Weight and ageing? Is my 'high school weight' goal unrealistic?
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Your body changes when you enter adulthood...and I'm not talking about putting on fat...your body just changes...most likely this is completely unrealistic...you're a woman, not a little girl.
This seems like it would be dependent on when you go through puberty. I was done growing in middle school, got my period when I was 10, and have had the same bra cup size since 11. I don't see how my high school body would have been that of a "little girl," and it certainly hasn't been unrealistic for me to be the same size (or smaller) than I was in high school. I'm 5'5". I was 130 my senior year of high school. I'm 27 now and weigh ~125. I've been as low as 120 but found that hard to maintain.
OP, 105 is a reasonable weight for your height. But rather than comparing yourself to high school, I think you should focus on being a healthy weight, a healthy BF%, and able to accomplish your fitness goals. What you're really after is a body composition you feel comfortable with - if you have that, the number on the scale won't matter.
ETA that I think the most likely reason for your difficulty in losing weight/maintaining a lower weight is activity level. I know I was more active in high school - I was active in tech theatre rigging lighting, out walking the mall with friends, playing sports, walking between classes. As an adult with a desk job I have to make a conscious effort to get adequate activity in.3 -
I was always told that your teenage weight is to unrealistic to get back to, and i was told that in early 30's, well, I'm going to tell you that statement is a total BS. I'm 48, fittest that I have ever been, with lean muscles that I'm totally proud of, I got womanly curves, so not dying of hunger or anything(actually eating more freely than ever before to, since I know how to make food work for my goals) and I weigh much less than I weighted in my teenage years. I weight less, my waist is smaller, but the rest of the deal is where they need to be. I lift, and follow IIFYM and totally loving my looks.3
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Yes and no - yes, it's probably possible, but no, it won't come "easily" the way it did when you were 16.
At 39 (yeesh!) I'm at approximately the same weight I was at 16, give or take a pound or two. BUT - I will have to stay conscious of my habits and behavior and keep working to maintain this weight for the rest of my life. At 16, I could eat all the junk food I wanted (and I did) and I never "exercised" (although I was probably more active in my regular life than I am, now). I was 108 pounds. Now, if I want to stay in the 108/110 range, I have to stay on top of it. I can't just do what I want and expect my body to roll with it. I don't know whether that's a slowing of the metabolism or what - but yeah, it's a fact of life. Our bodies change when we get older and for a lot of us, that means that keeping off the weight gets harder.
You sound like you're in a "rut," like you're discouraged. You don't want to work this hard for the rest of your life, and you feel like your body is trying really hard to "hold on" to the extra weight. I think this is a kind of normal phase to go through a month or two into your diet - you HAVE been working hard, but you haven't been doing it long enough to become "habit" just yet. You HAVE lost weight (5 pounds in a month is a steady, significant loss) but it's not a big enough difference to motivate you, yet. It's a common place for people to throw in the towel. My advice - hang in there.6 -
Technically, it may be possible. But I have to agree with others that there's also a possibility your body might not have finished all the changes it was going through when you were in High School (or at least when you logged 105 as your weight).
So I'd concur with suggestions that focusing more on working with your current body, such as focusing on bodyfat percentage, may serve you better than focusing on a historical weight level.2 -
I weighed the same at 40 as I did at 17. And yes, 5'1" at 105 is a reasonable goal.3
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I'll be 30 at the end of the month. Like OP, I weighed like 105 in HS (I'm 5'2). After college I was probably 112, and then when I moved in with my fiance got up to 118 before starting my wedding diet. I wasn't out of shape but just wasn't used to weighing that much or having to pay attention to it. I was able to get down to about 110 for my wedding (In Sept '15) but I had to be pretty strict, and I wasn't able to stay there. Fast forward to now and I've started a more aggressive lifting program & I weigh more now than ever, 120. (To break it down I lost 8 pounds in 8 months for my wedding and have gained it and more back just as fast.) But I feel strong and fit. Yes I have to pay attention to what I am eating, and work hard, but maintaining at what I weighed in HS does not fit into my lifestyle and I have come to terms with the fact that I will not have the body I had when I was a teenager because I am a woman. But its capable of different things now, and that's cool too.1
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trinabot19 wrote: »Is my 'high school weight' goal unrealistic?
Most likely.
at 5'1", a goal weight of 105 is not at all unrealistic. I'm 5'1" and 31 y/o and that's around where i hover.1 -
This is a depressing thread -- at 26, you're depressed because you're 120 lbs., feel HUGE, and your excess weight is due to the aging process? I'm 57, 5'1", and 120 lbs. I guess I should just waddle my grossly obese body over to the nursing home.
So you're 57 and you still haven't learned that this thread is not all about you and how you feel? Have some respect for the OP. She is not here talking about your body; she is talking about her body. Don't make it about you.4 -
I was an O-lineman in 9th grade and now in AARP-land I'm smaller than that.0
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trinabot19 wrote: »msalicia116 wrote: »3dogsrunning wrote: »msalicia116 wrote: »3dogsrunning wrote: »msalicia116 wrote: »JustMissTracy wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Your body changes when you enter adulthood...and I'm not talking about putting on fat...your body just changes...most likely this is completely unrealistic...you're a woman, not a little girl.
This, exactly!
^I'm smaller than I was in high school. Our bodies change for various reasons, but it doesn't mean we can't (or that it's unlikely to) be the same weight or size.
I've made it my goal to improve my health every year, fortunately my size was affected by that goal.
That typo of thinking is defeating and makes one feel like, what's the point, or that it's all downhill from here. Not true at all and if you want your goal to be 19% body fat than it IS possible!
Don't let age or any excuse define you
I'm guessing you won't since you're here to be the best version of yourself!
@msalicia116
It depends on where you come from. For some being the same size or smaller than high school is possible. Not necessarily for everyone.
I was very tiny in high school. I developed late. I was still very lean in my 20s bit bigger than high school.
There is no way I'd get back to my high school weight or size.
I'm familiar with anything is possible. Not everything is nor does it have to be.
Still not even close to high school weight or size.
I agree that it depends. That's why I don't use the words "it's unlikely" regarding a population because that seems defeating to me.
And being lean or in a lean bf % ( like yourself- you look amazing) at any age is possible (even if that means 23%bf for your body type).
Sincere question for anyone, but is there a reason you wouldn't be able to be "close" to your senior year weight if you didn't put on an insane amount of muscle or grew several inches after high school? I don't see why it's "unlikely" at all, especially for women if that's what they want.
I'm not a doctor, I don't have studies, I may be wrong. I only know that for me, I developed later. My body shape changed. I filled out. My understanding is that in teen years you can still be growing, not necessarily in height, but that is also a possibility. Plus you develop fat stores (which is normal and part of the reason why women have a higher BF % range then men). And to be honest, I don't know that i ever knew my height back then. I can't tell you how much muscle I put on, it was never something I specifically worked at although I did go to the gym for many years.
Also, while I was "underweight". It wasn't a concern at the time because I was still growing. I was never diagnosed as underweight, nor was there a concern for my health. But as an adult, I would be considered underweight at my high school weight.
I also work in a high school where I see many girls who are similar to how I was. I worry about encouraging young women to aspire to a body shape/type that isn't necessarily attainable to them, particularly if it is on where they are still developing.
If you want someone wants to lose bodyfat, then go for it. I just think aiming for a specific number based on what you weighed at a time when you may or may not have still been developing could be problematic, particularly if you were especially lean.
No one here is encouraging young women to be under weight that's for sure. Most girls aren't under weight in high school anyway, if anything half if not more are over weight. And we're talking about being around the same size, as we all know the number on the scale can reflect a number of variables. Hopefully as you age your muscle mass increases, but not necessarily your bf % by too much (unless necessary for health).
But if you are an average and healthy weight in high school and you're done growing, I still don't see how it would be impractical to be in the same range as you were when you were a senior. This seems to apply to women more than men.
I think that's pretty practical unless there's a medical reason, you've put on a large amount of muscle mass, or you had a very late growth spurt.
I'm certainly understanding of your pov and personal circumstances in being underweight. I'm glad you don't aspire to be that weight or size again.
I like your guy's discussion! I was done growing in high school though..actually Im pretty sure I reached my height of 5'1 in middle school and there I stopped growing haha. I dont think my body has changed much other than this added weight which is why im so disconcerted about it. I have no medical issues of any sort either. I just think I felt most comfortable with myself in the 105 range (not to say I HAVE to be 105 but somewhere close would be nice 105-110) My trouble is that I feel like its taking so much effort so I wonder if its really attainable in the long term? If I have to cut calories and exercise 6 times a week in order to lose this extra weight will that mean I will just have to do this forever or Ill gain it all back?? It just baffles me because when I was in high school I didnt even have to try (this includes a few years later after high school too guys as I didnt gain any extra weight until I was about 20-21 which I did mention! - (I got married at 20 so thats probably part of the weight gain hahaha).
No, you shouldn't have to exercise 6 days per week to lose weight. It's all about calorie intake. How many calories per day are you eating? Do you accurately weigh and measure your food and log it here? No need to over complicate it. All you need to do is start eating just a little less than you are now. No drastic changes, no crazy diets or elimination of food. Just have smaller portions. Exercise for health benefits and for the sake of being active.
What does a normal day of eating look like for you currently? I'm the same as you in that I reached my full height of 5'1" in middle school. I had a bit of a weight gain my Sophomore year due to being less active and having more access to fast food, but fast forward 20+ years and 2 children later and I'm 20 lbs lighter than my high school weight.3 -
I'm 35 and I weigh less than I did in HS. I wasn't skinny in HS though. I was about 105 back then (I'm 4'11") and I'm 96 now. Also I'm more muscular than I was then. I started at 115 back in November and it wasn't that difficult for me to get down to this. Just keeping up with my calorie counting and I workout every day now. I mean, I did change my lifestyle but the weight came off pretty quickly. Also I feel much better now with more energy.0
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You don't have to decide on your final goal now. Take it 5lb at a time and see how it goes.0
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Of course you can achieve that. 26 is not "older" or "aged," for one, and if you diet and exercise, you can achieve your strongest, leanest body ever.
Make it fun. Find foods and exercises you enjoy. Take it day by day and set other milestones like your fastest mile, most steps in a day/week, staying within your calorie goal for a day, or your longest streak. It's not all about weight all the time - that takes time and cam be frustrating. It's a journey, so make the most of it!2 -
mpkanewske wrote: »This is a depressing thread -- at 26, you're depressed because you're 120 lbs., feel HUGE, and your excess weight is due to the aging process? I'm 57, 5'1", and 120 lbs. I guess I should just waddle my grossly obese body over to the nursing home.
So you're 57 and you still haven't learned that this thread is not all about you and how you feel? Have some respect for the OP. She is not here talking about your body; she is talking about her body. Don't make it about you.
My remarks were meant to be ironic, not about how I feel personally about my body, and I didn't intend any disrespect to OP. I guess my thought is that someone who is 26 is already concerned about that the "aging process" is affecting her weight is a bit extreme, and she is the one who used HUGE to describe a weight well within a normal BMI. Then, she projects a future that involves constant exercise and dieting to maintain a low weight: "I feel like my goal is impossible because Its been a real struggle lately. I dont want to have to workout every day of my life and count calories every day of my life... Is this just how its going to be as I get older and older because losing weight will become more and more difficult??" This isn't what I'd call happy talk. I read this kind of thing from people who are significantly obese, not normal weight people trying to get to their "ideal weight."3 -
AlisonH729 wrote: »I'll be 30 at the end of the month. Like OP, I weighed like 105 in HS (I'm 5'2). After college I was probably 112, and then when I moved in with my fiance got up to 118 before starting my wedding diet. I wasn't out of shape but just wasn't used to weighing that much or having to pay attention to it. I was able to get down to about 110 for my wedding (In Sept '15) but I had to be pretty strict, and I wasn't able to stay there. Fast forward to now and I've started a more aggressive lifting program & I weigh more now than ever, 120. (To break it down I lost 8 pounds in 8 months for my wedding and have gained it and more back just as fast.) But I feel strong and fit. Yes I have to pay attention to what I am eating, and work hard, but maintaining at what I weighed in HS does not fit into my lifestyle and I have come to terms with the fact that I will not have the body I had when I was a teenager because I am a woman. But its capable of different things now, and that's cool too.
"I will not have the body I had when I was a teenager because I am a woman."
^ I hope you don't mean that women can't have the same body as they did when they were a teenager, and that a body like that doesn't make them a woman.
I'm really hoping you don't actually believe that.1 -
mpkanewske wrote: »This is a depressing thread -- at 26, you're depressed because you're 120 lbs., feel HUGE, and your excess weight is due to the aging process? I'm 57, 5'1", and 120 lbs. I guess I should just waddle my grossly obese body over to the nursing home.
So you're 57 and you still haven't learned that this thread is not all about you and how you feel? Have some respect for the OP. She is not here talking about your body; she is talking about her body. Don't make it about you.
My remarks were meant to be ironic, not about how I feel personally about my body, and I didn't intend any disrespect to OP. I guess my thought is that someone who is 26 is already concerned about that the "aging process" is affecting her weight is a bit extreme, and she is the one who used HUGE to describe a weight well within a normal BMI. Then, she projects a future that involves constant exercise and dieting to maintain a low weight: "I feel like my goal is impossible because Its been a real struggle lately. I dont want to have to workout every day of my life and count calories every day of my life... Is this just how its going to be as I get older and older because losing weight will become more and more difficult??" This isn't what I'd call happy talk. I read this kind of thing from people who are significantly obese, not normal weight people trying to get to their "ideal weight."
I think you were saying that her feelings about herself (even though she has practical goals) don't count because she's not over weight or obese. Shame.
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mpkanewske wrote: »This is a depressing thread -- at 26, you're depressed because you're 120 lbs., feel HUGE, and your excess weight is due to the aging process? I'm 57, 5'1", and 120 lbs. I guess I should just waddle my grossly obese body over to the nursing home.
So you're 57 and you still haven't learned that this thread is not all about you and how you feel? Have some respect for the OP. She is not here talking about your body; she is talking about her body. Don't make it about you.
My remarks were meant to be ironic, not about how I feel personally about my body, and I didn't intend any disrespect to OP. I guess my thought is that someone who is 26 is already concerned about that the "aging process" is affecting her weight is a bit extreme, and she is the one who used HUGE to describe a weight well within a normal BMI. Then, she projects a future that involves constant exercise and dieting to maintain a low weight: "I feel like my goal is impossible because Its been a real struggle lately. I dont want to have to workout every day of my life and count calories every day of my life... Is this just how its going to be as I get older and older because losing weight will become more and more difficult??" This isn't what I'd call happy talk. I read this kind of thing from people who are significantly obese, not normal weight people trying to get to their "ideal weight."
i say it makes me feel HUGE because it does lol.. when you compare 105 to 125 its a 20 pound difference and on a short body that shows a lot! Am I supposed to be excited about being bigger than I want to be? Lol I dont really care if im still in 'normal range' because it still effects my confidence level and when I was under 110 lbs I was plenty healthy and also in normal range so I dont understand what your issue is with my thread?...I made this thread because Im unsure what I should be focusing on since I am getting older, im closer to 30 than I am 20 now, and wondering if getting to 105 might not be very reasonable for someone at my activity level
I mentioned the aging process because thats what I always hear from people as you get older its harder to take off weight and easier to put it on because metabolism slows etc etc etc............2 -
trinabot19 wrote: »mpkanewske wrote: »This is a depressing thread -- at 26, you're depressed because you're 120 lbs., feel HUGE, and your excess weight is due to the aging process? I'm 57, 5'1", and 120 lbs. I guess I should just waddle my grossly obese body over to the nursing home.
So you're 57 and you still haven't learned that this thread is not all about you and how you feel? Have some respect for the OP. She is not here talking about your body; she is talking about her body. Don't make it about you.
My remarks were meant to be ironic, not about how I feel personally about my body, and I didn't intend any disrespect to OP. I guess my thought is that someone who is 26 is already concerned about that the "aging process" is affecting her weight is a bit extreme, and she is the one who used HUGE to describe a weight well within a normal BMI. Then, she projects a future that involves constant exercise and dieting to maintain a low weight: "I feel like my goal is impossible because Its been a real struggle lately. I dont want to have to workout every day of my life and count calories every day of my life... Is this just how its going to be as I get older and older because losing weight will become more and more difficult??" This isn't what I'd call happy talk. I read this kind of thing from people who are significantly obese, not normal weight people trying to get to their "ideal weight."
i say it makes me feel HUGE because it does lol.. when you compare 105 to 125 its a 20 pound difference and on a short body that shows a lot! Am I supposed to be excited about being bigger than I want to be? Lol I dont really care if im still in 'normal range' because it still effects my confidence level and when I was under 110 lbs I was plenty healthy and also in normal range so I dont understand what your issue is with my thread?...I made this thread because Im unsure what I should be focusing on since I am getting older, im closer to 30 than I am 20 now, and wondering if getting to 105 might not be very reasonable for someone at my activity level
I mentioned the aging process because thats what I always hear from people as you get older its harder to take off weight and easier to put it on because metabolism slows etc etc etc............
To be honest, the metabolism does slow but that is a very small change. The real issue typically is people tend to become less active as they age which accounts for more of the calorie drop than actual metabolism.3 -
No, you shouldn't have to exercise 6 days per week to lose weight. It's all about calorie intake. How many calories per day are you eating? Do you accurately weigh and measure your food and log it here? No need to over complicate it. All you need to do is start eating just a little less than you are now. No drastic changes, no crazy diets or elimination of food. Just have smaller portions. Exercise for health benefits and for the sake of being active.
What does a normal day of eating look like for you currently? I'm the same as you in that I reached my full height of 5'1" in middle school. I had a bit of a weight gain my Sophomore year due to being less active and having more access to fast food, but fast forward 20+ years and 2 children later and I'm 20 lbs lighter than my high school weight.
Id say I eat pretty normal/healthy..after I got married and life happened my H and I were going out a lot more than we probably should have haha which is probably why I gained most of the weight. And of course not being quite as active as I used to.
Ive been making a big effort to stop getting the going out food and keeping my cals to around 1300 a day which isnt too bad for me. I HAD been going to the gym 6 days a week but now ive changed to 2 or 3 days a week while still doing some form of exercise at home every day still (walking/jogging etc). Ive been really good at being accurate with my cals the last few weeks too, except for this week ive been slacking on that a bit but Im still eating healthy and taking small portions etc i just cant keep up with constantly adding this stuff into MFP its making me neurotic LOL
Thats awesome what you were able to do after having kids too!! Thats the other thing too is that I want to lose some of this weight before my husband and I decide to have kids as well!0 -
I would say it's probably possible. I'm 26 and weigh about what I did my freshman yr of high school (though I'm actually smaller now). My original goal was my senior weight (130-135), but when I got there I decided I wanted to go a bit lower. I was actually told by my mom that it wasn't a reasonable goal when I set it because I had just had my oldest. I now have 2 kids and reached my original goal about 14-15 months after my second was born. It's been pretty slow since I hit that point and maintaining a deficit has been harder. I don't think it has to do with my age so much as my activity level is different and I'm actually at a reasonable weight for my height. My trend weight is 125.4 now (I'm taller than you though) and was trending 122 at the start of the year (I slipped up a few months ago). I say take it slow and stop where you feel comfortable. That could very well be your high school weight or a bit higher.
For me, I will probably be counting calories for awhile. I am not good at judging portions or intuitive eating. I'm hoping to eventually be good at judging portions, but for now calorie counting works for monitoring my intake.0
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