Is the Ideal weight over exaggerated?

Spiderkeys

I reach the ideal weight range a week ago, but instead of enjoying it, I felt like nothing but skin and bones, tightness in the chest, constantly feeling cold all the time, and generally feeling quite ill.

I feel if I maintain at MFP's ideal weight range, it will eventually kill me, for this reason I decided not to lose anymore weight.

My ideal weight is supposely in the range of 59kg to 79kg, Im currently 78kg. I originally had my goal set in between at 70kg, but as my weight got closer, it became crazily unthinkable to so I adjusted it to 75kg, now 75kg, is out the question, my ribs are starting to show up on my chest as if I'm underweight, and the only fat I really got left to lose is my belly fat.

I was most comfortable at the overweight range of about 83kg, but if I decide to gain some weight back and stop there would feel incomplete and like a semi-failure.

I weigh less than most adult men I know off my age, so i presume everyone is at least overweight, the reason I decide to diet was to improve my health, not gain new ill symptoms.

EvgeniZyntx

Exercise? If you want to improve your health, that's key.

Ideal weight? Never paid any attention to it.

Spiderkeys

Problem is too much exercise is giving me chest pains, but yeah I only need to concentrate in one area now, and that's my belly, losing anymore weight is not the answer.

catcalledjinx

You have done a fantastic job. Don't get hung up on numbers or you will never be happy. Focus on enjoying your newfound lighter body and accept that this is the right end point for you. Trust your own sense of self. Well done you.

CharleePear

what is your body fat %? Have you been lifting weights? Sounds like you need to ditch the BMI which is not accurate at all anyway, it doesn't measure bone density and muscle mass. Sounds to me that you should try build a bit of muscle and eat at maintenance. Make sure your protein levels are fairly high. Focus on eating good nutritional food, not what your weight is. Health is far more important than weight.

arrseegee

You must be about 178-180 tall?

The BMI scale is a statistical tool which was originally developed to compare populations to each other. It doesn't differentiate between genders, and I'd say that even for a woman 180 tall 59kg would be very very lean. If you are looking very thin at the top end of the BMI healthy range than I'd imagine you have a higher proportion of lean body mass than fat compared to the average person, and from what you are describing it doesn't sound like you'd do your health any favours by losing more weight.

Although it is routinely used as a individual measure by doctors and insurance companies we need to be careful that it's not being incorrectly interpreted for Joe Everyman!

Weight gain doesn't always mean you 'gave up the fight' or 'got lazy', in fact in your case I think gaining a bit of weight through muscle might be a good idea. The number on the scale stops being as important when you can see your body composition changing for the better.

arrseegee

PS re chest pains, that sounds like something you should talk to your doctor about.

Eleonora91

I think "ideal weight" is more of a concept than an actual ideal weight for someone's of a certain age and height. We all look different even if at the same weight. If you feel comfortable at a higher weight, no problem in that. The main reason we decide to lose weight is that being overweight is "unhealthy" but you don't stictly have to be at your ideal weight to be healthy.

Spiderkeys

My body fat is supposely 23%, and im 178cm tall, I was on an extremely low calorie diet of only 1380 since when I let MFP, adjust them, and I think I lost weight too quickly, today I upped my calorie to by 200 to 1580, in an attempt to stop losing weight, I up it again by another 200 in a few days time.

But yeah I'm gonna forget the number on the scale now, being this low weight is just uncomfortable, I hoping just to stall my weight loss and maybe my body just needs to adjust to it.

But yeah, forget the number now, and just concentrate on muscle building, if I think I should gain a little, ill rather replace it with muscle than fat.

msf74

Personally, I have a happy weight rather than ideal weight.

My happy weight is the one which I naturally achieve when I am enjoying life, eating sensibly and being generally active. It is the weight where I am performing well, feeling good and have high levels of mental clarity. The number varies with the type of training I am doing at any one time and the goals I want to achieve (right now I am training for some cycling events so it is lower than what it would be if I was concentrating on lifting for example.)

I would ditch the idea of an ideal weight or even look. Just do the things you know you should (balanced diet, some resistance training and some cardio training) do your best, be consistent and crack on. If you enjoy the process with time you will feel much better, look much better and be happier.

Life is more than a number on the scale.

neandermagnon

someone's ideal weight depends on a lot more than just their height. Frame size, muscularity and body proportions all affect how much you'll weigh at a healthy body fat percentage, not just height. You could get two people of the same height and same body fat percentage and they could be very different in weight, even by as much as 20-30lb different, because of those factors.

This is all the more reason to go by body fat percentage rather than weight. Also, try to build up your lean mass and bone density. More lean mass and bone density = heavier. Less body fat = lighter. These cancel each other out somewhat, making weight less meaningful than most people think it is. Hence go by body fat percentage and what you look like in the mirror. If you look lean and fit then you very likely are lean and fit.

ironanimal

Healthy weight for my height is supposedly between 58kg and 75kg.

Screw that.

Assuming I kept all my LBM, if I had 0% bodyfat at this very moment, I would still be about 100kg.

grrrlface

I'm in the opposite to you OP, I'm slap bang in the middle of my 'ideal weight' and could still lose another 7-14lbs easily. It's really just a guideline and should be treated as such, just go with how you feel. Concentrate on eating healthy and getting some good exercise in 5-6 days a week.

castlerobber

I reach the ideal weight range a week ago, but instead of enjoying it, I felt like nothing but skin and bones, tightness in the chest, constantly feeling cold all the time, and generally feeling quite ill.

.....

I weigh less than most adult men I know off my age, so i presume everyone is at least overweight, the reason I decide to diet was to improve my health, not gain new ill symptoms.

It may be that the diet you chose is the problem, not the amount you weigh. You're eating almost nothing but biscuits, bananas, pastys and Subway sandwiches, with the occasional half a roast chicken and serving of green peas. Nowhere near enough fat or protein.

2013sk

I was most comfortable at the overweight range of about 83kg

Just get back to 83kg's again then........... Sounds like your moaning about the weight you have lost or am I reading it all wrong?

rockmama72

A well balanced diet will help you with that feeling cold and ill thing. Nutrition is your friend.

casy84

Last summer I used to get cold just from sittting under a tree(in the shade)!!! I upped my cals and started eating better and things are now good. I still feel colder than I used to when I was fat, but that's normal. Don't worry so much about the ideal weight thing stop where you feel good about yourself and don't endanger your health.

Spiderkeys

Thanks for all your suggestions, I have decided to stop losing, upped my calories, wait and see if my body can adjust to this weight.

One good thing of all this, I'll no longer feel so food deprived, tommorow I can put jam on my toast, something I havent done in over 5 months.

Mercambus

Certainly "ideal weight", BMI, are averages. Is your composition relatively average? I am 6' tall and according to averages I should weight somewhere between 165-180 pounds. The problem with going by averages in this case is that I currently have a lean body mass somewhere between 200 and 205 pounds. So I am setting my goal at a weight that has me somewhere between 10 and 15% body fat. I'm doing all I can to try to not loose any LBM while loosing fat but that probably isn't going to realistically happen. So in the end I'll weigh somewhere between 220 and 230 pounds all while averages tell me I am overweight. I once dropped down to 200 pounds, was single digit body fat, and wasn't happy with how I felt. I sacrificed so much muscle and strength it just bothered me. Congrats on the progress, whatever you decide you are in a better place health wise.

carlalovescake

I think it might be :O

I still have a BMI of 26.6 but at my docters on Friday, after he weighed and measured me, he said I should begin maintaining rather than losing anymore :O

He said I was muscular and pear shaped and anything more I lose now will be purely vanity loss lol

At 14 stone and 6 foot, I was expecting him to say "still 2 stone to go" so it was a lovely surprise.

Maybe you are muscular? Have your BF checked instead maybe or speak to the docter - for sure with the chest pains!