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Asked my doctor if he thinks I should keep losing. He said, "you're at an ideal weight now"
ElJefeChief
Posts: 650 Member
... and he said I should stop. That was yesterday. My BMI as of yesterday was 25.46. I'm still "overweight." On the other hand, I now clearly have vasculature visible in my midsection (I'm veiny!), I've dropped from a size 38 waist to a 32, and I'm getting regular (super annoying now) comments from people at work that I'm getting "too skinny."
I currently have MFP set at a 0.5 pound per week loss goal, after dialing it back from 1.5 pound loss goal a couple weeks ago.
What would you do?
I currently have MFP set at a 0.5 pound per week loss goal, after dialing it back from 1.5 pound loss goal a couple weeks ago.
What would you do?
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Replies
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Do you know your BF%?0
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What's your height/weight?0
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I would pay attention to the doctor.
BMI doesn't work well for some body types. It really isn't designed to be an instrument to measure individuals anyhow--it was intended for analysis of aggregate populations.
Trust the trained medical professional who can see you in person.0 -
Once I reach a BMI of 25, my personal plan is to switch into maintenance for a few months, and then do recomp. And don't worry about people saying you're too skinny. Most are just used to seeing you a certain way - some are jealous. Do what you feel is right for you.0
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My doctor told me I could stop losing when I reached 150 pounds, which was just at the normal weight range.
No thanks.
It depends a lot on your body fat % and your bone structure though.0 -
Ya, what's your frame size?0
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Don't know my body fat percentage. My height is between six-foot-three and six-foot two and three-quarters. Weight as of this morning is 197.6.0
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I don't know my frame size either. I would guess it's on the large size. I know there are ways to measure it.0
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tincanonastring wrote: »Do you know your BF%?
This would be my question.
Edit: also, did the doctor have any specific reasons as to why he/she thought you were getting too thin?0 -
Well with those stats, generally I would find it hard to believe that you're "too skinny".
That said, it could just be an issue of body composition. If you have little in the way of muscle mass, it can give the appearance of being 'skinny' (no breadth in shoulders, chest, arms, legs, etc) while having excess visceral fat around the middle.
Are you currently doing any sort of resistance training?0 -
wrist size is often used to gauge frame size. For men:
•Small = wrist size 5.5" to 6.5"
•Medium = wrist size 6.5" to 7.5"
•Large = wrist size over 7.5"
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »I would pay attention to the doctor.
BMI doesn't work well for some body types. It really isn't designed to be an instrument to measure individuals anyhow--it was intended for analysis of aggregate populations.
Trust the trained medical professional who can see you in person.
Agreed.
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You are the same height and weight as my OH. He could do with losing another 10 lb and upping his strength training, he does mostly swimming and running.
If you have a higher lbm, you may well be of a good weight now. A pound of muscle takes less room than a pound of fat.
BMI is good for population averaging, your body composition is probably more important.
Here are a couple of sites that will give you a decent estimate of your body fat percentages.
Health-status.com
Linear-software.com
Calculator.net
Listen to your doc, obviously, and once you have worked out your approximate body fat% decide what you want to do, then talk it over with him.
Cheers, h.0 -
Are you doing strength training? If not, do that while eating at maintenance and see what happens with your composition.0
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I went to the doctor yesterday, she told me not to lose anymore weight. I told her I was not trying to lose anymore weight, but she still wants me to come back in a few months to check. I am 5'7", 160 lbs. The last time I saw her was in April 2015, I weighed 168 lbs. She said I was getting to skinny and that she did not recognize me. I am on the slim side but not skinny.0
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Really @dredemeg?? I'm 5'7" and my goal is 155! I wonder how skinny I'll look at that weight :-/0
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Based on your profile pictures and also on the fact that you have lost so much weight, I can see where your doctor is coming from. That doesn't necessarily mean that I agree entirely.
When people lose a lot of weight, they tend to look unusually thin and sometimes rather sickly to those who were used to seeing them when they were heavy. So I can understand his reaction. And you are probably in the 20%-21% body fat range which, while not lean, can look pretty good to the untrained eye.
Again, from the pictures, I would say that your next focus should be muscle gain, rather than continued dieting and fat loss. Get a little firmer and add a few pounds of muscle and you can lose some more fat in peace without having everyone nagging that you are "too thin".
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Wow! I get discouraged sometimes when I see women who are taller than my 5'7" with goals or weights down into the 120's. I've just reached my goal of 140 and don't think I want to go any lower. Last time I weighed less than this I was in my 20s (I'm 49 now). I think what weight looks good on you is so different from one person to another!0
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I tend to think of BMI as a very general guideline. Not a rule. However, at 6'3" and 198, I get your BMI as 24.7. Congratulations. You have achieved "normal." What do YOU want to do? Because you look healthy in your pictures (yes, I looked). I certainly wouldn't lose more than a small amount more, in any case. Depends on your new goals
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@heatherlewisis, when I was 210 lbs. she never suggested that I loose weight.0
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If I was happy with my weight and my doctor gave me the thumbs up, I'd stop. If I wanted to lose more for my own reasons, I'd lose a bit more.0
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Wow! I get discouraged sometimes when I see women who are taller than my 5'7" with goals or weights down into the 120's. I've just reached my goal of 140 and don't think I want to go any lower. Last time I weighed less than this I was in my 20s (I'm 49 now). I think what weight looks good on you is so different from one person to another!
There is a range of body "frame" sizes, which supports your observation. A couple of years ago, I just happened to do assessments on 3 women in the span of two weeks, who were all 5'4" tall. Because of the differences in lean body mass, their projected weights at a level of 25% body fat ranged from 112 to 150.
No one can meaningfully compare heights and weights with other people based on those numbers alone.
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There's a difference between "you don't need to lose more" and "you should not lose more." I got the first when I was BMI 26 and told my doctor I planned to lose another 20 or so and she said "fine." I've never gotten the second and if I did I would explore it with her and understand her reasoning and if she thought my tests were problematic or there was a reason to think I was losing in an unhealthy manner or regardless of BMI my BF was too low and I did not I'd try to get a referral to a DEXA or the like to settle the question (which has the added benefit of checking bone density, which is why I got mine done initially).0
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My boyfriend is in the military and works out a lot and his bmi puts him at overweight. If he went to the doctor and said he wanted to lose weight I imagine they'd say he didn't need to because he healthy. Maybe a similar situation to yours? Your waist size is healthy too (for a man).0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »There's a difference between "you don't need to lose more" and "you should not lose more." I got the first when I was BMI 26 and told my doctor I planned to lose another 20 or so and she said "fine." I've never gotten the second and if I did I would explore it with her and understand her reasoning and if she thought my tests were problematic or there was a reason to think I was losing in an unhealthy manner or regardless of BMI my BF was too low and I did not I'd try to get a referral to a DEXA or the like to settle the question (which has the added benefit of checking bone density, which is why I got mine done initially).
That's a lot of good packed into one long sentence
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lemurcat12 wrote: »tincanonastring wrote: »Do you know your BF%?
This would be my question.
Edit: also, did the doctor have any specific reasons as to why he/she thought you were getting too thin?
Mine as well.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »There's a difference between "you don't need to lose more" and "you should not lose more." I got the first when I was BMI 26 and told my doctor I planned to lose another 20 or so and she said "fine." I've never gotten the second and if I did I would explore it with her and understand her reasoning and if she thought my tests were problematic or there was a reason to think I was losing in an unhealthy manner or regardless of BMI my BF was too low and I did not I'd try to get a referral to a DEXA or the like to settle the question (which has the added benefit of checking bone density, which is why I got mine done initially).
That's a lot of good packed into one long sentence
Heh, me and Faulkner!
(I really should post more slowly and with more attention to style.) ;-)0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »There's a difference between "you don't need to lose more" and "you should not lose more." I got the first when I was BMI 26 and told my doctor I planned to lose another 20 or so and she said "fine." I've never gotten the second and if I did I would explore it with her and understand her reasoning and if she thought my tests were problematic or there was a reason to think I was losing in an unhealthy manner or regardless of BMI my BF was too low and I did not I'd try to get a referral to a DEXA or the like to settle the question (which has the added benefit of checking bone density, which is why I got mine done initially).
Yes, this.
At my last appt I was told by my GP that the 180's was a good range for me. I was 210 at the time and had already lost 75lbs.
I ignored it because the 180's is the low end of obese. And because my doc is in a city with a substantial super obese population, his waiting room and staff are full of super obese people. 'The 180's' probably seems relatively slim from his vantage point. I also suspect he didn't want to lay any needless pressure on me, roughly 30 more lbs isn't too overwhelming.
I'm in the low 170's now, and see him again for a check up in a few weeks. I'm curious if he'll still have the same opinion about what's a good range for me. Regardless if he does or not, healthy bmi is my goal, and that's what I'm going to shoot for, for lack of any compelling reason to hang out in either the overweight or obese bmi, . There's nothing special or unique about me or my body or health that I should get to be an exception. Not that I know of, anyway. I get that there are exceptions, but I don't believe I'm one of them.
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Without a very specific reason from the doc, I'd nod and smile. You know your goals and how you feel at your current weight better than they ever will.
BMI is basically worthless at your height (which happens to be mine as well), so that shouldn't be party of the conversation. Even if it were, you're just under the top bounds of normal.
I don't imagine my ideal weight being under 200, personally, but my frame supports it. Not everyone's does. You might look, feel, and function best at 185 (or whatever).0 -
If the doctor says, "Stop losing," then stop losing. Friends, family and coworkers will lie their butts off and say you're skinny when you're still fat. Doctors are looking at your health and don't lie to make you happy or to be polite,
Someone else pointed out that there is a difference between "You don't have to lose more" and "You should stop losing" but if they said the latter, then do that.
BMI is a great tool for people who are in denial about their weight. The 5'6" woman who thinks she's fine at 200 pounds or 110 pounds can check the chart. Can't argue with the chart. Once inside the "Normal BMI," it's best to listen to the doctor.
If you want to work on your body-fat percentage, lift weights.0
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