46 year old female my doctor said (do you believe him)

MamaFunky

That's pretty thin at your height. Do you really want to be that weight? I think the best goal is to be where you feel strong and healthy and happy.

Agree with this too! I am 40 yrs old, a little over 5'7" and my current weight is 134 with 15.5% BF. I have lost 16 lbs and have increase my muscle tone. I couldn't imagine getting down to 120. For me personally, that would be way to thin with little muscle. I am sure it can vary from person to person depending on body type..but that just my opinion. You have to find that healthy balance of food, exercise and what makes YOU feel good! Plus....I enjoy eating too much to get down that low! :laugh:

Don't try to be what you were when you were 19...be the best you can be now! You can do it!

keziak1

I was struck by the comments about how being too thin can make a face look old and gaunt. One time I saw a man after he had been on Jenny Craig and I really thought at first that he might be a cancer patient! He had changed that much. I want to lose a lot of weight but not end up looking like that.

dopeysmelly

In theory, I don't see any reason why you couldn't achieve this. Setting a timeframe is a personal thing (do you work well under deadlines in general? etc), so I wouldn't necessarily feel like you have to set one. I haven't personally because if I don't meet that deadline I might feel like a failure, and, quite frankly, my work life is run by deadlines so I have enough of them already.

I would question whether a doctor's passing comment is really enough to radically change your life, though. What are YOUR reasons for losing this weight?

I'm cynical enough to know that medical professionals are human like the rest of us, and sometimes say comments which they don't realize their patients take to heart quite so much, when they don't necessarily mean for them to take big lifestyle changes.

By no means am I suggesting you shouldn't do it, but it will take a lot of effort to avoid failure. You have to really want it.

hobbesla4

It really doesn't matter what or how much you weighed at 19, because you are not that person anymore. Please don't try to lose weight in an effort to recapture who you were then. I agree with the person who said that maybe you should change doctors. Medical technology has come so far. For your doctor to make a statement like that seems ridiculous to me. Both you and your doctor need to focus on your overall health and strength, not whatever number is close to 120 pounds. Just take things one day at a time, one pound at a time and see how you feel. Take measurements as you go. Best of luck to you on your journey.

deksgrl

To drop that weight that quickly, you would sacrifice a lot of Lean Body Mass (everything that is not fat in your body, muscle, bone, etc.) At your age, decreasing muscle and bone mass is NOT a good idea. This will make you more susceptible to osteoporosis and with hormonal changes happening now or very soon, you won't be able to rebuild that (not without a lot of commitment in lifting heavy weights and eating appropriately and even then it is difficult).

Bottom line, bad idea, not healthy.

h7463

Hi there! You know the saying... 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away...' My version: Take a good size apple to your doctor's office, take aim and throw it at his head...
Those stupid BMI charts annoy me greatly. IMHO, it's about time they move on to body composition. To me, numbers on my bathroom scale have lost their magic long time ago. I'm 50, 5'5", 134 lbs, 16.5 % BF, and I fit perfectly into a size 4 Levis... Most people comment on 'how skinny' I look (I call it 'lean'...), and then they are stunned about my actual weight. I started lifting just over 2 years ago at 125 lbs and 25 % BF. Surprisingly, I was also a dress sizes bigger then. I didn't lose weight, but volume.. It's not impossible at our age, but I'm busting my behind every day.....
Good luck!

lisalsd1

Is your doctor the same weight and as fit as he was 25 years ago?

wannastayfit

My mom was 5' 8" and had 7 kids. She was 128 in her 50s and looked really awesome and quite thin. She could wear anything. So don't worry about getting to 120.

paperpudding

I am roughly your age OP - and when I was a teenager I was very slim - under weight probably.
I am just under 5 ft 4 in and I weighed 45kg.

30 years and 3 children later, I had crept up to 72 kg - when I took stock of this and decided to lose weight my aim was not to get back to 45 - it was to get within the healthy weight range for my height.
I am happy being 62 kg now which is within range - but at the upper end (I think the range was 55 - 65) My BMI is now 23.

Yes I know BMI charts are not the be all and end all - but for most of us they are a fairly good guide of where we are at.

My story is in kg - but you get the gist.

In short, I agree with most posters - sure, lose weight, but maybe review what the goal should be - perhaps 140 sounds more realistic than 120.

lrearick1452

I have one doc who goes by the charts: 125-150 for my height. My rheumatologist tells me I have a large frame and I believe him because I could NEVER get a ring type bracelet over my hands. That means he's right. So, I naturally fall toward the higher end of that scale. Then add the age factor (and a whole lot of medical problems) and my recommended weight by my GP is 165. That's my first goal. I'd like to see 145, ultimately. I'll NEVER see my college weight (119) due to the fact that I have at least 2x the muscle I had then.

I agree with everyone--work towards what feels right and healthy. Don't kill yourself over it, be happy with what is achievable.

jfauci

Here are my thoughts, for what it's worth. I'm 5'7" and I'm 49 years old. In the last year, I've lost about 30 pounds. My weight fluctuates between 120 and 122. Ideally, I would probably be about 130 or so. I think I set my goal a bit too low and got a bit carried away with the loss. Even if you did want to get to 120, doing it by July is not healthy or necessary.

I would start eating healthier, watch your macros and get some exercise. Don't focus on being 120 pounds by July - focus on getting healthy and making this a commitment to your health. And, I think your doctor is being unreasonable. 120 pounds for a 5'7" 46 year old is too low. Good luck.

fificrazy

He forgot that from the onset of puberty until the age of 25, different parts of your skeleton literally expand- your hips, your ribcage, etc. Your bones finally finish growing and become more dense. Going against your natural set point at your age will pretty much have detrimental effects on your metabolism, bone density- nor should there be any reason you aspire to have a 19 year olds body any more.

AliceDark

Christmas is 32 weeks away, give or take. I agree with a lot of people on here -- 120 sounds really low for your height. I'm 5'4" and am trying to bulk right now because I look ill at 120.

However...by Christmas, you can lose between 16 and 32 pounds (0.5 to 1 pound a week). That's absolutely achievable. That would put you somewhere between 130 and 146, which would be right in the middle of the healthy BMI range. I would focus on losing that 0.5 to 1 pound per week, not so much on the end goal.

skinnyinnotime

That's really low for your height.

deksgrl

My mom was 5' 8" and had 7 kids. She was 128 in her 50s and looked really awesome and quite thin. She could wear anything. So don't worry about getting to 120.

Yes, but did she gain weight and then lose it to get there? Or did she stay active with 7 kids and never got very overweight? It's a different thing when you have to lose weight, and the corresponding lean body mass that would go with it, when you are heading into menopause and need that bone density for health.

Emi1974

I want to slap him for putting an idea into your head that in the long term might let you feel like a failure if you can't reach that weight

:mad:

GertrudeHorse

My personal feeling is that you should find a weight that you feel happy with. Arbitrary number is just that; arbitrary. There are too many variables to say whether this is a good idea for you personally. Of course it is possible to achieve that weight, but you should ask yourself: 1) is it a healthy weight for me, 2) will I feel happy with my body at that weight, 3) is it a sustainable size for me...also take into account that being very thin when you are older will age you a lot. You aren't 19 any more and a little bit of fat helps fill out the wrinkles

Athena53

I'm 61 and 5'7". I was at 120 in my 20s but got up o 147 about 4 years ago. I'm now at 131 and pretty darn happy with what I see in the mirror- even naked! I think that dropping and keeping off that last 10 lbs. would be a lot of trouble. More time working out, fewer indulgences in things I enjoy but are bad for me.

Yes, 120 is possible, but it may not be the best weight for you.

mspoopoo

Doctors say all kind of nutty things. They used to encourage people to smoke too back in the day.

You know where you look and feel the healthiest and really isn't that what matters, not some number on the scale.

My doctor said I should drink alcohol and stop taking multi vitamins. I just ignore that nonsense.

msbunnie68

I am your age and height.
When I first realized my clothes were tight and I needed to lose a bit of weight (I exercise and have done all my life) I discussed it with my doctor at my yearly 5000km checkup LOL.

She stuck me on the scales, looked at her charts and said "Piffle. You are just fine according to the numbers". But I disagreed and said I didn't feel 'fine'. She said up on the table and I'll have a look whilst we get the other guff out of the way.

She looked at me naked during examinations we ladies get (yep...yuck) and agreed with me that despite being in 'normal range' for BMI and weight etc etc I was carrying a bit extra and decided I was definitely of the lighter frames variety.

When I discussed with my doctor what my weightloss goals would be, she suggested that pre-baby weight was probably a little light and that I should probably aim for 5kg heavier than that.

That's how I set my goal weight. And it has been easier than I thought at my age. I tweak my diet up every few months just to keep on track.

Oh...my pre-baby weight that I was at for over 10 years with no effort - 49kg (108lbs)

My current goal weight - 54kg (119lbs)

Current weight - 55kg (121lbs)

And I certainly don't look like I would break in a high wind, with haggard drooping witch skin and wrinkles like an elephants bum.

brookemart81

I don't think that's necessarily too low at all. I'm 5'7' and I weighed 125 in college, and that's where I'm aiming to get again. I have a narrow frame and a straight figure (i.e. small boobs and butt) but I definitely didn't look underweight when I was that size. I'd like to get there again, then switch to focusing on weight training and getting strong (ignoring the scale and paying more attention to measurements after that.)

KatMicNYC

Hi! Uh, 5 foot 7 and 162 is not that bad? What's the problem? I would guess you're a size 8 or 6? So loose 10 pounds you should be ideal. Sure you can be 120, that would put you at an underweight BMI. Maybe your doctor was speaking theoretically, It's just basic mathematics calories consumed minus calories burned. Us humans are odd creatures aren't we. There's not another animal on the planet that seeks out weight loss. Of course weight gain was a huge relatively rare biological advantage for humans, allowing us to survive longs periods of time without food. Few other animals can fatten up the way we do. And the good news is that we are also biologically setup to use it all up in times of famine, unfortunately we have to simulate that. I always felt like my dominant ancestral line were walkers, that we walked all day, doing I don't know what., probably selling stuff, because I love walking, moving and crafty arty stuff. If I were doing what my ancestors did I wouldn't be fat. Unfortunately like most I'm grinding away at a job behind a desk, and feeling too exhausted from the job stress to do anything with the remaining 4 hours of my day before I start all over again. I envy contractors, dog walkers, on their feet all day, being physical. My dog walker is pretty heavy though which I think is odd? I watched the garbage men the other day, the guys were literally running along the side of the truck half of the route, imagine all day long. It's like they're doing a marathon every day, believe me those guys were thin, and they seemed oddly happy too. When people still want to lose weight but they don't' really need to I wonder if what they're really needing is a physical outlet. Like the body keeps telling them, "you've got more fuel here to use up". Good luck!

fitandfortyish

I'm 5'7" and currently 128....I'm 46. I've been as low as 125 at 20% bf just about a year ago. I'm wouldn't say I looked sickly....just lean. Btw, I do lift.