Does the scale really matter? A question and a musing...
ClimbingOwl27
Posts: 10 Member
Hey everyone, new to the group.
I'm looking around at the other threads and something is beginning to get to me.
I'm 5'0", and 150lb.
According to BMI calculations I am overweight and I should be between 94.7-128lb to be what is "normal" for my height. But here's the thing...If I lost twenty pounds, my family and friends would stage an intervention because I would look anorexic. People are often shocked when I tell them what I weigh, they think I weigh a lot less.
And in addition to that, I've been hovering around 150 for 10+ years, despite radical changes in diet and activity levels. "Overweight" for me is noticeable at 160 and intense restrictive calorie count and everyday exercise gets me down to 145. But if I miss a few days of exercise, I'm back to 150. It's almost not worth it if I want a life beyond thinking about food and exercise.
No, I don't have a thyroid problem (tested), I'm hungry a lot of the time, I drink a lot of water. I eat quinoa and roasted vegetables as often as I eat burgers and fries.
So, what I'm saying is...is it really necessary for me to get down to 128? I would like to lose a little around my middle and tone up...but 20lbs? or 30lbs if I'm trying for average-normal, according to BMI? Nothing that I've tried, including eating whatever and whenever I want to eating a strictly monitored diet, from being sedentary to running at least 5 miles everyday, none of it has pulled me from the inertia of 150lbs.
I'm a bit at a loss. I feel super out of place especially when people my height are trying for weights of 110 or people at 5'5" are trying for 140.
I'm not sure whether to be happy in my body or accept the fact that I'm deluding myself and I am actually unhealthy at this weight. And if that is the case, what the heck do I do to get beyond 145 without making my life miserable by going on the cabbage soup diet?
Realizing this is a bit of a pity party, I'll stop here. But if anyone can make sense of this or feels like they can relate at all, any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Owl
I'm looking around at the other threads and something is beginning to get to me.
I'm 5'0", and 150lb.
According to BMI calculations I am overweight and I should be between 94.7-128lb to be what is "normal" for my height. But here's the thing...If I lost twenty pounds, my family and friends would stage an intervention because I would look anorexic. People are often shocked when I tell them what I weigh, they think I weigh a lot less.
And in addition to that, I've been hovering around 150 for 10+ years, despite radical changes in diet and activity levels. "Overweight" for me is noticeable at 160 and intense restrictive calorie count and everyday exercise gets me down to 145. But if I miss a few days of exercise, I'm back to 150. It's almost not worth it if I want a life beyond thinking about food and exercise.
No, I don't have a thyroid problem (tested), I'm hungry a lot of the time, I drink a lot of water. I eat quinoa and roasted vegetables as often as I eat burgers and fries.
So, what I'm saying is...is it really necessary for me to get down to 128? I would like to lose a little around my middle and tone up...but 20lbs? or 30lbs if I'm trying for average-normal, according to BMI? Nothing that I've tried, including eating whatever and whenever I want to eating a strictly monitored diet, from being sedentary to running at least 5 miles everyday, none of it has pulled me from the inertia of 150lbs.
I'm a bit at a loss. I feel super out of place especially when people my height are trying for weights of 110 or people at 5'5" are trying for 140.
I'm not sure whether to be happy in my body or accept the fact that I'm deluding myself and I am actually unhealthy at this weight. And if that is the case, what the heck do I do to get beyond 145 without making my life miserable by going on the cabbage soup diet?
Realizing this is a bit of a pity party, I'll stop here. But if anyone can make sense of this or feels like they can relate at all, any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Owl
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What does your doctor say? For some people a higher weight works and you're eating well/exercising and happy there with no ill effects to your health I don't see why you would have to change. See what a professional says and go from there.
A lot of the time weight loss is just shifting things around a bit. For example, people often eat starchy carbs at dinner (potatoes/rice/quinoa) but those are energy based foods (as are all carbs). Do you really need energy at 7pm in the evening? No, so switch them out for more micronutrient vegetables. Then you could make sure that you're getting good healthy fats (nuts, oils, avocados) over excessive meat/dairy based ones. Protein should be about maintaining muscle mass and therefore a priority as that is what keeps your metabolism high, which you can do through protein shakes if eating tons of lean meat isn't your thing (or are veggie/vegan). You're not without options, hon, but I'd see if they're necessary before you go on a life overhaul.1 -
If you're happy with the skin you're in, and don't have medical problems, enjoy life! Be well.2
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If you're happy in your body and you are healthy, then why would you change it? It takes motivation to change so much of your lifestyle and if it's not there it's probably going to be really really hard. Have you tried other exercises than running? Running has never really done it for me either. You run, get your heartrate up for a bit and that's it. When you're lifting weights or doing hiit with weights however you will stay in that fat burning stage for longer. The muscles you build with them will also keep you from looking unhealthily skinny if that's a problem.
I'm far from an expert though. This is just my personal experience. I hope you'll find what makes you happy!!0 -
Is there a way to check your body and/or visceral fat %? I mean, BMI is really only a way of screening rather than a definite diagnosis. It could be misleading especially on people with higher muscle %. There are tons of athletes out there with very high BMI but probably none of them would be categorized as overweight.
That is to say, 1) your plan of losing weight might have to be fine-tuned as "losing fat" depends on your goals for yourself, 2) your workout plan might need changes accordingly, and 3) your food choice does matter in terms of losing fat but it's a long-term lifestyle change. It can be as creative and enjoyable but def not JUST veggie soup.
Please don't get discouraged, but all the above could make your "weight" look similar. It's the body composition (may reflect more on your appearance and/or measurements) you'd be trying to change that makes the difference (especially those you mentioned), but not weight.
What I try to say is, no, you definitely don't have to go down 20 lbs to feel the happiness inside you. BMI-wise, it's really a reference. I think for most of us, weight is an easy measurement we can get access ourselves without expensive tools or an expert. But is it 100% reflecting how well you like your body to be? No. Not really. Otherwise there won't be this term "skinny fat" and there won't be this many people going after "muscle tones."
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ClimbingOwl27 wrote: »Hey everyone, new to the group.
I'm looking around at the other threads and something is beginning to get to me.
I'm 5'0", and 150lb.
According to BMI calculations I am overweight and I should be between 94.7-128lb to be what is "normal" for my height. But here's the thing...If I lost twenty pounds, my family and friends would stage an intervention because I would look anorexic. People are often shocked when I tell them what I weigh, they think I weigh a lot less.
And in addition to that, I've been hovering around 150 for 10+ years, despite radical changes in diet and activity levels. "Overweight" for me is noticeable at 160 and intense restrictive calorie count and everyday exercise gets me down to 145. But if I miss a few days of exercise, I'm back to 150. It's almost not worth it if I want a life beyond thinking about food and exercise.
No, I don't have a thyroid problem (tested), I'm hungry a lot of the time, I drink a lot of water. I eat quinoa and roasted vegetables as often as I eat burgers and fries.
So, what I'm saying is...is it really necessary for me to get down to 128? I would like to lose a little around my middle and tone up...but 20lbs? or 30lbs if I'm trying for average-normal, according to BMI? Nothing that I've tried, including eating whatever and whenever I want to eating a strictly monitored diet, from being sedentary to running at least 5 miles everyday, none of it has pulled me from the inertia of 150lbs.
I'm a bit at a loss. I feel super out of place especially when people my height are trying for weights of 110 or people at 5'5" are trying for 140.
I'm not sure whether to be happy in my body or accept the fact that I'm deluding myself and I am actually unhealthy at this weight. And if that is the case, what the heck do I do to get beyond 145 without making my life miserable by going on the cabbage soup diet?
Realizing this is a bit of a pity party, I'll stop here. But if anyone can make sense of this or feels like they can relate at all, any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Owl
Owl, I just want to let you know that you're not alone. When I eat the normal caloric intake for my size (I'm 5'9 or 5'10...I need to measure myself. Haha), I still have a higher weight than most would anticipate. My lowest weight ever was 155, but I was eating less than 1,000 calories a day at that point. I feel good anywhere between that and 170, but find myself getting as high as 180 when I'm not super disciplined.
I work out about 5 days a week on average and I do not eat processed sugars or complex carbs. I have not gotten on the scale in a while because it can get to me pretty bad mentally if it is over a certain number, but I know I have a few more inches on me than at my lowest weight. Some of that may be due to my new venture of weight lifting the past couple of months. But all that to say, I live a very healthy lifestyle and I am definitely very far from a size 2.2 -
I'm also 5'0 and honestly right now I am 117 lbs and could lose more to feel better. Really, I think weight is a good indicator of whether your healthy or not. 150 lbs IS a lot for someone who is only 5'0. But really, were not experts. If you're really unsure, check with your doctor as they are the best at determining whether or not you're healthy for your weight.2
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I really think you shouldn't worry about the numbers on the scale. As long as you're happy with where you are, go with that. I have a friend who's at (or actually probably below) her ideal weight but she's just "skinny", with almost no muscle tone and she really doesn't look well some of the time. However, I've been working out every week for over a year, running, crossfit, HIIT training, weights, etc. My body is SO different that it was a year ago. I dropped 25 pounds in the first 4-6 months but only THREE pounds since then. I am at 179 right now (5'9" tall) and haven't budged from that number in months. It's frustrating but at the same time, I dropped clothing sizes and look much more toned and I feel GREAT! I'm just not worrying about the scale because the fit of my clothes and how I'm feeling tells the real story.3
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BMI is just one measure, hip to waist ratio is another and the British heart foundation recommends to be under 35" belly fat for women with an ideal of under 32" (measuring at the belly button not dress waist)
I do believe some women carry their weight in healthier places than others (hourglass and pears in particular), I put it all on my stomach (apple/inverted triangle) and it's not until I hit my current BMI of 23.6 that I had a healthy belly circumference (which means BMI is wrong for me and my personal healthy range is probably between 20-24).
Most of all it's up to you if you feel healthy, happy and active and aren't suffering from any weight related health problems, don't feel you must be a certain weight, maybe discuss with your doctor who will give a more informed and less emotive opinion than family or friends if you worry they'll intervene? x1 -
I am exactly like you at 5'7"!!! So I'm naturally very curvy (even at my lowest weight) and at this point in time I'm on the high end of looking "normal". Maybe slightly overweight-looking, but to some just very voluptuous. I'm currently 180lbs which sounds SO freaking high especially because I look at other women at 180lbs and I'm like, there is no way I look like that! So confusing especially when I have a hard time judging myself. I usually look around 20lbs less than I weigh, so maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones who hide weight well (in my butt! Lol!)
I'm learning that weight lifting really does help you look leaner at a higher weight. So, if I were to get back to my thinnest (145lbs cardio queen) I'd have to lose 35lbs and I really do not wanna do that lol! But with weight lifting I might only have to lose 15-20lbs of fat to look the same or maybe better. Plus lifting is WAY more fun than cardio!! Honestly, I think a "weight range" for your height is a load of BS because it doesn't account for muscle mass. Same with BMI. I think you are JUST fine where you are, especially if you're comfortable with it!1 -
@Jaspergirl423 What size in shorts/pants do you wear? Like you at 5'7" at 190 I'm in size 12 and wonder how much more weight I can lose. It took 2 months just to lose 10 lbs. I do strength training and i feel areas tightening and will keep moving on. My scale has not been my best friend.
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@Jaspergirl423 What size in shorts/pants do you wear? Like you at 5'7" at 190 I'm in size 12 and wonder how much more weight I can lose. It took 2 months just to lose 10 lbs. I do strength training and i feel areas tightening and will keep moving on. My scale has not been my best friend.
I wear size 11/12. Almost a ten but still not quite there. These pics are recent. Hope it helps, I know it always helps me to know what other looks like around my weight. The scale isn't my friend either--I love lifting but it's kind of a mind game when you're trying to lose weight because you're gaining muscle weight!0 -
I've recently gone to low carb...strict atkins revolution style from the book in the 70's..not the new modern compromised Atkins 20..which is just another diet.
I know how it is.. counting calories.. enjoying your food yet starving all the time and exercising so you can eat something extra. It is draining and food obsessed.
With keeping my carbs to 20 a day... Now food doesn't rule my day...and I'm starting to lose weight.
I am opposite of you... I'm tall..so i can carry a lot of extra weight. Still.. I truly want to get back to my old younger lean body ..and at least down to the middle of the medical acceptable bmi for my height .
I would never say you look overweight.. I'd say consider changing your diet..that could be the answer.0 -
Im in the same boatn i am 5'2" and weigh 150. I've learned over the years that the lowest I can get is about 143 before I start to look sick. I stay right around 145 if I can (I need to lose a few) buy I would be ok with increasing that number if I was gaining muscle. I want to lose a little more fat before I start trying to gain muscle. I wouldn't worry about your number on the scale. Many people I know in this same boat don't even weigh themselves, they use their body as an indicator of how they are doing. Maybe lay off the scale for awhile? If you are healthy and happy with your body than the scale isn't necessary. It's physically impossible for me to get lower than 140 without being ill. Maybe I have heavy bones, I don't know lol. But I know that the shape of my body and wide hips and shoulders wont allow my weight to get that low.0
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ClimbingOwl27 wrote: »Hey everyone, new to the group.
I'm looking around at the other threads and something is beginning to get to me.
I'm 5'0", and 150lb.
According to BMI calculations I am overweight and I should be between 94.7-128lb to be what is "normal" for my height. But here's the thing...If I lost twenty pounds, my family and friends would stage an intervention because I would look anorexic. People are often shocked when I tell them what I weigh, they think I weigh a lot less.
And in addition to that, I've been hovering around 150 for 10+ years, despite radical changes in diet and activity levels. "Overweight" for me is noticeable at 160 and intense restrictive calorie count and everyday exercise gets me down to 145. But if I miss a few days of exercise, I'm back to 150. It's almost not worth it if I want a life beyond thinking about food and exercise.
No, I don't have a thyroid problem (tested), I'm hungry a lot of the time, I drink a lot of water. I eat quinoa and roasted vegetables as often as I eat burgers and fries.
So, what I'm saying is...is it really necessary for me to get down to 128? I would like to lose a little around my middle and tone up...but 20lbs? or 30lbs if I'm trying for average-normal, according to BMI? Nothing that I've tried, including eating whatever and whenever I want to eating a strictly monitored diet, from being sedentary to running at least 5 miles everyday, none of it has pulled me from the inertia of 150lbs.
I'm a bit at a loss. I feel super out of place especially when people my height are trying for weights of 110 or people at 5'5" are trying for 140.
I'm not sure whether to be happy in my body or accept the fact that I'm deluding myself and I am actually unhealthy at this weight. And if that is the case, what the heck do I do to get beyond 145 without making my life miserable by going on the cabbage soup diet?
Realizing this is a bit of a pity party, I'll stop here. But if anyone can make sense of this or feels like they can relate at all, any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Owl
I guess you live in America. If I get to 150 lbs on 5 ft 6 I will be (due to hourglass figure) hot for a lot of Americans(actually have lot of American friends that told me this) or slightly chubby for Germans and really fat for my mum and family and all that jazz.
Be what you want to be. You see, the things are to some extend subjective. Everybody wants to be liked, even the rebells. BUT there is also a objective truth:excess weight is unhealthy and leads to life that sucks. I must admit the charts are not that wrong and give a veeery wide range. You are too short for being 150 and healthy,
except you are extremely muscular, but thats not the case I guess.
If you like yourself, be yourself! You have less than 100 years on earth:D But if there is a minimal tiny mini thought in yourself that you are searching for excuses not to lose the flab and reveal a vital body, you better accept the challenge and see yourself if the charts are so intervention worthy. They are made by doctors!
Achieve 128 and if you feel that THAT bad, just eat all pounds back, I am sure you will feel like the luckiest woman on Earth:)
With ♡
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p.s. not meaning to be mean, I am just very direkt according to my horoskope. Please dont be mad at me
Just my opinion on the OPs question. 0 -
@jasper423 I think your body looks bangin'! You have a flat stomach, so you are not in any health risk. I understand what you're feeling, though. I'm 5'2 and lift, and I've always been heavier than most girls my height. I never let it discourage me from strength training though because I just love it way too much!0
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@ClimbingOwl27 Hey you. So as far as your initial post I will say BMI is definitely not everything. It's kinda just an indicator or a suggestion about where you "should" everyone is different so BMI can't be one-size fits all solution. I would say talk to a doctor and see if your body shape is an issue. Maybe you are heavier because you have more muscle. Also, a doctor can check to see if where you store fat in your body and if it is a problem. I would say talk to a doctor before you start shooting for certain goals. If you are mostly muscle you might just be a bit heavier because of it.
As for dieting, please don't think about diet as having to "Eat cabbage soup forever." I think weight loss is pretty simple. It means eat a deficit. However, you get to a deficit is up to you but healthy eating gives your more options and will make you feel better in the long run but you can eat other things just in moderation. For example, I usually eat pretty healthy on most days but sometimes I have to have some pizza, some hot wings, or a burger and I can have them as long as I plan my day accordingly. Have a lite breakfast, heavy lunch, and maybe a lite dinner. If I plan on getting a workout in that day I can eat even more. It's just mostly about planning. Dieting doesn't mean you have to starve and eat only one thing forever. It's mostly about self-control and planning. Don't let it scare you. You've got this.1 -
Definitely not! The scale should only be a reference, but what's most important is how you feel in your own body. BMI's not entirely accurate as it doesn't take into account your lean muscle mass and your bone density. If you're looking into finding out what's an ideal weight range for yourself, you might want to consider getting a DEXA scan.
Just to give you some perspective, my friend and I are both the same height, however I weight 20+ lbs heavier than she does, yet neither of us look overtly overweight. It really just depends on how/where you carry your weight and how much muscle mass you have
Don't be discouraged or feel upset about what the scale says! The only thing that really matters is how you feel in your own skin 0
