How do you know when to stop losing?
Options
Replies
-
Be careful not to get stuck on the idea of 5 more pounds.... and then 5 more pounds.. and then 5 more. That can lead to disordered thinking. At this point you've hit your original goal weight, so it might be a good idea to try body recomposition before doing any more weight loss. Start a lifting program and do that for a while, eating at maintenance. Your body will change in appearance. See what you think after you've done the work. If you still want to lose some body fat, then you can start eating at deficit again, with a specific goal in mind.0
-
stillMR305 wrote: »A few of you say go by mirror and calipers but I'm guessing when you want to reach maintenance you will keep having to step on the scale to check your at maintenance and do this once in a while to keep check that your still sitting at maintenance? I'm also the same I'm at happy weight but not happy with my body fat % so thinking of working my way up to maintenance and continue to keep lifting heavy and some cardio
If you are happy with your weight, you will have to tweak your diet and your workout. Do some low intensity cardio along with that lifting.
Ah okay well I've been doing 5x5 programme 3x a week and HIIT cardio/running twice a week for about 20/30 minutes0 -
I am now down to a weight that I was just before my first daughter was conceived back when I was 19. NINETEEN! But I'm 44 now and have had 5 children (last two being twins) so my body does not look as good as it did when i was 19. The days of high and tight are over for me.
As long as I feel like I look good in my clothes, I'll be happy. I'm looking to lose about 6 more pounds and hopefully, that'll be enough. I don't think I'll ever be truly happy with all the squishy parts but I'm not a fitness nut and have no money or desire to purchase weights or go to a gym. 0 -
For me, my initial goal was similar to yours (a few pounds under a BMI of 25), but as I took up running/triathlons, and am looking to qualify for the Boston marathon in another year, I'm now aiming to be closer to a BMI of 20 as it is roughly optimal for male marathoners. Given the free speed improvement from weight loss, it is easier getting to that weight (w. 5-8% BF) than upping my training regiment to pick up extra speed.0
-
This is what I'm trying to work out now. I have finally just gone under my initial target weight. But my BF% is still quite high I think, probably around 18% ish. But I think that my main issue now is actually the lack of overall muscle.
I think I'm getting to the point where I'm looking scrawny, I think it's probably time for me to move in to maintenance for a while and then re-evaluate in a few months time. To see if I want to cut down more.0 -
I used this to help me figure out my final goal: http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html
But honestly I'd say whatever you're comfortable with and whatever's easiest for you to maintain. I agree that you may find that you're more unsatisfied with your body fat % rather than your actual weight, so that may be something to consider. You could maintain and incorporate weights if you feel like this is a maintainable weight for yourself.
This puts my "ideal" weight at 155# to 165#s with a max at 174. Forty years ago, when I got out of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, (running 3 miles in 16 minutes, 100 sit-up in two minutes and 20 pull-ups) the best shape of my life, I weighed 185, 10 pounds over "Ideal"? I don't think so. I'm ast 196 now, shooting for 190. I figure that 5 pounds over my best "fighting weight" is good enough. I really don't see where these ultra low numbers come from. I haven't been 155# since eighth grade, was in shape then but still hadn't grown. Charts and calculators be damned, 190 here I come.0 -
I had mini goals but when I finally got in the middle of a healthy weight range, I took a little maintenance break and just tried to get used to my body (and tried a recomp). After a few months I could see I wasn't quite there yet and tried to lose again, with the hopes of getting lean enough to start adding muscle mass.0
-
I used this to help me figure out my final goal: http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html
But honestly I'd say whatever you're comfortable with and whatever's easiest for you to maintain. I agree that you may find that you're more unsatisfied with your body fat % rather than your actual weight, so that may be something to consider. You could maintain and incorporate weights if you feel like this is a maintainable weight for yourself.
This puts my "ideal" weight at 155# to 165#s with a max at 174. Forty years ago, when I got out of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, (running 3 miles in 16 minutes, 100 sit-up in two minutes and 20 pull-ups) the best shape of my life, I weighed 185, 10 pounds over "Ideal"? I don't think so. I'm ast 196 now, shooting for 190. I figure that 5 pounds over my best "fighting weight" is good enough. I really don't see where these ultra low numbers come from. I haven't been 155# since eighth grade, was in shape then but still hadn't grown. Charts and calculators be damned, 190 here I come.
I don't think calculators are the be-all end-all by far, but I like that this site uses four different formulas as well as a healthy recommendation for BMI. Which are all wildly different, I think it's a good indicator of what's healthy but also a good indicator that you're going to have to experiment, see what you're comfortable with, and what's more realistic to maintain.0 -
"Which are all wildly different..."?
There is a ten pound difference from the heaviest "ideal" to the lowest "ideal". Your defination of wildly different is wildly different from mine. ;-)
Anyone have any stats showing which country has the greatest percentage of it's population within these "healthy" weight ranges? And what that percentage is?0 -
I used this to help me figure out my final goal: http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html.
That puts me at 99lbs which I think is about right for my height (5ft0- small framed). The lowest for BMI purposes is 95Lbs- so about the same (ish).0 -
"Which are all wildly different..."?
There is a ten pound difference from the heaviest "ideal" to the lowest "ideal". Your defination of wildly different is wildly different from mine. ;-)
Anyone have any stats showing which country has the greatest percentage of it's population within these "healthy" weight ranges? And what that percentage is?
There's a 30 pound difference between the lowest and the highest for me, so yes I believe that constitutes as wildly different. And if you're 5'3 like myself, even 10 pounds is a very noticeable difference.0 -
Basically when the doctor said "this is your ideal BMI for your body and your age; you should stop now." OK, great, stopped and bought some clothes in the new size lol.0
-
Maybe go until you find that it's not coming off easily any more. If you want some wiggle room to gain/lose as time progresses, I'd say go at least 5 lb less than the max for your BMI. That way if you retain weight for any reason, it won't push you over the top of your BMI.0
-
I used this to help me figure out my final goal: http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html
But honestly I'd say whatever you're comfortable with and whatever's easiest for you to maintain. I agree that you may find that you're more unsatisfied with your body fat % rather than your actual weight, so that may be something to consider. You could maintain and incorporate weights if you feel like this is a maintainable weight for yourself.
This puts my "ideal" weight at 155# to 165#s with a max at 174. Forty years ago, when I got out of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, (running 3 miles in 16 minutes, 100 sit-up in two minutes and 20 pull-ups) the best shape of my life, I weighed 185, 10 pounds over "Ideal"? I don't think so. I'm ast 196 now, shooting for 190. I figure that 5 pounds over my best "fighting weight" is good enough. I really don't see where these ultra low numbers come from. I haven't been 155# since eighth grade, was in shape then but still hadn't grown. Charts and calculators be damned, 190 here I come.
I don't think calculators are the be-all end-all by far, but I like that this site uses four different formulas as well as a healthy recommendation for BMI. Which are all wildly different, I think it's a good indicator of what's healthy but also a good indicator that you're going to have to experiment, see what you're comfortable with, and what's more realistic to maintain.
Hmm. I like the numbers that site gives me. It's telling me I'm done.0 -
HappyCampr1 wrote: »"Which are all wildly different..."?
There is a ten pound difference from the heaviest "ideal" to the lowest "ideal". Your defination of wildly different is wildly different from mine. ;-)
Anyone have any stats showing which country has the greatest percentage of it's population within these "healthy" weight ranges? And what that percentage is?
Not exactly, but this calculator is pretty cool. It shows you where you rank within your own country and compared to the average BMI of people in various other countries. So, you do get to see where the rest of the world is on average, just not specific %.
ETA - http://www.bbc.com/news/health-18770328
What a good calculator. It can help put things in to perspective a little.
0 -
"Which are all wildly different..."?
There is a ten pound difference from the heaviest "ideal" to the lowest "ideal". Your defination of wildly different is wildly different from mine. ;-)
Anyone have any stats showing which country has the greatest percentage of it's population within these "healthy" weight ranges? And what that percentage is?
There's a 30 pound difference between the lowest and the highest for me, so yes I believe that constitutes as wildly different. And if you're 5'3 like myself, even 10 pounds is a very noticeable difference.
5'4" here and 3-5 lbs makes a difference ha.0 -
I don't have a goal weight; my goal is to always be improving. Sometimes that might mean lowering my bodyfat to the point where I have abs. Other times it might mean putting on more muscle. Other times it might mean lifting heavier, or doing more reps of the same weight.
Sometimes these things contradict each other (putting on muscle will generally mean that my abs go away for awhile), but the important thing is that I always have a goal, and that goal is to always be better.
There is no finish line.0 -
Basically when the doctor said "this is your ideal BMI for your body and your age; you should stop now." OK, great, stopped and bought some clothes in the new size lol.
I had a similar experience--had basically already decided to stop and happened to go for my annual check-up about one month into maintaining. Doctor noted, obviously, that I had lost weight for the last two years, and I said yes, on purpose, and then she kind of leaned back and said, "I think you look great and you're at a good weight, but I don't think you should go any lower." So she basically confirmed what I was thinking.0 -
arditarose wrote: »"Which are all wildly different..."?
There is a ten pound difference from the heaviest "ideal" to the lowest "ideal". Your defination of wildly different is wildly different from mine. ;-)
Anyone have any stats showing which country has the greatest percentage of it's population within these "healthy" weight ranges? And what that percentage is?
There's a 30 pound difference between the lowest and the highest for me, so yes I believe that constitutes as wildly different. And if you're 5'3 like myself, even 10 pounds is a very noticeable difference.
5'4" here and 3-5 lbs makes a difference ha.
The calculators have a range for frame size I believe. I'm 5'2.5" but a medium frame so I fit within the middle of the range while small framed people would be "ideal" at the lower range, large framed at the higher end. With that said, wherever you're most comfortable (and can sustain realistically) is "ideal."0 -
RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »HappyCampr1 wrote: »"Which are all wildly different..."?
There is a ten pound difference from the heaviest "ideal" to the lowest "ideal". Your defination of wildly different is wildly different from mine. ;-)
Anyone have any stats showing which country has the greatest percentage of it's population within these "healthy" weight ranges? And what that percentage is?
Not exactly, but this calculator is pretty cool. It shows you where you rank within your own country and compared to the average BMI of people in various other countries. So, you do get to see where the rest of the world is on average, just not specific %.
ETA - http://www.bbc.com/news/health-18770328
What a good calculator. It can help put things in to perspective a little.
Oh wow, I love this calculator. Really cool, thank you!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 391 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 922 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions