Is maintaining a bmi of 23-24 okay?

Olafiina
Olafiina Posts: 14 Member
edited May 2021 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Over 2 years ago after losing nearly 40 pounds I stopped at this weight with the idea that I would lose more later on, But I've pretty much settled into it now because I know how to maintain it with flying colors. I really don't want to go back into a deficit again, I feel great as I'm healthier and I'm active. All my clothes fit nice and I like the way I look most of the time. I'm proud I've kept it off for years!
I guess I've been comparing myself to other people around here recently and I've realized a lot of you maintain more on the mid to low range and I started to question if my weight was "low" enough. So I guess my question is, Is there any reason I should try to lose more weight or is being where I'm comfortably maintaining enough?

Replies

  • WeatherJane
    WeatherJane Posts: 1,492 Member
    Yes its okay. If you're happy at your current weight then keep on maintaining at that weight. Congrats on your 40 lb loss. It's hard but try to not compare yourself to others.
  • rosiekin
    rosiekin Posts: 78 Member
    Olafiina wrote: »
    I feel great as I'm healthier and I'm active. All my clothes fit nice and I like the way I look most of the time. I'm proud I've kept it off for years!

    To me, these 3 sentences sums it up... you are healthy, active and proud, so why would you want to do anything to change that. You have found a way to successfully maintain your original weight loss so I would keep doing what you are doing and don't rock the boat. You are in within the healthy BMI range, and are happy, so keep doing you and try not to question yourself or compare yourself to other people.

  • DiscusTank5
    DiscusTank5 Posts: 321 Member
    I was at a 24 BMI in college and would love to get back to that point! Good job maintaining that 40 lb loss. What a major accomplishment.
  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
    This sounds to me as though it is working really well for you as a maintenance weight and that is what matters. For what it's worth (which is not a lot!) I am also aiming to maintain at around BMI 23. However, unlike you, I lost to that goal and a bit beyond a few years ago and then gained back to being borderline obese (bmi 27.25). Looking back I think the losing "a bit beyond" was too far for me so this time I am aiming to maintain where I feel fit and healthy.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,971 Member
    My BMI currently varies betwen 23.6-24.3 based on a ht of 5'8" and a wt range between 155-160#. It's within the "normal" BMI range and works fine for me.

    Everyone is certainly different but I doubt that you (the OP) would have any problem maintaining your BMI between 23-24, if you are happy w/your wt/shape in that range
  • xrj22
    xrj22 Posts: 195 Member
    I am in another group that has a saying "stay in your lane" -- meaning don't look at what others are doing as a guide for what you should do. BMI of 24 can mean different things for different people. First depends on your physique -- female with small build, male with large build, or anything in-between. Also depends how much of it is muscle. Depends why you lost weight: looks, fitnese, health risks #'s (blood sugar, BP, cholsterol), health conditions, etc etc. Where are you with these things now and are you satisfied? I know people who will probably NEVER get as low as a BMI of 24, and others who will never get that high. They are your goals, you can set them where you want, and there are a whole lot of things to think about besides BMI.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 8,691 Member
    Only two people's opinions should count when asking if you should lose weight or not: yours and your doctor. Comparing to others based only on a single number (BMI, body fat %, or something else) is iffy at best, dangerous at worst. Many professional athletes with amazing health are "obese" per BMI... many people of "healthy" BMI have other factors ruining their health.

    I have been sitting at 29.1 BMI for years now. I feel healthy and satisfied; my doctor is satisfied. That's good enough for me.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    Olafiina wrote: »
    Over 2 years ago after losing nearly 40 pounds I stopped at this weight with the idea that I would lose more later on, But I've pretty much settled into it now because I know how to maintain it with flying colors. I really don't want to go back into a deficit again, I feel great as I'm healthier and I'm active. All my clothes fit nice and I like the way I look most of the time. I'm proud I've kept it off for years!
    I guess I've been comparing myself to other people around here recently and I've realized a lot of you maintain more on the mid to low range and I started to question if my weight was "low" enough. So I guess my question is, Is there any reason I should try to lose more weight or is being where I'm comfortably maintaining enough?

    Hi @Olafiina !
    Congratulations, first of all!

    I’m responding because I’ve had the same question.

    My BMI is in the 23’s, after deciding I was too hungry trying to stay closer to 23.0. (I think my body frame is large in hips/knees/elbows (LOL) & medium in shoulders/wrists/ankles.)

    I asked my doctors (a couple of specialists & my PCP.) They all responded “You’re great!” Or “I just want your BMI under 24.9.”

    So I stopped shooting for BMI 23.0.

    I’ve maintained for 2 yr 9 months & it feels pretty comfortable. Ever time I inch down (rate for me) I get really hungry (eat more) & go up again to my maintenance.

    Sustainable Maintenance has always been my Number One goal.

    BTW: I do wonder if the folks with lower BMI’s in here are finer boned. I have a gf at the lowest normal BMI...works out hard daily..tons of energy & I swear her knees are half the width of mine!

    Congratulations again! 👏👏👏
    Maddie
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,724 Member
    Olafiina wrote: »
    Over 2 years ago after losing nearly 40 pounds I stopped at this weight with the idea that I would lose more later on, But I've pretty much settled into it now because I know how to maintain it with flying colors. I really don't want to go back into a deficit again, I feel great as I'm healthier and I'm active. All my clothes fit nice and I like the way I look most of the time. I'm proud I've kept it off for years!
    I guess I've been comparing myself to other people around here recently and I've realized a lot of you maintain more on the mid to low range and I started to question if my weight was "low" enough. So I guess my question is, Is there any reason I should try to lose more weight or is being where I'm comfortably maintaining enough?

    Hi @Olafiina !
    Congratulations, first of all!

    I’m responding because I’ve had the same question.

    My BMI is in the 23’s, after deciding I was too hungry trying to stay closer to 23.0. (I think my body frame is large in hips/knees/elbows (LOL) & medium in shoulders/wrists/ankles.)

    I asked my doctors (a couple of specialists & my PCP.) They all responded “You’re great!” Or “I just want your BMI under 24.9.”

    So I stopped shooting for BMI 23.0.

    I’ve maintained for 2 yr 9 months & it feels pretty comfortable. Ever time I inch down (rate for me) I get really hungry (eat more) & go up again to my maintenance.

    Sustainable Maintenance has always been my Number One goal.

    BTW: I do wonder if the folks with lower BMI’s in here are finer boned. I have a gf at the lowest normal BMI...works out hard daily..tons of energy & I swear her knees are half the width of mine!

    Congratulations again! 👏👏👏
    Maddie

    I can give you another n=1. I'm BMI 20-point-something now. My bones are not fine (in the sense of having long, narrow, elegant shapes, as I see in some of my friends) - I have more of a "sturdy peasant" build. My pelvic width is narrow, shoulders somewhat broad, head/hands objectively big, and I have no breasts. I'm not devoid of muscle, particularly for my demographic (F, 65), but far from a bodybuilder. From other threads here, it's absolutely clear to me that I prefer to be thinner than some women would prefer for themselves, aesthetically speaking. I personally don't prefer to be at BMI 23 or so (even though I think that can be a fine choice for other women, and would be a reasonably healthy weight for me).

    I also happen to find it easy to maintain near this weight on the number of calories that maintain it for me, which is a complex of many factors (probably including genetic factors about hunger hormone levels, comfortable activity levels via both daily life and exercise, body composition, early socialization and current social context, maybe preferred eating style, maybe gut microbiome, etc. - who knows what all?).

    I strongly, strongly doubt there's one or a few easily-isolated simple reasons that some people prefer to maintain at a higher BMI than others. Not saying you did this (you didn't), but I find it odd when some people question others' choices, within a reasonably healthy range of weights. I think all of us have a range of reasonably-healthy weights, and where we choose to be is a personal decision.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Olafiina wrote: »
    Over 2 years ago after losing nearly 40 pounds I stopped at this weight with the idea that I would lose more later on, But I've pretty much settled into it now because I know how to maintain it with flying colors. I really don't want to go back into a deficit again, I feel great as I'm healthier and I'm active. All my clothes fit nice and I like the way I look most of the time. I'm proud I've kept it off for years!
    I guess I've been comparing myself to other people around here recently and I've realized a lot of you maintain more on the mid to low range and I started to question if my weight was "low" enough. So I guess my question is, Is there any reason I should try to lose more weight or is being where I'm comfortably maintaining enough?

    Hi @Olafiina !
    Congratulations, first of all!

    I’m responding because I’ve had the same question.

    My BMI is in the 23’s, after deciding I was too hungry trying to stay closer to 23.0. (I think my body frame is large in hips/knees/elbows (LOL) & medium in shoulders/wrists/ankles.)

    I asked my doctors (a couple of specialists & my PCP.) They all responded “You’re great!” Or “I just want your BMI under 24.9.”

    So I stopped shooting for BMI 23.0.

    I’ve maintained for 2 yr 9 months & it feels pretty comfortable. Ever time I inch down (rate for me) I get really hungry (eat more) & go up again to my maintenance.

    Sustainable Maintenance has always been my Number One goal.

    BTW: I do wonder if the folks with lower BMI’s in here are finer boned. I have a gf at the lowest normal BMI...works out hard daily..tons of energy & I swear her knees are half the width of mine!

    Congratulations again! 👏👏👏
    Maddie

    I can give you another n=1. I'm BMI 20-point-something now. My bones are not fine (in the sense of having long, narrow, elegant shapes, as I see in some of my friends) - I have more of a "sturdy peasant" build. My pelvic width is narrow, shoulders somewhat broad, head/hands objectively big, and I have no breasts. I'm not devoid of muscle, particularly for my demographic (F, 65), but far from a bodybuilder. From other threads here, it's absolutely clear to me that I prefer to be thinner than some women would prefer for themselves, aesthetically speaking. I personally don't prefer to be at BMI 23 or so (even though I think that can be a fine choice for other women, and would be a reasonably healthy weight for me).

    I also happen to find it easy to maintain near this weight on the number of calories that maintain it for me, which is a complex of many factors (probably including genetic factors about hunger hormone levels, comfortable activity levels via both daily life and exercise, body composition, early socialization and current social context, maybe preferred eating style, maybe gut microbiome, etc. - who knows what all?).

    I strongly, strongly doubt there's one or a few easily-isolated simple reasons that some people prefer to maintain at a higher BMI than others. Not saying you did this (you didn't), but I find it odd when some people question others' choices, within a reasonably healthy range of weights. I think all of us have a range of reasonably-healthy weights, and where we choose to be is a personal decision.

    Thanks @AnnPT77. Yes, I would never question another’s decision on their weight preference! There are so many factors — and preferences!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,930 Member
    I'm not sure most maintainers here maintain at lower to mid range.

    But I personally maintain at BMI of 23 and am quite happy with that.