Unrealistic Goal?

I am 24 years old, 5 feet 3 inches, and currently 133 lbs. with a goal weight of 120.  My bmi is currently 23.6, but once I reach my goal wieght it will be 21.3.  A normal range for my height is 18.5-24.9.  The lowest weight I can be at a healthy range for my bmi is 105, which would put me at 18.6.

My goal weight is 5 pounds more than what I weighed when I was 18.  I don't think that this is an unrealistic goal; however, I have already been hearing concern from friends, family, and co-workers that 120 will be too thin.  I even had a co-worker tell me this morning that I already look too thin.  I have dropped 15 pounds in the past month and a half, but I am not even close to the weight I was when I started working here (when I was 18).

I am just concerned that me goal weight is going to cause me to get a bunch of negative comments.  I used to have an ED when I was much younger 13-16, but I worked hard to get to a healthy weight.

I am really proud of myself this time, becuase it is the first time in my life that I have dieted in a healthy way.  I guess I am just surprised that I am getting negative comments from female friends and co-workers and postive ones from male friends and co-workers. >.< 

Maybe it is jealousy?  I don't know... what do you think? 

I'm 5' 3 1/2", I lost 17 lbs. to drop to 112, and I never get negative comments from anyone. No one has ever asked me if I have an ED. But I have a very small frame, so 112 doesn't look overly thin on me. You have to take into account your frame size, body composition, etc., and see what weight works best for you.

I also have a lot of muscle. That makes it hard for people to think of me as thin. Are you working out to keep a healthy physique as you lose weight?

And you have to consider your age. At 35 I am finding 112 easy to maintain. If you find your goal weight easy to maintain—you can eat the proper amount, have energy, and not feel hungry—then obviously it is within a healthy range for you. If not, then your body has decided to settle at a higher weight as you have aged and you should listen to it.

As far as what some people are saying.... It is possible jealousy is involved, but it is also very possible that they just care about you. Maybe they know that you haven't dieted healthily in the past and they worry because of that? Maybe they just need reassurance from you that you are being careful, making a lifestyle change rather than crash dieting, and really listening to your body.

At the end of the day, don't let the scale rule you. Get exercise, build muscle. If you weigh a little more, it won't matter: you will actually look smaller in the long run.

 

Original Post by petite_powerhouse:

I'm 5' 3 1/2", I lost 17 lbs. to drop to 112, and I never get negative comments from anyone. No one has ever asked me if I have an ED. But I have a very small frame, so 112 doesn't look overly thin on me. You have to take into account your frame size, body composition, etc., and see what weight works best for you.

I also have a lot of muscle. That makes it hard for people to think of me as thin. Are you working out to keep a healthy physique as you lose weight?

And you have to consider your age. At 35 I am finding 112 easy to maintain. If you find your goal weight easy to maintain—you can eat the proper amount, have energy, and not feel hungry—then obviously it is within a healthy range for you. If not, then your body has decided to settle at a higher weight as you have aged and you should listen to it.

As far as what some people are saying.... It is possible jealousy is involved, but it is also very possible that they just care about you. Maybe they know that you haven't dieted healthily in the past and they worry because of that? Maybe they just need reassurance from you that you are being careful, making a lifestyle change rather than crash dieting, and really listening to your body.

At the end of the day, don't let the scale rule you. Get exercise, build muscle. If you weigh a little more, it won't matter: you will actually look smaller in the long run.

 

 I have a small frame.  When I wrap my fingers around my wrist my middle finger and thumb overlap quite a bit.

I have been exercising... 3 times a week a go to yoga class for 1 hour.  After school is done for the semester I am going to start jogging in the morning 2-3 times a week as well.  I have never done weight training though.  I am consuming 1200 calories on days I do not exercise and 1400 on days I do exercise. :)

Right now I feel great!  Full of energy to get through my day.  I actually feel much better than I have in the past few years.  I had horrible eating habits before (a lot of fast food and junk food).  I will def. listen to your advice and just listen to my body.  What truely matters is that I am happy anyways.

I know part of the complaints is based around concern.  Before I changed my lifestyle I thought a lot about how easy it would be for me to go back to old habits from my teenage years.  I told my boyfriend all of the warning signs that I was restricting, binging, and purging.  I told him that if he suspected anything that he should get a hold of my family immediately and not to say anything to me.  To be quite honest I am very aware of ED thoughts that have flown through my head.  It is difficult at times, because I think about how much easier it would be to lose the weigfht i want to quickly.  I know that is not healthy.  I have the self control now to overcome it though. :)

The only part of my ED I don't think I will ever get over is seeing myself the way others do.  I have just come to accept that I will probably never love what I see in the mirror, but I can be okay with it. 

I am 5'3'' and weight 119 lbs and my friends and family have asked me to stop losing because I am starting to look too thin. But I am a medium frame - so that may be the difference.  My original goal was to get to 115, but have taken the advise of my fam.  To be honest with you I'm really happy where I am and don't feel the desire to get to 115.

Well I'm 5'7 and 120, and I don't look sickly thin, so 120 at 5'3 should look fine too.  Of course it all depends on your body shape too.

I think the average 24 year old who is 5'3 and 120 looks great. It's nice that you understand their concern, but the feeling I get is that you're in control enough of your former skeletons to be able to get where you want. As for jealousy, just listen to the people who you know genuinely have your best interests in mind. If your original goal was 130, and you've moved it to 120, I could understand their concern, because some people just can't stop dieting. But if you just want to be where you were a few years ago, I don't see anything wrong with that. You know yourself best. I think that if you get to 120, and you'd be able to put weight back on if it really is too thin, you're well in control of the situation.

mrs skittles,

I am down 25 pounds--current weight 125 (since last July) and I've had co-workers say the same thing.  I know I still have a little extra baggage to lose.  My body is stalling on me right now.  I've been this weight since mid-March and its getting frustrating.

I personally think that when people make comments like that, it could be a little jealousy.  My goal for now is 120...That would put me at about what I weighhed shortly after high school.  And that was 16 years ago. 

Good luck!

i'm 5'3, and i used to be 150. i'm currently around 118-120 pounds. i have a small frame. i have gotten no negative comments reguarding my weight. i myself am striving for 105, just because i think that is what will look suitable on me.

as for what people that you work with are saying, i think you should pay them no mind. people sometimes respond in unexpected ways, i suppose. it's up to you what looks good on you, though, as others here have said.

much luck!

Thank you for the replies everyone. I feel a lot better now. I just need to not let the negative comments I have received get to me.  My confidence is something that is very precious to me.  It take so much hard work for me to build it up... I need to not let other people break me down so easily.  I am going to keep my current goal for now.  If my body is giving me different signals I will readjust my goal.

Original Post by sauciedj:

I think the average 24 year old who is 5'3 and 120 looks great. It's nice that you understand their concern, but the feeling I get is that you're in control enough of your former skeletons to be able to get where you want. As for jealousy, just listen to the people who you know genuinely have your best interests in mind. If your original goal was 130, and you've moved it to 120, I could understand their concern, because some people just can't stop dieting. But if you just want to be where you were a few years ago, I don't see anything wrong with that. You know yourself best. I think that if you get to 120, and you'd be able to put weight back on if it really is too thin, you're well in control of the situation.

 Thank you!  I am definetly going to stop at 120.  I want to be able to focus on other things eventually and not focus on my weight so much anyways! ;)  I do feel in control over my old problems.  I am so proud of myself for that!  It is a really big step for me.  Frankly I don't think that anyone that has ever had an ED ever really gets over the thoughts of restricting and such... you just become more in control of those thoughts.  Pesky little devil on my shoulder. =P

I am so happy that I read this thread!  I am 5ft 3.5 inches and 133lbs.  I set a goal weight of 125lbs but am worried (afraid) to reach it because of what others will say.  I work out hard 4-5 times a week , and friends/family have said I'm too thin in the past.  Pls note: not too thin!  BMI is 23!  Hello!!!!  Still lots of cushion for the pushin'!  After reading this thread, I have decided to go for the 125lb and then reasses the situation.  I've just never been that light before - it would drop my BMI and hopefully my %body fat too!

Thanks to all the above posters!

I, too, am 5'3'', and am currently 133. When I got down to 120 last December people told me I looked too skinny, and it kind of annoyed me; after all, I'd worked so hard to get to that point from 188! So I ate like a slob for 3 months and felt like crap for it. Maybe I was addicted to dieting, maybe not, hard to say. Now I'm trying to get back down to 120 and maintain it. I think this time I will try more muscle toning rather than limiting my calories and cardio. Cardio is good, but without the muscle and my medium frame, maybe that's why ppl thought i was getting "too skinny". Maybe with more muscle mass people won't notice so readily. ...All this and I'm planning on getting pregnant possibly by sometime around the end of the year(which seriously makes me wonder if what I'm bothering to do is actually sane), so I have that goal to reach before that happens!~

This thread really helped me a lot, because I've often wondered in the past why ppl thought 120 was too skinny on me....105 is the lowest I could get at this height, so I obviously would still be within a healthy weight range!

I am 5'3" and at the moment 116 lbs with a small/medium frame (depends on who I stand next to, my fragile sister or my big-boned cousin). I know this is pretty good, but I used to be 110-112 lbs for a long time and only got here through stress eating. I am now working on losing those "stress pounds" so I can fit into my pants from last summer comfortably.

I can assure you: you are not going to look ill or skinny at 120. People can seldom get a good mental image of the difference ten lbs make. They tend to overestimate. Get to the weight you are comfortable with, the weight that keeps you cheerful and healthy, and let that be that! Good luck.