To want a BMI of 19?

[user3459859083590890]

I had a BMI of 19 all through my teens and twenties.

Am I wrong to want to get back to that in my 40s?

I can only try, right?

There's no reason why you cannot get there if you want to. My BMI was 44. Today it's 36.2. Still a way to go to the healthy range for me but I hope to get there.

Note that muscle is denser than fat; you probably would be healthiest at a slightly higher BMI assuming you do enough exercise to develop your muscles. Agree with everyone above and would really think about the process stepwise - try to change your lifestyle longterm, and measure success against shorter term targets. First get that BMI below 30, then to 25, then start looking for the right "long-term you".

I'm in a very similar position age / weight wise, low carb and support on here has helped me make a good start and I'm hoping slow and steady will lead to big, and more to the point, permanent, improvements.

Best wishes!

I think it's excellent that you are motivated to regain the slim figure you had in your teens and twenties op.

If more people had your determination, we wouldn't have this horrific obesity crisis. These very overweight people cost the NHS billions in related illnesses/diseases.

Notice that men don't get told this:

Now make sure you keep the weight on once you're over 40, or you will look old
You must chose between your ass or your face

Nobody ever said to men:

'don't lose too much weight when you're older, it will make you look haggard'
'think about your looks
'Looks are more important than your health

With women, it always boils down to how we 'look' in the end, even though being healthy should be the main priority
. It's sad.
We are no better than the men for judging each other

@SusannahL
23 is no less healthy than 19 is it?

Women are encouraged to not do sport, because, even though it can have marvelous health benefits, we must think about what it could do to our looks
The whole thing is never ending.

It's not only the encouragement to put on weight, because it's supposed to suit us better, it spills over into sport as well.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/2013/aug/21/runners-face-beauty-advice-gauntness

This is why the whole concept of "runner's face" is so insidious. It threatens to take us away from the joys of running and right back into prescriptive ideas about how women should look, act and perform. It's all very well to want to run a marathon – but just think of what might happen to your face! This kind of policing happens too frequently in sports – strong, muscular, fit athletes are castigated for failures of femininity, rather than celebrated for their achievements.

Women get hit with a barrage of contradictory messages about their bodies – and "runner's face" shows how tyrannical and unachievable the regime can be. Fat is deemed to be a bad thing – but not when it's on your face. Chubby cheeks are charming; chubby thighs are not. It's an impossible race to win.

This thread is depressing I agree. All this emphasis on looks. My BMI is 19-20 but I don't excersice to loose weight. It should be about staying healthy and fit.

And I am not going to force feed myself to gain weight so I look better when I hit menopause. I will just look haggard without a layer of fat

You are not unreasonable to want it. It is not unhealthy weight per se. But if your bmi is currently 30, then at 19 you are likely to have loose skin etc

You're unlikely to have a loose skin problem if your top BMI was 30.

I'm 42 and my BMI is around 21/22. I don't look particularly gaunt but then I have big tits. I suppose it depends where you're starting from now? Agree with setting yourself a manageable target and seeing how you get on.

If your aim is to basically lose weight, avoid weight training (even though it's fairly popular at the moment) as it really won't help you drop weight, although will help you change your bodyfat % (which may be a healthier measure anyway). Cardio is your friend for straight weightloss (as well as watching what you eat obv).

Good luck - sounds like you are ready to start a new positive chapter!

I am twice the woman I used to be as well

Theres no benefit to being 19 rather than 22/23/24.
I can't see any point in aiming for 19 down from over 30.
Aim for 24 then see what you think. Fitness and muscle will play a big part in how you look and what shape you are.

It is up to the individual to decide how important looks are alongside feeling and being well. I like caring for how I look and I do it because it makes me feel good. That feeling may be a result of decades of socialisation but it is my feeling and everyday I choose whether to think about how I look. I feel better at a BMI of 23.
There are other things that I choose to spend my time on changing rather than trying to overcome cultural norms that I have internalised.

avoid weight training - sure, weights are not really that important if you only care about BMI. But I would think most people who want to lose weight also want to look slimmer and more toned? Just an example:
celticcrossfit.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/20130112-183201.jpg

I think losing weight should always be in smaller goals it's easily achieved. Start with getting it under 30 then to under 25 and take it from there.

Men do look terrible though if they get too thin when old and haggard it's just that men don't say it too each other

Arse:face ratio!