Do I NEED to lose weight?

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  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    Your BMI is 25.4, which is on the low end of the overweight range.

    Do you NEED to lose weight? Only you can make that decision. Your body, your choice. If you want to have a healthy BMI, you'd only need to lose a few pounds.
  • xXBabyBelleXx
    xXBabyBelleXx Posts: 110 Member
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    Aemely wrote: »
    I didn't really look at the BMI scale first. I looked in the mirror, I looked at the fact that I was going to have up from my normal pant size to a new one, and I refused to accept that! For me, the BMI just helped me put numbers on what I already knew. ;)

    This is me also, i'm now officially overweight. I just want to lose 1 stone and then keep it off. I want to healthy and fit - so i'm running weight lifting and walking regularly also. Good luck to everyone ,I hope you all reach your goals.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited November 2014
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    NakeshiaBeard wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Nobody has to lose weight. No law yet!

    If the doctors are suggesting it, you should consider dropping a few. If they aren't and you don't want to, why even consider it? I sure wouldn't!

    Sometimes it feels like there is a law... all the pressure from the media to be this size, wear this, eat this, run this far; and the hundreds of 'qualified' personal trainers, health 'experts' and 'coaches' and keyboard warrirs constantly telling us to be thinner, fitter and faster; not to mention the fact that every shop window contains a model of unobtainable proportions for 99.9% of the population. We're never good enough, thin enough, or the right height to wear this and that. Our bodies are broken and need to be re-trained how to do the most basic of biological processes. We need to detox from all the gunk floating around in our bodies; and we need to be able to throw our legs over our head and sit in zen for an hour on end... otherwise we're just not acceptable enough to call ourselves human. *SIGH*
    And yet humans are the largest we've ever been on the whole.
  • penny0919
    penny0919 Posts: 123 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    NakeshiaBeard wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Nobody has to lose weight. No law yet!

    If the doctors are suggesting it, you should consider dropping a few. If they aren't and you don't want to, why even consider it? I sure wouldn't!

    Sometimes it feels like there is a law... all the pressure from the media to be this size, wear this, eat this, run this far; and the hundreds of 'qualified' personal trainers, health 'experts' and 'coaches' and keyboard warrirs constantly telling us to be thinner, fitter and faster; not to mention the fact that every shop window contains a model of unobtainable proportions for 99.9% of the population. We're never good enough, thin enough, or the right height to wear this and that. Our bodies are broken and need to be re-trained how to do the most basic of biological processes. We need to detox from all the gunk floating around in our bodies; and we need to be able to throw our legs over our head and sit in zen for an hour on end... otherwise we're just not acceptable enough to call ourselves human. *SIGH*
    I feel no pressure. I don't even want to look like the too-skinny models and actresses. Most of the models and some of the actresses are anorexic. I certainly don't want that. I've listened to many anorexics and that is not a fun way to be. I would like to get my leg behind my head again, but if I never can, I'll live through it.

    If you want to drop a few pounds, do it. If you don't, don't. This really isn't that hard a decision.

    Decide what you want and then go with that.


    At 33 I don't feel the media pressure at all anymore. I definitely felt it as a preteen/teen though. I remember wanting to look like Kate Moss, which was totally unrealistic for my body type. The sad part is I wasn't overweight by any means. The happy part is I outgrew this mentality.
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    For most people, carrying more weight makes it harder to be fit. There is more body to move so your body has to work harder.

    If you think you could choose to run and do push-ups oh-so-easily, give it a go. If it's harder going than you expected, lose a little weight and see if it gets easier. I know that my best weight is towards the lower end of a healthy BMI because it is far easier for me to run, dance etc at that weight.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    Although you don't drop dead the moment you hit the "overweight" range, the reason this range exists is that you're more statistically likely to die if you are outside of this range.

    http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2010/nci-01.htm
    "...healthy women who had never smoked and who were overweight were 13 percent more likely to die during the study follow-up period than those with a BMI between 22.5 and 24.9."

    At an overweight BMI, unless you're an athlete, you're also likely to have a high body fat percentage. The more excess body fat, the more stress on your organs, joints, and body. You risk more injury in daily life and in exercise than someone in a healthy body fat/body weight range. High body fat percentage (I don't have answers on a tolerable upper limit. I'm sure you can find some statistics) is associated with the risk of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and certain cancers.

    There is no reason why you can't focus on fitness/strength in conjunction with weight loss. I am at a calorie deficit because I want to lower my weight and body fat percentage. I do cardio (dance classes, walking, jogging, elliptical) several times a week, plus yoga and strength training. I don't NEED to lose weight, as I am BMI 22.9 and aiming for BMI 20.8. I am probably about 28-30% BF%. I would love to get down to around 20-22%. I want to be at my optimum fitness level to increase both my longevity and quality of life.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
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    LyndseyLovesToLift wrote: »
    Your BMI is 25.4, which is on the low end of the overweight range.

    Do you NEED to lose weight? Only you can make that decision. Your body, your choice. If you want to have a healthy BMI, you'd only need to lose a few pounds.

    Straight forward answer for the win.

  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
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    Look in the mirror naked - You happy with what you see?

    Yes - Don't worry about it then

    No - Change your eating habits, and maybe lose a little bit.

    You have to be happy in your own skin. Its YOUR body at the end of the day.

    I weigh 67 kg too!!

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