knowing when to stop?

jenfunfur · May 2011

so i'm really happy with my progress so far & now i'm wondering when to know to stop losing? Everyone says that i'l know when i like what i see, my problem is i've always had low body image & never liked what i see in the mirror

Bmi & doctor says i should lose anothet 30-40lb but i don't know if that will be too much. I'm scared that i'll keep losing even when i don't look good cause i won't be hapoy with what i see. I know this sounds crazy but i've watched my sisters go through anorexia & i worry that i get the same minset if i'm not careful. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated, ta x

Plumpqt · May 2011

you are beautiful. I am in the same boat as you are, interested to hear what others say

ms_debbieg · May 2011

I have wondered the same thing, I know the BMI thing is HUGE but I actually feel comfortable now and according to the BMI I still need to lose 30 lbs. I have made the decision that what I'm doing, watching my calories and exercising more is not a DIET it's my new healthy lifestyle. I feel so much better and enjoy the way my clothes fit and look - if I lose more weight, then great if not then I am enjoying the better feeling I am experiencing from all the things I'm doing!!

Good Luck on your Progress!!

rnroadrunner · May 2011

I think that we all should focus on being healthy and getting fit. the weight dosen't matter

momtozmc · May 2011

Yeah, interested what people have to say on this too. To be in the normal BMI range, I need to lose another 20 lbs at least... to just norma and not over weight.... Most people are telling me not to lose any more...

so what say you?

L.

marci355 · May 2011

My two cents: keep some of your curves. I've been 245 and I've been 145. I'm 5'5" and my perfect wieght is 165. At 145, I looked gaunt, my skin was hanging off of me and everybody thought I was anorexic. I'm a bit older than you, I think, and at 145 I looked much older, than I do now.

Brandie6004 · May 2011

I don't know how to know when you find your "happy" weight... I've just started trying to find mine. Like you I hope I know when it when I get there.

...but about the ed's; I never had one, but I flirted w the thought and came as close to the edge as I could without really doing anything. So, when I started on this healthy path I got kinda scared about how I might be in 3 months, 6 months, and so on down the road. (I know I'd be WAY more worried if people I loved had gone thur them) I talked to both my husband and my best friend and told them my concerns and asked if they would just look into the warning signs of ed's and help "keep an eye on" me. (I didn't want to look anything up because I know I'd be too tempted to look up more than just warning signs) So far nobody has said anything about any type of ed so I think I'm good. Maybe you have someone really close to you that you trust and they can do the same for you?

Good luck! ((hugs))

jenfunfur · May 2011

i think maybe i brought some new clothes & did progress pics. That might help me judge my new body

The ed's are a big worry in my family, i think thats why i let myself get overweight. I promised my mum i would'nt diet & obsess, all i've been getting from my parents is " you look great but don't take it too far" & "how much more are you going to lose, hope you're being sensible".

Pebble321 · May 2011

My husband has said the same thing to me, he doesn't think I need to lose more (bless him!) but according to BMI I'm still 11 kg from healthy weight. I think I'll go for another 5kg, then evaluate. Although I don't want to stop now, not sure if I will in 5kg time either. I'm guessing that I might just stop losing weight some time and that would be the right weight... Maybe that is wishful thinking...

bunnysone · May 2011

im healthily in my bmi now but can afford to lose another 10 pounds easily and still be comfortable.

In saying that, I'm happy with my body now and i dont need to lose anymore weight.

But I think I timed this fairly well with reaching my original goal now, as I am in the middle of training for the half in 6 weeks. So, knowing that the half is coming up im not worried if I lose a bit more now as it will make me run faster if im lighter.

This is a good thing for me, as I can slow down the fat loss now as opposed to reaching my goal and stopping burning fat. It should make it easier to readjust to a good size.

Your body will work out what size it wants to be and "hang around" that. you might still see a bit of fluctuation up and down, but as long as you are mid bmi then there's no worries

Just keep training hard to keep your fitness and immune system up, but you can afford to eat a little more now - and maybe if you are still a little concerned with your body look at strength training which will tone you up, but build a bit of muscle so you stay around the same weight xx

Squible · May 2011

I know what you mean in a sense just i gave the mind set the other way round...let me explain ha..
I had a minor case of bulimia in college and uni, (so for a couple of years) I just ate what wanted could easily spend £10-£15 even £20 on sweets and junk from my corner shop and devour it within thirty mins then pulse it up and if I didn't have classes the next day I'd drintake a load of laxatives and 'cleanse' myself.
Since I met my boyfriend and I admitted what I did I also promised him I wouldnt s do it again, it was hard to just 'give up' and I skipped up a bit but I got through it and since then I gained a stone and a half! Which also come with a big mix of feelings.
Anyway what I'm trying to get at is my backwards thoughts are 'i don't know when to start' I think I'm scared of starting and then regressing and losing control; I think my boyfriend is also worried but trusts me that ill be sensible.
But I think that's my major block with losing weight.
Anyway to get to my point, you have started the journey and you are doing a fantastic job, I truly believe you will know when you ate happy with what you see and go by how you feel. On a final note, I had a pt years ago and on the intial meeting when he weighed and asked my goals I asked him about the b.m.I and he said it was a pile of rubbish as muscle weighs heavier than fat so a big bodybuilder is classed as obese and possibly mobidly obese even though its just muscle he might only have 19% fat on him or something. My pt said its better for someone to measure themselves and see how they feel in thirty clothes instead.

sweet_lotus · May 2011

If you're going by BMI standards, anorexia is well under "normal" BMI. Some sources say < 17.5, and others say <16.5. The low end of normal is 18.5 So, if you're 30 pounds over "normal", you have a long way to go to anorexia.

It's good to be mindful of the traps and tricks of ED, but it sounds like you have a good outlook and maybe need to work on your having a good body image - loving your body at ALL sizes.

If you want to try to aim for the high end of "normal" range BMI, I don't think that would be going "too far". A "normal" BMI is statistically better for your long term health, too, which is probably why your doctor recommends you lose a little more. If you are unhappy and feel like you look too thin at that point, you could always gain a few pounds.

But, in the mean time, it might be helpful to work on body acceptance.

wildon883r · May 2011

I'm below my ideal weight according to health standards but i have belly fat that i want to get rid of. My goal is to get rid of that or most of it. I want my body fat to be under 15%.. Good luck. Like most will tell you BMI is just a reference number used by insurance companies.

knowing when to stop?

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