46 year old female my doctor said (do you believe him)

I was struck by the comments about how being too thin can make a face look old and gaunt. One time I saw a man after he had been on Jenny Craig and I really thought at first that he might be a cancer patient! He had changed that much. I want to lose a lot of weight but not end up looking like that.

It really doesn't matter what or how much you weighed at 19, because you are not that person anymore. Please don't try to lose weight in an effort to recapture who you were then. I agree with the person who said that maybe you should change doctors. Medical technology has come so far. For your doctor to make a statement like that seems ridiculous to me. Both you and your doctor need to focus on your overall health and strength, not whatever number is close to 120 pounds. Just take things one day at a time, one pound at a time and see how you feel. Take measurements as you go. Best of luck to you on your journey.

Hi there! You know the saying... 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away...' My version: Take a good size apple to your doctor's office, take aim and throw it at his head...
Those stupid BMI charts annoy me greatly. IMHO, it's about time they move on to body composition. To me, numbers on my bathroom scale have lost their magic long time ago. I'm 50, 5'5", 134 lbs, 16.5 % BF, and I fit perfectly into a size 4 Levis... Most people comment on 'how skinny' I look (I call it 'lean'...), and then they are stunned about my actual weight. I started lifting just over 2 years ago at 125 lbs and 25 % BF. Surprisingly, I was also a dress sizes bigger then. I didn't lose weight, but volume.. It's not impossible at our age, but I'm busting my behind every day.....
Good luck!

My mom was 5' 8" and had 7 kids. She was 128 in her 50s and looked really awesome and quite thin. She could wear anything. So don't worry about getting to 120.

I have one doc who goes by the charts: 125-150 for my height. My rheumatologist tells me I have a large frame and I believe him because I could NEVER get a ring type bracelet over my hands. That means he's right. So, I naturally fall toward the higher end of that scale. Then add the age factor (and a whole lot of medical problems) and my recommended weight by my GP is 165. That's my first goal. I'd like to see 145, ultimately. I'll NEVER see my college weight (119) due to the fact that I have at least 2x the muscle I had then.

I agree with everyone--work towards what feels right and healthy. Don't kill yourself over it, be happy with what is achievable.

He forgot that from the onset of puberty until the age of 25, different parts of your skeleton literally expand- your hips, your ribcage, etc. Your bones finally finish growing and become more dense. Going against your natural set point at your age will pretty much have detrimental effects on your metabolism, bone density- nor should there be any reason you aspire to have a 19 year olds body any more.

That's really low for your height.

I want to slap him for putting an idea into your head that in the long term might let you feel like a failure if you can't reach that weight

:mad:

I'm 61 and 5'7". I was at 120 in my 20s but got up o 147 about 4 years ago. I'm now at 131 and pretty darn happy with what I see in the mirror- even naked! I think that dropping and keeping off that last 10 lbs. would be a lot of trouble. More time working out, fewer indulgences in things I enjoy but are bad for me.

Yes, 120 is possible, but it may not be the best weight for you.

I am your age and height.
When I first realized my clothes were tight and I needed to lose a bit of weight (I exercise and have done all my life) I discussed it with my doctor at my yearly 5000km checkup LOL.

She stuck me on the scales, looked at her charts and said "Piffle. You are just fine according to the numbers". But I disagreed and said I didn't feel 'fine'. She said up on the table and I'll have a look whilst we get the other guff out of the way.

She looked at me naked during examinations we ladies get (yep...yuck) and agreed with me that despite being in 'normal range' for BMI and weight etc etc I was carrying a bit extra and decided I was definitely of the lighter frames variety.

When I discussed with my doctor what my weightloss goals would be, she suggested that pre-baby weight was probably a little light and that I should probably aim for 5kg heavier than that.

That's how I set my goal weight. And it has been easier than I thought at my age. I tweak my diet up every few months just to keep on track.

Oh...my pre-baby weight that I was at for over 10 years with no effort - 49kg (108lbs)

My current goal weight - 54kg (119lbs)

Current weight - 55kg (121lbs)

And I certainly don't look like I would break in a high wind, with haggard drooping witch skin and wrinkles like an elephants bum.

Hi! Uh, 5 foot 7 and 162 is not that bad? What's the problem? I would guess you're a size 8 or 6? So loose 10 pounds you should be ideal. Sure you can be 120, that would put you at an underweight BMI. Maybe your doctor was speaking theoretically, It's just basic mathematics calories consumed minus calories burned. Us humans are odd creatures aren't we. There's not another animal on the planet that seeks out weight loss. Of course weight gain was a huge relatively rare biological advantage for humans, allowing us to survive longs periods of time without food. Few other animals can fatten up the way we do. And the good news is that we are also biologically setup to use it all up in times of famine, unfortunately we have to simulate that. I always felt like my dominant ancestral line were walkers, that we walked all day, doing I don't know what., probably selling stuff, because I love walking, moving and crafty arty stuff. If I were doing what my ancestors did I wouldn't be fat. Unfortunately like most I'm grinding away at a job behind a desk, and feeling too exhausted from the job stress to do anything with the remaining 4 hours of my day before I start all over again. I envy contractors, dog walkers, on their feet all day, being physical. My dog walker is pretty heavy though which I think is odd? I watched the garbage men the other day, the guys were literally running along the side of the truck half of the route, imagine all day long. It's like they're doing a marathon every day, believe me those guys were thin, and they seemed oddly happy too. When people still want to lose weight but they don't' really need to I wonder if what they're really needing is a physical outlet. Like the body keeps telling them, "you've got more fuel here to use up". Good luck!