When did you decide to stop?

I'm struggling with figuring out when to stop losing weight. Everytime I reach my goal I make a new one! At 5'7 I started at 135 and I just passed my most recent goal of 120! I cant figure out when I should stop losing weight or maybe just focus on toning?
Have any of you struggled with deciding this?

Thanks!

Replies

  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    When I reached my "ultimate goal weight," I stopped. That weight is what my joints are comfortable with, and I don't see any reason to get lighter. Now I'm working on strength, running endurance, and recomping - a slow process, but I'm in no hurry. I'm having a lot of fun.

    PS: Yummy profile pic. :)
  • thingeringer
    thingeringer Posts: 241 Member
    Bump
  • cindirookbanman
    cindirookbanman Posts: 71 Member
    I am 5'3" and my BMI suggests that I have to be <140 lbs to even be "normal weight" or out of the "obese" catagory. So I went down to 133 and although I felt pretty good about myself, my husband and BFF's were telling me I looked too skinny. Lowest recommended weight was 115lbs - I havent been that since I was 14!! Unless i was very careful with my workout program, I would very likely look like a bone rack!!

    I gained it all back :( I have been losing weight again, and have decided not to use the bmi as an objective tool. I am currently at 152 and starting to feel good about the way I look. I will continue losing until I am 145, and then reconsider how I feel and how I think I look.

    I guess you have 2 choices...pick a tool like BMI or body fat % or think back to a weight where you felt content. Think carefully before you keep dropping your goal weight...skinnier isnt always better. Healthy is the goal, lean muscles are awesome! (even though they are "heavy") Set yourself a fitness goal: running a certain distance, being able to do a goal number of sit ups or push ups.

    Good luck!
  • Yeller_Sensation
    Yeller_Sensation Posts: 373 Member
    I stopped working on weight loss when I decided to switch my focus to muscle gain.
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
    when I got to the top of the "normal" BMI" ( about 25 BMI) I switched from actively in weightloss mode... I still had 15-ish pounds to lose but my focus became strength.. in that process weightloss is slower...I will stop losing once I hit 22 BMI which is smack dab in the middle of normal
  • hollymartin90
    hollymartin90 Posts: 57 Member
    I think im having the same prob ,although i set myself a target weight of 10 stone (im 5ft 9) it was more an image in my head of how id look and clothes size,im now 9 stone 11 and am not gonna set a particular weight goal just stop when Im confident with how my body looks i mainly wanna tone up and just lose a lil bit more.although Im tall I think I have quite a small frame and this may be way I'm aiming for the lower end of my healthy weight range...
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    Your BMI is 18.8 so you'll be falling into the underweight category if you continue to lose.
    Now is a good time for you to start slowly upping your calories till you are maintaining.

    I stopped when when I liked the way I looked and BMI was 22.3. I'm 5'2" and weigh 122.
    I give myself a range between 120-125.
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    I actually went to a doctor who specializes in performing arts medicine. Based on my life goals (able to run a 5k, walk all day and play my horn as well as do an hour a day of ballet or barre 3 class) he gave me 1) a healthy weight range for my body frame/height/desired outcome, 2) blessing on my food plan and 3) a mininum # of sleep hours (6 hours) .

    I am 5'8, 54 years old and my range is 125 to 135 pounds. I can tell you that with working full time, two 45 minutes of horn practice a day, and just life I have to keep the barre3 yoga at around 30 minutes a day and the walking to about 5-6 10 minute walk breaks a day. (i am stabilizing every day just about at 128)

    Oddly enough, my weight range was just the bottom of my range plus 10 pounds on the charts. I get the "you are too skinny" thing sometimes by people who only met me during the "heaviest" I have ever been period, but most people tell me I look great.

    so I think I am good with maintenance, it keeps getting re-affirmed by how great I feel and how quickly I rebound when life gets tough for whatever reason.