What does your doctor say you should weigh?

13

Replies

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    No doctor ever gave me a number they want me to be, just "you need to lose some weight". Since they are usually glancing at a chart when telling me this, I guess they want me to be 101-136 which is the BMI for a woman 5'2". I picked 140 as my UGW because it's a round number to make math easier and a few pounds over "healthy". If I can ever get rid of my fat gut, I won't care what I weigh.
  • ClickingMad
    ClickingMad Posts: 6 Member
    I am 5'4" and the Doc says around 130. My goal is 148 :)
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I think you have gotten good advice from others on here.

    My doctor has never had a reason to tell me what to weigh. Although when I was pregnant the first doctor that I had wanted me to not gain too much, too quickly, or too much overall. He said that a lot of women develop weight problems after pregnancy. But, I lost the weight very rapidly and when I saw him during my next pregnancy I told him that I had lost the weight very rapidly the last time and had even felt like breastfeeding was causing me to get too slim. So, he just told me that I was healthy and that the weight I was at was healthier than if I were overweight. My midwife was not concerned about me gaining weight because I started off so small, and lose so easily. I had a midwife and also a doctor.

    I asked my current doctor if I could be under weight and she said that I am at a healthy weight and not at all underweight, but that I am a small-framed slim person, always have been and it's part of my genetics. She said I was eating a healthy diet and more than enough calories.

    I really love my doctor! She really listens to me and talks and helps me be my best in health. She is a very caring person.
  • RunnerInVT
    RunnerInVT Posts: 226 Member
    Im a runner and my Dr. said do not go below a BMI of 20 or it will compromise my heart. BMI is a guideline that's why the range is so vast. Every one is different. I could not imagine going to the top end of the BMI for my height of 5'1" yet my husband couldn't imagine going into the lower end at his height of 6'1". When you are at the weight for you, you will know it. :) good luck and much success!
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    This is strange to me as my doctor is fit as a man can be, yet he does not offer strong admonishment about weight.
    I suppose at some point he just gave up on us.

    Mine doesn't either. I brought it up because I lost about 50 lbs this year and I wanted to know where I should be aiming for next year. Mine said not to focus on numbers, but how I lose the weight (I am doing it the right way). I asked for a number to put into MFP and the like and he went by my wrist size to figure something out. He is really supportive, not admonishing at all.
    At least you didn't give up on yourself :smile: Great work!
    No, and the doctor was stunned when I no longer needed a CPap along with all his drugs....
    Losing all that weight changed my whole life, and it's been off a whole year.
    My goals now are to lose more fat after the holiday bloat is gone.
  • bsuew
    bsuew Posts: 628 Member
    I have never been told by a doctor what I should weigh. My goal is 160. Then I will reevaluate. That still shows me as over weight. But, 100 lbs was all I could mentally start with. I'd like to be 145. But, I'm not sure if that is realistic. I'm 5' 7 1/2". At this point I just want to say One Hundred and . ..Not Two Hundred and ... lbs.
  • gingerveg
    gingerveg Posts: 748 Member
    huh. good thing i don't take diet and fitness advice from doctors.
    Yeah me too. I'm 5'4" and I have never weighed above 135 <---- because that is definitely overweight for me! It's too low for me but I believe that one might go as low as 100 and still be healthy at 5'4". If my Dr. told me I needed to gain weight to be in the 130s I'd drop her. I'm 39 years old I know my body, I need to be under 120. Even when I was all muscle (good lifting routine) I was still under 120. But I am small framed so I don't know.

    Just get healthy and if you don't know where you need to be numbers-wise (from past experience) then just forget about the numbers. Whatever works I guess..
  • weightnomore33
    weightnomore33 Posts: 64 Member
    He said 150 lbs.. 2 months later and 10 lbs. lighter, he said "how about 140 lbs." I said what happened to 150 lbs. He said I know you can do it. Gotta love a guy with a sense of humor
  • JustANumber85
    JustANumber85 Posts: 644 Member
    I dont know but i know the charts out there say 130-140.
  • deb3690
    deb3690 Posts: 59 Member
    I think last time we spoke, my doc just suggested that "less" would be good. She wouldn't give me a specific goal....I think she has faith in me to find the right goal....but she is supportive of healthy eating and exercise.

    She walks the same path herself, so I respect her for her own experience too. Important to have that relationship with the doctor...authenticity. Im sure if I pushed her she would come up with something, but the fact that she didnt pronounce any numbers (except for the lab values) encouraged me to take responsibility.
  • kuger4119
    kuger4119 Posts: 213 Member
    I'm surprised at some of the angst on here about doctors. My doctor has always been pretty low key about weight and was surprised when I was 20 lbs lighter. She had always casually suggested that I watch my weight but never pushed it. When I told her was planning on losing another 10 lbs, she made it clear that it was ok for me to be over the "recommended" weight if it was where I felt good at. I know that I go to a good doctor (voted best family physician in my town of 400,000 this year) but I can't imagine being angry at her when it comes to discussing weight.
  • eheinze12
    eheinze12 Posts: 58 Member
    My old doctor told me 150 is the max I should weigh. I am 5'4
  • Graceious1
    Graceious1 Posts: 716 Member
    When I had my health check in the summer and before coming on here (I was 170 then) I was told to aim for around 154. I am now 7lb (161) away from that and I feel great. I actually feel happier and stronger here.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    My doctor never gave a number, but says I need to weigh less.
    Every time I'd see him, he'd tell me that I need to walk and lose weight. Migraines? Go for walks. Excema? Go for walks. Got the flu? Go for walks.

    I've been going to the clinic doctor in my community lately, and he's much more supportive, checked my symptoms before attributing it to my weight. When I saw him for the chest issues I'm having, after telling him about being here and losing at the time 30lbs, he was interested in how, concerned I might cut down too many calories, but after seeing my bloodwork being better than ever, he said "whatever you're doing, keep it up!!"
    I think I'll stick with this guy, he's very thorough. And he's handsome... lol
  • Heather1899
    Heather1899 Posts: 179 Member
    My doctor won't give me a number at all. She never told me to lose weight though in the first place and never pushed that. I just started it on my own.
    Every time I come in weighing less and ask about what my goal she be, she says I did good losing weight and just to do it slow and healthy.
    I just want a weight I can maintain. If I managed to get to size 8 and couldn't not maintain it, then what would be the point?
  • PhoenixBlaise
    PhoenixBlaise Posts: 63 Member
    My doctor was just happy that I had lost a lot of weight! She was unhappy when I was 250 pounds, obviously. When I saw her at 175 lbs she asked what I was doing and what weight I wanted to get down to. She said that I should lose until I don't. As long as I keep living healthy, and my body is still shedding fat, my body still has weight to lose. She says eventually my body will stop losing and that'll pretty much tell me what weight my body wants to be. Living healthy is more important to you body than what the number on the scale is. She's a smart one!
  • Siekobilly
    Siekobilly Posts: 401 Member
    "Less". Those were the wise words my doctor chose.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
    I'm 5'4" and weigh 124 pounds. My doctor says my weight is fine. She's never tried to micromanage my weight, which has ranged between 140 - 120 since I started going to her. She takes into account what's going on with my health - my weight shot up when I was having hormonal problems, for example. I was upset about the gain but she was more concerned that I eat sufficiently to stay healthy (ie, not anemic during 6 months of heavy bleeding). Once we got that problem solved my weight came back down. I'm sure if my weight went too high or low, to the point where it was causing a health problem, she'd say something. But as long as my blood panels are still in the excellent range, my health is at the top of the charts, and I'm out there running 5 miles every morning at 50 years old, she doesn't seem concerned about my weight being one particular number.
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    i too am 5'4"
    my doctor has not said anything about my weight, i am 104 lbs.
  • When I asked my doctor what I should aim for, She said that for my height I should be anywhere from 140-155, 160 at max but it was really where I was most comfortable at. I think 160 is a good goal for now.
  • amber1533
    amber1533 Posts: 117 Member
    My doc hasn't said anything like that. His nurse however always tells me I am overweight and I need to lose weight. I like my doc but he doesn't really explain anything unles you specifically ask him.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    I have never understood what ppl mean by - big frame- , - small frame- ...

    Bones in all the ppl are the same, its the muscle/fat what makes you skinny or overweight/obese. Mom always said i had a ´big frame´, I found out how to discover if im really into the big frame side only to discover that im not, im a small one.

    Ppl that say that honestly I think its because we have been fat all our life and they are just scared to see us skinny.. or way too afraid to see a big change in us.

    The bones aren't really the same. I am 5'9" and my wrist circumference is 6.5". I could never wear a women's watch, only men's--the band just wouldn't close over my wrist. My skeleton has to weigh more than that of, say, Nicole Kidman (just randomly picking a tall woman who seems to be very slender-boned from the pictures).

    Back to the thread topic, my doctor said I weighed too much and that I should lose some weight. At the time, I weighed 165 lb and thought I was in pretty decent shape. I have not gone back to see her again since :)
  • watfordjc
    watfordjc Posts: 304 Member
    My doctors have all been obese (I think), my dietician 6/7 years ago was obese, the "quit smoking nurse" is too I think, and my food technology and PE teacher at school were too. Not sure if that has been why weight is hardly brought up.

    My current doctor has never talked to me about losing weight. On the rare occasion I see him, if I mention it, it is purely so it is "monitored" in my medical records - "why do you want to be weighed?". Smoking... He always brings that up, and my mental issues.

    I think my dietician suggested 14 stone (assuming bad posture, I was 5' 5") - 196 pounds or a BMI of 32.6.

    My doctor when I was 14 suggested 11 stone (assuming I was 3 inches shorter, 5' 2") - 154 pounds or an adult BMI of 28.2.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    My doctor never gave a number, but says I need to weigh less.
    Every time I'd see him, he'd tell me that I need to walk and lose weight. Migraines? Go for walks. Excema? Go for walks. Got the flu? Go for walks.

    Yep, my doctors have the same mentality. Losing weight will cure any health problem. :yawn:
    "Less". Those were the wise words my doctor chose.

    And "less" will always be lower than what you weigh, even if you're underweight.
  • I'm not a fan of getting weight advice from doctors either. When I was in my early 20's and about 123 lbs I went to my doctor for another issue and he told me to make sure I didn't ever get over 125 lbs or I would be overweight (I'm 5'2"). So even though that wasn't true, I have had that silly number stuck in my head ever since. I think the BMI range for my height is 120-140 lbs and I have never been higher than it, except when pregnant. Luckily I have not had another doc bring up the weight issue!
  • annew1952
    annew1952 Posts: 77 Member
    Wow listening to some of your goals are pretty amazing. I am 5' 1" and I did hit my goal of 135 in Oct this year. But
    I wanted 130 which I bottom but hard to stay there. My doc is a peanut so I don't know what she would say to me. She is like 4' 11" and dislike 95 soaking wet.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I have never understood what ppl mean by - big frame- , - small frame- ...

    Bones in all the ppl are the same, its the muscle/fat what makes you skinny or overweight/obese. Mom always said i had a ´big frame´, I found out how to discover if im really into the big frame side only to discover that im not, im a small one.

    Ppl that say that honestly I think its because we have been fat all our life and they are just scared to see us skinny.. or way too afraid to see a big change in us.

    LOL!!! tell that to my birthing hip bones, and compare it to some women that would never be able to have a natural child birth.

    Exactly! I have wide hips which I always moaned about, but I have been able to give birth naturally twice, not needing stitches either time. According to my wrist size I am a medium/large frame.

    My weight has never really been checked by my GP. My midwife checked it at my booking visit in both pregnancies and didn't seem bothered. It was around 27 first time, perhaps 28 2nd time. That was at 11 weeks pregnant.

    I went to get the pill when my 1st was a few months old and the b*tch nurse told me my BMI was high and I should only eat 1000 calories a day! Hmmm, great advice. I was gymming 5 times a week and looking after a baby. I wrote a letter of complaint.

    I find that doctors here (in the UK) tend to use BMI as their main guide. Mine is 26 now and i'd be happy to get under 25, which would mean 150lbs for me.
  • allie491
    allie491 Posts: 91 Member
    My doctor goes by BMI. He is happy as long as I am in normal range. For 5'9 I think it's 125-168, something like that. I am 163 now, but still feel I have more to lose. 155 is my goal weight.

    I really go more by how my body looks and where I feel comfortable.
  • tigerlinly
    tigerlinly Posts: 219 Member
    since i was in high school i have always been told i should weigh between 100-110 kbs for my height and bone structure (prefereably closer to 100) in later years had a doctor tell me the last weight where i felt happy is apt weight for me the last weight where i was happy and content was 120 which is where i was from 8th grade until i got pregnant with my daughter (25 years ago). so that is why i have set 120 as my goal to reach and is just over 150 lbs away
  • sleibo87
    sleibo87 Posts: 403 Member
    I am only 4'11 and it stinks! I SHOULD weight between 93 and 119-
    I was so mad last time I went to the doctors! It used to say to 1224 pounds and I was about 122 the last time I went and they changed the chart so all my info still said OVERWEIGHT! I was so looking forward to getting praise from my doctor since She hadn't seen me since I was in the Obese Category, YET SHE SAID NOTHING! lame..

    my goal is 105-110. I am an adult women and I don't think I want to be below 100 ehh