Anyone losing weight to get to a low BMI?

[EndlessUserName]

Within the normal range. Currently 5ft 6 and 9st 9. Would like to be 9st. And maybe 8st 7lb, which would give me BMI of 19.1

Anyone else aiming for this low? How will you do it? I try to follow Mediterranean diet but with some slimming world tweaks for counting syns because I can't be arsed counting calories. I'm only just starting to me more aware of my sugar and saturated fat intake so taking that into consideration too.

I've recently lost weight and taken my BMI from 24 to 20. I don't intend on going any lower. I did it by calorie counting, it's really much easier than you might imagine.

Hello!! @MonsteraCheeseplant nice to see you! you've done so well, amazing to see it written down like that. Are you maintaing now then? I'm dipping my toe back into weight loss and will be back on our thread sometime :)

Oh haha I didn't look at your username! Yeah I have moved on to maintenance now, well trying to anyway.

Hi, I try and keep my BMI below 21. At 1.72m (5”8) that is 62kg for me. Optimal/realistic BMI for me is probably 19.5.

At the moment I am 18.9 (55 kg) which is a bit low for me. I achieved this by consuming very few calories. I shouldn’t really let it get any lower.

I do find the BMI range interesting. I think it very much depends on build, but with a still healthy BMI of 24 or 25 I would definitely look quite overweight and I don’t think I would feel or be healthy at that size. Biggest I have been was 65kg/bmi 22 (pregnancies not included obvs) and I was definitely starting to look chubby at that size.

My BMI was 19 before I my 7 month old baby, it's now 20 and I would like to get back to the weight I was before (am about half a stone away).

No particular reason really, it's just how I feel and look best and obviously my clothes fit! Lots of people say I don't need to lose weight and I know I don't 'need' to, but I want to. I do the 16:8 generally but outside of that I eat normally by the way, but I do quite a bit of exercise and am generally active (three young kids).

Purple I'm 5'8 and my weight is about 59kg just now I think (I only usually use stones!), 55 would be pretty low for me.

@mistermagpie 55kg is (too) low for me as well, like I said 58kg is my optimal weight (I didn’t lose this much weight on purpose, I got the dreaded corona virus in May!).

Yes, me! My BMI is 20 (5”1 / 7st 8lb). I felt much more comfortable at 7st 2lbs a couple of years ago before I had DS. I recently tried calorie counting on MFP but struggled due to lockdown boredom. Plus, on 1200 calories, I find I start to feel quite weak and lethargic especially with a bit of exercise on top! It’s so easy to exceed 1200 cals...

Interesting thanks everyone. It's amazing how much difference just half a stone makes. I have a very small frame so definitely suit being smaller. I have also had a c section and hope that will help with pouch I now have! It's so hard to be motivated when I'm already technically in the healthy range, about BMI 21. And my clothes fit, they just don't look their best. Any motivation tips to get over this hurdle?

What do you think the hurdle is right now? Lack of exercise? Too large portion sizes? Chocolate binges? Hypercriticism?

I look at photos of myself at my goal weight and fitness to motivate myself. I also have clothes I want to get into! I agree it's hard to stay motivated when you're only half a stone away though, when I had two stone to lose I stuck rigidly to the plan, now I'm more relaxed so progress is slow!

My main hurdle is the headspace it takes. And other people - family asking to eat something which isn't on plan, and I just can't say no!

@mistermagpie interesting. I do have a great photo I could use!

I think slow progress is another issue for me. E.g. if I lost one pound a week, which I know is progress but it just doesn't motivate me!

Do those who have a very low BMI do much exercise? Mine is 21.9 and I really can't get any lower (I've just turned 50 which I'm sure doesn't help) but I exercise regularly and eat well although I refuse to starve

Technically, I could lose more than a stone and still be a healthy weight, but I doubt I'd look very healthy. I'm wondering if being well toned means the bottom end of BMI is unrealistic for me. I know that losing a few pounds should help my running but not at the expense of muscle

Hi, Stopfunding, I'm sure I've said it before but you are me. I totally agree about the headspace, wondering whether the best solution is to plough on, but allow periods for maintenance. I started losing weight in January, but said at the time I didn't care how long it took me. Current BMI is around 21 or just over, to have a BMI of 20, I would need to lose another half a stone, not sure if its achievable but will carry on, even though I'm only aiming to maintain at the moment.

Ultimate, I do quite a lot of exercise. I'm toned but not especially muscular. I run and for me that does work in terms of losing weight etc.

Interestingly I read once that Mo Farah's optimum running weight gave him a bmi of about 21. Now he looks slimmer than that to me so I can assume it's the fact that he's mainly made of muscle!

@Octopus37 glad I'm not the only one :)

Right I have a new plan. I've spent the day browsing meal plans and diet plan books etc, and then suddenly thought, why not just make my own! So I've ordered a quick chart to write down all my options for bfast, lunch, dinner, all already calorie counted, saturated fat worked out, sugar worked out, so then all I need to do is pick and choose what I'd like that day :) I always meal plan anyway so I'll record what I actually end up having. I've tried this sort of thing before but hate having things like this displayed in the house, however right now no one will see it so who cares

I was also thinking about my meals - I'm really quite healthy and low cal BUT my snacks let me down, I made biscuits today, eating chocolate etc, so I'll build in some healthy snack ideas too into my pick and mix.

@UltimateWednesday I'm very slight, I go running but not in a serious way, never really had any visible muscle etc

@monsteracheeseplant - well done on your loss! Do you mind me asking how long that took? Did you always stick to 1200 calories a day?

@Bearsflair Thanks! It took 3 months and a stone and a half. I was very consistent I reckon, 1200 with 100 cals error margin. (My TDEE -500 cals was 1300 so I did have a bit of wiggle room) I don't do vigorous exercise though, obviously you'd need to eat more those days.

I did have take aways which are harder to estimate and while I did try to over estimate and accommodate it within the budget, I tended to find that I would plateau the next week (weighing once a week). Probably water retention but I reduced take aways to once a month and that resolved it.

Have you tried CICO (calories in calories out) before?

@MonsteraCheeseplant - thank you. That's really useful to know.

I'm on 1200 calories a day but I've hit a mini wall after losing 20 lbs. I started at 11 st 9 and want to get to 9 st 4 ish. I've got 8 to go but weight loss is very slow now. Which is to be expected but its useful to know you kept on losing on 1200 a day. I think I need to stick with it and you've given me hope!

Good luck!

Also, can I recommend this ? And also videos by Jordan Syatt.

Congratulations on your loss by the way! They say that the best diet is the one you can stick to. I couldn't stick to low carb but CICO, so far so easy.

Thank you! I'll take a look

Feeling better to read I’m not the only one!
I feel great with a BMI between 18 and 18.5, “OKish” until 19/19.5 and depressed when I am above 19.5 (post pregnancies).

So if ever I go above 19, I will control my calories to get back to 18-18.5. With a 16:8 type of eating pattern I usually reach my goal in a few days.
I am 5’7” and exercise quite a lot (mainly running) so my lower body is quite muscular hence I need a low weight for my legs to look lean.
Some people say I’m too skinny but these are usually the ones who are not used to having skinny people around. Regardless I know that at a BMI of 18-18.5 I look my best (my husband fully agrees). However I agree that below 18 is too low, I look ill.

I keep my weight fairly low - I'm about 5 foot and 47 kilos at the moment. I'd like to drop a little bit more fat (around thighs) but it's do slow and such hard work, as I don't want to lose it off my chest area. My BMI is 20.3.