Does your body have a weight it "likes?"

sarafil
sarafil Posts: 506 Member
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
I know this is probably ridiculous to ask, but is it possible that your body has a certain weight range it "likes" to be at? I am 5'9" , 140lbs, and 21% BF. I know I do not need to really lose more weight, but I wouldn't be opposed to another 5 lbs (I am small framed). Right now my settings are set to .5lb loss per week, and I exercise regularly. My motto is everything in moderation, so I certainly don't deprieve myself of "naughty" foods every now and again, and sometimes I do go over my calorie limit, but most days I am under. My weight seems to stay right at 140lbs, no matter what I am doing (and obviously I am not going to starve myself to get rid of those five pounds). Is it possible this is just kind of the weight my body is at, and that's it? My BF never seems to change, either. Any thoughts? Probably just need to work harder for those five pounds than I did when I had 60 to lose?
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Replies

  • Ro0kins_Wedding
    Ro0kins_Wedding Posts: 295
    I'm 5'8 and I think my body likes being 10st 10lbs.

    want it to be 10st 4lbs.
  • Tara4boys
    Tara4boys Posts: 515 Member
    Yes. There is a difference between an attainable weight and a maintainable weight. I have gotten to the upper 120's low 130's but it is very hard for me to maintain that. 138 to 142 I maintained for a long time fairly easily with "reasonable" diet and exercise.
  • sewedo1
    sewedo1 Posts: 200 Member
    I was thinking something similar this morning. Since I reached 170, I seem to go up a pound and down a pound but always hovering 170. I set my goal at 168 (5"10', medium frame) and I have set a .5 pound loss for about a month now. Was wondering if I need to re-set to 1 pound and change-up my exercise again.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    21% BF% is excellent and is in the fitness category 1% away from athletic*.

    *http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/body-fat-chart.php
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    Hell yeah, my body likes 60kg / 132lbs and I want to be around 122-125lbs.
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
    I am 5'7" and the lowest my weight has gotten down to was 142 my current weight ranges from 144 to 149 and my ultimate goal weight is 135. I've been tryin to reach 135 for over 2 years now. I think my body is @ it's happy weight. I would just be happy to lose body fat if nothing else.
  • p0stdramatic
    p0stdramatic Posts: 372
    Mine loves 160, and I'm looking for 150.
  • MaddameKat
    MaddameKat Posts: 200 Member
    loking back over the various attempts (and successes) to lose weight, i see 210lbs a lot. It seems my brain kicks in at 210lbs and thinks i look too big but my body always seems to come back to that number.
  • KimKramer
    KimKramer Posts: 44
    I definitely agree that your body has picked out its "ideal" weight and sometimes its higher than what we have in mind! I know for me that if I can indulge here and there, exercise and live an over all healthy lifestyle and my weight doesnt change thats probably the weight my body is most comfortable at. When I was 125-130 it took SO much work to stay there, up and down those few pounds if I had one cheat day or meal, now at 135 its a constant and has been for months now :) Still exercising 4-5x a week and eating in moderation! I say enjoy your 60lb weight loss, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
  • Charlottejogs
    Charlottejogs Posts: 351 Member
    I have felt this way for quite some time also. I recently added some protein powder to my diet and have started loosing again without any other real changes. It seems like my body may have been doing the best it could with what I was giving it but with some fuel is functioning even better. I agree that our bodies likely don't want to be as lean as we think they should be but it may help to think about whether you have all the nutritional tools your body wants. I also and not willing to sacrifice my quality of life- I will make healthy decisions but am not going to deprive myself of treats and such. Good luck!
  • umachanxo
    umachanxo Posts: 926 Member
    I'm 5"7 and my body seems to want to stay at 148-149. Working hard to get down to 135, though.
  • Usbornegal
    Usbornegal Posts: 601 Member
    Hmm - my first thought to your question was: Yes my body has a weight it keeps trying to be. It wants to be 260!!! I, on the other hand, want it to be 180 and girl ripped! If I don't stay focused, my body will hightail it back towards that 260 mark. (I caught it this last time at 242 and forced it back downward by 35 pounds so far).
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    One of our resident egg-heads can explain the science in detail, but yes.
    It's called many things like our "weight thermostat" that changes the chemical structure of the brain.

    With fat people the thermostat is screwed up, making us crave food which leads to eating like a pig which leads to weight gain.

    And when we lose weight, our "weight thermostat" freaks out and drives us insane until we cave to the cravings.
    BUT...
    The longer you maintain a healthy weight, the easier it becomes, because your "weight thermostat" resets over time.

    This is why we need to work hard to maintain once we reach our goal weight. We think the war is won, but that's just the end of the beginning. THE FIGHT CONTINUES!
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
    Its called 'Set point theory', do a google search and read all about it.
  • cmiles23
    cmiles23 Posts: 234 Member
    mine likes 122-125....... my current goal is to just stay under 125
  • JoPhillips80
    JoPhillips80 Posts: 3
    Mine does yes. I am really finding it tough losing the last half a stone to my ideal weight. My body likes being 9st 11lb but I want it to be under 9st 5lb. No matter how much or less I eat, I'm usually the same weight week in week out. If I'm honest it's getting on my nerves at the moment & I could quite easily throw the towel in but I've got a holiday booked for the summer now and a bikini to put on. I have been following slimming world for ages now but came across this website last week so thought a change might be good. Never counted calories before so am logging everything for a few weeks.
  • thekat78
    thekat78 Posts: 70 Member
    Your body has been at this weight for so long, it mistakes this as maintenance weight. Ever see those little girls that just eat and eat and eat and never get big? Because their body doesn't WANT to get bigger because they've been at that weight for so long. Your body sets itself at a weight and it's hard to drop down. That's why calorie defecits and things like exercise and weight lifting have to be used in order to get your body off balance and make it drop weight. Also, if you spend a long time trying to get down to a weight, you have to spend just as long maintaining that weight before you try to go back to eating normal amounts.
  • aussiesarah
    aussiesarah Posts: 68 Member
    I think that mine does but I think it is possibly a combination of physical and mental factors. I'm 5'7" and I seem to be physically and mentally happy at 142lbs, however I would like to get down to about 135 if I can.

    I guess we just have to accept that it gets harder to lose and to maintain the lower we go and there will come a point where the work and mental focus required isn't worth the small losses and perhaps it is better to just relax and enjoy being at a healthy weight.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    I know this is probably ridiculous to ask, but is it possible that your body has a certain weight range it "likes" to be at? I am 5'9" , 140lbs, and 21% BF. I know I do not need to really lose more weight, but I wouldn't be opposed to another 5 lbs (I am small framed). Right now my settings are set to .5lb loss per week, and I exercise regularly. My motto is everything in moderation, so I certainly don't deprieve myself of "naughty" foods every now and again, and sometimes I do go over my calorie limit, but most days I am under. My weight seems to stay right at 140lbs, no matter what I am doing (and obviously I am not going to starve myself to get rid of those five pounds). Is it possible this is just kind of the weight my body is at, and that's it? My BF never seems to change, either. Any thoughts? Probably just need to work harder for those five pounds than I did when I had 60 to lose?

    Yes it does...heavier
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
    I know this is probably ridiculous to ask, but is it possible that your body has a certain weight range it "likes" to be at? I am 5'9" , 140lbs, and 21% BF. I know I do not need to really lose more weight, but I wouldn't be opposed to another 5 lbs (I am small framed). Right now my settings are set to .5lb loss per week, and I exercise regularly. My motto is everything in moderation, so I certainly don't deprieve myself of "naughty" foods every now and again, and sometimes I do go over my calorie limit, but most days I am under. My weight seems to stay right at 140lbs, no matter what I am doing (and obviously I am not going to starve myself to get rid of those five pounds). Is it possible this is just kind of the weight my body is at, and that's it? My BF never seems to change, either. Any thoughts? Probably just need to work harder for those five pounds than I did when I had 60 to lose?

    Yes it does...heavier

    :laugh: me too!

    my body's physically changing but the actual loss on the scale is stubborn - in a year it's budged no more than around 6lbs.
  • MindyBlack
    MindyBlack Posts: 954 Member
    One of our resident egg-heads can explain the science in detail, but yes.
    It's called many things like our "weight thermostat" that changes the chemical structure of the brain.

    With fat people the thermostat is screwed up, making us crave food which leads to eating like a pig which leads to weight gain.

    And when we lose weight, our "weight thermostat" freaks out and drives us insane until we cave to the cravings.
    BUT...
    The longer you maintain a healthy weight, the easier it becomes, because your "weight thermostat" resets over time.

    This is why we need to work hard to maintain once we reach our goal weight. We think the war is won, but that's just the end of the beginning. THE FIGHT CONTINUES!

    Well said! While I am no egg head I have learned a few things about this body after living in it for 46 years. I have long believed that our bodies "like" to be at a certain weight. Unfortunately mine seems to be rising with age.
    I also have come to believe that we can retrain the body, reset that thermostat. Persistence, maintnance, proper nourishment, cardio and building muscle mass are the things that will help us do that.
    Again I am not an egg head. I'm not a nutrtionist, physiologist or bilogist nor do I play one on TV, so take my advice for what it's worth.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    I'm 5'8 with quite a small frame. My body likes being less than 140 definitely. (10 stone)
    My goal is around 135lbs as that's roughly where I feel it'll be best - although I'll have to see when I get there.
  • chriscoates7025
    chriscoates7025 Posts: 131 Member
    Not a crazy question. I have the same situation. I dropped 42 pounds in 7 months, and then weighed 198. For the last 6 months I have gained and lost a few here and there, but keep returning to 198. Would love to drop another 15, but 198 seems to be what my body wants.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    Not a crazy question. I have the same situation. I dropped 42 pounds in 7 months, and then weighed 198. For the last 6 months I have gained and lost a few here and there, but keep returning to 198. Would love to drop another 15, but 198 seems to be what my body wants.
    I have taken weight loss in bursts, hitting walls that I know represented a set weight.
    The first wall down from 265 was 230ish.
    I could not get too much past that, then it was 211. I must have hit 211 5 times, then back up to 220, then down to 211, 211, 211....I thought I'd never break that.

    But I did only to hit 200 with similar issues. Now I am at 193 and slowly, steadily creeping down a half a pound each week.
    No more walls!
  • Jane3276
    Jane3276 Posts: 1 Member
    I know exactly what you mean. I am 5'9 as well and weigh 140.6. I was down to 138 for a minute! Then right back up to 140. My first goal was to be 135 but I think I would rather get to 130 if possible then have a little room to gain and lose. Try to stay in that range. I'm beginning to think that my goal is impossible, but willing to keep trying. Yes, I love this fitness pal. It was quite an eye opener as to how much I really do eat. I like that I can keep track of everything. Including the sodium. I can't believe how much of it is in everything we eat. It can be quite a balancing act, eh?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Yea... 2lbs more than whatever I am on any given day.
  • rachelalbritton
    rachelalbritton Posts: 5
    my body seems to like 200 but im trying to get it to like other weights too...like 145 ;)
  • bea10989
    bea10989 Posts: 5
    22 years old
    5'3 and
    stuck at 138-140... for 4 years
    frustration has set in long ago..
  • debilyn574
    debilyn574 Posts: 92 Member
    I think it does have a weight it likes as I was the same weight for many, many years. But then I got a personal trainer and switched up my diet and workout routine and that's when I lost 20 lbs! Now I've been this weight for about 6 weeks and I can't seem to go any lower, but I'm working on building muscle and decreasing bf. We'll see how it goes...
  • NatalieBrooke88
    NatalieBrooke88 Posts: 240 Member
    I'm 5'5" and my body LOVED 130-132 pound-18-19%bf . Right now I am around 140/22% bf. I hope I can get back to that point. However, I must say, when my body was that small, I was not eating much. Now, I LOVE food. :)


    Happy Valentines Day!
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