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.

It's true, it's probably about body structure and also how we each feel at different weights.

It just depends on you. I'm about that bmi after losing weight, and I am happy with it. Yes I'd ideally like to be thinner, but this weight is a compromise. It's healthier than being bigger, and much easier to maintain than being smaller.

I think so. On some people my height I could imagine that looking fine. On me it did not. I do struggle to imagine it looking healthy and fit on someone 5'4" though?

Or more importantly, BEING healthy and fit!

Unless that person is a body builder or similar!

Only you can answer that question. Are you happy where you are? It's fine if you are as women are all gorgeous creatures no mattter there size but if you're not, pay for a couple of personal trainer sessions to target the areas you're unhappy with and then just carry on with there teachings after to save money.
Switch up your exercise routine and cut out booze and sugar, makes a massive difference to the mom flab tub (speaking from experience!) you'll notice a difference in about two weeks! X

Because everyone holds weight differently. I’m 5 ft 9 and 12 stone. My waist is 26 inches. I literally hold no fat there and my muscle % is high. Weight looks different on every body for so many different reasons.

@ToysRMine yes I agree, as I said in my comments above.

Hi I'm 5.5 and weigh 11.8-11.10

I eat relatively healthily . We do veggie in the week, I get more than my share of fruit n veg a day. I do like crisps but try to limit it. I walk a hour a day plus do yoga and Pilates once a week. I can lose weight if I limit calories to about 1200 but I generally go back up very easily. I'm a14 . I want to be a 12 and would like to lose a stone. Dh doesn't understand as he is very into fitness and trains an hour a day. He weighs 1.5 stone less than me which I hate.

I’m 5ft 6 - 11.4

my waist is 28
hips 39
so I look much slimmer than I weigh because my waist nips in
I would like to get to 11stone or just under but
I would need to eat so little I can’t be assed

At my age as J lo said I have to choose between my ass or my face 😂

That's a really amazing weight loss, you have lost nearly half your body weight
I think some posters will struggle to understand what a massive difference that sort of weight loss makes to someone's health, especially if they feel flabby or huge when a few pounds over their ideal and they have never been very overweight or obese themselves.

How quickly have you lost the weight ? - I think if it has been a relatively quick weight loss, it is natural to hit plateaus as your body sort of recalibrates to its new normal.

How long have you been plateaued at this weight ? - I know it can be frustrating, but a couple of months wouldn't be that unusual as you reach the lower end of the scales on your weight loss journey.

What exercise are you doing ?

Thankyou. About 14 months.

Plateaud about 2.5 months.

Well done, OP, that’s amazing.

To answer your op, this could depend on what caused you to be overweight in the first place. It might be that for you there is a real risk that if you stop actively trying to lose weight you will start to put it on. That will be depressing, you might overeat, cycle begins and suddenly you are off your plateau in the wrong direction.

Whatever weight you decide to stop losing at, you should be thinking in terms of managed maintenance plan at least for the first couple of years (sorry). You’d probably want to start that only once you were in a healthy bmi.

Don’t waste the amazing work you have done for a few lollies.

I've just caught up with the thread and all these comments on my post have made me smile. I'm certainly not a body builder! I'm not super slim but I'm happy as I am.

I am trying to lose a bit of weight as since I was 16 years old I've fairly consistently been 10 and a half stone (and perfectly happy) but having dd, getting divorced etc has meant it's crept up a bit and I'm trying to nip it in the bud. I'm not going mad on it though and I certainly won't feel bad about myself if I don't manage it. I guess I just wanted to share with the OP in my opinion it's ok to be happy at a weight above the 'ideal'.

If you’re happy with your weight then you don’t need to do anything.

I was recently in a similar,position. I went from a BMI of 29 to 26 and I was happy (and stuck there) for quite a while. I had been eating well and exercising well, but my body just seemed to settle there. I felt good compared to where I had been so wasn’t too bothered. Once the dust settled though, I decided I wanted to lose more.

I was already eating healthily and didn’t want to eat less, so I really ramped up the exercise to quite a high level. I’m now a BMI of 22 and my build has totally changed. The belly fat has gone. The real bonus is I feel so much healthier, more energetic, and really capable.

I didn’t think I needed to push on and lose more, but I’m really glad I did.

I was already eating healthily and didn’t want to eat less, so I really ramped up the exercise to quite a high level. I’m now a BMI of 22 and my build has totally changed. The belly fat has gone. The real bonus is I feel so much healthier, more energetic, and really capable.

This is my experience too. I started with a PT a few years ago and lost so many inches (more than kilos). It totally changed how I looked and felt for the better. I don’t see her any more and still miss her! Exercise is so good when you’re at or near your goal weight for helping you maintain and just making you healthier.

Op you haven’t said what your waist size is as far as I can see. That’s something I really would pay attention to because of the greater risks of having a larger waist, even at a healthy bmi.

I’m a bit confused by the comments that say ‘your weight is settling how it is’ but we are totally in control of our energy intake/expenditure.

if OP is eating in a way that feels healthy to her & her weight is not moving then she is just eating at maintenance calories for her current body weight. Maintenance changes as we do though.

There isn’t one size or weight we are all ‘meant’ to be. If OP was to lose weight and then ate at her new maintenance calories for that weight she would stay the same too.

surely you wouldn’t say to someone who was morbidly obese (I’m talking maybe 400-500lbs) and struggled to lose weight that their body was just settling there as if it’s destiny. Our bodies ‘settle’ because we allow them to not because some higher being has determined that’s where we are meant to be..

Damn I was really hoping not to have to read this because I am already exercising as much as I want to! My waist size is 29. Up from 27 pre peri menopause.

You’re still within the healthy range @JanisMoplin . Totally get that it must be frustrating though!

This is what the nhs BMI calculator page says…

Regardless of your height or BMI, you should try to lose weight if your waist is:
94cm (37ins) or more for men
80cm (31.5ins) or more for women

KylieKoKo · Yesterday 21:41
if you’re an average person. 26.6 is too fat. Sorry but it is.

Too fat for what @MrsSkylerWhite?

for long term good health.

What’s the significant difference in risk to health between a bmi of 25 and one of 26.6?

Yes, I think that's fine, OP. You might want to try and find some exercise you enjoy to shape up your lower half. And when you've had a rest from dieting, try something like 5:2 or varying calories on different days to shake up your metabolism a bit. Check your TDEE now so you don't overeat now at your lower weight.

I am also Asian so the NHS thinks my BMI should be below 23 because of the risk of diabetes. I don't disagree, because there are many pretty slim people in my family with diabetes. But it's incredibly hard to cut out the rice. :(

Regardless of your height or BMI, you should try to lose weight if your waist is:
94cm (37ins) or more for men
80cm (31.5ins) or more for women

Check waist to height ratio as 31.to be more accurate.

Sorry, I meant that to say 31.5 inches is probably based on a 5'4" woman.