Doctor says I should lose 75lbs...!?

I'm also 5'9 and at my healthiest I was between 170 - 180. Sounds like the doctor is using that BMI crap. I remember how thing I was at 145, not to mention 115.

id look into finding a new doctor... My first doctor wanted me to be 125... I haven't been 125 since middle school lol. My new dr that Ive had now for 4 years wants me to be 180-190 but Im aiming for a little lower than that. He told me Id still be overweight at 180 but he knows Im built a little larger and couldn't pull off 125.

id look into finding a new doctor... My first doctor wanted me to be 125... I haven't been 125 since middle school lol. My new dr that Ive had now for 4 years wants me to be 180-190 but Im aiming for a little lower than that. He told me Id still be overweight at 180 but he knows Im built a little larger and couldn't pull off 125.

Nothing like only listening to people who say what you want to hear. :noway:

I too had concerns when I was told I needed to be in the 140's (I'm 220 and 5'7). When I spoke with my primary, he said BMI is a terrible way to come up with a goal weight. Instead, focus on your body fat percentage. Aim for 25%. When you get there, you may be 160, 170 or 180. You just don't know until you get closer.

100% agree with this, especially for women. 200% if you haven't had kids yet, body fat plays a huge part in being overall health. 22-25% BF is perfect. Guys can use the BMI numbers without too much issue, but not women IMHO.

I believe that it is more about body fat % than weight. Too much body fat can have health risks but if you have more muscle then you can weigh more and that's a fact. I also have found that it is much easier to set smaller more reasonable goals that you can work towards and hit, feel good and then set a new goal. I find that setting a goal of 15-20 lbs that is some type of milestone (say 200 lbs or 20 lbs lost or something like that) works best. The reward yourself with something and set a new goal. Just get comfortable with the lifestyle of healthy living. I wouldn't worry about the end yet, just start small and then keep going until you are where you want to be and then work on healthy maintenance. That will be a great example for your children. I think it is worth it to have your body fat checked periodically as well as measurements. When your clothes don't fit then that often tells you more than your scale.

Focus on body fat % rather than weight. Based on the picture of you at 175, you might have more muscle mass than the average person at that weight, which makes you look like you weigh less. So take measurements, see how you feel, and don't worry too much about the scale! (Though, for reference, I'm an inch shorter than you and weigh 150 pounds right now, and I feel like I've still got at least ten pounds to go. I reckon you'd look rockin' at 150. :flowerforyou:)

Your doctor is silly.
Go for 175 if you want. This is not about your doctor, it's about you. You know where you are healthy.

America is country full of people who are literally EATING THEMSELVES TO DEATH.

Yes, indeed, don't listen to an educated person who is trying to council you on your health. LISTEN TO YOURSELF, AND DO WHAT FEELS GOOD. :explode: :noway:

I live in Montana, but you must be from the Great State of DENIAL.

I agree that 150 is a good weight for that doctor to suggest. However, we don't know if he factored in body composition in asking the OP to lose 75 pounds. I'm sure that if she reached 175 and was in a healthy body fat % range, he wouldn't ask her to lose another twenty-five. Doctors are awesome and educated, but at the same time, he can't necessarily predict what would be the perfect ideal weight for the OP, and it's good that she has a reference point at 175, where she knows she looked pretty damn good.

Chill out a bit, grumpy pants.

I'm so sensitive to other people's thoughts, so I understand where you might be coming from. But that being said, these people are not living in your body, only you are. You'll know when you are comfortable. Accept that others are most likely just trying to be helpful, and then shut them out and do what you think is best for your body.

Rule of thumb for woman's weight...medium frame: At 5', weigh about 100 lbs...for every inch over 5', add 5 lbs...so at 5'9", you are looking at 145lbs...

than +/-- 10lbs for small-large frame...so your range is anywhere from 135-155lbs...

to find your frame size measure your wrist...6" med frame...more than 6, large frame, smaller than 6 small frame...

150 doesn't seem too farfetched for your height.
I'm 5'10 and my goal is 150.
I chose that number because it's the middle of the acceptable range (150-165lbs) for my height and frame.
Using one of the thousands of calculators online you'll find that they mostly suggest a healthy weight range of between 145-160lbs for a 5'9 woman with a medium frame.
However, you don't need to listen to anybody Stop when you are comfortable with both your health and your appearance

Don't listen to your doctor. If you feel comfortable at 175 or even 170, aim for that number. I'm 5ft1" and my doctor wanted me to get down to 101 pounds. I told my doctor that I'm not getting down to that weight and that I would be anorexic if I did. I know my body and what weight is good for me. The biggest I ever was, before I've started gaining weight was 125 pounds. It took me 4 years to get up to 145 pounds. I don't even want to get down to 125 pounds or 145 pounds. I have a body fat goal that I'm aiming for. I don't focus on scale weight. I don't care about my scale weight. I'm focus on my body fat percentage, pounds of fat and inches loss. Scale weight loss and Fat loss aren't the same thing. I'm aiming to lose fat and when I lose the amount that will get me down to my body fat percentage number, I will look thin, but still will be classified as being obese on the BMI chart and I'm okay with that. I don't focus on the BMI chart either. I want to be healthy according to the Body Fat Chart. The fat on my body is what will cause health problems, not the scale weight number on my scale.

I updated my main photo today to a full body shot, so you can get an idea of what I look like.

I weigh 224 pounds, and a doctor recently suggested a goal weight of around 150 for me. I feel like that's a bit too low for me. I'm 5'9", and at my healthiest, and most fit, I was 170. I haven't been 150 since age 13. I don't know what to do, or what to aim for. As of now, I've set my sights on 175, I feel like that's fair.

I'm confused on this whole thing, because my family is screaming at me that 25 pounds is enough, my husband says I'm fine the way I am (though he supports me, fully.), and my doctor is telling me that I'm becoming significantly obese, and 150 is a healthy weight. I'm just confused. Help?

150 is a healthy weight for 5'9 woman.

Fact is many people are de-sensitized to what people should weigh because everyone is overweight.

Set 3 goals. First to get under 200. That should be the easy one. Next, goal 175. You seem committed to that one, so it seems very likely you will get there. Then ,see how you look and feel. Keep that 150 goal out there. No doubt your doctor is hedging. He says 150, you get to some other number close by and everyone wins. Setting interim goals worked well for me. Having to set new goals (and they absolutely must have a timetable, by such and such a date) is a great feeling. You will love it. Good luck.

According to a BMI chart your healthy weight at 5'9 is 125-169. Doesn't seem like 150 is too low to me, but 170 is barely over as well.

Agree w/everyone else who said that you should get to 175 and see how you look/feel and how your body fat % is there.