How do you know when you're done losing weight?

nomorepizza2

Hi everyone,
Been dieting now for 11 months. Down from 322 pound to 210 pounds. (I'm 41 years old and 6 feet 3 inches tall).
This website and the wonderful people here have been a huge help to me on the way. I'm very happy with my loss but I was aiming to lose at least another 10 to bring it down to a nice round number.
That was until I went home over the weekend and saw the pictures that were taken by my family. Must admit, I was surprised to see how much slimmer I looked. Funny how the mirror can lie, but the camera never does.
For a while now people have been telling me that I've lost enough and should stop but I ignored them.
My question is, how do you know when you're done? Should I take the advice of my friends and family and maintain here or push on with the weight loss?
Here is a before/after pic I just made using photojoiner.net
Have a great day everyone,
Paul

RawCarrots

Wow, you look so much younger on your after photos, amazing dedication and weight loss!

I don't know the answer to your question but I'm approaching my goal too and have been wondering the same, how will I know I'm done. TBH I have so much more to do in terms of fitness and healthy eating that will just change my goals to that and keep going. I want to see how much better and stronger my body could get, the number on the scale is becoming less relevant.

Will be watching the replies with interest

Colbyandsage

Wow! You look great!

Ignore the scale and what people say! I got the same thing and I only lost 30 lbs, everyone saying I was getting too skinny. It was annoying.

It's really up to you in the end. I would say at 6'3 that seems 210 like a good weight because of your size. If in the pictures you think you look great then start maintaining for a few months, get comfortable with where you are, start lifting and maybe you will be happy at 210.

pierreborg86

The BMI is a good guideline, or go somewhere to check your fat percentage

Sarahwantshealth

You look fantastic!!!! I am not saying you have more to lose but don't listen to people. Many are use to seeing you big and the smaller you may at first appear 'skinny' to them, or they may just like you heavy! I would do as someone else said and try to maintain while strength training!!! I understand the goal of 200, I want to be under 130, the magic number for me. If you hit it and then slowly resume maintenance calories you will probably add back 5 pounds anyhow (our bodies like to do that). Good luck and GREAT job! You really look awesome!

pari_06

Hi Paul! Let me first congratulate u on your transformation. Great work.
Now about your query..
If you are happy with your weight and the way you look then you should stop it here.. As many times we set high goals for weight loss but actually we want our body to look in a particular way which may be achieved few pounds prior to our goal weight..
But if you want to lose few pounds more then you can find your ideal weight and be in that range. I guess it is190lbs give or take a few lbs.
Calculate it and you'll know.
Whatever you decide to do.. Just make sure you are doing it because you want to..not because others are telling.

gracielynn1011

Congrats on your awesome progress!

Why don't you work your way to maintenance calories for a while and see how you feel. Sometimes it can take a little linger for your mind to catch up to your body. You can take a little diet break and see if you think you need to go back to losing later.

harleygroomer

WHEN YOU ARE HAPPY AND COMFORTABLE WITH YOURSELF. if YOU like YOU then so will we..............

ToFatT0B3S1ck

You are done when YOU say you are done. I have been told to stop losing weight as well. I however haven't reached MY goal yet so I am going to continue. I'm losing weight for me, not for any other reason. I'm close, but now there yet. What people have to realize is we are the ones living our lives and in our bodies. We shouldn't have to sacrifice our happiness and goals in order to please others...Unless you decided to lose weight for somebody else and not yourself.

I'll be done losing weight when I am within a healthy weight range for my height and my stomach is completely flat. I have to accomplish both before I stop.

TwoPointZero

I did some reading on this over the weekend, and there seems to be some controversy re: BMI . . . Although, even the "better" choice (hip to waist ratio) only provides bounds for healthy and non-healthy. But, if you ask the google enough times, you might get a sensible answer . . .

sijomial

Can't see your before/after pics as I'm at work...

I think it's certainly worth listening to your friends & family - you will know them well enough to know if they are genuine and concerned or having a touch of jealousy!!
BMI ranges, body fat percentage are all good ideas but in the end only you will know if your current look/fitness level/strength are what you are seeking to achieve. Weight is only one way to measure progress.

Taking a "diet break" (maintenance for a while) is a good idea as it lets you and everyone else get used to the new you.

My original weight target was based on my favourite weight in my 20's but after a while of maintaining there I realised that weight was too heavy (fat!) for an old fart who can't carry the same muscle bulk as when I was young, so decided to take a bit more off.

ndj1979

IMO you are never "done"..there is always a new goal whether it be body fat %, strength, bulk etc....

Once you let off the gas then old habits come back and next thing you know you have gained ten pounds..

So keep finding new goals...lose the last ten pounds, then focus on getting to 15% body fat or something..

askeates

You look amazing. Congratulations on the amazing job :drinker:

As far as when do you know when you are done.... it's all subjective! Are you happy with how you look? Did you make it to the size clothing you wanted? Are you feeling better? Is there motivation to keep going?

You are really the only person that can say when enough is enough.

GingerLolita

I've been wondering the same thing. For me, it's because I'm a few pounds from my goal weight, but I am within a healthy BMI and satisfied with my measurements. And I know than an extra few pounds lower can make the weight harder to maintain, and I'd rather maintain at my current weight than lose a few more.

But it just depends where you're happy. If you're at a healthy weight and feel like you want to move onto maintenance, that's great! However, if you feel like you really have some more progress to be made and are capable of maintaining a lower weight, don't listen to the others. They're excited for you about what you've lost already, which is great, but don't let that dictate your decisions.

mumtoonegirl

I agree with the poster who said you are never truly done, or at least I am not because it will push back to some of the habits that put me 75lbs overweight.

I have been sitting basically at the same weight since May, but I am pushing myself with strength now and reshaping my body. So I still track my food to keep my macros in shape for my workouts.

I had a family member tell me rather rudely I was too skinny, bordering on anorexic looking. I was so annoyed because I am finally at a healthy BMI and I look good, unlike the rest of my DHs family who eat VERY unhealthy and are not active at all. My DH and I have pushed ourselves out of the family norm and are setting a different example for our child.

MattLBennett

Hi Paul,

I'm very similar to yourself : came from 278 eight months ago, am currently 211, 39 years old and 6" 3. I have had the same thoughts about what my goal should be, and think it's somewhere in the 14 stone range. I have set it for 196 as this is the top of the old BMI, just over middle of the new and (more importantly) will take me to around 15% body fat (currently 19%).

I have also had the same comments from the family about stopping, but i know i have a bit more to go and the body fat backs that up.

Aim for the weight where you think you would be comfortable and a very big congrats on your success bud.

Matt

nxd10

You do look great. Congratulations!

You can look at BMI. Unless you're very muscly, it's a decent indicator of when you're in a healthy range. My initial goal was the 'ideal' BMI recommended for me (22). I wound up losing a little more than that, but that's a good indicator.

I also took into account my weight when I left college - full height, mature build, and I was a slim adult. That's where I am now. It was also the healthy weight I returned to after my kids were born and one I kept coming back to. It seemed like my 'natural' weight. That's where I am now.

I found when I got to those numbers all of a sudden I look in the mirror and 'recognized' myself. My weight loss slowed down. And that seemed like a good place to start. Now I'm focusing on exercising more not weight loss. Oddly enough, I have lost a little since then, but I was surprised to notice I've lost more inches than weight since going into maintenance. That seems like an indicator of muscle and a good tradeoff to me.

lavaughan69

Wow, you look so much younger on your after photos, amazing dedication and weight loss!

I don't know the answer to your question but I'm approaching my goal too and have been wondering the same, how will I know I'm done. TBH I have so much more to do in terms of fitness and healthy eating that will just change my goals to that and keep going. I want to see how much better and stronger my body could get, the number on the scale is becoming less relevant.

Will be watching the replies with interest

Same here. I'm 8 lbs from goal and I'm already planning to add 5 or 10 more lbs to the goal. I'm not sure what the magic number will be that will make me completely happy. I think I'm so worried about figuring out a maintenance plan so I don't gain it back that part of that plan will be to lose extra weight so I have room to play with. I've lost a lot of weight many times over the years and I always gain it back plus plus. :-(

kluvit

First of all, you look great. When I reached my original goal, my body did not look like I wanted it to, and I realized I had more fat to lose, so I kept going until a friend said, "Hey, you've done an amazing job, and you look great, but you looked even better a month ago!" When I examined myself in the mirror, I realized she was right as I was starting to actually look older as my face got thinner. I decided to gain a couple of pounds and have maintained +/-3 from my new goal weight (6 pounds lighter than my original). I think losing more and realizing it was a little too much helped me to know my "happy" weight. Had I just stopped at a number, I might still be wondering, "what if I'd lost a few more," or "should I lose a few more." By having lost those few more and realizing that it did not give me the look I wanted, I now KNOW what my "ideal" weight is, and I highly recommend going there first before deciding where to settle.

exmsde

Long ago I got down into my "ideal" weight range and looked ill to most people. I was starting to look a little ill to me too! And I won't claim I felt all that great either. Plus, it was extremely difficult to maintain. And after about a year it was off to the races back to new highs. It's important to note that I did this almost exclusively through dieting and that throughout I technically maintained a sedentary lifestyle.

While I won't set a final goal until I'm much closer to it, I'm thinking I want to end up around 200lbs (I'm 6' 1"). I think (based on historical experience) that's a place where I'll be happy and healthy, and be able to maintain for the long haul. And I'll look exactly the way I want to look. So what that technically I'll still be "overweight". The improvement will be so huge that any increased health risk from not losing that last 5% will be dwarfed by the benefits of what I lost. Also, from a health perspective I will look to get my Body Fat Percentage down into the healthy range. So that's forcing me to focus on turning myself from a couch potato into a moderately active individual.

The thing for you is that at 200 (call it 199) you'd just be at the top of your ideal weight range and so it isn't like you are putting yourself at a health risk by going there. So if that's what you want why not give it a try and then decide if it works? You can always put a little weight back on if you decide 200 is too low, that's the easy part :-)