have considered trying to get back down to a weight closer to my college and 20s weight, in the low to mid-90s. I was always healthy. It would be an interesting challenge, but a lot of work.

Erikalynne18

being healthy and happy really should be your ultimate goal

However.... I want to note that MFP can sometimes set us really low calorie goals. Perhaps readjust your goals, like instead of 2 lbs, go for 1 lbs/wk, to reflect that you are closer to your original goal. Just something to think about I am currently set at 0.5 lbs/wk range, and I'm the same height as you but have my calorie goal as 1750 and I'm 128 lbs. MFP tried to change it on me, I changed it to what I felt was more appropriate Just listen to your body! And don't feel guilty about eating exercise calories! I eat mine back!

But whether you make it to your goal weight or not, if you feel healthy then that's what matters! Focus should be on living a happy and active life

toutmonpossible

Thank you everyone! I am definitely not quitting!! And I do have a very scary family history for weight related health issues (my father, and his father both died in late 40/early 50s from weight related health issues) which is why I decided to start losing weight in the beginning (I had HBP at 21 years old!!) I still check my BP and blood sugars once a week to make sure all is still well.

Both my parents, after being thin as young people, got overweight, then obese, then they developed diabetes and very serious health problems. My siblings, who have put on weight, have high blood pressure and one was told to lose weight or diabetes medication will be necessary. This history has informed my decision to keep my weight down.

A person with a personal and family medical history like yours should be doing everything to optimize her health. As you note, to have high blood pressure at 21 is extraordinarily alarming.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

I had the opposite situation. I've always been a "healthy" weight but I got down to a weight where I feel like I look better. It takes a lot of work to stay at this weight and it's almost a full time job for me to try to lose more weight. I'm so much happier when I look like this so I'm willing to work to keep this up.

Do what works for you, aesthetics are high on my priorities so I align my goals to accommodate that. If your goal is just health then go for that. I just like to prance around and flex :laugh:

michelle7673

Leigh, are you stalled? Or are you just not sure if you will keep losing?
Your diary looks like you are significantly under calories regularly....but maybe over on days where you don't seem to be fully logging? Are you using a weekly calorie target?
My dad is diabetic, so I know what you mean. Getting into a healthy weight range and staying there is critical. You're still very young and even though it's fantastic that you don't have low blood pressure now, you can do much better than that.
I would encourage you to log consistently, good bad and ugly, if you're not now. You may be unnecessarily anxious about going hungry based on some of these low days. Try that, at your current planned calorie level, for four weeks.
I am sure that you feel and look much better than your starting point -- but don't sell yourself short! I am going to be brutally honest and please don't take this the wrong way because you've made amazing progress -- I don't think you're quite in the vanity pounds range yet. But that doesn't mean you won't get there, or that it's a race. Try staying a steady course for four or six weeks and I'll bet you can get down under 170 pounds. I think you'll realize that you don't have to keep cutting and cutting to lose the rest. It may slow a bit but that's OK.
Genetics is not destiny. You can do this

leighdiane91

Leigh, are you stalled? Or are you just not sure if you will keep losing?
Your diary looks like you are significantly under calories regularly....but maybe over on days where you don't seem to be fully logging? Are you using a weekly calorie target?
My dad is diabetic, so I know what you mean. Getting into a healthy weight range and staying there is critical. You're still very young and even though it's fantastic that you don't have low blood pressure now, you can do much better than that.
I would encourage you to log consistently, good bad and ugly, if you're not now. You may be unnecessarily anxious about going hungry based on some of these low days. Try that, at your current planned calorie level, for four weeks.
I am sure that you feel and look much better than your starting point -- but don't sell yourself short! I am going to be brutally honest and please don't take this the wrong way because you've made amazing progress -- I don't think you're quite in the vanity pounds range yet. But that doesn't mean you won't get there, or that it's a race. Try staying a steady course for four or six weeks and I'll bet you can get down under 170 pounds. I think you'll realize that you don't have to keep cutting and cutting to lose the rest. It may slow a bit but that's OK.
Genetics is not destiny. You can do this

in the last 2 weeks I have been sick with a stomach virus, which is why my days have been off recently. But I have been holding pretty steady at 175 for about 6 weeks.

leighdiane91

We don't want to torture ourselves, but think it's important to be aware of current ranges for healthy weight. I'm not a doctor, but 180 pounds sounds to me like a high weight for a woman unless she's very tall and very athletic (low body fat %) and maybe not even then. Does the doctor say that this weight is absolutely healthy? That you are at the best weight to protect your health?


I have a much milder version of this problem. In the last few years I've been as high as 105 and am 99, 19% body fat today, but have considered trying to get back down to a weight closer to my college and 20s weight, in the low to mid-90s. I was always healthy. It would be an interesting challenge, but a lot of work.

I get where you are coming from, but I have seen a doctor, and he said where I am at is fine. They way in which I carry my weight is why he is happy with my weightloss this far and why he is OK with me staying 175 (if I decide to stay here). I am a 12 in pants... and a Medium in tops. Almost all of the weight I now need to lose is in my thighs and butt. My stomach is as flat as can be. He said he would be a lot more concerned if I carried my weight on my stomach because that can cause damage to your internal organs. Also since I no longer have HBP and everything else checks out fine, he isn't concerned.

How short are you where you can weigh 90 lbs healthily though?