Ideal weight and when to transition to maintainence

charlesmauch

So I've been "dieting" for a good year now now, which combined with a sensible barbell strength training program 3x a week and fasted cardio every day has allowed me to shed a good 90lbs since last year (55ish since I started using myfitnesspal).

I've never been able to figure out what a good ideal weight would be for me that makes sense.

At what point should I start thinking about upping my caloric intake? I've consulted a bunch of online calculators and they all vary, but the numbers they give are kinda scarey looking for someone as large as I am. How accurate are those calculators? I've never been able to touch fingers when wrapping them around my wrist, which seems to indicate I have a large bone structure. Is 180lbs actually a healthy goal for someone who
A: lifts heavy and is building muscle mass,
B: is 6'4" and has a large frame
?

I've seen a few posts on this site and others that indicate that you should continue to pursue fat loss until your extra skin (I have a lot) is pretty much paper thin, or is that too extreme too? Anyone have any advice on what indicators are good to use to figure out when to transition?

It's not that I have a huge desire to eat a bunch more, but would like at some point to concentrate more on mass and strength building rather than just fat reduction.

DeguelloTex

180 is right in the middle of the healthy BMI range, for whatever that's worth. That gives you plenty of room for building mass before even the BMI complains. Given the way BMI fails to differentiate among good and bad reasons for the extra weight, 180 seems like a pretty reasonable weight under the circumstances.

Amanda4change

I can tell you that my husband is 6'3" and weighs 225 (with a body fat of 13%) according to the BMI list he should lose weight. According to his doctor he is right where he should be. Anything under 215 and he looks unhealthy. There is no way that he could go down to 180 and be healthy.

charlesmauch

Thanks. It'll be a couple months before get close to transitioning, but I think I'll probably just slowly start adding calories (100+ per week) when I get close to 220, assuming I'm not looking emaciated at that point.

Right now I seem to be averaging 7 to 10lbs a month loss at 2500 calories (180 to 200g of protein a day, 230g carbs, rest in fat). I work with the barbell 3x a week (takes maybe 90 minutes) and I'm doing 45 mins of fasted cardio and frequency method strength training (pushups, chins, etc) 6 days a week. I tend to walk 3 to 5 miles a day just running errands and getting around too. I still think it's funny with all that work and my large size I can get away with 2500 cals.

socalkay

I don't have an answer for you but have you tried the waist-to-hip ratio measurement as an indicator of unhealthy body weight?

Also, if you are large boned, maybe the top of the healthy range of BMI, rather than the middle, would be a better target. Just a thought - I really have no experience with being tall...

From photos of your face, it looks like you've slimmed down tremendously and it sounds like you are doing lots of healthy living. Congratulations for all the hard work and lifestyle changes!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waist–hip_ratio

Amanda4change

I talked to a friend of mine who is a high level personal trainer. His suggestion is when you get down to about 220, is to find a really good qualified trainer in your area and book a single consult. They will be able to help you plan for the best results. He says there is no need to see a trainer all that often, it's good to check in about once a month or every 6 weeks or so. Which can really keep the costs down . Good luck

cwolfman13

It's really impossible to say...I'm 5'10" and weigh 183 and I'm at a completely healthy BF%. Really, I just use the scale for trend analysis...BF% and what I see in the mirror and being healthy are really all I care about.

stephe1987

I would worry more about body fat percentage than finding an ideal weight. Switch to maintenance when you reach your ideal body fat percentage. Then you can decide to stay there or if you want to build a little bit of muscle (eat at a slight surplus and lift weights to gain muscle).

JVClubs

i think your doing just fine man, id chop my own hand off just to be 6'5' 260-275 area, 180 sounds a little too slim, but its always easier to put it on then to take it off