Should I lose any more weight?
Asked by 6raham on Aug 19, 2008
in Weight Maintenance
I have gone from 266 lbs to 157 lbs since October 07 with a routine of exercise and dieting. Now, I've been told by friends and family that I shouldn't lose anymore at all. I am in the right BMI range but I had a goal of getting to 147lbs and feel I should still try to get there, although it is proving to be very hard. I don't know if that is more of a mental problem because I was told I should stop and I have unconsciously begun to relax. I do at least an hour of cardio and maybe 20 mins of weights a day but I still have a belly in my eyes (possibly excess skin?) that I would love to get rid of. Will losing more weight achieve that?
Answer
Your friends might be reacting to your dramatic weight change,
which can be shocking at first. But at 147 lb, your BMI would be 23,
which might be low for you. Men generally
feel better at the top of the BMI range. Why not change your focus to maintenance instead of continuing to lose
weight? Increase your calories to about
2500 a day and aim for a balanced diet with the healthy foods you prefer. Do
not alter your exercise routine because research from the National Weight Control Registry shows that maintainers exercise for one hour a day. Continue to build your core muscles with ab exercises or Pilates and give your skin a chance to snap back into place.
Is jump roping as good an exercise as running?
In terms of calorie burning, moderate jumping is about equal to running a 10-minute mile, although calorie burning is always a function of time... Read more