Does the human body have an ideal weight?

pineapple_peach10
pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,
I was just curious what peoples' opinions are regarding the body's ideal weight. I'm wondering if everyone's body has an ideal weight that it kind of stabilizes at?

To make myself more clear; I have lost 75lbs following CICO and moderate exercise. I am female 5'10 and now 159.2lbs. I am finding it very difficult to go any lower than this weight. I guess what I'm asking is, is there a point where weight loss beyond a certain point becomes almost impossible (unless it is done in an unhealthy way)? Or if you continue to follow CICO accurately, should the weight continue to come off (albeit very slowly).

I'm just wondering because I have talked to a few people who claim that no matter what they try, they 100% cannot get below a certain weight. I'm afraid if this is true, I could be one of them!

Thanks!

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,265 Member
    No, not true. Most plateaus are math miscalculations. Take a break from dieting, then punch the numbers again with the most accuracy you can and I'm sure the weight will start to move again.
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
    @neanderthin thanks for the response :). You have given me hope that I can get these last 9lbs off!

    I think you're right. I need to take a bit of a break and focus more on accuracy when I get back to it.
  • TiffanyR71
    TiffanyR71 Posts: 217 Member
    Though, you're at a healthy weight...
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
    pineapple_peach10 wrote: »
    @neanderthin thanks for the response :). You have given me hope that I can get these last 9lbs off!

    I think you're right. I need to take a bit of a break and focus more on accuracy when I get back to it.

    Well, if all you have to lose is 9 pounds, it might be slow going anyway. Focus on accuracy definitely, but see if there are ways you can build additional movement into your day. And maybe thing about setting fitness goals that aren't scale-related.

    Congrats on your success to date!
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
    edited April 2015
    @barbecuesauce thank you!!!! :) I think you're right also, maybe mixing up things at the gym and focusing on firming up rather than pounds might help :)

    @TiffanyR71 yes I am almost midway within a healthy BMI. I think the last 9lbs are more for vanity and also some wiggle room during maintenance.
  • marissafit06
    marissafit06 Posts: 1,996 Member
    I'm 5'11" and 153 lbs. I started at 168 on January 1st and it is getting a lot harder to lose weight, but it's because between walking and lifting I am hungry a lot and tired of eating a deficit. I'm pacing myself with losing the rest because at the end of the day, I'm after a look more than a number.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,312 Member
    After an extended period of dieting it is entirely possible that your body has adapted to a certain degree to the caloric deficit you have been subjecting your body to.

    if your add to that the fact that your muscles have probably become more efficient at the type of exercises you have been engaging in, it is entirely possible that the CO part of your CICO equation has shifted down.

    At the same time it is entirely possible that you have become a little bit lax with your logging and the CI part of the equation.

    A couple of hundred calories on either side and all of a sudden your 500 calorie deficit isn't.

    How you react depends on your goals. Reverse diet to maintenance? A deeper cut? Just tightening up your logging if that's the issue...
  • SausageMacMuffin
    SausageMacMuffin Posts: 1 Member
    TiffanyR71 wrote: »
    Though, you're at a healthy weight...

    Word
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
    Thanks for the responses everyone! I do definitely agree that it most likely comes down to being a bit lax with CICO. I think I will be trying to switch things up over the next few weeks and get back into tracking CICO very diligently.
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
    marissafit06 wrote: »
    I'm 5'11" and 153 lbs. I started at 168 on January 1st and it is getting a lot harder to lose weight, but it's because between walking and lifting I am hungry a lot and tired of eating a deficit. I'm pacing myself with losing the rest because at the end of the day, I'm after a look more than a number.

    Amazing progress and awesome attitude!!!

  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
    TiffanyR71 wrote: »
    Though, you're at a healthy weight...
    Exactly.
    This is probably why you're finding it harder to lose more weight.
    You're very tall for a female, so to me 159lbs sounds like a good weight.
    (Well that's my opinion ;) )

  • NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner
    NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner Posts: 1,018 Member
    For my height... I should weigh between 7st6lb and 9st8lb or something along those lines. I'd look like death if I went that small. MY body is happiest around 10 stone and that's what I'm aiming for. It's down to how you feel in your own skin. :)
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    Good question!!!

    I sometimes think this too.

    Ask yourself are you happy with how you look now?

    Do you want to lose more weight?

    If so I would change the amount of calories your eating, so you only lose 0.5lb a week. Take it really slow & steady.

    Maybe focus more on weight training and changing your body shape maybe? Instead of the number on the scale now

    Fab work with your weight loss by the way :smile:
  • cat_lady77
    cat_lady77 Posts: 203 Member
    I believe it because I stayed the same weight (200 lbs, I'm 6'2") for years. I went up pretty steadily from like 180 when I was working a lot & not eating regularly. Then I moved out on my own & started eating whatever I wanted. I literally stayed at 200, even after I thought I was losing, after holiday binges, for about 3-4 years. Now that I'm counting calories & working out regularly, it's starting to go down but I assume 200 was my "regular" weight with a little extra fat stored haha. It's not impossible to go up or down though!
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  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
    Thanks everyone again for the responses!

    I do definitely agree that once you are a healthy weight it is a lot harder to lose. I was actually pretty surprised when I weighed myself this morning and saw a 1.4lbs loss. I have been staying the same or only losing very minimally for weeks now so I was very surprised.

    I think everyone brought up some really good points and that mathematics is a huge reason why weight loss often stalls.

    @karla24687 I find that very interesting because I pretty much maintained at 200lbs for years as well!! I wasn't intentionally try to lose or gain weight and my body just kind of "stayed" at 200. I did eventually balloon up to 234 but that was when I realllly went off the rails.
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
    2013sk wrote: »
    Good question!!!

    I sometimes think this too.

    Ask yourself are you happy with how you look now?

    Do you want to lose more weight?

    If so I would change the amount of calories your eating, so you only lose 0.5lb a week. Take it really slow & steady.

    Maybe focus more on weight training and changing your body shape maybe? Instead of the number on the scale now

    Fab work with your weight loss by the way :smile:

    Thank you! :) I would like to get down to 150 and then really focus on toning up.

    I'm thinking about setting some more fitness related goals so I'm not solely focused on the scale :)
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member

    it's math, but it's also your comfort with your diet and lifestyle. i don't think that's a negligible thing. if this is what you weigh when you eat mostly nutritious food in amounts that keep you roughly in the middle of the bmi, and you can still enjoy eating and drinking sociably with friends, and your workouts are adequately fueled, and you have energy to do the things you want to do in your life, then yup - this is your optimal weight, in my opinion.

    that's basically how i set my goals. two questions: "can i really live with this way of eating, long-term?" + "do i feel good about and in my body?"

    here is a really great blog post on optimal body fat (not weight, but it's relevant, trust me)

    http://www.stumptuous.com/whats-your-best-body-fat
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    After an extended period of dieting it is entirely possible that your body has adapted to a certain degree to the caloric deficit you have been subjecting your body to.

    if your add to that the fact that your muscles have probably become more efficient at the type of exercises you have been engaging in, it is entirely possible that the CO part of your CICO equation has shifted down.

    At the same time it is entirely possible that you have become a little bit lax with your logging and the CI part of the equation.

    A couple of hundred calories on either side and all of a sudden your 500 calorie deficit isn't.

    How you react depends on your goals. Reverse diet to maintenance? A deeper cut? Just tightening up your logging if that's the issue...

    Good post.
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
    tomatoey wrote: »
    it's math, but it's also your comfort with your diet and lifestyle. i don't think that's a negligible thing. if this is what you weigh when you eat mostly nutritious food in amounts that keep you roughly in the middle of the bmi, and you can still enjoy eating and drinking sociably with friends, and your workouts are adequately fueled, and you have energy to do the things you want to do in your life, then yup - this is your optimal weight, in my opinion.

    that's basically how i set my goals. two questions: "can i really live with this way of eating, long-term?" + "do i feel good about and in my body?"

    here is a really great blog post on optimal body fat (not weight, but it's relevant, trust me)

    http://www.stumptuous.com/whats-your-best-body-fat

    All very valid points :) thanks for posting! Going to check out that link now :)
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
    @tomatoey awesome link :) very interesting read!
  • Jiveli85
    Jiveli85 Posts: 37 Member
    I'm in the same boat. I have already lost 25 lbs, leaving me at a healthy weight of 122 at 5'3". My vanity and the brainwashing of victoria's secret models have me striving to weigh 115. I'm finding it impossible to get past 122.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    pineapple_peach10 wrote: »
    @tomatoey awesome link :) very interesting read!

    no probs, glad you liked it :)
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited April 2015
    Any given individual, for any given purpose, has an ideal weight range. Change the purpose, and the "right" weight likely changes, too.

    Can't violate CICO, though.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    Ideal weight I'd say no. Ideal bodyfat % I'd say yes.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • cat_lady77
    cat_lady77 Posts: 203 Member
    @pineapple_peach10 I was probably 160-170 in high school (pretty skinny for me) but 160-ish is probably pretty normal for 5'10" if not more. Unless you're one of those model-types lol. I could lose all the fat off my body & still not be less than a size 10 & I'm ok with that. People ask me if I model & I always say "I'm too big & I don't care!" because being 5'10" & 120 lbs is not realistic for most ladies. Being 6'2" my goal weight right now is 180 & I think that will work for me. Just do your best & don't worry too much about the numbers on the scale!
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    tomatoey wrote: »
    it's math, but it's also your comfort with your diet and lifestyle. i don't think that's a negligible thing. if this is what you weigh when you eat mostly nutritious food in amounts that keep you roughly in the middle of the bmi, and you can still enjoy eating and drinking sociably with friends, and your workouts are adequately fueled, and you have energy to do the things you want to do in your life, then yup - this is your optimal weight, in my opinion.

    that's basically how i set my goals. two questions: "can i really live with this way of eating, long-term?" + "do i feel good about and in my body?"

    I think this is a really good way to evaluate your body's "set point." Of course you can always lose or gain by strict logging and calculating input/output as accurately as possible, but eventually you reach a point where it becomes much harder. That's when you should take an honest look at your body, your food, and your activities (both exercise and daily life), and decide whether you're in a good place -- even it it means you don't lose the last five or ten you thought you needed to.

  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    You can easily get those last 9lbs off but you'll need to be extra patient. I'm 5'11, currently weight 148. I thought I'd be stuck at 157 - just seemed like it wouldn't move past that then it started again. Just gotta keep doing what you are doing and wait.
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