How do I know what my target weight should be? Am I there? Should I lose more?

[InsertCrapNameHere]

I've lost 4 st, I am now 10st 1lb, I'm happy that I've lost the weight I have but I still want to lose more. My BMI is 24.1, I'd like it to be about 23, nicely in the middle of the healthy range.

But, people keep saying to me 'don't lose any more' and that sort of thing and I'm finding it a bit annoying, even seems to feel free to comment. I'm still not happy where I am, not happy when I am in a swimming costume, not so bad fully clothed.

How am I meant to know what to set my target as? Do I just keep going until I'm happy or listen to people and stop now even though I'm not happy yet?

Stop when you walk past your reflection in a shop window and think Ooooo, you actually look very well. Nobody else's business. Well done by the way, that's seriously fabulous.

Thanks, I think the problem is that I am such a crap judge of what I look like that I really don't know if I still look fat or if I look slim or thin?

Also, I think one of the friends that keeps saying 'god, you should't lose any more' is unhappy with her own weight and isn't too impressed that I've lost lots. I wonder if its more about her than about me?

But at 10st 1lb I'm hardly wasting away am I? I'd like to get to about 9st 8lbs or something like that, but I'm bothered now that I'll look awful.

Well done. Keep going and when you (and only you) think you look too thin, stop. You'll be surprised at where you end up. Other people saying "you're too thin" to someone who is 10 st are doing it because they are jealous.

I am trying to lose weight, 11 lbs so far
Like you am aiming at middle of my BMI. If you are unhappy at 10st 1lb aim a bit lower and ignore other people, It sounds like you are aiming to be healthy and not underweight so do as you are doing :)

Carabos Thats what I think, at 10st I'm hardly too thin am I? But so many people say it to you and often enough and you start wondering if the weight loss has made me look gaunt or something. But I don't think I do, I look good compared to how I was but I just don't think I'm there yet.

Thanks guys, I'm wondering if its more about other people and how they feel about their weight rather than how they feel about my weight.

I'm still losing fairly easily, still eating a decent amount of food with the occasional blow out so I think this sort of weight is maintainable with a healthy diet. I'm sure I could lose another half stone and look that bit better, and be in the middle of the healthy range of BMI without being too slim.

I think the size 12-14 friends don't like that I was a size 18-20 and am now a 10-12, but then I feel bitchy for thinking that about some of my friends.

I'm 5 ft 5. I always weight myself at the gym on the same night each week and it gave me my BMI as 24.1 at the weekend. I thought a BMI of about 23 would be something to aim for - what do you think?

I'm 5'7 and have got down to 11 stone. Very much hoping to lose another half stone but taking it slowly because it's more sustainable, hope to be there by the summer. I do feel far better. I've just been keeping starch way down, eating lots of fish, meat and veg and drinking plenty of water. I notice that my weight goes up when indent drink enough water. It was lovely getting back into lovely clothes I haven't worn for years.

I have a BMI of 23 and I don't feel slim - I suppose it depends where you carry your weight. My BMI needs to be around 21 before I feel good in jeans and that's where I want to be.

i'm getting the same as you. i'm 5'5 and was 14/8.
i'm now 10'8 so not quite yet a healthy bmi and am already getting people telling me to stop losing weight!
i'm aiming for 9st10 but dont' really know. i think that i need to be a bit below the maximum bmi so that if i put some on i'm not quickly overweight.

by the way insertcrapname - well done! dont' let anyone sabotage your great efforts...

I find a BMI of about 20-21 is best for me, that's where I look and feel best. It might be different for you, of course, depends on your build etc. Around the middle of the 'healthy' range is probably good for most people though.

I wouldn't listen to other people telling you to stop. As long as you're not in danger of becoming underweight (and it doesn't sound like you're at that point yet) there's no reason you shouldn't keep going a bit longer. It's probably just that people have got used to you being a lot bigger, so you look alarmingly thin to them now!

(or if they're a bit overweight themselves, then yes maybe it is more about them not you!)

Well done on your weightloss OP!

I've lost 3 and a half stone in the last year, have gone from 13 and a half to 10 stone. My aim was 10.8, as that was slap bang in the middle of the healthy BMI thing. However, I lost the last half stone without thinking too much about it, and am now BMI 19.5. I would say that even now, though I am thin, I'm not really happy in a swimming costume- Loose skin and a tummy.

When I got to about 11st I got LOADS of people saying "don't lose any more". It's easy to dismiss this as jealousy (as is sometimes is) but I think that sometimes, people are genuinely concerned and think you look better at your current weight.

I think that often dramatic weight loss (and your is quite dramatic you must admit) can make a big difference facially and that is what the comments are about. Of course you should carry on until you feel happy with your weight but don't assume the comments are due to jealousy.

I lost 60 pounds last year and also got the comments about not loosing to much weight. My bmi is similar to yours. I think it is when you get slimmer than people you know they say it. I know this isn't a very nice thing to say but that's how it seems. I'd say keep going until you are happy and don't listen to others.
Good luck.

People say that as you aren't overweight any more, but I wasn't happy with myself until my BMI was 21. Ignore them until you are happy. When I got to 8 7 the weight loss was so slow I was fed up dieting, and I have found that my maintenance weight is 8 10.

So yes I kept on going until:
a) i was happy with how I looked
b) weight loss was so slow that dieting too annoying to continue!

can i just ask all of you that have lost the weight on this thread, how you kept it off when you found a weight you were happy with? i don't have that problem yet, as still losing, but very worried about it...

I think a lot of people have just lost sight of what normal actually looks like. We have normalised "fat" and that's just not healthy. I think that a good rule of thumb is that it's better to be a bit too thin than a bit too fat. A BMI of 18 or 19 feels and looks (IMHO) better than a BMI of 22 or so. Staying at the lower range gives you a bit of flexibility to not worry about eating out, holidays etc.
Some comments are from jealousy, some are from ignorance. Ignore and do your own thing.

To put "too thin" into context, 10 years I became very ill with a bowel condition caused by food poisoning abroad. By the time I came under consultant care I was 7st 4lb (5ft 4in). I told him I was very worried because I had lost a stone and everyone was commenting on it. He told me he wasn't concerned about my weight and wouldn't become worried until I lost another stone. In other words, for my height, 6st or so was "too thin". Not many of us are going to get down that far without illness or an eating disorder, so be sensible, be slim, be healthy.

re: keeping weight off.

1. I weigh myself every morning apart from Saturday and Sunday (although accept twice a week Monday and Friday would probably be enough)
2. I allow myself to eat whatever I want at the weekend
3. I am careful in the week always making sure I return to my target weight by friday morning. So if I don't stuff myself at the weekend I can be a bit more flexible in the week. Similarly if I know I have a party on a wednesday I'd be more careful the weekend before. Need to work out how this will work for you.
4. I still work out 3 times a week, and I do exercises with my 2kg and 4kg handweights when I am watching tv. Still sometimes do RI30/30DS. I have very good muscle tone, which is why BMI isn't such a great tool. My BMI might be 21 but I'd be prepared to bet that I have less body fat that someone with poor muscle tone with a BMI say 19.

People also said to me I'd lost too much weight. I haven't, I look lean toned and healthy. Still have some fat on thighs and bum!

Very interesting Foreverinadiet, I had this discussion argument with a friend recently as she felt it was time I stopped weighing everyday and calorie counting and became more like a "normal" person. I can't remember who it was, but someone on this board linked to an interesting reticle recently which talked about a database of 10000 people who had all lost more than 30 pounds and kept it off. What they all had in common was that they weighed everyday and continued with calorie counting, carb counting, point counting or whatever it was that had helped them loose weight in the first place. And the other thing they had in common was they exercised more than the average person. I think the honest truth is that someone who has lost a significant amount of weight is not the same as a normal person who has not. Both biologically and psychologically. And we have to continue with the methods that we know work for us.

I totally agree with your list. I am transitioning from weight loss to pre-maintenance now. I am officially at the weight that I always said was my goal, but now thinking of losing 5 pounds more. My starting BMI was 41.4 and my current is 23.4 but I think I would like to get down to 22.5.