How do you know when to stop?

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AskTracyAnnK28
AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5'8 and had an original goal weight of 165, but when I got there I knew I could do better. When I dropped 5 more pounds, I decided to shoot for 155...and so on and so on. So now I'm 143 and I just...I don't know if I'm slim emough yet. Which makes me think I should probably stop and go into maintenance, but part of me thinks I can go harder and drop more and the whole thing is making me very confused.

So, how do you know when you really are done losing?

I'm kinda asking because I overheard a colleague at work talking to my supervisor asking if I was "Ok" and saying "she just got so thin - is she sick?" Now, this wasn't said to be mean or gosspiy...she actually sounded concerned...
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  • Arliah
    Arliah Posts: 266 Member
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    What strikes me a little odd here is the thought of "I don't know if I'm slim enough yet". According to whose standards?

    Do you feel well and are you happy and healthy? That's all that matters, really (granted, that won't work with a person who has an ED because they'll never be happy, but if you don't have an ED, then at some point you should be okay with your body).
  • never2bstopped
    never2bstopped Posts: 438 Member
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    If you are worried about your health go to a dr to get checked out.

    If it is your mindset that has you concerned, take some time of from dieting and maintain for a while. ( you can always diet more in a few months if you truly feel you want to lose more.)

    Above all be kind to yourself, you have accomplished amazing things!!!

  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I find that people give me the "too thin" comment even if I know I'm not "too" thin. Someone said that when I went "down to" 165 before I got pregnant with my second son...and I'm 5'1!! I think people have been used to seeing you one way, and now by comparison, you look thin. So they comment. But only you can say whether you're "too" thin. :)

    If you lost the weight quickly - or if it seems quick to the next person - that person may automatically wonder whether you've been ill.

    How do you feel? How do YOU think you look? I would base whether you go into maintenance on that, not on what other people have said. :) JMO.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    never2bstopped wrote: »
    If you are worried about your health go to a dr to get checked out.

    If it is your mindset that has you concerned, take some time of from dieting and maintain for a while. ( you can always diet more in a few months if you truly feel you want to lose more.)
    Above all be kind to yourself, you have accomplished amazing things!!!

    That's what I've been thinking...I think my mind and body need a break for a little bit

    Thanks!!

  • never2bstopped
    never2bstopped Posts: 438 Member
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    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    never2bstopped wrote: »
    If you are worried about your health go to a dr to get checked out.

    If it is your mindset that has you concerned, take some time of from dieting and maintain for a while. ( you can always diet more in a few months if you truly feel you want to lose more.)
    Above all be kind to yourself, you have accomplished amazing things!!!

    That's what I've been thinking...I think my mind and body need a break for a little bit

    Thanks!!

    It does take time for your mind to see the true you in the mirror....I think this is called fat kid syndrome.

    I think you are in the healthy range for your weight, but you also aren't close to the low end, so if you do chose to lose more it isn't dangerous.


    For reference I am 5'10 and before my bulk got down to 142 lbs, and I plan on dropping to 140 this time around and this is still well within the healthy weight for my height.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    I find that people give me the "too thin" comment even if I know I'm not "too" thin. Someone said that when I went "down to" 165 before I got pregnant with my second son...and I'm 5'1!! I think people have been used to seeing you one way, and now by comparison, you look thin. So they comment. But only you can say whether you're "too" thin. :)

    If you lost the weight quickly - or if it seems quick to the next person - that person may automatically wonder whether you've been ill.

    How do you feel? How do YOU think you look? I would base whether you go into maintenance on that, not on what other people have said. :) JMO.

    I think I look pretty decent compared to other women my age. How do I feel? Ummm- honestly I feel like I'm sick to death of weighing/measuring and logging all my food and would love more than anything to eat like a 'normal'person. I'd love to go to lunch with my friends and and not have to look at the restaurant website so I can pre-log my meal. I'd love a few cocktails and the weekend and not have to worry about removing those calories from my daily food intake. I'd love some extra ketchup on my veggie burger without thinking "OMG!! I didn't weigh it...what if I go over my calories!!??"

    I'm not "too thin" but over the past 3 or 4 weeks, the weight I've lost is pretty much only upper body - so my face got pretty thin.
  • Arliah
    Arliah Posts: 266 Member
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    I think you deserve a break :D
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    What are your goals? Zig Zigler quote, " if you aim at nothing, you hit it every time". While weight is certainly a metric, it shouldn't be the only one. As an example, I want to be at 15% body fat, so I need to do certain things to achieve that. So, what is your goal? Find that, find your answer.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    You should look at body recomposition. Eat at maintenance and lift heavy weights.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    It may be that you still have a relatively high body fat % so you still have "squishy" areas which makes you think "too fat"? This happened to me, and I was unhappy and wanted to lose even more weight. I didn't realize that instead of losing more weight I should have been focused on losing the fat. Now I weigh more, but I have lower fat % and I'm happier now than I was when I was 15 pounds lighter.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    prattiger65 wrote: »
    What are your goals? Zig Zigler quote, " if you aim at nothing, you hit it every time". While weight is certainly a metric, it shouldn't be the only one. As an example, I want to be at 15% body fat, so I need to do certain things to achieve that. So, what is your goal? Find that, find your answer.

    My goal was to wear shorts in public this summer, be attractive to the opposite sex and find me a decent man to date.

    Well, it's still too cold out to wear shorts, but I think I can pull it off. As far as meeting a nice guy? Nope - still can't pull that off but I realized I like being alone anyway :)
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    What are your goals? Zig Zigler quote, " if you aim at nothing, you hit it every time". While weight is certainly a metric, it shouldn't be the only one. As an example, I want to be at 15% body fat, so I need to do certain things to achieve that. So, what is your goal? Find that, find your answer.

    My goal was to wear shorts in public this summer, be attractive to the opposite sex and find me a decent man to date.

    Well, it's still too cold out to wear shorts, but I think I can pull it off. As far as meeting a nice guy? Nope - still can't pull that off but I realized I like being alone anyway :)

    You are plenty attractive, and 145 or 165 at 5'8 that is a healthy weight range.

  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    deksgrl wrote: »
    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    What are your goals? Zig Zigler quote, " if you aim at nothing, you hit it every time". While weight is certainly a metric, it shouldn't be the only one. As an example, I want to be at 15% body fat, so I need to do certain things to achieve that. So, what is your goal? Find that, find your answer.

    My goal was to wear shorts in public this summer, be attractive to the opposite sex and find me a decent man to date.

    Well, it's still too cold out to wear shorts, but I think I can pull it off. As far as meeting a nice guy? Nope - still can't pull that off but I realized I like being alone anyway :)

    You are plenty attractive, and 145 or 165 at 5'8 that is a healthy weight range.

    awe!! Thank you :)

  • Arliah
    Arliah Posts: 266 Member
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    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    What are your goals? Zig Zigler quote, " if you aim at nothing, you hit it every time". While weight is certainly a metric, it shouldn't be the only one. As an example, I want to be at 15% body fat, so I need to do certain things to achieve that. So, what is your goal? Find that, find your answer.

    My goal was to wear shorts in public this summer, be attractive to the opposite sex and find me a decent man to date.

    Well, it's still too cold out to wear shorts, but I think I can pull it off. As far as meeting a nice guy? Nope - still can't pull that off but I realized I like being alone anyway :)
    Ha, I hear you about the dating :)

  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    Arliah wrote: »
    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    What are your goals? Zig Zigler quote, " if you aim at nothing, you hit it every time". While weight is certainly a metric, it shouldn't be the only one. As an example, I want to be at 15% body fat, so I need to do certain things to achieve that. So, what is your goal? Find that, find your answer.

    My goal was to wear shorts in public this summer, be attractive to the opposite sex and find me a decent man to date.

    Well, it's still too cold out to wear shorts, but I think I can pull it off. As far as meeting a nice guy? Nope - still can't pull that off but I realized I like being alone anyway :)
    Ha, I hear you about the dating :)

    I realized that even if I looked like Kate Upton, I'd probably still be spending my Saturday nigths with Netflix!

  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    I will stop when my moobs become pecs.
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
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    You could go over to the fat2fit website and calculate whether your BMI falls into the healthy range. Do the most complicated calculation that takes measurements into account. The simple calculators will give you an unhealthy BMI when you have a lot of muscle, and that is in NO WAY unhealthy. Also, sometimes your weight will be "good" but you still have too high a percentage of fat.

    Watch out for taking a break. Some people put all the weight that they lost right back on. I've done this in the past so am aiming for permanent change this time. I'll always have to consider and choose and plan; I'll never be one of those people who can eat "whatever", at least not more than once in awhile.
  • Arliah
    Arliah Posts: 266 Member
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    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    Arliah wrote: »
    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    What are your goals? Zig Zigler quote, " if you aim at nothing, you hit it every time". While weight is certainly a metric, it shouldn't be the only one. As an example, I want to be at 15% body fat, so I need to do certain things to achieve that. So, what is your goal? Find that, find your answer.

    My goal was to wear shorts in public this summer, be attractive to the opposite sex and find me a decent man to date.

    Well, it's still too cold out to wear shorts, but I think I can pull it off. As far as meeting a nice guy? Nope - still can't pull that off but I realized I like being alone anyway :)
    Ha, I hear you about the dating :)

    I realized that even if I looked like Kate Upton, I'd probably still be spending my Saturday nigths with Netflix!
    Hehe!
    I think we also have to remind ourselves that dating is about so much more than just looks (although they *are* important).

  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    2snakeswoman wrote: »
    You could go over to the fat2fit website and calculate whether your BMI falls into the healthy range. Do the most complicated calculation that takes measurements into account. The simple calculators will give you an unhealthy BMI when you have a lot of muscle, and that is in NO WAY unhealthy. Also, sometimes your weight will be "good" but you still have too high a percentage of fat.

    Watch out for taking a break. Some people put all the weight that they lost right back on. I've done this in the past so am aiming for permanent change this time. I'll always have to consider and choose and plan; I'll never be one of those people who can eat "whatever", at least not more than once in awhile.

    I don't think it's possible to put on 65 pounds in 2 weeks...

  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    What are your goals? Zig Zigler quote, " if you aim at nothing, you hit it every time". While weight is certainly a metric, it shouldn't be the only one. As an example, I want to be at 15% body fat, so I need to do certain things to achieve that. So, what is your goal? Find that, find your answer.

    My goal was to wear shorts in public this summer, be attractive to the opposite sex and find me a decent man to date.

    Well, it's still too cold out to wear shorts, but I think I can pull it off. As far as meeting a nice guy? Nope - still can't pull that off but I realized I like being alone anyway :)

    If that is your goal, stop now because you reached it. I would add this, would you consider weight lifting? You could do what was advised above, do a recomp. That means eating at or slightly above maintenance and you basically trade fat for muscle. (that is an overly simplistic description). Honestly, I looked at your pictures and you look great, lifting and the change it would make, not only in your physique, but also how you feel about yourself could be worthwhile. Who knows, you might just find that man you are looking for at the gym.

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