lots of ppl asking me how much more I want to lose...

so I have a lot of people at work and online friends (I take a lot of pics i guess...) and many of them have been asking me how much more weight I want to lose and when they hear about 25 more pounds they all look at me like im NUTS! I have had a some tell me I shoudlnt lose anymore, that I would look kinda sick if I did. But the thing is guys im NOT that small! I am proud of what I have done so far for myself. I JUST crossed the half way mark of my weight loss and want to be excited about it.....but everone just seems worried or looks at me like I have lot my mind.

I am 5'3 24 years old and 154.6 (weighed in today lol) with a medium bone size. I just crossed over from "moderatly overweight" to 'slightly overweight" and am proud of that as well....but im not doing anything wrong here! I eat and workout and am just working really hard to get myself healthy. I wear a size 12 pants so Im not super super small

I did just post a few new pics. anyone mind giving me some feedback? do I LOOK like if i lost more I would be sickly??? I really dont see it. I think i look better then i did in the beginning. but I still feel I have a good amount of work to do. any advise on the pictures or just how to deal with comments like this would be very helpful.

When I lost 18 pound several years ago people would say that to me. I would say like 10 more pounds and they looked at me like I was crazy.

I think you look awesome. Whatever makes YOU feel comfortable.

do I LOOK like if i lost more I would be sickly???

No, you don't look like you would be sickly if you lost more weight.

I would not bring up weight issues with these people, if you can avoid it. Just don't mention it anymore, and if someone brings it up, say "I've just been eating healthy and being active," then drop it.

When's the last time you went to the doctor? Do you go for your yearly physical? When you're there, ask the doctor if 154 pounds is better for you than 129 pounds. I know what he is going to answer!

Then you can tell everyone that this is what your doctor feels is best for you.

If they continue to push the issue, then they don't respect you and your wishes... if that happens, I'd tell them to shut up.

Cati, I think you are fine, you look great.  Your pictures don't make it appear as if you would fade away with a couple more pounds gone (I'm not saying you NEED to lose more weight -- but you won't keel over from it)  Most people simply can't really picture 25 pounds in their head -- or even figure out how much you weigh.  I doubt many people would judge you to weigh 150+

An idea may be to not tell them how many pounds you are looking to lose but rather just tell them you are working towards a healthy BMI number.  You don't ever have to tell them how many pounds.

It is really hard to say what a person can "handle" in absolute pounds.  Different people carry their weight differently, so 20+ more pounds lost may look totally fabulous and healthy on you.  Then again, another 10 pounds may be your cutoff point before you start looking "sickly". I have to say, you do have a cute figure now to look at, but YOU have to live in that body ...

what I would say is if the weight loss seems to be slowing down significantly, that may mean you are approching your minimum good weight.  At that point, I would take pictures every 5 or 10 pounds and just evaluate how you look and how you feel as you go along. 

These are more important than a number on a scale or on a tag in your clothes.

coach's idea is really good - talk in terms of BMI instead of pounds!  I may take that suggestion myself!

You look GREAT though, girl!  Congrats and keep it up as long as you are feeling good and healthy!

I honestly think a lot of people really don't realize what 25 pounds truly looks like on other people's bodies.  I think you're right on track and doing great!  Your body knows where that extra weight is.  I wouldn't worry about what other people are saying.  Hey, maybe you can turn it around on those people and ask them when they plan on losing some weight!  On second thought...

thanks guys, I dont feel so crazy now! I was beginning to think that I was looking at myself way different then everyone else!

I havent been slowing down at all yet as far as weight loss. its still coming off pretty steady (unless its TTOM of course) im going to take pics every 5-10 pounds and see how I feel. I know I at least want to lose another 15....and maybe the whole 25 thats left. I havent been that small since freshman year of HS but I wouldnt mind being 128 again!

I think shooting for a healthy BMI is a good idea. But there is a caveat: if you have lots of muscle, BMI may be an inaccurate tool for you.

I agree with the poster who suggested you have a doctor's check-up. I would recommend having a routine blood test for cholesterol etc, and your blood pressure taken right now. Then after your next 15 lbs, have these tested again to see if they've improved. In other words, make your final weight contingent more on health benefits, rather than how your clothes fit. (Unless you are an apple shape... which you don't appear to be, but for anyone else reading this who is, us apples must also pay attention to our waist to hip ratio, not just our BMI and test results).

Also you might consider aiming for a weight range rather than a specific number. For example, i have a 10 lb range of +/-5 lbs in which I am most comfortable and healthiest ... not to mention in which my clothes fit best and I feel I look the best!

I'm kind of in a similar circumstance right now. I am at a good and happy weight and 21 BMI, so sorta maintaining. But as I said, I have a range of +/- 5 lbs, so I could go down 5 more lbs. And I'm kinda curious to do that, to see what kind of difference it makes. I haven't been down that low in a long while, so I don't remember what it's like. If by doing so my cholesterol numbers - which are borderline right now - went down, or my waist shrunk another inch making my waist/hip ratio more favorable - then setting my 10 lb range lower might be a good idea.

jenn-

I have actually been told I am an apple due to my measurments....im really not sure if that is accurate thougn. how can I find out for sure?

I am planning a doctors visit in the next week or so. its not a bad idea since I havent been in a little over a year and have now started this eating healthy/working out thing. I dont think I have a cholesterol problem before (is that something they test for normally or do you have to ask?) and I have never been warned about my BP so i think that was alright, i do need to go in anyways though, just to double check it all.

It's about perspective. 

Since before I was born, my mom ranged from chubby to fat, and was always on a diet.  She was a 30 year veteran of weight watchers, but not exactly a poster child.   Anyway, many years ago, when she needed to take chemo and radiation treatments, I went to visit for the weekend after not having seen her in about 5 months.  I was just shocked at how she looked.  She was going to blow away in the first stiff breeze!  Sickly, she was!  Her bones likely to break if she sneezed! 

It took a more level headed sibling to point out to me that my mom and I were the same height and that she was still a little bit heavier than me.  She was much slimmer than I had ever seen  her.  It was a drastic change for all of us.   But reality is what it is and she was still, technically, overweight.  I just could not see it.

Your friends and family are used to the old you.  Give 'em time.

BTW - your freckles have to be the cutest freckles I have ever seen! haha.

I am a female, engaged to a wonderful man...so I am NOT hitting on you either (totally straight)....I just had to share that thought with you though. I have freckles too (light ones, kinda blend in with my skin tone actually), not at all like yours...and yours look so perfectly placed on your face.

Incase no one ever told you that...now someone has (because I am sure people think it all the time ;)

Cati, for the ratio you measure:

- at the belly button - not at the smallest part of your waist. Pull the tape measure tight -it's okay to suck in your gut for this measurement, because you're trying to measure visceral fat - fat around your organs (the omentum) not fat under your skin

- at the high hip bone - feel your hip bone and then measure just above it or at it - NOT at the widest part of your hip.

Then divide the two and you're looking for a ratio less than 0.8. Currently I have a ratio just over 0.8... my belly measurement is 27ish and high hip is 32. Sounds skinny, doesn't it?? (especially considering the skinny part of my waist is a few inches smaller!!) But, it isn't!!

BP-wise, I'm great, I have always tended towards low BP. At my heaviest, it was definetly higher but still well within normal ranges. Now, it would be considered too low....except I'm only 5'0" tall so my doc says don't worry about it.

Cholesterol is a different story. I'm 20 years older than you. At your age, I had excellent cholesterol. I happen to have great genetics so I naturally have a lot of the good cholesterol. But over the years, the bad cholesterol has crept up. So now my total cholesterol (a ratio of good - HDL - divided by bad - LDL) is borderline. My doc wants me to work on that.  

Not like it's out of control or worrisome, but, I'm also pre-diabetic. So combine the two, and what you get is this: the Rx for me is to keep my weight under control with good diet and lots of exercise. When my weight goes out of the normal BMI range and edges into slightly overweight category, all my numbers (cholesterol, blood sugar) go up.

So pear shapes - like my mom and my sister - can be comfortably slightly overweight or more than that... and be perfectly fine. It doesn't effect their health. But me? Nope. For health, I need to keep my weight within normal BMI ranges... even as I enter menopause down the road.

At 5/3" 120s-130s is a very healthy weight.  I'm sure your friends and acquaintances are just guessing your current weight wrong (which is a compliment!).  Congrats on your success, I'm looking at the last 20-30 lbs too, very exciting!

Rather than saying that you want to lose 25 pounds (which can sound like a lot to some even thought we all carry 25  pounds differently), I think you should just say, "I'd like to drop another pants size or two" or "I'd like to lose a couple more inches around my waist".  That's a lot less telling and people might respond better to you.

You look WONDERFUL but I know that when I weighed 150, I was a size 8 and I'm 5'3".  So, 150 is my goal weight but if I look like I did in college (curvy with no belly), that will be acceptable to me.  Everyone's body will carry that weight differently so some people might assume that 25 pounds will make you look wasted away but it doesn't seem like that's the case.  If I weighed 125 like I did in junior high, I'd be a size 2 twig which I just don't think is attainable.  No one ever believes what I weigh because my weight doesn't often reflect well in my size for whatever reason.  My mom said when she weighed 150, she wore a size 12-14.  Bodies... go figure. 

chicagogal6-

thanks so much! I have a love/hate relationship with my freckles...but after your comment I am liking them!! thanks again!

Jen- thanks so much! I am totally gonna use this!

and thanks everyone else for the ideas!

you do look great. congrats on your loss.  i'm the same height as you and have lost about 12.5 pounds and currently weigh 127.  i look far from sickly.  i am looking pretty good but can still stand to lose at least 7 more.  i believe i'm medium boned too and a d cup.  don't know if this helps you, but i'm pretty sure you will look fabulous and not sickly or scrawny.  keep at it and you can always alter your goal if you feel like you get to a place you are happy with.  sorry i don't have any pics to share. :(

wishing you continued success :D

I think you look fantastic!

If you want to lose more weight then you should.

You've lost so  much weight and i dont see whats wrong with you loosing any more! you wont look scrawny in the slightest you'll look healthy.

 

Goodluck! x

I've been getting this a lot lately to.  I have even been accused of having a 'mental disorder' (From my mom ofcourse).  I think it is just the shock of the initial weight loss.  For those of us who have been heavy a long time, to be at a 'normal' weight looks -off- to those around us...... it's like seeing someone who ALWAYS wears glasses come in with contacts... Just looks weird!

I want to lose another 15lbs or so to........!

Hi, like most people posting here.  It is difficult to determine how much you need to lose.  I read an article recently http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm  it's about how much weight you should realistically lose based on your current weight and body fat percentages in order to maintain a healthy body.  I found it really helpful as I am pretty active, and I didn't have a realistic image of what healthy was for me.  Good luck though!  And you look beautiful!

People say it to me too....I'm pretty sure they are just being nice (and jealous), because I could quite obviously stand to lose another 10 at least.

I say do whatever you're comfortable with. Of course if you feel weak and whatnot, talk to a doctor about an ideal weight for your body type. Looking at you right now, I don't see any problems. I'm running into the same thing. You'd be beautiful staying your current weight, and you'd stay just as beautiful a little smaller.

Check this: I was 294 pounds, dropped down to 180, and my mom begged me to stop before I looked too thin. I was 180 pounds still! I'm now down to 143 pounds, and I still plan on losing a few more, and she's gotten past the initial shock.

Many people that are telling you 'omg you are going to be so thin' don't even know their own weight., OR they don't know what 25 extra pounds on the body can do to your health, OR they don't know what 25 pounds even looks like, OR they're just jealous :)

So again, just do what you feel comfortable with. And it's not about our exact size or a number on the scale anyway, it's about being a healthy weight for our organs to function great for decades to come.