Getting to Goal Weight Thoughts

[MissAma]

Seeing how I have under 10 kg left and today I weigh less than the total I lost and am finally comfortably into the healthy BMI range I am forced to think of goal weight more and more.

In particular with all those around me saying I am starting to look gaunt and unhealthy... I don't know if I am, I do know I am finding bones I never knew I had and after the elation that they're there and I am indeed getting skinny comes the "hmmm but this one DOES show through my clothes" revelation.

Much of it does not look good, my cleavage took a serious hit in particular, my hip bones show, my goal skinny size 8 clothes are hanging.... At the same time the BMI says I have a load more kilos to shed and I KNOW that once I go up the steps, no matter how careful I will still put on because of the salt reintroduction and consequent water retention so some of this is moot.

Forgive me for rambling but how do you know what is indeed too low? - Curlywurly, KD, Purgeous, BL, Sunshinesinger, and of course anyone else I forgot, you've all gotten to goal and stayed there, did you have the same pondering moments and how did you sort it?

 

[MissAma]

Hmmm this is probably ill placed here, if a Moderator sees this, could you please move it to a more appropriate forum, maybe Maintenance would work better? Cheers.

 

[Katycakes]

Not really the right person to answer probably, but I know I did look a bit gaunt towards goal... people started telling me I'd 'gone too far' when BMI told me different. I too could feel every rib. I stopped a bit above where I'd planned, for various reasons, but working up the steps the gaunt look went - once carbs were introduced again, really. Same with cleavage - things were looking a little 'flat' towards end of 810 but a few weeks later all was fine again. I think, get to goal and trust the 'carb bounce' to round off the edges once you are there. Real-life eating will sort it.

Well done, what an achievement... fantastic.

xxx

 

[Zoe.D]

Hi MissAma, I am not at goal yet (15lbs to go) but even when I get to my goal weight my bmi is still not in the "healthy range" but I know that any lower than the goal weight I have set I look gaunt and too bony as I have been my goal weight before and under it. I think bmi is only a guide as it doesn't take into consideration the variation in bone mass and frame. The bottom line is, if you feel comfortable then stop, if you feel you have gone to far then stick with the sensible eating and I am sure you bodyweight will balance itself out again until you are comfortable again.

I got a bit obsessed with numbers and bmi but at the end of the day if I don't feel good about my body and I am only doing it to be "normal" then whats the point. As long as you are happy don't worry what others say xx.

 

[curlywurly1234]

Hey hon
So good to See you!! Just popped on quickly hope all is well with you.. You are so close. You have come so far...
I think you just know yourself.. Dont listen to what other people say.. I got to 8 stone 10 and felt good but I know I would eventually feel even better at 8 stone 7 lbs..
You will know when you feel totally right when you know that you just love how you look sounds strange but I just got that feeling.. but now I would just love those few little pounds less!!
I love seeing different bones.. and I love being a size 8 too!!!
I must dash as my little ones are screaming at me and its bed time. but I just think you know when you feel like you want to stop dont worry to much about the figures but just how you look xxxx

 

[Wales]

So many congrats Miss Ama on your amazing weightloss. I think CD/ low carb can make you look gaunt whether you are near goal or not. I had to stop SS in September when not really near goal or a healthy BMI and I think I looked gaunt, I felt hollow around my hips, under my armpits and chest. And at first once I moved quickly (and not that successfully) up the steps I filled out without really putting on weight. In fact the only place that is still hollow is under my armpits. My face is still a much different shape to what it was when I first started, no longer a big round disc and I still have cheekbones but nowhere near as pronounced as when I came off SS last year.

You may find that once you move to maintenance you start to fill out in the right places without gaining weight. I know you aren't on SS, but even low carb can give you the hollowness.

I agree with the other wise words - go with how you feel.

And well done again - superb stuff and very motivating x

 

[Nellyphant]

A very interesting and thought provoking thread. I hope someone with experience can help you out with it. I have a weight idea in my head that will give me a BMI of about 24 which is obviously at the top end but I'm tall and have big hands, feet and head (literally not metaphorically!) so any less and I think I'll look yuk! But I'm hoping I'll know for sure at the end.

What others have said about filling out once eating I've read elsewhere on this board too.

Also think about the fact that you wanted to be a size 8 and now they are too big. Do you REALLY want to be a size 6?

Good luck hun.

 

[Porgeous]

I think this is really tricky as it is a combination of things, how you look to yourself, how you feel, being realistic about what you feel able to maintain etc. Initially I aimed for BMI 25 as I had no idea how I would look and what would suit me. I ended up settling around BMI 23. Yes I look in the mirror and think I could still lose a bit here and there but I think that is human nature. My main focus was finding a balance between being comfortable with myself and how I looked but not going so low that I would find it a constant battle to maintain as that would be counter productive.

I also agree that you do fill out a bit when you come off CD, not sure of the science but i think it is to do with the lack of fat in your diet and when you introduce food your cells plump out but that could be rubbish!

x