Anorexic at goal weight?

LisaKyle11

i am 5'7" and currently 135#... last time i looked, i certainly don't look too thin. 150# is a healthy weight as well. depends on your build/frame.

koosdel

First, 'doctor' does not mean high priest of truth. They are susceptible to flawed science just like most everyone else.

Second, some people are just a-holes.

kmcgilllis

I'm 5.7.5 and about 162 right now. I'm trying to get down to 135. From research I've done (peer reviewed papers and scholarly articles) a healthy weight for you (or us rather) can be anywhere from 125-145 pending on the size of the person's frame. There is some wiggle room to go more or less.

Don't worry too much what other people say and be sure to pay attention to not only how you feel about how you look but your body fat percentage. If you see it dropping too low be sure to cut back on your exercise and up your calories. Anything below 15 percent can be dangerous and cause serious side effects such as amenorrhea, undernourishment, and death.

maidentl

To answer the actual question, YES, I have been told this. I don't know your doctor's motivation but your sister might be trying to say "Don't get thinner than me" and disguising it as concern for your health. Back when I was thinner, I had lost about 15 or so pounds, down to around 120 ( I am 5'2") and my dearest friend, who at 5'7" weighed less than me was cautioning ME that I looked too thin. Uh, yeah, right. I did not and she was the only one to say such a thing. I wouldn't even worry about it until you get there and see for yourself.

fteale

I think people only think others look thin at a healthy weight because they have lost track of what a healthy weight is.

corsayre8

The heavier we are, the more warped our sense of appropriate weight becomes.

5'7" and 150 pounds is a healthy weight, but it is by no means "anorexic". I am 5'10" and my weight ranges between 158 and 160. People tell me I look great, I look fit, etc. Not a single person has told me I look thin, let alone anorexic. My body is strong, athletic to average, and I still have curves.

As you approach your goal weight, keep an open mind as to where you want to be. Don't get stuck on a number, as you may find your happy place to be higher or lower than you originally thought.

Minnesnowtagurl

Okay, so quite frankly people don't want us to lose weight. I will repeat the words I was once told when I got negativity for wanting to lose weight. "We are a constant reminder of where they have failed and every time they see us we remind them." If there is one thing that I have learned on my weight loss journey is to seriously set mini goals. Sometimes is look less achievable when we look at BIG numbers to lose.

When I weighed 225 before I used to say that I want to be at 175 and the closer I get the more I realize that it is not where I want to be. As I aim to a more healthier me I will keep trying to lose weight until I feel more comfortable with my self when I look in the mirror. You will have to do the same.

I've seen many times that "weigh loss is not a one size fits all"

boopiejones

my wife is 5"6 and 115 lbs. she definitely doesn't have, and definitely doesn't look like she has an eating disorder.

fteale

When I weighed 225 before I used to say that I want to be at 175 and the closer I get the more I realize that it is not where I want to be. As I aim to a more healthier me I will keep trying to lose weight until I feel more comfortable with my self when I look in the mirror. You will have to do the same.

I've seen many times that "weigh loss is not a one size fits all"

So true. My original goal was 130, but now I am nearly there I realise I am not happy with the way I look yet.

fteale

my wife is 5"6 and 115 lbs. she definitely doesn't have, and definitely doesn't look like she has an eating disorder.

I am 5'5" and didn't look like I had an eating disorder at 112lbs, but I did. Everyone said I looked amazing, but I was actually very unwell.

But different people have different builds. I am muscular, but with a small frame, and at 112 my BF% is way too low to be healthy (even though that looks good by our modern media skewed perception). Someone who stores muscle differently can easily be that weight healthily.

Guinivere

I'm 5ft 7 and am a recovered anorexic.

My doctor said that from the time when my body started to suffer from the malnutrition was when I was "officially" anorexic.

I was about 125lbs then but because I have a large frame, I was just skin and bones. I looked like I was a famine victim. My periods stopped, and I have caused irreversible damage to my joints by exercising for 6 hours a day every day on one bowl of tomato soup. (no vitamins, no calcium, no veggies etc etc)

The important thing to remember is that all diets are not the same - everyone is different and everyone must find what works for their physiology. It's very personal. Your healthy weight is yours alone - ignore BMI - it's inaccurate and potentially dangerous. don't try to fit into Stats and ranges. They are too general. Its like saying we should all have long brown hair. Just as ridiculous!

Trust your instincts - that's what they are there for. Good luck.

frankencois

I'm sorry to hear that you've been through all of that, sweetness. And I cannot agree with you more that everybody is different - so too are their responses to our body sizes and shapes. I have struggled with anorexia for many years: some people tell me I look frighteningly thin, some tell me that I look perfect, some don't even see me as being particularly thin. The only times the general consensus is that I am 'too thin' have been when I am severely emaciated. Recently I was hospitalised and given a feeding tube, and I was significantly above my lowest weight.

Take it with a grain of salt, and just focus on keeping yourself as healthy as you can. You know within yourself and in your body when you feel best, and you needn't take on board someone else's skewed perspective. x

cowlover22

I'm sorry to hear that you've been through all of that, sweetness. And I cannot agree with you more that everybody is different - so too are their responses to our body sizes and shapes. I have struggled with anorexia for many years: some people tell me I look frighteningly thin, some tell me that I look perfect, some don't even see me as being particularly thin. The only times the general consensus is that I am 'too thin' have been when I am severely emaciated. Recently I was hospitalised and given a feeding tube, and I was significantly above my lowest weight.

Take it with a grain of salt, and just focus on keeping yourself as healthy as you can. You know within yourself and in your body when you feel best, and you needn't take on board someone else's skewed perspective. x

I have the same things happen to me to. I just got out of the hospital(for ana) and prior to going in someone told me how good I looked> Granditie I liked hearing that but they were just as distorted as me.
As far as people losing weight and getting told they will look anorexic. Think about it...If you lost a good amount of weight you have extra skin hanging off of your bones, and even though you are dieting (hopefully sensably) you are prob malnourished to some degree. People also are not used to you looking that way..so after a while you should stop hearing those comments. I bet it isnt new friends that you are meeting that are saying this..just a thought. Frankencois...hope you are doing well...just got out and having a time of it...

ninerbuff

This would depend your your frame and lean muscle mass. Everyone is different so you'd have to get close to goal to see.

_Ben

Here is a website I recommend to everyone:

http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.html


This website is a chart that shows based off height and weight, what different combinations look like. Remember different frames and builds will yeild different results, but just to get the idea.

One thing I will say, I highly doubt that 150 and 5'7" will look like you are anorexic.

vanyaann

it depeds on your body and how you carry your weight. at 5'6", when i weighed 150, people pulled me aside because they were concerned about how thin i had become. i went to the doctor, who told me i was malnourished and my period had stopped. i was underweight for my body and build. i look back at pictures and can see it now, though at the time i ignored everyone.

p.s. yes, people tell me all the time that i will look bad when i lose the 80lbs i want to lose. it's how i carry my weight and the fact that i have a lot of muscle.

Kalrez

I'm 6'0" and currently weight 225. For a while in high school, I weighed around 185/190. My mother thinks that was too skinny. (What?!) My goal weight, however, is between 140 and 160 - depending on my muscle tone. That is well within the healthy BMI range for my height, but I'm not going to bother telling my mother that.

I think a lot of people just don't realize what certain weights look like on other people.

SuziQueue

I'm 5'6", and 25 years ago I lost a bunch of weight (and kept it off for 20 years!). Anyhow - I lost down to 123 and friends told me I looked very sickly. I couldn't see it until some time later when I saw a pic of myself in a bikini and I looked horrible. My best weight is 150. I look good, feel good, and my clothes look amazing at 150.

Good for you for taking this journey!

Owlie45

o_O you may have been seeing an idiot rather than a doctor.
150 is the high healthy weight range for 5'7". You would not look anorexic.
My goal is to get to 130 and I'm 5'7".

peachyxoxoxo

Here's what 5'7 and 153 looks like on me, right now.



AND remember, be careful using the word anorexic... just because someone doesn't "look" like they have an eating disorder doesn't mean they don't have one. I have struggled with bulimia and binge eating for the last 3 years and I don't think anyone would ever guess how much food I could put away during binges, based solely on how I look. Luckily now I'm nearly 7 weeks binge/purge free.

healthychanges1

I'm 5' 7" and 234.8 right now.
I had a doctor (a pediatric endocrinologist) tell me in High School that if I got down to 150 lbs, I'd be in the hospital on a feeding tube.
And my little sister told me the other night that I'd look anorexic at 153 lbs.

I'm 5'7 and 153 and I don't look nearly underweight.

healthychanges1

Here's what 5'7 and 153 looks like on me, right now.

Ahh same height/weight! Twins! Lol

arathena720

It's all in how your body is shaped, too. At 5'5", I was at 116 pounds, but because I have a barrel shaped ribcage, I still didn't look thin. I kind of looked like the tin man, with a barrel shaped top and these skinny legs and arms coming out. At 125, which is my goal weight, I look proportional. I'll never look as good as say Jillian, because my rib cage is just too wide and round. There's really no magic number for what looks best on you based on your height. It also has a lot to do with how you're built.

EviieAlexandra

I wouldn't worry too much about what other people think

It's your body, you can decide what you think. It's nobody else's right to judge you, even if she IS your sister. Also, anorexic IS a very strong word, as one of you said. Just do what you think. It's your decision!!

DanaDark

It really depends on the size of your frame. Some people at that size and weight may look morbidly under fed, while others might look kind of chunky.

I suggest the best course of action is to find a goal body fat percentage and then determine the weight you'd need to be to achieve that.

When I looked into weight loss more than just a simple number on the scale, I found out that my idealized goal I always had was actually lower than my lean body mass. So, I adjusted my goals.

MerBear1985

As some people have already said, it depends on your body type not just height and weight. I am 5'6" and if I go below 150 I look sick. I have been sick and lost weight and gotten down to 150. Even after getting healthy my body settled at 160 and I liked that.

It also depends on how you lose the weight because you can change your body shape and size without changing your weight.

My advice would be just keep going, when you get there you can re-evaluate...but your body will level itself out too if you are eating healthily, at some point your deficit will become your maintenance value in theory, or at least close to it.

Good Luck!

chezileigh

People do this for some reason, they prefer you fat, maybe just because they are the type of person who has to place themselves in order of superiority with everyone they know and they don't want you upsetting their balance and bettering yourself.

I lost a couple of stone a few years ago, and was still over BMI 25 when I'd done, and high body fat percentage still. Some people commenting how nice I was looking and to keep going (obviously no ulterior motives then) and others warned me about my health and how I didn't want to look too thin, usually they could either do to lose a few themselves, or the fact they were skinny was all they had going for them. I put it down to jealousy.

I don't think anybody at your height could possibly require a feeding tube at 150lbs. I'm 5ft9" and my goal weight is 145lb. I can easily get down to that with a body fat percentage of 23ish % according too all the online resources I've looked up, so can't be an unhealthy weight me surely. It's certainly not below my lowest healthy bmi, it's smack bang in the middle.

stuffinmuffin

I doubt you would look unhealthy at that weight. My original goal was 112lb but through muddling through maintenance I am now around 109 and very happy with it. Because I have a small build I look slim not skinny or bony. I'm 5'3". My advice would be to not listen to what other people say about your weight and decide yourself what you are happy with. For me I wanted to get to 112 because that's what I used to be a few years back.

I find that people do make comments through your weight loss journey, but the majority of them are positive and encouraging. Ignore the ones that are not. This is YOUR journey.

ITS_MY_CHOICE

I had to do the conversions but I am 5' 7" (172cm) and have goal of 136.687 pounds which is 62kg. I'm currently 65kg which is 143.3 pounds.

I'm in Australia and certainly not on a feeding tube.

CoderGal

5'7 and started around 150. Health problems ensued. Got down to 120 and I gotta say I haven't felt this good in my life and I've been thin for most of it.