Asked my doctor if he thinks I should keep losing. He said, "you're at an ideal weight now"
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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 -
Seeing as your a waist 32" and going by your 2nd profile pic....i agree with your doctor.
You don't need to lose any more weight!
I wouldn't pay too much attention to the BMI chart tbh.....you look nowhere near overweight.0 -
I don't understand the discussion of whether your doctor said "you don't need to lose anymore" or "you shouldn't lose any more." The title of this post states that your doctor said you're at an ideal weight. That seems like a clear statement to me.0
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What would you do?
I would stop.
In fact, given there is a debate that BMI bandings should be reclassified due to findings that being in the lower end of overweight category as defined by the current numbers correlates with being protective against mortality it may be counter productive for you to drop even more weight.
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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"
I've seen this before, but I wonder, if you're an obese person like myself, does this measurement still hold up? I don't have visibly fat wrists, I can still totally see my joint there, but I am curious if my 8 inch wrists actually are accurately large, or if they're just fat haha.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.
Remember, OP is still slightly above normal BMI. Not enough to matter, but given that I personally would not be satisfied just doing the "the doctor said it, so it must be right" thing, especially since I am not as convinced as you that a doctor magically can tell the right weight for someone by looking.
I would want to understand WHY the doctor was saying that, and would ask questions and -- in the best case situation -- get answers that made sense to me or have a useful discussion.
It's entirely possible to misheard "you don't need to lose more" as "you should not lose more," or even something that's more of a compliment or worry that if you lose more it will be hard to maintain (like the many people who get recommendations from their doctors to get to a weight in the overweight zone still -- doctors often assume that's all that's realistic).
OR, in that OP is a tall man and is therefore in a category for which BMI is more often wrong on the high end (that is, you can be a healthy weight with a good BF% above the normal BMI range much more often than a short woman would be), it may be that there are reasons why he really would be better off not losing more, and if so the doctor should be able to explain and he would likely benefit from understanding. (And it's also quite possible that the doctor DID explain here -- maybe he pointed to waist measurements or some such. I'm broadening the conversation a bit.)
I don't like the "doctor says it, I believe it, no questions asked" approach.0 -
danieltsmoke wrote: »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"
I've seen this before, but I wonder, if you're an obese person like myself, does this measurement still hold up? I don't have visibly fat wrists, I can still totally see my joint there, but I am curious if my 8 inch wrists actually are accurately large, or if they're just fat haha.
I don't think it does -- I've seen research that says it doesn't, in fact, although I can't find it now.
My wrists were thin (relatively) even when I was fat, but they were thicker than now, and my right one is thicker than my left one, too, which suggests that muscle can make at least a little bit of difference.0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »Do you know your BF%?
+1
If you're at a healthy body fat %, then ignore BMI. Actually you can ignore BMI anyway if you are tracking body fat.0 -
You know your body better than any doctor does (and better than any work colleague!) and I really feel you should make your own call on this one. Unless your doctor has told you to stop losing weight for medical reasons, I would trust your own judgement. If you feel like you could lose a few more pounds then by all means continue in a healthy and safe way (0.5lbs a week sounds ideal). If you feel that your doctor is right and you would like to enter maintenance, then brilliant - the hard part is done!
I'm considered a 'healthy BMI' now but I still have quite a bit of fat to lose and I'm not comfortable in stopping here just yet. Every one is different.
You've already come so far, congratulations on your amazing achievement - that's a lot of inch loss and you should be proud.0 -
Presumably, your doctor knows your whole health picture and is now getting paid by your insurance company based on quality measures of your health. (if you live in the U.S.) He or she says you are at a healthy weight and should maintain there. Why are you asking the internet based on .46 outside a "healthy" weight range developed by life insurance actuaries to predict life expectancy for sedentary people?0
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... 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?
Visible vasculature in your midsection??? Your body fat percentage is likely well below 10. A size 32 waist is fit for just about any height or weight for a man. You're probably too skinny.0
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