Is my doctor wrong?

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metacognition
metacognition Posts: 626 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I went to the doctor a few months ago and she suggested that I should weigh 95 lbs for my height of 4'11".

I was then 154 lbs (obese). She prescribed a diet of 1200 calories.

I am currently 126 lbs and 27.5% body fat. I exercise 4 to 5 times a week (weight lifting and jogging).

I lose about 1.5 pounds per week.

I average between 1200 - 1350 calories a day. I do feel a little tired on exercise days.

But I am not sure about my doctor's goal weight.

I have done a few calculations and it sounds like 95 pounds would be an extremely low weight - I would be left with less than 10 pounds of fat on my body, if my math works.

So is my doctor wrong?

What do you think would be a healthy weight for me?

If it helps, my mom was 104 pounds at my age.

Replies

  • myfitnessval
    myfitnessval Posts: 687 Member
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    it depends on your body frame, i say screw numbers and just aim for a healthy body fat %, and once you hit that if your doc gives you hassle again explain to them that this is what you feel comfortable with and that your BF is healthy anyway. some docs go straight off BMI charts which mean crap when it comes to muscle and skeletal build.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    According to the BMI chart, 4'11" female's healthy weight range is 92-124 lbs. I'd say you're doing great, and if you feel good and can do what you want, keep that up!
  • sh4690
    sh4690 Posts: 169 Member
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    95 is the lower range of healthy for your BMI.

    So your looking at anywhere between there and 122lbs

    Just stop when you feel comfortable to stop :)
    Use your own judgement and how you feel within your own body, it's not your doctor that's living in your body it is you :)

    x
  • Sojaided34
    Sojaided34 Posts: 113
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    That is on the low end of the range. There's a calculator to check it out. http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm Hope this helps.
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
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    I agree that you are just barely overweight, if at all. It is my understanding that BMI calculations are iffy at best, and particularly as you get to the weights for those of us who are shorter! (I'm just over 5', and am aiming for an ultimate goal of 130... maybe decide for a bit less if I ever get there).
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    Great job on your progress, keep it up!!

    My suggestion is that you go by your Body Fat %
  • AntShanny
    AntShanny Posts: 366 Member
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    I'm 4'11 too and when I saw my doctor in July he suggested I only needed to lose another 5 pounds...at that point I was probably down @15-17lbs from when I started, so about 135/137lbs. I have now lost 25 pounds total and can't imagine myself getting down to 95lbs,,,I think I would look like a skeleton! I'm at the point where I'm not really concentrating on a number anymore, just getting fit and in shape! So my 2 cents is don't pay attention too much to the scale anymore, just work on lowering your body fat- start weight training if you haven't yet.
  • toomanycurves
    toomanycurves Posts: 110 Member
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    My mom was 4'11" and her weight was generally around 95. Throughout her life, she ate as much as she wanted and her weight self-maintained. She died quickly of cancer in her mid-70s but before she became ill, she was quite athletic. She had a tiny bone structure and a nicely toned physique. She was certainly not skinny.
  • cdp9999
    cdp9999 Posts: 1
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    Your healthy BMI for your height is about 92 - 123 lbs (Normal BMI is 18.5-24.9) over that and you are considered overweight under it and you are considered underweight. Many people complain about it but it is pretty darn good in my opinion. You can go to a BMI calculator online and play with the numbers if you like, there are many just google it. Now that is about a 30 lb range so where you want to be in that range is up to you. Distance runners like to be right at the bottom or just below. Every extra ounce means more weight you have to carry. Cyclists are typically more toward the middle of the range because they like a bit more muscle mass. Almost all body builders are overweight and many are obese since muscle is quite heavy. Once you are in the range you should spend more time focused on the quality of your diet and not just the calories. Get rid of the animal products and processed foods and it will be allot easier. Think Whole Natural Unrefined Plant-based. Not that, don't eat it.

    Good Luck!

    (P.S. If anyone ever mentions body frame size they are usually in denial about their inability to get the weight off)
  • MeltingCandlewax
    MeltingCandlewax Posts: 42 Member
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    You need to stop where you feel comfortable and healthy.
    I have been 5'1 since i was 13 years old. at 18 i was 145, and i was comfortable. Peeps always used to tell me i was too fat as did my doctor . I always was comfortable at that weight. But since people get harping on it, i realized i always felt alwful
    and fat and just kept eating. ( finally it has taken about 18 years and over that i would diet and quit and start again), now i am actually really losing weight, i am still 5'1 and i am aiming for 140. So your doctor may be right but I say you have to live in your body not them, do what it is comforatable to you, and please dont compare yourself to your mom, because people are built differently.
    Sorry just my 2 cents on the issue.
  • PLUMSGRL
    PLUMSGRL Posts: 1,134 Member
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    If you're lifting HEAVY weights and gain muscle, you will be heavier, but look much smaller (compact).
    My answer to your question is this: shot for the weight/body type you are most comfortable with being. it doesn't matter what others think, you're the one who has to live in your skin. So if you physically feel better and like the way you look, go with that. You can always change your mind.
    I'm 5'5" (and 55yo), I once thought 123 would be my "perfect "#. Now I know better. I WANT to be heavier (than 123), more like 150-165 of muscle!
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
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    If you feel weak/faint/dizzy/extra hungry when you exercise, you should definitely eat more on those days.
  • AmberJo1984
    AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    I would stop where you feel comfortable. Take a look at your Body fat %. It all depends on your frame.
  • hanniejong
    hanniejong Posts: 556 Member
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    My Mum was also 4'11" and she weighed she weighed around 100 lbs.
  • pickledginger
    pickledginger Posts: 172
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    Percent body fat is a much more reliable measure than the glorified height-weight chart that is the BMI. There are some measures out there based on waist-hip ratios and height that are better measures of body fat and health outcomes than BMI, too. And even the BMI's creators acknowledge that it doesn't work well below 5 feet or above ... er, above a less-memorable number.


    I get a little ... emphatic about it, sometimes, because I had a doctor who wanted me in the middle of the BMI range for my height and was still nagging me to lose weight when I was so thin my breasts were little rocks and my periods had stopped. My body fat was so low, I didn't float: I could stand on the bottom of the swimming pool, at the deep end, until I had to come up for air. Not a win. For my sister, OTOH, the range is just right. And for a couple people I know, it's way too high.

    Probably, for most people, the BMI is a decent enough guide. We have better ones, though.
  • abdavison1
    abdavison1 Posts: 17
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    You could always get a second opinion. The "scales" say I should weigh 150-175. I am 5'10' and a half and I do have a large bone structure. My doctor said 200 would be a good weight for me. I would still be considered overweight by the "scales". You have to do what is right for you and if you think that weight is too low, then it might be. I just want to be healthy. And to the person that said the people that use body frame as an excuse, I don't. I have lost 33 pounds since the middle of April and my goal is to lose 20 more before the end of the year. And I would like sickly and disgusting at 150 pounds.

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