Lose More Weight or do Body Recomp?

AnnaBellQ14
AnnaBellQ14 Posts: 109 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I'm a 43 year old female.

Stats:
Medium Frame currently, was large, supposedly
H: 5' 7"
SW: 206.4 lbs
CW: 146.2
Current BMI: 22.9

Starting Body Fat: about 47% (with scale)
Current Body Fat: 28.5 % (according to scale, although some days it says as high as 31)

Couple of my measurements:
Starting waist: 39"
Current waist: 30.5"

Starting thigh: 29"
Current thigh: 22.5"

My pouch bellow belly button, is 5" more than my waist. I carry my weight on my stomach and hips and thigh area. On my upper body the bones are sticking at out this point. I also have pretty hefty calves.

It took me 2 plus years to lose 60 lbs. My original goal weight was 158 lbs, not I'm 10 plus pounds past that. I'm wearing a size 8 pants and small top, used to be 16/18 at my heaviest, extra large top.

At this point I'm at a good spot. Never looked better as an adult. Last time I wore a size 8 pants was probably when I was a teen. My lowest adult pant size before was a 10. 12 was the norm.

So, to the question. For my medium frame and height, one chart states a range from 133 to 147 lbs. By the way, I started out as large frame, but lost a bit from my wrist, so now I'm medium framed, go figure. Current wrist size is 6.5". Technically, it's probably borderline large, because above 6.5 is large. For large frame, the range is from 143 to 163 lbs, hence my original goal weight of 158, plus at one point I used to be 158 lbs, so I knew it was doable.

I know, I'm probably just hung up on a number, but I need a goal. At one point I thought to go for 143 lbs, with a range from 140 to 145 lbs for maintenance. Another time I think, 136 lbs, with a range from 135 to 140 lbs. Then, I just set my goal weight to 147, which I just reached, just to be done, since it has been over two years now. I could just try for 25% body fat, and let my weight fall wherever it may. I never thought that my body fat number could fall below 30 percent. Or try for a certain waist size, etc? I don't know.

Any advice?

Replies

  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    ^^ Perfect answer
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I think just asking the question "have I lost enough?" means it's a pretty good idea to have a pause. Give yourself time to adjust to the new you and reassess in a month's time would be my suggestion.
    Then just have a look in the mirror and decide what is the best way forward for health/aesthetics or whatever drives you.
    Replacing weight loss with fitness or strength targets is important for people who are goal-oriented and motivated.

    Whether you decide to lose more or not - what are you doing as regards training/exercise? Whatever you intend to do for recomp you should really be doing now IMHO.


    (PS - wouldn't put too much emphasis on using wrist size as a guide to build.)
  • AnnaBellQ14
    AnnaBellQ14 Posts: 109 Member
    Thank you all. Yes, I should probably wait, and see in about a month if I should lower my goal. I still feel that my thighs could use a little work, but not sure if losing more weight would cure that. I walk/bounce a lot to get my steps in, in pool, trampoline, on beach this summer. No real strength training other than water resistance. I usually eat over 2000 calories, 2100 is where I like to be with exercise, so I already eat a pretty good amount. I have my fitbit set to burn 2300 calories a day. I think I'm almost afraid to go into maintenance.

Categories