How do you know when to stop?
- Thread starter ** Just Jools **
- Start date
This is a really good thread-and I had to read it after I spotted it!
I've lost 50lbs and gone from a size 20 to a 12, and I still see a fat person staring back at me in the mirror!
What gets to me more than my own perception of myself is the attitudes of other people-commenting "oh you need to stop now.." stop what? This is a way of life for me now-making healthier choices for the rest of my life and not a quick fix that I want to undo in 4 months time.
I take great pleasure in telling my friend to stop there comments as they never bothered to tell my how fat I was! That soon shuts them up!!
I've lost 50lbs and gone from a size 20 to a 12, and I still see a fat person staring back at me in the mirror!
What gets to me more than my own perception of myself is the attitudes of other people-commenting "oh you need to stop now.." stop what? This is a way of life for me now-making healthier choices for the rest of my life and not a quick fix that I want to undo in 4 months time.
I take great pleasure in telling my friend to stop there comments as they never bothered to tell my how fat I was! That soon shuts them up!!
I worry about this, I don't see myself any differently in the mirror, I didnt see a fat person when i was 21stone or the thin person I am at 13stone. I am going to go by dress size, and have settled at a size 12, I'm in size 16 but they are all too loose now, it's really tough, I get the comments too that I should stay as I am now but I have a whole new wardrobe of size 12's that I would like to wear, and once I get into them, I think I will stay there. i have good and bad days with what I feel about my looks, I get alot of male attention now which i never had before and I have had to adjust how I talk to them, i used to flirt alot when i was bigger but now have to be so careful as not to give the wrong impession and lead anyone on. being slim has given me more problems and issues i now have to deal with but I do love being slim and healthy. Only you can make this decision. I do think a size 0 is too extreme so i would say that is definately too slim!
No one elses opinion matters when it comes to your weight loss, be that media, society or friends. You need to lose weight until you are comfortable in your own skin, but realistically a weight that is achieveable and will not take over your life. Health is more important than any of it.
Emowyn
Member
I'm just starting my weight loss properly and I currently weight 19st 4 lb. I thought an ideal/dream weight for me would be 13 stone, over a 6 stone drop but at 13st I would still be obese. Not a happy moment. I should according to the chart aim for 10st.... that seems so crazy. I can't even imagine a 10st me.
It might seem a long way away, but you will get there if youre really determined. Set yourself small milestone goals along the way and treat yourwelf when you get there ( can be non-food treats!!)
pandorasinbox
Queen Geek
I'm in the same boat, Emowyn, and only an inch taller than you. I got down to 13 stone once and was quite trim. A bit of a belly, but nothing to get excited about. I fit into (admittedly large) size 12s which I believe is the average size for a British woman, so I can't imagine being 10 stone!
Try to break it down into stages, maybe? Then perhaps it won't feel like such a long journey!
bugsbunny2000
Proud to be a LOSER :)
I worry about this too - when I first started going to a Slimming World group, my initial end target was 9 stone. This was based on my BMI and that apparently between 8 stone and 10 stone is my "healthy range" so 9 stone was right in the middle of that.
Now I have several goal dates to aim towards - my start date at University (5th Sept), my birthday (4th Oct) and more importantly, my graduation (2nd Nov). Thinking logically and safely I should be losing up to 2lb a week. So for me to lose 2lb, by the time my graduation roles around I would be about 9st 7lbs. Thinking about it, that would be a fine weight. Still 26lbs (1st 12lbs) lighter than I was in May!! But i've also thought I would continue my weightloss until Christmas....
Why? Because I tend to eat alot of xmas, who doesn't? Sweets, selection boxes, cakes, puddings, tins of Roses & Quality Streets, mince pies, xmas dinner mmmmmm *actually drooling!!* lol!
So thought I would instead try and lose another 7lb-14lb until about the 17th December (when Uni finishes) so that from xmas week until new years I could let myself enjoy food again. Though I will still have in my head "don't eat that, think of the syns" which i think is good - stop me overdosing on sweets lol!! And then I don't mind letting my weight fluctuate a little throughout the year because I'll still be quite far away from my initial target for it not to suddenly creep back up again!!
But I hope that i will be able to look in the mirror and say "okay, it's time to stop" - but are we ever happy with out bodies? I mean, I see the slimmest most beautifulest girls who say "i'm fat/my hips are too big/my thighs wobble" and think to myself "i would KILL for that figure/those thighs/etc". I think it's true, you can lose so much weight, but if you are still in ''fat mind'' then you won't really be able to appreciate it.
I think as long as you aren't doing damage to yourself and that you aren't putting yourself under pressure then go for a size 10... worse case scenario if you think you then look too skinny then you can have fun putting the weight back on hehe! good luck xx
Now I have several goal dates to aim towards - my start date at University (5th Sept), my birthday (4th Oct) and more importantly, my graduation (2nd Nov). Thinking logically and safely I should be losing up to 2lb a week. So for me to lose 2lb, by the time my graduation roles around I would be about 9st 7lbs. Thinking about it, that would be a fine weight. Still 26lbs (1st 12lbs) lighter than I was in May!! But i've also thought I would continue my weightloss until Christmas....
Why? Because I tend to eat alot of xmas, who doesn't? Sweets, selection boxes, cakes, puddings, tins of Roses & Quality Streets, mince pies, xmas dinner mmmmmm *actually drooling!!* lol!
So thought I would instead try and lose another 7lb-14lb until about the 17th December (when Uni finishes) so that from xmas week until new years I could let myself enjoy food again. Though I will still have in my head "don't eat that, think of the syns" which i think is good - stop me overdosing on sweets lol!! And then I don't mind letting my weight fluctuate a little throughout the year because I'll still be quite far away from my initial target for it not to suddenly creep back up again!!
But I hope that i will be able to look in the mirror and say "okay, it's time to stop" - but are we ever happy with out bodies? I mean, I see the slimmest most beautifulest girls who say "i'm fat/my hips are too big/my thighs wobble" and think to myself "i would KILL for that figure/those thighs/etc". I think it's true, you can lose so much weight, but if you are still in ''fat mind'' then you won't really be able to appreciate it.
I think as long as you aren't doing damage to yourself and that you aren't putting yourself under pressure then go for a size 10... worse case scenario if you think you then look too skinny then you can have fun putting the weight back on hehe! good luck xx
crazylilblondie
Pizza addict
I guess, the easiest way to look at it is getting a BMI right in the middle of healthy - 23.5.
It all depends by what you mean when you say "stop". Stop the diet, stop the shakes? The thing with maintaining is there is no end date. The problem with the word "stop" is it implies an end. An end to shakes... healthy eating, following the set meal plans of a diet.
I guess it is up to each individual, but sometimes a too low bmi is too hard to maintain. There is nothing wrong with being on the upper scale of a healthy bmi - as long as you dont 'go over the red line'. You just have to be able to keep that weight steady.
There is no point putting in all the effort and getting super small if you can't stay there afterall
xx
It all depends by what you mean when you say "stop". Stop the diet, stop the shakes? The thing with maintaining is there is no end date. The problem with the word "stop" is it implies an end. An end to shakes... healthy eating, following the set meal plans of a diet.
I guess it is up to each individual, but sometimes a too low bmi is too hard to maintain. There is nothing wrong with being on the upper scale of a healthy bmi - as long as you dont 'go over the red line'. You just have to be able to keep that weight steady.
There is no point putting in all the effort and getting super small if you can't stay there afterall
xx
What a great post I thought it was just me who thought this type of thought!! I was 17 and half stone (after my son was born!) and despite losing around 2half stone (WOW!! Shocks me everytime!) I still had my "fat head" on it probably took me a year or two to realise that I actually do look a bit slimmer etc but then I got obsessive and was grumpy moody if I maintained or didn't exercise, but finally something clicked and the balance returned, but my hubby said to me, if you are not happy with yourself in your mind now, how do you know you WILL be when your slimmer? That was my turning point, my goal changed and I found happiness and peace within my head first and now I'm losing the weight, but I still have no self body confidence but I'm determined to CHANGE that, but yes it does worry me that I could become obsessive and not know when enough is enough, though i think my hubby and my sisters would definitely tell me!! Sorry for the long reply but I hope you understand what I was trying to say!!
LVLLM
Gold Member
Im 10st 10 and cant fit in some twelves!! i think our bodies re all different shapes and sizes - and clothes will fit us all differently.
I know ill never ever be 100% happy with my weight and how i look, but sometime we have to think 'ok i dont look too bad'. im just getting there now!
surfinbernard
Full Member
There is no easy answer. It's only natural to be thrilled with your achievements but then think 'why stop there?' when you know you could be even slimmer. There's nothing wrong with that but if you're seeing fat that's not really there or wanting to be thinner than you should be for health then that could be worrying.
I am starting to feel slimmer now that my goal is jus a few pounds away but I know I will want another half a stone off after that, I am gonna adjust my goal when I reach it. I will still be well within the healthy bmi range so I don't see any issue. If I had a BMI of 18 and still wanted to lose more maybe I would have words with myself! But yes, I agree, you still can see youself as needing to lose some even if you're skinny, I used to be slightly underweight if anything and still thought I could be slimmer which obviously is in your head then.
I am starting to feel slimmer now that my goal is jus a few pounds away but I know I will want another half a stone off after that, I am gonna adjust my goal when I reach it. I will still be well within the healthy bmi range so I don't see any issue. If I had a BMI of 18 and still wanted to lose more maybe I would have words with myself! But yes, I agree, you still can see youself as needing to lose some even if you're skinny, I used to be slightly underweight if anything and still thought I could be slimmer which obviously is in your head then.
RachBlue
Full Member
I want to get back to the size I felt best at a few years ago... I freely admit I could just lose another 10lbs and be back into a "healthy" BMI but I want to look as good as I can, and because I pile all my weight round my abdomen that means getting to 9st (126lbs) to achieve that, so I don't look pregnant or have to always wear draped tops to hide my pooch. I won't go below a BMI of 19 because I don't want to lose all the fat in my skin (yes, I'm vain... )
)
trw1972
Full Member
For me the decision not to lose more weight was a few things
1) My BMI is now well within healthy range
2) My partner has made it clear she thinks i would be gaunt with more weight loss...and look fine now
3) In losing weight i got quite into weight training- and found it very hard to make weight training gains while on a calorie deficit... that was a big incentive to eat more really.
1) My BMI is now well within healthy range
2) My partner has made it clear she thinks i would be gaunt with more weight loss...and look fine now
3) In losing weight i got quite into weight training- and found it very hard to make weight training gains while on a calorie deficit... that was a big incentive to eat more really.
