YOU: On a Diet

Samanthablohm

Has anyone read "YOU: On a Diet" by Mehmet Oz, et al? (The Doctors on TV). It's a good book, very informative and teaches you how food and energy works in your body at a very physical, almost cellular level. I found it fascinating. One part I remember in particular, however, is this: For women, your ideal weight was most likely when you were 18, for men 21. This is apparently when your metabolism first starts to slow down. This is supposedly the weight you should strive to be health-wise. For me, this is definitely true. Obviously if you were young and terribly overweight this would not be your ideal weight, but I think the authors are making the assumption most people gain weight the older they get. What do others think? How does your 18/21 year old weight compare to you now, and is it a realistic/healthy goal for you?

Rae6503

I was chubby in high school. Had gotten down to 155 by my first year of college (but went back up). 2 years ago I was down to 145 which was actually my 9th grade (14 years old) weight!

SueInAz

I was also a bit chubby in HS. I weighed somewhere around 140 lbs. I dropped 20 pounds my freshman year in HS, however, and my weight was at it's lowest (114), and I was at my most fit, when I was about 25. Funny how that mirrors my current life... I hit 140 this past February and that was what triggered me to get off my butt and start working towards my goal of 120 pounds.

jazzy020106

I think that sounds cool! If so, my ideal weight is what I weighed at 16.. ( I got pregnant at 16 and gained alot of weight! Then was pregnant again at 18) so yea.. 16 BEFORE I got pregnant.. i would love to be that weight again! =] lol. People have told me if I weighed now how much I did when I was 16 I would look like a child. I am only 23! I dont think I would. I think I would look like a hot momma! lol

beaner1st

I was 105 in high school without any effort. I am not sure that is a reasonable goal in my 40s. I am almost to 120 now and think that is a reasonable goal at this point in my life.

bcattoes

I think it would also depend on your age. I grew up in the 60's and 70's when skinny was the thing to be. When I was 18 I weighed 115 and NEVER exercised. I couldn't run one lap and would not have been able to fight my way out of a wet paper bag.
I was skinny (5' 5" size 5), but had I been in shape I would have weighed more. I'm not really sure I could get down to 115 again and actually have muscle on my body. But I have no interest in getting that slim again. I won't lie and say that what I look like doesn't matter anymore, but I'm more worried about staying healthy as I age now.

WilliamsPeggy

I think it makes sense if you were eating normally when you were 18/21. I had bulimia at the time so it doesn't work for me.

Samanthablohm

Yeah, I hear you. I'm much more interested in getting healthy. I'm 5'1" and was a size 5/7 in high school (I remember being shocked when I went to a size 7, lol). Now I'm a size 10/12. For me, though, I do think I was most comfortable at my high school weight (I'm 26 now).

Samanthablohm

So true. It only works if you were relatively healthy at the time. If you had an eating disorder or were overweight it would not be a decent comparison. Like another poster said, though, she was thin without doing anything but could barely exercise. I'd like the best of both worlds: smaller weight, but much healthier than I was in HS! I think I lived on fast food and burritos from 7-11, lol.

pearlymae

When I first started this journey, I had the book setting on the shelf, for several years, I read it and it is now my weight loss bible, I refer to it all the time, I think that all who want to lose weight should read this book, it would give them a much better understanding of what we need to do. :flowerforyou:

Samanthablohm

Indeed, Pearl. I'm not usually a big fan of diet books, but this was definitely a lifestyle book. I loved learning the scientific and biological reasons I eat the way I do - it's nice to know it's not ALL in my head!

maidentl

I am reading it right now, actually. I was a great weight at 18, but I wasn't worried about my weight then so I don't know it was! :ohwell:

Init_to_winit

I was inactive and ate like crap when I was 18 but was 5/7" and only 135 lbs.!! I kept that lifestyle going and put on 50 lbs. It's SO hard to get off too. Definitely agree with this statement, as soon as I started college (though alcohol played more of a factor too), I started gaining weight.

withchaco

Definitely not right for me. I wasn't obese back in high school, just overweight, but significantly so. Right now I actually weigh less than I did as a high school senior, and I still have quite a bit to lose! In fact, when I get to my ideal weight, I'll be 10+ pounds lighter than I was in MIDDLE SCHOOL.

I'll check this book out nevertheless. The scientific/ biological aspect sounds fascinating.

lannlynn

Sorry but I disagree. I am 5' 7" tall and in HS I weighed a whopping 118 lbs. I was thin as a rail (they called me bean poll) and no I do NOT want to be that weight again!

Kalrez

Hmmm ... when I was 18 I was around 180ish#. Not too bad considering the fact that I'm nearly 6' tall. However, I was very skinny fat thanks to my EDNOS issues. I wasn't healthy at all.

That being said, I am aiming for a 160# goal weight. I may stop at 180, depending on how I feel. I'm more concerned with my BF% and measurements rather than my weight. If I get down to 18-20% BF, then I'm happy. If I get down to a size 6/8, I'll be happy. I'm not really focused on the weight all that much.

Rworthy

I don't think the body of an 18 year old is what mature women should aspire to. When I was 18 I didn't have hips, or boobs like a real woman. I would say 21 for women, also. That's what I want to aspire to - 20 lbs to go!

VeganGal84

Well, I was a size 16 when I turned 18, but by the end of my senior year I wore a 20... so I think that it is not true for me, since I feel much healthier now at a 12/14 than I did at any of those sizes.

mgmlap

I agree...at 18..I didnt have hips and boobs. I am 5'5" and at 18...I was only 105...or so...very skinny..no muscle defninition nothing. At 42...I think 135 with muscle definition is the way to go..

dayzeerock

Since when is there a correlation between age and healthy weight? I'm in the field of nutrition and I've never heard anything so silly!

1sisrat

if your healthy weight is at 18.... I'd have to be 95 lbs and 5'5"....

lmarshel

I was always a little overweight from age 13 on. I wasn't much for the scale during my HS days, but I was probably somewhere around 140-145. I got married at age 19 and wore a size 16 wedding dress. Right now, I'm in a size 10 or 12 and weigh 165. But I think I'm more fit now than I was at 18, so the number on the scale doesn't really mean that much to me.

Samanthablohm

I don't know if I was an early bloomer, but I definitely had hips and breasts at 18. Big time, lol.

odusgolp

At 18: 92lbs and 5'7"

At 34: 155lbs and 5'9"

For me, I have to go back to age 20 or 32 when I was 125-130 and 5'9"

odusgolp

I don't know if I was an early bloomer, but I definitely had hips and breasts at 18. Big time, lol.

I had neither until i was 20-21 *LOL* NO boobs. Now I'm a DD. WTH *LOL*

bachooka

Has anyone read "YOU: On a Diet" by Mehmet Oz, et al? (The Doctors on TV). It's a good book, very informative and teaches you how food and energy works in your body at a very physical, almost cellular level. I found it fascinating. One part I remember in particular, however, is this: For women, your ideal weight was most likely when you were 18, for men 21. This is apparently when your metabolism first starts to slow down. This is supposedly the weight you should strive to be health-wise. For me, this is definitely true. Obviously if you were young and terribly overweight this would not be your ideal weight, but I think the authors are making the assumption most people gain weight the older they get. What do others think? How does your 18/21 year old weight compare to you now, and is it a realistic/healthy goal for you?

Haha... I had two kids already when I was 18. I'm sure that almost 300lbs is not my ideal weight. :P

Rae6503

I agree...at 18..I didnt have hips and boobs. I am 5'5" and at 18...I was only 105...or so...very skinny..no muscle defninition nothing. At 42...I think 135 with muscle definition is the way to go..

But I had those things at 14! Okay, not the boobs but I've never had those (except while pregnant and breastfeeding).

writtenINthestars

Actually my weight when I was 18 is my goal weight. That is when I felt my best, looked my best, and was the happiest.

bcattoes

I don't know if I was an early bloomer, but I definitely had hips and breasts at 18. Big time, lol.

I was thinking the same thing. I can't remember any girls in high school without boobs. Some didn't have much hips, because well it was the 70's and everyone was skinny, so it depended on your build whether you had much hips or not.

thetrishwarp

I am 18. And I was obese at 15, 16, and 17. The weight I was on my 18th birthday is not healthy, but the weight I will be on my 19th darn well will be.

stephyy4632

mine might be along witht he book

at 18 I was 140ish pounds and had all my curvse already ( I was an early bloomer started to get my monthly when I was 8years old ugh )

I`m now 31 5foot 5inches and 184pounds and my current goal is 150 but I have been told by a few that my goal should be more like 135-145 range which I do believe I could get too but we will see honestly I think I will be quite happy at 150