I'm curious to hear from other people who are officially at a healthy weight (let's say more or less BMI, with slight tweakings for build and musculature) but who are still losing weight. How are you finding it?
I've never had a huge amount to lose, 35-40lb, and I've been in the healthy range for a while now. Judging by the last few weeks, my rate of weight loss is dropping from 1lb/week to 0.7lb or less. Thankfully I've been doing this long enough, and most importantly hanging around here long enough, that it's not bothering me. I'd quite like to get the weight loss over and done with so that I can sort out my wardrobe, especially with the cold weather coming up and surprisingly few sweaters left that fit me, but losing healthily is more important. I'm not too well at the moment and don't want to put too much strain on my system by losing faster than my body wants. While I'm still heavier than I used to be years ago, compared to how I've been for the last few years it feels absolutely great and I'm revelling in feeling much more like me again.
I don't get out much due to disability, so thankfully I'm not having to deal with people asking me why I'd want to continue losing weight if I'm already at a healthy weight. (Weirdly, I got that at the start, when I had a BMI of 28.5 and definitely needed to lose weight.) I'm aiming for the weight I was for most of my adult life: I looked good then, felt good, and I have a lot of clothes I want to wear again! I also reckon that my health will be better off if I'm at the slimmer end of the BMI category. (The BMI range for my height seems to fit me pretty well. I'm guessing that I have a medium build; I sort of expected it to be small, but on the other hand I've never been smaller than a 32 band for bras, and I know lots of women much taller than me who are 32s, so if I really had a small build I'd probably be a 30 or 28 when slim.) I developed PMDD when I put on weight rapidly some years ago, and several doctors have told me that it's probably connected. I also have CFIDS/ME, which involves extreme fatigue and is thought by some specialists to be a type of heart failure, so the less extra weight I am carrying about, the better.
Either my weight is coming off different bits of me at different times, or I have rather odd proportions, because I still have quite a belly while my hips are losing so much fat that it's getting downright uncomfortable to lie on my tailbone area on the floor for stretches! Possibly a mix of the two, as no matter what my weight, I've always found it awkward to find clothes that fit. I've managed to get up to a 4" difference between my hips and my waist and I really hope that improves. I'm also wondering where on earth I'll find trousers if my backside gets much smaller, because I'm down to the smallest size in the only brand that fits me. In terms of the top half, I'm down to a 32E and was a 32DD before I gained weight. I would absolutely love to be a 32D if it's possible.
People always talk about being overweight being bad for joints, but oddly enough, my joints are more painful now than they were before. I'm guessing that I wasn't overweight enough for that to make much difference, and it's probably something completely unrelated that just happens to be cropping up at the moment that is worsening my joint pain.