When did you know you were done ?

I picked the highest weight for bmi 24 figuring that would be my goal weight. I still have 18 1/2 pounds left to get there. But clothing size wise im happy here. Size 8 or 10 jeans size Med or large Tops
Im 56 i dont think being size 4 or 6 is going to look anything but too thin. Anyone near my age that can relate ? Thanks
«13

Replies

  • Laurie6578
    Laurie6578 Posts: 154 Member
    I'm 55 and I'm aiming for highest BMI too. I'm like 22 pounds from that goal..I figure I'll adjust if I need from there. I'm wearing 10/12 in pants and med/large in tops. We may be sisters.. :smiley:

  • kayak4water
    kayak4water Posts: 155 Member
    I'm 61. I had a 32" waist after hiking 2000 miles in 2015. I'm 5' 8.5" Eight months after hiking I herniated a disk while clam digging. I couldn't walk upright for two months. I could not swim for four months. Within six months my weight went from 154 lb. to 169.

    I've reached my goal weight of 153--my BMI is ~23. My waist is 33", but I'm going to maintenance goals--Samsung Health and MFP have been great.
    When I started about a year ago with Samsung Health, I weighed 17 lb more than now. Eating real foods didn't really work, even though research says it should have.
    I'll still use MFP to watch net calories.

    The initial goal using a food diary was to bring my electrolyte intake to alleviate the foot cramps I was getting in the lap pool. I've accomplished that and much more.

    Best of luck to all!
  • ITUSGirl51
    ITUSGirl51 Posts: 192 Member
    I’m 51, 5’ 8” 161 lbs (164.4 is normal for my height) and I wear a size 8 pant and size 12 top/dress (big girls). I would have to lose 10 lbs to go down a size on pant, but my top wouldn’t change much. I’m pretty much where I want to be based on how I feel and how I fit in clothes. I’m also happy to no longer be “overweight”. That’s important to me, so I kept working at it. I felt fine 15 lbs ago, but I feel even better now. I also have some saggy skin, so I don’t want to keep losing to look even more deflated.

    It’s really up to you and your doctor on what’s a healthy goal weight for you. I’m sure some people would tell me to lose more weight, but they don’t have to live in my shoes everyday. Some have told me to stop losing. Just be the best you, you can be and sustain.
  • ryenday
    ryenday Posts: 1,540 Member
    As insurance discounts and employee health incentive plans often rely on BMI I decided I was going to get into the normal BMI range. Otherwise I probably would have stopped my diet 5 to 10 pounds earlier.

    I’m not actually happy with how I look - but don’t want to lose more weight as my caloric allowance is minimal even at the top of my BMI range. I’m hoping recomp will improve how I look and the strength training can only improve my fitness (and maybe allow me a few extra calories ) so that’s all good.

    But, I’m an older gal who doesn’t feel the need to worry too much about how I look - being that invisible age. Still I’d be happier looking at myself with a bit less body fat, I think.
  • k8eekins
    k8eekins Posts: 2,264 Member
    traleen wrote: »
    I picked the highest weight for bmi 24 figuring that would be my goal weight. I still have 18 1/2 pounds left to get there. But clothing size wise im happy here. Size 8 or 10 jeans size Med or large Tops
    Im 56 i dont think being size 4 or 6 is going to look anything but too thin. Anyone near my age that can relate ? When did you know you were done ? Thanks

    I knew I was done for the first phase of my road to fitness, which at the time was, qualifying and applying myself to hit the healthy weight range, when my dress size (far too small for my comfort) did not coincide with my weigh-ins (heavy).
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    traleen wrote: »
    I picked the highest weight for bmi 24 figuring that would be my goal weight. I still have 18 1/2 pounds left to get there. But clothing size wise im happy here. Size 8 or 10 jeans size Med or large Tops
    Im 56 i dont think being size 4 or 6 is going to look anything but too thin. Anyone near my age that can relate ? Thanks

    No sorry I can't relate to that too thin comment.
    Hitting 50 this autumn and got myself down to BMI 22
    I initially went for the top end of my BMI but at times I felt fine at certain weights and had a break in loosing to keep my sanity usually this conceded with a holiday. Then after a few months my wish to go to healthy was winning again and I started back (though always logged).
    In the end I looked up what is considered the most healthy and went for it ad got there, I am not too thin - I am muscular and I get many many comments now that I don't look nearly 50 but more like late thirties.
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
    DanR_85 wrote: »
    Some interesting perspectives here.

    Remember, BMI is only a guide, if you have a lot of muscle mass, you may be over 25 BMI but still be a healthy weight.

    My original aim was to be ~190lbs, which is BMI of 23 for me, but the closer I get to that target I realise the further I'd like to go. Ideally I'd like to be lean whilst retaining some muscle bulk if possible.

    So to answer your original question - it depends on your personality. If you can hit a healthy weight and be happy to stay where you are, then you've done it. For some people though, there will be an everlasting pursuit of improving ones' physique.
    .

    This, especially about BMI.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    Never done. I need goals to keep me moving!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    When I got to a healthy BF% that was easily maintainable in regards to my overall habits and lifestyle.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,281 Member
    What I like about the BMI chart is that it is a good solid guide. There is so much illogic when it comes to body image and dieting. We lie to ourselves and have distorted ideas on what is average after being overweight.
    I like having a medical based guide on where i should be. Therefore, I set my goal weight right in the middle. I'm at 22.4 right now and will be at 21.5 when i reach my goal weight. i can understand someone who was very overweight wanting to stop, take a break to maintain for a while....but at least getting out of the overweight range should be the goal.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    edited May 2018
    I'm 59 and have maintained 6 years. When I started I had a BMI that had just hit 26. I'm tall so that was 38 pounds over my ideal weight, but 18 over where I figured was good - 187 pounds. I had an aspirational goal of 165 but would have been happy if I hit 170. That was my weight just before I got pregnant the second time and I looked pretty good there. I hit that goal in just a two or three months and it was easy. So I just kept on until I got back to what I knew was my body's natural weight - 150-155 pounds. That's where I was when I graduated college and what I went back to after both kids. Those last 8 pounds took some time. Not hard, but slow. But I hit it at 8 months.

    How did I know? Every other goal were ones where I'd settled on a weight where, when I was younger, I'd have thought was high. I hit 152, I think and looked in the mirror and said - yeah, that's what I remember looking like. I went into maintenance. I did wind up losing a bit more, but not on purpose. And I bounced back into the 150-155 weight range and maintained pretty easily for 5 years.

    At 54, it looked great on me. My BMI was just under 22. My only regret is not doing it earlier.

    P.S. At 5'10", that's a size 10 or 12.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    I never reached that point, lol. But I was getting close.