How do I know when I have lost "enough" weight?

djk721

I started this program 9 months ago. I am 5'6", and 150 lbs. I started at 207. I have been heavy all of my adult life. Now friends and family are telling me I have lost enough weight. My BMI says "Target weight range: 114.6 - 154.9 lbs ". When I started this journey, I thought I would be thrilled to lose 30 lbs. I haven't been under 160 since high school. My thinking is get to 145 and work on maintenance thru the winter still eating healthy and getting regular exercise. Would appreciate comments!

DebbieLyn63

I am 5'6" as well. I actually was 5'7" before 2 spinal surgeries, but close enough. The least I have weighed in my adult life was 136 at 27. I was moderately muscular then, so that was probably the lowest best weight for me at that age. Now I am shooting for 155 to get into the healthy range, but would like to ultimately get to 145 so I have a buffer of 10 pounds. I will see how I look and feel when I get there.
The question is, how do you feel about where you are now?

And congrats on the weight loss! You are an inspiration to the rest of us!

TimeWarp9

Your stats look similar to mine though I am 1/2 inch shorter. I think your plan of trying for 145 and then maintaining is sound. After a bit, you'll eventually find YOUR ideal weight. When I was on WW, the lowest I got was 132 (for one weigh in only!) and that I looked and felt great at 135-137. However - my body seemed to settle in at around 143 and I found it was easy to maintain. Recently though, I found weight creeping up and need to get serious again.

If you decide to go for the 145, you may find you want to go lower still, or even that you liked it better at 148. You are very close right now and the challenge will be to find what is right for you.

PS: If you have been heavy your entire adult life as you said, it will take awhile for the people who know you to get used to your new look.

VoiceOfTrenton

First of all, many congratulations to you on a fantastic achievement, going from 207 to 150!

Next, I can tell you that your goal weight of 145 does not sound unreasonable: it is similar to my wife's own goal weight and she is your height as well. She is very healthy but not extremely athletic.

When it comes to BMI charts, take them with a grain of salt: they make a great way to gauge your overall health, but those numbers should not be considered absolutes--particulary when age, lifestyle, and genetics make things vary. Once you get inside that target zone, as you have done, you should be able to feel when you are a 'good weight' versus a 'not so good, maybe need to lose a few more pounds' weight.

My own example is that my BMI charts suggest that at 42 and 5'11" I should weigh around 160-175. I feel great at 180-185, but when I'm at 190 everything feels very different. So I set my goal at 180, and when I'm 180 I feel really good. Getting over 200 felt awful, and even now in the upper 190s everything seems to take twice the effort.

Good luck to you!

Brandicaloriecountess

When you feel happy and comfortable with yourself.

csplatt

I have reached my original goal but decided for 5 more lb so my new size clothes will fit a tad better. My extended family has also hinted I should be done. I think it annoys them that I will not eat junk with them!