Do you think that I am taking my weight loss too far?

I am 5'6 and a half. My starting weight was 132 pounds. I am now 116 pounds. I see a slight difference in the 16 pounds that I have lost but I am still not satisfied when I look in the mirror. 116 pounds sounds light to me but I still feel like I look heavy and I l also look different in every mirror so I am not sure which one is an accurate representation of my body. I am now thinking 110 pounds should be my next goal weight. Do you think that this is taking it too far? I think that the anorexic look is incredibly unattractive and I don't want to look like that but I feel like I am currently so far from it that 10 pounds wont make a difference, even at my averagely tall height. Do you think that this is okay even though it is "underweight" on the BMI scale?

i think it all boils down to your diet....if you are sacrificing nutrition for weight loss then YES..you have gone too far..

the BMI scale is a generalization that gets too much credit IMHO...my minimum is supposedly 137 lbs for my age and height...that is just ridiculous lol

IMHO 110lbs is too low for a person of your height. But I guess there's no harm done if you're still looking and feeling healthy. I agree, a subject for discussion with your Dr or dietician.

Sue xxx

it really depends on the individual person. the weight where i'm comfortable is a little bit under what BMI tells me is my healthy range, but i'm 5'4" and quite fine-boned. are you getting feedback from others who know you well? do they feel you're getting too thin? sometimes others can be a better gauge of whether we're taking something to an extreme because they're more removed than we are from a situation. for example, my family and one or two friends always let me know when they feel like i've crossed a line and i'm looking too thin--and most of the time (though not always), i can take a step back and examine the situation objectively and realize they're right.

also, i know you've probably heard all this before, but do you exercise, or have you only dieted to lose the weight? i ask because body composition truly makes a difference in how you look. a person at 115 pounds who doesn't exercise and whose body fat is in the mid 20's (%) will look much softer and will probably appear larger than someone at the same weight who exercises strenuously and regularly and maintains a body fat in the high teens (%). based on my own personal experience, this can mean a different of a whole jeans size (or even two) at the same weight.

if you're not strength training, i would seriously consider starting. i only started a month ago, and was an avid runner before that, but even with my relatively high fitness level, i'm already seeing awesome changes--not in the weight on the scale, but in the way i look in the mirror. i think you would really be pleased with what it can do for both your size and shape--and at the height/weight you're at, you would definitely be able to see results quickly!

hope you're able to make the best decision for yourself!! feel free to add me if you would want to

it really depends on the individual person. the weight where i'm comfortable is a little bit under what BMI tells me is my healthy range, but i'm 5'4" and quite fine-boned. are you getting feedback from others who know you well? do they feel you're getting too thin? sometimes others can be a better gauge of whether we're taking something to an extreme because they're more removed than we are from a situation. for example, my family and one or two friends always let me know when they feel like i've crossed a line and i'm looking too thin--and most of the time (though not always), i can take a step back and examine the situation objectively and realize they're right.

also, i know you've probably heard all this before, but do you exercise, or have you only dieted to lose the weight? i ask because body composition truly makes a difference in how you look. a person at 115 pounds who doesn't exercise and whose body fat is in the mid 20's (%) will look much softer and will probably appear larger than someone at the same weight who exercises strenuously and regularly and maintains a body fat in the high teens (%). based on my own personal experience, this can mean a different of a whole jeans size (or even two) at the same weight.

if you're not strength training, i would seriously consider starting. i only started a month ago, and was an avid runner before that, but even with my relatively high fitness level, i'm already seeing awesome changes--not in the weight on the scale, but in the way i look in the mirror. i think you would really be pleased with what it can do for both your size and shape--and at the height/weight you're at, you would definitely be able to see results quickly!

hope you're able to make the best decision for yourself!! feel free to add me if you would want to

great advice

I am 5'6 and a half. My starting weight was 132 pounds. I am now 116 pounds. I see a slight difference in the 16 pounds that I have lost but I am still not satisfied when I look in the mirror. 116 pounds sounds light to me but I still feel like I look heavy and I l also look different in every mirror so I am not sure which one is an accurate representation of my body. I am now thinking 110 pounds should be my next goal weight. Do you think that this is taking it too far? I think that the anorexic look is incredibly unattractive and I don't want to look like that but I feel like I am currently so far from it that 10 pounds wont make a difference, even at my averagely tall height. Do you think that this is okay even though it is "underweight" on the BMI scale?

I eat around 1500 calories a day and I go to the gym 3-5 times a week. At the gym I do a warm up then 30 lunges and 60 crunches. Then I do around 40 minutes of cardio including power walking, cross trainer, bike and the rowing machine.
I don't have like a raw, organic diet but I eat pretty healthily 80% of the time.
Like typically for breakfast I will have an egg and bacon on wholegrain toast and a fruit smoothie. Lunch I will have a wrap or a sandwich and fruit. And I eat pretty standard dinners: homemade pizza, homemade burgers, pasta of whatever. And junky take out about once or twice a week. Other than that I don't eat things that are too high in sugar or carbohydrates ofrbad fats as I am good at reading food labels.

I'm about half an inch shorter than you are and weigh 163. I mainly wear a UK 12, which is a US8, although sometimes I have to get trousers in a UK14 as I still have a bit of a mummy tummy muffin top!

I'm aiming for 150lbs which will put me at a small UK12 in trousers and a UK 10/12 in dresses. I've weighed 147lbs before and I was that size, but I didn't do strength training then, and I didn't eat enough, so I looked a bit gaunt and not toned.

So, for me, if I were 110lbs it would be ridiculous, I'd look awful and ill. But you are not me, so maybe you would look at 110 like I would at 145 for example.

I workout 5 times a week, and eat pretty healthily. I can count on 1 hand the amount of take-aways i've had in the past 18 months.

My target is 147lbs and Im the same height as you. Im quite big boned and would look horrendous at 110. I am more than happy with my body at 154 also. Im not that far away now. I suppose it all depends on your frame but I think 110 is very very low.

You seem to have an active life style so thats to be commended.
Stay healthy honey and Ive your posting this post it sort of sums up that you already think your getting a bit obesessed with going smaller x

To sum up, the opinion is that you are the right weight but that you are not happy with your body shape. The advice here is to do weight training to make more muscles which should make you look toned, slimmer and fitter. Your gym should be able to advise the correct way to use the weights.

Why don't you give it a try for a month, making sure you are eating your maintenance calories, not losing weight calories.

Report back so that we know!

Your weight is fine, it not a little low. It sounds like you need to skip the cardio and do weight training instead to recomposition your body. If you traded in the time you spend doing cardio and used that time to get into a good weight training program you would see big changes in your body. I started this journey with cardio only. Hit goal weight and still wasn't happy with what I saw. Within a few months of weight training I gained 10 lbs but finally saw the body I wanted. Don't look at the scale while weight training because an increase can be discouraging. Use photos and measurements as your guide.

I'm 5'6" and about 109 lbs, and I don't look remotely anorexic. It really depends on your build. I have a tiny frame, and could lose a few lbs more quite comfortably. (In fact I actually want to increase my muscle mass, so that probably won't happen.)

From what you've written so far you don't seem to be heading into disordered eating territory. Just keep an eye on yourself in case you go a bit loopy ;-).

If you've got down to your goal weight and are not happy with the way you look, I would suggest strength training as posters above had. This can make changes to your body in all the right places that you will see in the mirror.

You should definitely read this too: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

I was going to post this link too. Give it a read. She also didn't like her body when she got really skinny.

Do you think you might have body dysmorphia? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder

I'm in almost the exact same boat as you (5'6.5'' and was 117 lbs a fews weeks ago), and all I see in the mirror is squishy flab. I can say I'm fairly thin, but even when people tell you you look too skinny, you can't see anything but what's wrong with you. You can try toning with strength training, but a lot of that mess is in your head.

since you are concerned about it, perhaps it would be beneficial to speak with an MD as well as a psychiatrist or psychologist. i'm 5'8" and have lost 25 lbs in about a year and i feel like you do, like i look the same. my husband thinks that i have some sort of exercise addiction or body dysmorphic disorder. i feel like no matter what i do i just don't look "thin." of course i should probably take my own advice and talk with professional about it at some point. feel free to add me; reading your post it sounds like we're kind of going through the same thing.

Yes I do.

Sounds like you need to start eating more and start lifting weights.

Also, I'd probably talk to a dr about this sometime soon if things don't change. You're borderline underweight according to BMI and this can become a problem really fast if you don't take control

Only my family have commented but that is probably because they are used to seeing me all of the time.
I go to the gym about 3-5 times a week. I personally find the workouts that I do really tiring but they probably seem meagre to an extremely fit person. I do a warm up and then I do 30 lunges (3 x 10 reps) and then 90 ab exercises (I forgot there names, they are slightly unusual ones designed for weak necks) I then do about 30-45 minutes of cardio depending on what I feel like I am up to that day which is power walking on the treadmill, cross trainer, bikes and the rowing machine.

I haven't really done anything much to lose the weight though. I feel like I have thought about wanting to lose weight a whoole lot more than I have actually taken action about doing it. I eat about 1400-1500 calories a day generally and eat healthy 70-80% of the time.

But yes the answer to your question is that I agree, I feel like I am 'skinny fat' if you know the term.

The answer to "skinny fat" is lifing heavy. Read New Rules of Weightlifing for Women.

Honestly I'm 5'2'' and I look very thin at 110lbs. It's at the lower end of a healthy BMI for me. I can't imagine it's really a healthy weight at all for someone 4 inches taller such as yourself, but I think your best bet is to see a doctor about this, because I am obviously not a professional, and neither are the people who will reply to your post. Wishing you lots of luck hun.