How did/do you determine your best weight?

[StrikesMatches]

Not sure whether here is better than weight loss to post, but hopefully my very vain, first world problem will fit here too...

I've been losing weight for 18 months, I'm currently 10st 4 but only 5ft 2, so my bmi is around 27. BMI was closer to 40 when I started. I've lost weight slowly by changing my lifestyle and, with an eternal watchful eye, I hope this is the heaviest I will ever be again but I'm really torn about how much more to lose. Ideally, I'd drop another stone and have a bmi of approx 23. This would be within the healthy range. However, I'm down to a size 10 and I really vainly, think I'm going to start looking a bit gaunt in my face if I go lower than 10 stone (bmi would be 26). Either way, I will be keeping up my lower than 2 years ago calorie intake and both strength and cardio training to maintain a healthy body.

I know it's a decision only I can make, but I was hoping others might share your thoughts about how you determine when you look and feel at your best as well as being healthiest.

Hopeful bump?

Well done! I'm aiming for 23 BMI on the grounds that it's healthier than still technically being overweight. Can always put on a bit if it feels too much.

Interesting question.
I think that if you are a healthy weight and can live without dieting that must be the best thing for you. I've never dieted and I am 5'8" and also 10 stone 4 but size 14. We must be very different shapes!
Size 10 and 10 stone 4 does not sound overweight.
I am happy with my weight and don't get weighed very often. If my clothes felt loose or tight I would notice but it would usually be temporary.

I think you need to pay less attention to the BMI numbers, back in the day there just used to be target weight ranges depending on your body frame, small medium and large. There was a lot less obesity about back then. If you honestly think you're starting to look a bit gaunt, then it's probably time to stop losing. Do you have honest friends/family who will tell you the truth? Sounds silly I know but I think some people are "denser bodied" than others and that's why they weigh more, it's not just excess fat that causes them to be heavier.

I have to keep my BMI low as I have developed type 2 diabetes (due to treatment for something else) and I am always being monitored and advised to exercise more and lose more weight.

But at 5'3" and 8 stone 10 my BMI is 21.5 and I honestly think I don't need to be any lighter (am a small size 10). I have never had a BMI over 25 but I still get a lot of grief from medics. Have put on a few pounds over Xmas so am keeping a low profile until I shift it .
Anyway - I guess what I'm saying is that even a BMI of 25 is considered high by some medics - but it's totally up to you and well done on losing so much.

Thanks for your opinions. The question was really triggered though by meeting someone this week who I used to work with quite closely, but haven't seen in about 2 years, and he didn't recognise me...at all.

Like you, Inspace I know that a bmi of 22/23 would be ideal and logically it's my next goal, but I'm getting lazy about "losing weight" now and maybe I'm looking for an excuse to stop! Xmaskitkat I'm lucky that I don't have any underlying health problems, but there are so many contradictory reports about positive and negative effects of ideal/slightly higher/slightly lower weight that it's hard to know what to take from it. I don't envy you that level of scrutiny though!

PoshPenny, my sister keeps trying to convince me our family has bones made of iron ore! It fascinates me how different people carry weight differently, as shown by your posts. That's what has me wondering about how best to judge it, clothing size, bmi or just sticking to a sustainable if slightly higher than ideal but lower than before weight.

Hmm, random "though" in that first line...

I would try getting down to about bmi 24 and see how it feels- at your height tbf it may only be a few pounds between each bmi point and you may feel better (or worse!) than you imagine.

I think you're right Tanaqui, and that was pretty much my plan, but bmi of 24 is a whole stone away and I guess I'm just fed up of the process at this stage. It's amazing how much weight is between the points.

Out of interest, OP, what body shape would you say you are? IME pear shaped people can carry more weight, more forgiving than apples (me). I am exactly the same height as you and several years ago was overweight and my starting point was 10.4 at which stage I did look really quite sturdy and was restricted in what kind of clothes suited me etc.

I'm now about 8.7 and happyish there although 8.4 is my favourite weight, not sure why . My friend is exactly the same height but a pear and looks really slim on her top half but has hips and a bottom which are easily 'dressed'. She weighs a whole stone more than me but I suspect sometimes looks slimmer because she has a lovely waist and neat bust.

All most mysterious! Congratulations anyway. I recommend going a bit further and cut yourself a half stone or so slack so you've got a bit if wriggle room.mi know it's against all the rules but I weigh every single day and am pretty good at maintainance.

Tbh I dont think it's that easy to choose the weight you are. I weigh about the same as you but am nearly 5'10, so bmi is about 21. I would be perfectly happy with any weight up to 11 stone but this right now is where my body has decided to be! It it's stable and I look ok, this skinny jeans fashion helps as I carry my weight round my legs!

I doubt you would look gaunt, you'd probaby just look different and it would take some getting used to

I lost 2 stone through surgery in the summer. I was just above the under-weight category for BMI (5'6" - 9 stone) but it wasn't a good look. No bust, hips you could hang your hat on.

I went from a 14 to a 12 (but I do think sizes are bigger now than they used to be). I bought a new wardrobe and decided I'd eat what I liked till my new clothes were beginning to feel tight.

I'm 10 stone now and enjoying choosing clothes where I don't have to disguise various bits of my body. I wouldn't want to be any fatter and am being more sensible about choc, biscuits and chips.

I think you'll know yourself when you're too thin. In my case, I know when I'm too fat when I start getting a muffin top and I don't want to go back to having to have my shirts untucked when I'm wearing trousers. Or that bulgy bit under a bra at the sides.

Matilda, wow, I can't even imagine being that 8st4! I am a pearish-hourglass I think - big boobs, smaller waist and wide hips with sturdy thighs. If I pull my stomach in, there's a very significant dip from below my ribs to my waist (thanks children). I have a definite jelly belly and carry most of my weight between my hips, below my belly button. I don't think I've ever looked my weight though, if that makes sense. 2 years ago, when I was a size 20 and 14.5stone, no one believed me.

I'm getting a lot of "you're getting too skinny" comments, and since I don't know whether that's objective or a reaction to how I used to look, it's not a reliable gauge. If it weren't for the bmi thing, I think I'd be happy where I am now.

I think all this 'you're getting too skinny' is actually people not liking that you aren't big anymore. They don't want you to be slimmer than them.

Toby, honestly, I don't think it's that, I think it's because of just how different I look now - my face in particular has changed significantly from very round to egg/oval, so it's very noticable as are the wrinkles first thing without so much natural filler .

Although my mum, wonderful as she is, has been a bit sniffy that a few lovely dresses she no longer fits into and she offered me, are too big! She did laugh when I told her I wasn't going to eat cakes to fit into a little black dress, no matter who the designer was

My test is to stand naked in front of the mirror and judge if I could wear a bikini without having rolls of fat around my middle, fat upper arms and podgy thighs.

You should be thinking more about waist size than BMI- according to experts. BMI can be high if someone has a lot of muscle though this tends to apply only to athletes.

A woman's waist should be under 32 inches for health reasons. If it's higher than that there is a much greater risk of heart disease and diabetes. There is loads on this on the web- just google 'healthy waist size'.

My waist is 28. I was 30 but I've recently lost 4lbs. My BMI is 19 and I am 5' 3'. I'm size 10 and weigh 7st 8.

I follow the Paleo diet as much as possible and exercise.

My face is fine- I think you have to lose a lot of weight to look gaunt but it depends on your face shape and what you were like before.

Another shortie here, I'm only 5ft, and was 14st at my heaviest, before losing 5 1/2st and 6 dress sizes.
Now 8st 7ish for the last 2 years, size 6/8, I'm happy with this weight. It's easy to maintain, and I can now wear kids' clothes which are far cheaper than "petite" ones!
Even at my heaviest, my waist didn't get above 28", it's now 23", I must have struck lucky genetically.

Thanks for that waist size guideline, pinkfrocks, I had heard about it but forgotten. Just measured and I'm 31 inches, so safe for now and if my bootcamp instructor gets his way, I'll look like Scarlett O'Hara by the end of the year!

I'm honestly really confused by the dress sizes though. I don't know how I can be 3 stone (almost) heavier than you and also a size 10! I would guess you have a lot more muscle than me too, which makes even less sense.

InMySpareTime, I've picked up a few children's jumpers recently too and it was great!