How do you know when your small enough??

When I'm satisfied with the way I look, but within a healthy range. And different things have to be taken account to be considered "healthy", not only BMI. For example, your body frame, race (Asians are at more risk than Caucasians at a lower weight), and body fat percentage.

I'm sure you've seen some significant changes with 66lbs lost - what about spending a few weeks maintaining and adapting to your new body before making another effort to lose?

You know you're small enough when what you picture yourself to be like in your mind, you actually see in the mirror. You'll know when you need to stop losing weight because you look good to you. Thats all that matters. I think I'll be small enough at my goal weight of 130. But I honestly won't know until I get there. Good luck to you. :]

Health matters as well. It is not ONLY based on your satisfaction with your looks.

I disagree that it's about how you feel - your mind is not necessarily reliable as the many cases of eating disorders show. You can 'feel fat' and even genuinely think you look fat at an unhealthily low weight.

I'd ask 'small enough' for what? To feel good/ happy/ attractive/ better self-esteem etc? That's more a psychological issue than a physical one.

I agree with the person who suggested you maintain your current weight for a while (at least a month or two) and work on readjusting your self-perception. People say looking at photos help. Also, tangible things like clothes being too loose etc.

This is as much an emotional journey as a physical one. Take time to celebrate your wonderful progress and celebrate the new you! You've done a brilliant job - there may be further to go, but do take time to enjoy your achievements.

It's a really good question - I'm still a few kg above the high weight for healthy BMI for my height but I think I'm at a pretty healthy and realistic size now. The things that make me think this are:
- My husband started to question how much more I was going to lose a few kilos ago.
- I exceeded my expectations of fitting into Aussie size 12 pants when I bought a size 10 last week (US size 6 I think).
- I can feel my collarbones (who knew they were even still there?) and my wrists seem bony.
- Yesterday I put on a summer dress that I had altered last time I lost weight (I felt pretty good at that weight 2 1/2 years ago) and it absolutely hung on me.
- I caught sight of myself side on in a shop window and didn't think it was me, it seemed too small.

So, although I don't know if I'm small enough I've decided that it is time to concentrate on maintaining.
I'm actually pretty scared about getting big again, so that needs to be my new focus.

I've chosen a weight (70kg - still overweight BMI) and my new goal is to stay on or around that weight for the next few months. I'm a little bit above it now and I really want to see a nice round number on the scales.
And to be honest I would love to record a number starting with a 6 (not a 7, 8 or 9!) but 68 or 69 would do me just fine (also still overweight BMI).

It also helps that I've set fitness goals along the way, rather than just weight goals - I think running has really made me leaner, although I don't weigh many kgs less that I did a few years ago, I'm 2 whole pants sizes smaller than my previous low weight.

Sorry, for the long ramble - my best suggestion is to pick a number and set yourself the goal to stay within a few pounds of that weight for the next few (6 maybe?) months. At the end of that time you might be in a better place to decide if you want to lose just a little bit more.

My body fat percentage tested at 5% which is far too low for a woman and when I look back on the photos now, I can see that I was actually a bit too thin.

I think that test is very much wrong & misleading. Your body fat% is definitely higher than 5%. Its too impossible for us to have that low. Even female bodybuilders have a body fat% of around 8-11%. 5% is way too dangerous even for men!

I'm hoping I'll be able to stop at around 9 and half stone as thats what I used to be at my healthiest and is dead in the middle of the healthy weight for my height (8 and half to 10 and half a stone.. I'm 5 ft 3 and half... wish I knew where to find fractions on this mac... lol!)

I'm currently 11 and half.... (those damn halves again!) and have just lost my first stone.. tape measurements show I have lost some several inches off tummy and waist but looking at my tummy its still flabby and I still look fat! (naked).... though its easier to hide in jeans with a tummy clincher now! .. so I'm trying to view that as 'progress'!

Now I've worked out where I was going wrong diet wise and starting to lose larger amounts a week, I'm anxious not to end up 'skinny fat' and I'm doing more exercise to try and build muscle behind the flab so when it comes off it will hopefully leave behind a fairly flat tummy (not too bothered about a 6 pack as long as it looks flat..ish!)

I'm trying to remind myself my journey is about my health.. I started losing weight to relieve back pain as I'm wheelchair user I'm sat most of the day and its very uncomfortable with all weight around abdomen and lower back... I also wanted to be lighter for when people needed to lift me (alone or with manual chair.. ie up steps).

My travel chair sits me in a L shape and cos cushion is wedged to lift knees my trunk/top of legs are kind of in a V shape which is really uncomfortable to sit in that position for any length of time when your tummy is squashed between your trunk and your thighs! The chair was starting to look too small for me and I can't afford to swap it as its only used when people take me out in their cars cos its folds down really small for saloon car boots (had it custom built for brothers wedding in 2008 cost £2,500!)

so when I look better in that chair I'll know I'm right size as I did fit it originally!! .. though I was about 10 stone on wedding photo i think (I'll add photo to my page later today)