How do you decide when to stop?

flotek72 · November 2019

I'll start maintenance when I calculate my body fat % to be 10-12%. My goal is to see my abs, so I figure that starts around 15% body fat.

amusedmonkey · November 2019

I picked a goal range, not a number and dieted down to the upper end of that range then asked myself if I wanted to go further down into the range, and the answer was yes. At some point (a couple of months later), I started spinning my wheels because I kinda liked how I felt and looked so I didn't really have the motivation to lose more. I could afford to lose more, but I felt meh about the idea. I also considered my maintenance calories and thought if I go any lower I may not be able to maintain.

If I did decide to diet further down, my red line go no further stopping point would have been 20 BMI, just as my red line keep dieting until you hit it point was 30 BMI.

koalathebear · November 2019

I picked an indicative goal weight based on BMI. I'm female and 150cm (five feet) tall so it said healthy BMI was a range of 41.6 - 56kg. I picked 50kg as an indicative goal, just so that I had a starting point but agreed with my PT that when I hit 60kg, we'd discuss. My stating weight was 86.6 kg.

As I approached 60kg, we said that maybe 54-56kg might be better. In the end I decided I'd go to 54-55kg as that was a size 8 or 10 in women's clothing and I was pretty happy with where I was at. I would have liked my waist to be a bit smaller, but overall I was pretty happy with how I was looking and feeling. Part of felt as though I should have gone all the way to 50kg just because it was my initial goal, but that would probably have just been silly pride.

jswigart · November 2019

I used to ask that question myself. I have finally reached weight and fitness level where I feel good about my body. It’s hard to explain but I can tell when I go up a pound or down a pound without ever getting on the scales. Start by figuring your BMI, then once you’ve reached it, ring where you feel your best.

tecat810 · November 2019

I am completely following this thread and am interested in others journey. I lost 40 pounds j a year and a half and am at the the top of healthy bmi and weight for my height. I am 5 foot 3, 140 pounds, and stronger and more fit than I have ever been! I look good, I am in a clothing size I am happy with.

I still have body fat in my middle due to three children and my nutrition choices previously. I'd love to firm that up. I've been trying to focus on meeting my macro and calorie goals and hoping my intensity. So I think recomp essentially.

Thanks for posting and for the discussion on this topic.

rainbow198 · November 2019

I let my weight pick me, but I did have a dream dress size I wanted to wear.

I just kept going until one day I decided that I was happy with my size, with the way I looked in the mirror and how I looked in clothes.

Also at the time I was also happy with my eating and exercise/activity so I thought it would be a good time to stop losing weight and start working on improving my body composition.

I ended up losing another 5 pounds to give me a 10 pound year round maintenance range.

It took some work and time for me to be happy with my body out of clothes, but all of the hard work paid off.

HoneyBadger302 · November 2019

My goal is a flexi-goal right now. The "main" number is what I weighed from my 20's into my early 30's, BUT, I've been doing a lot more focused weight lifting the past couple years, so I realize that I may be just as happy at a slightly higher scale number than I used to have.

Primary goal is still to get the shape I used to have, and get rid of the saddlebags. Once those are gone, I'll be pretty trim (they're the last thing to go), and really am not too concerned about the scale number once I get to that point. I'm finally to a point where they are starting to decrease in size (10-15 pounds to go), so I'll just keep an eye on my overall appearance as I get into the range I'm thinking I'll end up in.

whmscll · November 2019

I set my goal to a weight I looked good at when I was younger. Then decided to lose three more pounds so I’d have a bit of wiggle room in maintenance. Unintentionally lost two more than that. Then went on vacation in France, got sick once I was home, then had oral surgery, and have gained 4 pounds back. So those “wiggle room” pounds have been helpful! Currently trying to drop 2-3 pounds, which will also help keep me from going crazy during the holidays.

psychod787 · November 2019

I shot for lean.... Well got there..... wasn't very happy there. Decided to let my diet and lifestyle define my weight in reverse. I believe in something called ideal weight vs goal weight. Ideal is a place where you feel pretty good, perform well enough, and don't have to be a nutcase to maintain. for some, its to look good naked, for others, lose the gut. For me, it's just "happy". I am willing to live a life outside the "norm" for my goals. Ask yourself..... what do you want?

tuckerrj · November 2019

May seem funny, but my goal is to weigh what I did 40 years ago when I got married.
And I got there last week! ! !

EliseTK1 · November 2019

I had a number in mind when I started losing weight, lost about 19 lbs then began strength training. My body shape has changed dramatically, and scale numbers no longer mean much to me. I decided to maintain when all my "thin" clothes fit me nicely again, but I have continued to do slow body recomp by lifting. I intend to continue improving my lifts/working on my fitness without too much focus on my weight. This way I can still eat enough to keep me happy while also staying healthy. Also curves are sexy- I'm not trying to lose them.

helene4 · November 2019

Factors I considered for ideal weight range
1. Ease of maintenance
2. Feeling comfortable in my body
3. It’s a healthy weight for me
4. Ability to be active the way I want to (hike, run, yoga, etc)

My goal is the 120-125 range (I’m 5’3”). I notice when I weigh less than that I look weird. Too skinny, head a bit bigger than my body, wrinkles appear more pronounced. I was cold all the time.

I can maintain around 120-125 eating 1600-1900 calories, which allows me to eat healthy foods I like without feeling restricted
Yay!

Good luck to you!

OkieFitness · November 2019

I remember when I was in my mid 20s and weighed 160. I felt and looked awesome! Now 56, my initial goal is 170 to see how I feel at that point. Why? Something changed after my long term illness. I was not the skinny soccer player I used to be. I began to bulk up - which was a actually a good thing. I found muscle I didn’t have before. But then the mid age belly flab and laziness hit - both in exercise and eating habits. No more! About 11 pounds down since April. 17 to go. I figure if I hit 170 and think I need to lose 5-10 more? That’s gravy after losing 30. There’s also a pile of 32 waist shorts in my closet calling my name and lower blood pressure and cholesterol too. All great reasons to press on!

pico6222 · November 2019

I agree with what others are saying to give it a while at maintenance and see how you feel. There's nothing wrong with maintaining for several months to a year and then seeing if you want to lose more! In my past, I lost a lot of weight (too quickly) and pushed way below a healthy weight for me. It led to hormonal changes - my period stopping- and ultimately my metabolism slowing down. At that point, no matter how low I put my calories I couldn't lose weight, and if I raised my calories I'd quickly gain. I have vowed not to ever push my metabolism like that. I ended up gaining back all my weight plus 50 lbs more.

This time, I have been losing very gradually (25lbs over a year). I plateaued for a while and just accepted it. Rather than lower my calories, I just set them to maintenance and surprisingly started to lose again.

I have had such terrible experiences with pushing the limits. I would really suggest to go up to your maintenance calories for a while and see how your body responds. If you are a healthy weight and can manage to maintain it's not going to matter if you decide to lose more now or later.

PS congrats on reaching your goal!

Jezreel12 · November 2019

I had gone low twice to 156 lbs and I looked like a crack or meth addict ! I went up to a higher weight into the 210 lbs and had to reassess how I lose weight and what weight is realistic for me ( my body). So now although I never stopped working out at the gym, I’m now losing weight gradually and my wife helping me to see what weight level is good for me and my look. I tended to look at weight charts for my age and body type and I have to say that although helpful it has to be use as one of many tools for what weight I should maintain constantly. Lessons learned for me. It’s no good for me to be to slender or skinny and then looking older or sickly for the benefit of weight loss. I now am losing weight with how I’m feeling and how I look and youthful I look. So I have taken now all this into consideration. I might not have a six pack like before but I’m not looking too skinny like before. Now I look full but young and healthy and still lean enough to keep a balance for good help.

bear2303 · November 2019

tecat810 wrote: »

I am completely following this thread and am interested in others journey. I lost 40 pounds j a year and a half and am at the the top of healthy bmi and weight for my height. I am 5 foot 3, 140 pounds, and stronger and more fit than I have ever been! I look good, I am in a clothing size I am happy with.

I still have body fat in my middle due to three children and my nutrition choices previously. I'd love to firm that up. I've been trying to focus on meeting my macro and calorie goals and hoping my intensity. So I think recomp essentially.

Thanks for posting and for the discussion on this topic.

We have VERY similar stats. I'm 5' 3" and currently weighing 137-140 lbs. I am also feeling good at this weight but have the same issues of weight in my midsection due to my two kids and honestly that's just where i carry weight. I'm also asian and therefore the "asian BMI" should have me sitting more at 126ish to be in a healthy BMI but I feel like that would be hard for me to maintain. I also lost 40 lbs! I was sitting right at 180 when i started!

dhiammarath · November 2019

I took a dart and shot it at the middle of my BMI and then figured out a range. I have the "I want to be around this most days of the year." And then the "my gluttonous birthday/holiday cap" levels were set. My intention is to settle in this range, but bodies are weird and I might not like myself in the middle of the BMI. I might have to go lower (bones? where? not yet for me!) or I might stay or I might go up a little, I don't know. I figure, I'd start there and then see. I have small bones (or at least I'm narrow around based on bra/jean size) and there's still quite a bit of flesh that I want to lean out from (I'm staring at you calves and thighs).

The quick answer is... I don't have a number I've got my heart set on. Instead, I'm set on losing my inner rubber duckie floatie settled around my hips (it's almost gone, yippeee yay!) and on slimming down the fat on my legs. Since I can't spot reduce, I'm working it until I feel comfortable and happy. Rough-guess, I've got 20lbs left. I do have a lot of muscle (yay lifting), so we'll see when I get there.

Go with your gut on how you feel and on what's sustainable. Sustainability >> feeling >> mirror/clothes store (for me).

JenniferM1234 · November 2019

I am 5'3" too!! I decided I'm in maintenance recently, even though technically I'm around 4 pounds over my "goal weight" which was what I weighed/what I looked like when I got married. I got married in my 20s though and that was two now teenager-kids ago -- my body just isn't gonna do that without a lack of any enjoyment. I don't look like I'm in my 20s anymore, nor should I, that's just how it goes. SO, I'm settled into a "settled into" body and just hoping that my 4x/week treadmill walking is enough to keep my heart and lungs healthy.

I've yo-yo'ed up and down the scale since I was a teenager, and maintenance has NEVER stuck (I am okay with dieting but somehow not staying down?? Sucks). This is the reason I'm on MFP now. To see if I can maintain, finally.

RelCanonical · November 2019

I picked what the calculators list as my "ideal" weight, which is about 107-110 pounds, a bmi of about 21. I might decide to stop before then, but I know from the last time I lost weight, that I wasn't happy with my original goal of 130 pounds, which is a bmi of 25, and wanted to lose more. That's consistent this time as that's about where my weight is now and I do want to lose more, although I'm definitely feeling like I don't need to lose a ton more, so that's good.

How do you decide when to stop?

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