Should I be happy with my weight?

[Nananananahh]

Am 5ft5 and 11st 6lbs.

My BMI is 26.6

Ive lost a lot of weight and have naturally settled here.

Nothing I do makes me lose more (and if I do lose a few lbs it creeps back up to around 11.6)

I am alright with how I look in general but I am still very round of belly (that could be due to excess skin too)

Should I just accept this as my weight?

My goal was always to me a 'normal BMI/<25'
26.6 is overweight still.

Yes, absolutely. Your body has settled at a good weight. Beware trying to push it lower as it would inevitably mean eating too little. Eventually, you would snap and eat normally and after being in starvation mode, your poor body would hang on to every calorie possible. It’s a recipe for damaging yo-yo dieting. We all have different shapes. Some women have more belly than others, some more flesh on the hips. Tone your stomach muscles, but don’t try to be a different body type. You are perfect as you are.

Bodies do have a natural weight where there settle when eating 'normally'. The number itself is different for everyone, but it sounds as though this might be yours.

If you're generally happy at your weight then why worry? If you now have a diet that is maintainable long term then good for you.

You are probably putting any additional pounds back on because the diet required to maintain that weight long term doesn't suit your lifestyle. Essentially, the additional pounds lost are not worth the calories you're missing out on. Well done on your weight loss!

My biggest issue is I'm a 12 on top but a 16 on bottom because of my belly fat.

I really would like to be smaller around my waist.

But I'm in a much better place than I was previously health wise! I feel like I'm just being vain

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes again.

Best thing anyoever said to me was “your body will find its own level, like water”.

it is true. It takes a lot of will not to panic if you’ve put a lot of weight on after a pregnancy late in life but if you don’t (panic) you will not focus on food and you will eventually (it can take a good long while) rest at your natural weight.

Let your body (and your mind) do this.

You sound fine. But a bunch of teeny tinies will be on here soon to say you 'could do with dropping a few pounds...'

It's bollux that your body has a natural weight! If I were you I'd give dieting a rest for a good while then have another crack at it when you feel like it and see how it goes. It's boring loosing weight and you've already done really well.
You need less calories when you are slimmer so say you were loosing weight eating 1300 when you were, say, 13 stones you might need to only have 1200 calories to loose weight when you are 11 stone.

Yeah, I think I'm going to have a rest for a while. Enjoy a few summer wines and lollies!

I think that's fine I'm much taller than you but look better at the top end of my healthy BMI, or I start to look a bit drawn and boney around the shoulders and clavicle area. I'm very straight up and down and found the only thing that gave me a bit of a waist was pole fitness! Used to go with a colleague, haven't got back to it since having DS but it was a lot of fun and actually challenging

entirely your choice. When you’ve been dieting for a while you do hit a plateau and probably need to drop calories further to keep losing. Your choice if you want to do that, I don’t think it means you can’t lose anymore because you’re not currently losing. It’s just the way weight loss goes as your get closer and closer to your ideal weight. If you’re content with the weight you are now then I’d just try and maintain. Maybe maintain for a while and try losing again in a few months, something a period of maintenance can kick start weight loss again

PurpleButterflyWings · Today 20:07
You sound fine. But a bunch of teeny tinies will be on here soon to say you 'could do with dropping a few pounds...“

below 26.6 is not “teeny ti t”.

if you’re happy with yourself, good but you need to understand that it will have long-term health implications (unless you’re a muscular athlete, in which case BMI has little relevance.)

if you’re an average person. 26.6 is too fat. Sorry but it is.

But I'm in a much better place than I was previously health wise! I feel like I'm just being vain

The NHS BMI calculator says you're overweight and that your healthy weight range would be 7st 13lb - 10st 10lb.

Not everyone believes in BMI calculators so that's your choice to do so or not, but there is no 'vanity' involved at least in that statement from the NHS.

This beautiful post made me cry 😭Thank you

I think it’s not possible to say if you are unreasonable or not without more detail on the things you have tried so far, and also, perhaps, your age. You may have plateaued for a bit before further loss.

You’re absolutely fine.

To the person who said it will have long term health implications, how ridiculous! You really need to do your research.

BMI is a good general indicator but it’s not accurate at all. In fact, people in the overweight (not obese) category actually live longer than people in the normal weight category.

Try a few different types of exercise - different things seem to work for different people. I find pilates good for middle fat plus not eating much sugar.

I definitely wouldn't describe myself as fat now, but thanks @MrsSkylerWhite

As someone who was almost 20stones previously I definitely do not feel fat!

This is my figure presently

You look absolutely fine to me.

if you’re an average person. 26.6 is too fat. Sorry but it is.

Too fat for what @MrsSkylerWhite?

Thankyou.

For life I think. Anyone with a BMI over 25 should be immediately shot 😂

What’s your waist measurement? If that’s considered healthy then I wouldn’t worry too much about losing any more. I’m assuming you’re eating mostly healthily and are keeping active.

Being heavy in itself isn't what is bad for you. What is dangerous is a large amount of visceral fat. This is loosely correlated with weight but the idea that you suddenly become unhealthy at BMI of 25 but are healthy at 24.9 is a bit stupid.

OP do you feel out of breath when you walk up stairs? Can you walk long distances? If you were in danger could you run to get away from it? I think those things are a better indicator of whether or not you are to heavy than a scale based on sedentary white men!

I think you mean 24.9. 25 is too fat.

This