How small is too small?
Replies
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Sometimes friends and family are NOT the best support for those striving toward peak fitness.
You're 5'3", and according to the BMI weight range, the lowest healthy weight for you would be around 112 lbs:
Also, optimal body fat for a lady is around 20%, so use that as a standard as well.
And forget anybody's opinion. Definitive standards of bodyfat and BMI are universal. See below....
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I'm exactly the same way. I'm 5ft and on my best day 115lb. People, especially my family say the same kinds of things to me and I feel the same way you do. I want to keep doing what I'm doing because I feel better than I ever have. I started at 170, so to be where I'm at now is huge to me. Congrats on your weight loss, it's a huge accomplishment!
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Too small is when you get those anorexic arms like on dr. phil that are boney and the size of twigs. If you build some muscle and maintain that muscle while eating enough to feel healthy and alert, then I think you're good.0
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This brings an important issue - when is your weight too low? When 10% of people on a weight loss forum say it is? Or when you start to notice issues such as lack of energy? Keep track of how your body feels, and try to avoid negatively - here and elsewhere.0
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I think you look great too!
But looking at your diary you seem to eat very little - for someone who works out so much, eating under 1200 calories seems very low. Could you incorporate more healthy whole foods (fresh veg and fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, brown rice, quinoa, etc.) to your diet to make sure you're getting everything your body needs? I would also swap the iceberg lettuce to a dark leafy green like kale or spinach, with some healthy fats like avocado with it!
^^^^^
THIS
You MUST fuel your body to reach optimal health.
Follow the MFP recommendations for healthy and lasting results.
This is how MFP works
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work
And Tips for Newbies
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/470367-tips-for-newbies
Just get started by going into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE!
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
Log in those exercises to your MFP exercise diary.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!
Remember, this is not a race, and you can reach your goals if you stick to a good plan as recommended on this site.
You have many people here ready to lend support, answer qustions and discuss any challenges.
You can do this.
All Is Possible!0 -
HI,
I'm also 5'3" and I'm at 119 lbs now. Started at 132 lbs. I was wondering the same questions as you, because i'm also starting to hear from my family things like: You are not going to lose anymore are you? My goal now is really to tone up, and lose a bit of body fat %. Trying to get rid of some belly fat that just won't go away !!! LOL !
I think that if we listen to our body and having healthy habits (exercise, healthy foods, sleep, etc.) then that is what's important.0 -
I think a problem a lot of people who are/have been overweight is body image. We get used to seeing ourselves a certain way and even when we lose the weight it's hard to adjust what we see in our mind's eye. Other people constantly voicing opinions doesn't help either. We hate our image so much that it's difficult to change that. All I can say is that it takes time. Maybe start by looking at your body and finding one part that you like. Ask yourself why you like it, what's good about it. Then once you're comfortable with that pick another one. Once you're able to love your body and be happy with it you'll know what too small is. And like others have said, listen to it. If you start feeling tired or sluggish then maybe you're overworking it or under fueling. Nobody knows your body and what it needs better than you do. Hope this helps :-)0
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^^^^^
THIS
You MUST fuel your body to reach optimal health.
Follow the MFP recommendations for healthy and lasting results.
This is how MFP works
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work
And Tips for Newbies
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/470367-tips-for-newbies
Just get started by going into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE!
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
Log in those exercises to your MFP exercise diary.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!
Remember, this is not a race, and you can reach your goals if you stick to a good plan as recommended on this site.
You have many people here ready to lend support, answer qustions and discuss any challenges.
You can do this.
All Is Possible!
Rather than just copying and pasting the same advice in various forum threads, why don't you read what the OP has said? She doesnt need to lose weight, rather she is on the border of disordered eating and body image. Your post is totally unhelpful!0 -
NOPE!
^^^^^
THIS
You MUST fuel your body to reach optimal health.
Follow the MFP recommendations for healthy and lasting results.
This is how MFP works
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work
And Tips for Newbies
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/470367-tips-for-newbies
Just get started by going into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE!
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
Log in those exercises to your MFP exercise diary.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!
Remember, this is not a race, and you can reach your goals if you stick to a good plan as recommended on this site.
You have many people here ready to lend support, answer qustions and discuss any challenges.
You can do this.
All Is Possible!
Rather than just copying and pasting the same advice in various forum threads, why don't you read what the OP has said? She doesnt need to lose weight, rather she is on the border of disordered eating and body image. Your post is totally unhelpful!
I get great feedback and friend requests from interested lurkers who are here for information.
NOT YOU and certainly not a herd of sniveling head cases on the road to failure.
See drop down menu....my username...IGNORE USER!
Problem solved....
And MFP is NOT a support community for those suffering ED anyway.
I address those here for the right reasons, and again, this is validated by the PM's asking for real support as well friend requests.
One reason people do not post in these forums is through fear of being devoured by the estrogen echo chamber.
This is NOT the Oprah Winfrey show.
Sorry....I will continue to post what I want.
Ignore me :flowerforyou:0 -
One reason people do not post in these forums is through fear of being devoured by the estrogen echo chamber.
Oh! So you have some sort of misogyny/fear of women issues going on? Understood!Ignore me :flowerforyou:
Will do!0 -
i love your profile pic! Anyway, i think you look great! But, I haven't seen you naked. And, i don't mean that in a perverted kind of way but i find that people always tell me what a great figure i have & I am so thin but the reality is I don't look so great nude. I need to work on building muscle which might be your case as well. I too would like to be smaller but I have a very skewed image of my body. Example, my last bf had this really cool jacket that i thought would fit me. BTW: I always thought i was bigger than him. So, he tried on the jacket & it fit him like a glove. I put it on..... it was HUGE on me. It kind of put things in perspective for me. Sadly, my screwed up body image issues was one of the major factors my relationship failed. I hope this is not your case.
So, your question is how small is too small? You appear small enough. Quit wanting to be smaller or you will disappear. That's what folks always tell me.
Good luck!0 -
If you've reached the end of your weight loss journey and are still unsatisfied with your body....weight loss is not the answer. Try strength training and body recompositioning to get the results you want to see. I don't want to say your too thin right now....you seem like an intelligent person who would know that a size 3/4 is a small size. If you're asking yourself how small is too small you most likely know the answer. If it was me...I would be shifting my fitness goals to maintenance calories, emphasis on strength and body recomposition. And if I was still looking in the mirror in my size 3/4 jeans and seeing fat....I might consider some nutritional counseling to deal with it.0
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Based on your height, your weight is fine. I have a friend who is 5'9 and she used to weigh what you do and it was too thin because her collar and shoulder bones stuck out a little too much. That's usually a good gage....make sure you still have some meat on your bones.0
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Check your body fat %. That (other than tests from your doctor) is the most accurate measuring stick to see if you are fit. If you are light on the scale, but your body fat % is high, then you are at risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke etc. The long term benefits of being healthy far outweigh the short term tingle of the scale hitting a magic number!0
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Great job btw!!!I'm 5'3, 117. I've started getting comments that I initially took as compliments, but now they're starting to eat at me. I started off going between 131lbs on a bad day and 127 on a good day. I have kind of a weird complex that I always look the same to myself. I see the scale go down, the clothes size smaller (I'm in a 3/4 now, and in my mind, I think other people in that size are small, but for myself, I think I'm the exception) at my heaviest, I was 160lbs. I'm told "you're tiny" and I think they're talking about my height, or they say, "you're not going to lose anymore, are you?!" I tell them that I'm going to continue to do what I have been because I enjoy it and if I lose more, that's fine, but I'm ok with where I'm at, but secretly I want to be smaller but more importantly, more toned. I guess I just want to know what's healthy. I'm afraid of losing too much and not even noticing. To anyone with negative comments, please don't, I'm not complaining, I'm looking for good insight. I'm posting this here because I feel safer talking to strangers with no motives, than friends who might be concerned or worse, scoff at the whole idea.thanks for reading.0 -
I'd say too small is when it becomes unhealthy. Because you're short your weight can get pretty low and still be healthy. I'm small too and I'm a healthy weight but to look good in the uniform in my picture, I could even lose a little more. It's all relative. Listen to your body, not your critics.
ETA: I'm looking at some of these charts people are posting the the weights seem a little high. In all my nutrition books the low end for my height (5'2) is around 101-105 and you're only an inch taller than me. Really you should be looking at your BF% and keeping that between 18-24% The resulting weight may be different.0 -
^^^^^^^Check your body fat %. That (other than tests from your doctor) is the most accurate measuring stick to see if you are fit. If you are light on the scale, but your body fat % is high, then you are at risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke etc. The long term benefits of being healthy far outweigh the short term tingle of the scale hitting a magic number!
THIS
I also track progress with bodyfat. Weight is not the whole picture, and the scale can lie as badly as the man in the mirror.
You can check here for free: http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html
I like this method, because it is easy to take and the results are consistent.
The bottom line is that we have something definitive to track progress.
This is it.
Good Luck!0 -
Check your body fat %. That (other than tests from your doctor) is the most accurate measuring stick to see if you are fit. If you are light on the scale, but your body fat % is high, then you are at risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke etc. The long term benefits of being healthy far outweigh the short term tingle of the scale hitting a magic number!
^^^ Well said!!!!!!!!0 -
As an objective observer I would say you look fine. You don't need to lose any more weight, but you are not too skinny.
Many of us are going to struggle with who we see in the mirror, it is part of what gets us off our butts and in to the gym everyday! You need to decide what weight and body fat level is right for you, and don't let other people dictate that. The only exception is when you become unhealthily thin, but you are certainly not at that point.
Just to illustrate my point, my boss at work asked me how light I am now, and said 'you shouldnt lose any more' (I still have close to 20% bodyfat) :huh: . Take what most people say with a grain of salt and keep moving.:drinker:
^^^Totally agree with the last line of this post. I CANNOT stand it when people (usually most of whom are overweight themselves- not starting on the personal examples there...) look at me and say- "You're not going to lose anymore weight, ARE YOU???"...like what I'm doing is a bad thing.
It doesn't make me self-conscious that I'm too small or doing anything wrong, I think it more shows their ignorance to being healthy. I have a normal weight and body fat percentage, and I could actually stand to lose a percent or two- but try explaining that to THEM. They don't understand, they think that once you lose weight you should just stop in your tracks and not exercise anymore. People who say things like that do not have a clue what "maintenance" is, let alone any type of program that would lead to weight loss.
If I were you, I wouldn't strive for anymore weight loss, but instead start focusing on weight training. This is the route I've recently taken. I went from 160 (I'm 5'6) and now I'm at 128. My goal was 135 and I've surpassed it, so now I've up-ed my calories by 1,000 a day and I'm focusing on muscle gain. People also don't understand this, especially when I eat all day long (6 small meals usually) and I'm hungry an hour later without gaining any weight. They don't understand the correlation between fitness, nutrition, and metabolism. But I suppose I'm getting off subject...
I guess the moral of the story is- Don't let people make you second guess your goals, knowledge, etc., because most of the time they don't even know the half of the standards you hold yourself to when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.
[And many times I've thought to myself.... "I guess it's easier for them to say something negative about my choice to live a healthier life/reach a healthy weight rather than congratulate me for busting my a&$ for the last 7 months....]0 -
You look great girl-get as fit as you want to be , and if that means more toning then go for it :-) Keep within your healthy BMI at least0
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Honestly you look great and I don't pull any punches so you can take my word for it that I mean it!!! I would concentrate more on how you feel, do you have energy, are you feeling strong? If you think that you need more toning then do some strength training and learn to ignore the scales. It might help too if you practiced ignoring negative thoughts and negative people most of whom probably just have their own ulterior motives. Don't take it personally, it's their issue and not yours!0
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Just my two cents.....
I am 5'6 and currently 127 lbs, working at getting back to my 120 where I feel the most comfortable with myself. With a small frame and luckily decent genetics (Thanks mom:) at my heaviest I get to 135 or so before I realize I need to curb my fast food addiction. With that being said, at work around my friends, I find myself hiding out to eat my healthy lunch and my healthy snacks because they are commented on a lot. I don't think people realize that their comments to people that are at a healthy weight trying to get healthier can still cause that person to feel scrutinized, in the spot light and insecure about their eating choices. I have people making comments alluding to the fact that I have an eating disorder and it can be frustrating to have to explain to people that I am still eating 1500 or so calories a day, I'm just spreading them out throughout the day in smaller increments so that I always feel satisfied and never starving. I guess I'm just saying sometimes as a "thin" person defending my eating habits can be tiresome. I don't understand why people feel that they can comment on a persons weight regardless of what it is. And I don't know for sure, but in my experience the thinner you are, the more people feel like they have free reign to comment on your body and your eating habits.
Anyways, sorry for the tangent, as far as getting addicted to watching the scale number I understand that, I get that way too. It shows that your discipline and hard work is paying off and that's a great gratifying feeling that you don't want to go away. But I know for me, my body gets to a point (around 120) that as long as I stay at a good caloric intake (1500 give or take for me) the scales not going to move anymore. I think that means that your body is at the point where it should be and to just continue on toning.
I don't know if any of that contributes or helps at all, just wanted to let you know, I understand how you feel.0 -
going by your pics, you look fab. its hard for people who have known you at a different body structure to accept the new one sometimes. just be healthy!0
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I'm 5'3, 117. I've started getting comments that I initially took as compliments, but now they're starting to eat at me. I started off going between 131lbs on a bad day and 127 on a good day. I have kind of a weird complex that I always look the same to myself. I see the scale go down, the clothes size smaller (I'm in a 3/4 now, and in my mind, I think other people in that size are small, but for myself, I think I'm the exception) at my heaviest, I was 160lbs. I'm told "you're tiny" and I think they're talking about my height, or they say, "you're not going to lose anymore, are you?!" I tell them that I'm going to continue to do what I have been because I enjoy it and if I lose more, that's fine, but I'm ok with where I'm at, but secretly I want to be smaller but more importantly, more toned. I guess I just want to know what's healthy. I'm afraid of losing too much and not even noticing. To anyone with negative comments, please don't, I'm not complaining, I'm looking for good insight. I'm posting this here because I feel safer talking to strangers with no motives, than friends who might be concerned or worse, scoff at the whole idea.thanks for reading.
As a dietitian...who has four sisters with eating disorders, I can safely say it's easy to take it too far.
In the end, the scale is just a number and it doesn't take into effect muscle vs fat mass either.
In the very clinical, literal sense, your ideal weight based on your height is 115.0 lbs. (100 lbs at 5' and then 5 lbs for each inch above that...therefore, my ideal weight is 135 lbs since I am 5'7" tall, however, I am sitting comfortably and steadily at 140 +/- 3 lbs.)
If you are feeling like you should continue losing and you want to continue getting smaller, I would start to talk with someone professionally before pursuing it. Doctor, therapist, counselor or otherwise...if you're flirting with the line of what is normal or healthy for your height, that's when it becomes concerning.
Your body mass index is at a healthy range (I know I KNOW, BMI is not the be all and end all...but for thinner individuals it is an indicator of healthy weight). I would not try to keep losing. Staying fit is one thing, losing weight is another.0 -
But looking at your diary you seem to eat very little - for someone who works out so much, eating under 1200 calories seems very low. Could you incorporate more healthy whole foods (fresh veg and fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, brown rice, quinoa, etc.) to your diet to make sure you're getting everything your body needs? I would also swap the iceberg lettuce to a dark leafy green like kale or spinach, with some healthy fats like avocado with it!
I agree.If you've reached the end of your weight loss journey and are still unsatisfied with your body....weight loss is not the answer. Try strength training and body recompositioning to get the results you want to see.
I agree, check out Jamie Eason's free body transformation program on bodybuilding.com0 -
I agree with others on here that are saying that now that you have made great progress, you should not be afraid to raise your calorie intake. It worked great for what you needed to accomplish, and now it's probably time to make a shift. You can increase it slowly to show yourself that it does not cause you to regain the weight.
And I think the feelings you have about your body are that you would like to have more muscle definition. Lifting weights will help that. Losing more weight would not help with that.
And as for being too small. This is a very individual matter. I agree with others that have said that some people don't know what the range of healthy is. I am a very small person. I am 5'2" and I am very small framed. I am a dancer, and have been fit my whole life (at the same weight). I'm lifting weights now as well. I have 18% body fat. I have visible muscle definition. My figure is just the way it is. My waist is 24 inches (this is after having 2 babies) and my hips are 34 inches. So, I have a curvy figure, but my waist and rib cage are very small framed and always have been. I was even smaller before I had children. Even my feet were a size smaller and I had to buy my shoes in the children's section. Now, I am in the smallest women's size and can buy shoes at any store that sells women's shoes. Everyone that knows me in real life (including the professionals at the gym, my doctor and my physiotherapist) say I am very healthy, very fit, great muscle definition. I'm married and also my husband says I am very healthy and fit and not too small.
I'm also very active and feel very healthy.
But, then I joined here and some people (well just 2 or 3) do say I am too small, but they don't even know me and can't even see me (my whole body right in front of them). I have healthy teeth, skin, hair, body, muscles. I am just a naturally small person. My doctor said to me that for me when I am healthy I am just a naturally small person and that is what healthy looks like for me. I have feelings just like everyone else, my body type is small and I need to be able to love myself just like everyone needs to be able to do that.
I don't think anyone should try to be as small as another person because there are so many factors that go into a person's healthy size. And if someone is unhealthy or anorexic they need help. But, it helps no one when strangers start throwing out absurd accusations at people that are healthy and active and eating 1600 to 2000 or more calories a day, just because that person is naturally small. And actually it's mean when people do that because being healthy is important to all of us.0
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