[cantgetenoughchoc]

I've been speaking with a friend, who lost a substantial amount of weight a couple of years ago, and she was telling me that there is such a thing as a body's "natural weight". I am always around 126lb. If I have a term of eating badly and drinking lots, I'll be 130lb. If I am eating my normal veg/salad/fruit life I'm about 126lb. If I try to lose weight, irrelevant if I start at 130lb or not, I'll stop at like 124lb, and then consequently go up to 126lb.

She seems to think that as it's not an entirely unhealthy weight (my breasts weigh 8lb so I'm not quite as big as my BMI would suggest) that it's the weight that my body likes and essentially I'm stuck like this. I want to say that this is a load of faff, but I suppose it might make sense when you think of skinny people eating what they like. Is my metabolism stuck? Will it always burn enough calories so that I weigh the same? I hope not, cause I really want to lose some weight! I definitely have excess fat to lose!

[devadiva]

You don't say how much exercise you do are you young or old? It would seem you should be able to weigh less.

[JoJoP]

I've heard that bodies have natural "weight ranges" but I'm not sure how much data there is to back that up...

No matter how badly I've eaten, I've never been more than 10 lbs overweight, but it's also really hard for me to get below the mid 130s if I try. Then again, I'm at an age where my metabolism may be starting to change, so if I do indeed have a "natural range" of weight, it might change...

[seize the day]

I've heard this natural weight stuff before, but I know in my experience that my "natural weight" is more just the spot my body wants to plateau at, and once I get past the plateau my "natural weight" changes.

For instance, for ages I thought my natural weight was 132. It seemed that no matter what I did, my weight would stay at 132. I could like 4-5 lbs, or gain 4-5 lbs, but after a few weeks my weight would settle back at 132. I stayed at 132 for nearly a year and was resigned to believing it was my "natural weight".

I finally did break through that plateau by lowering my carbs, and upping my workouts, and now my "natural weight" seems to be stuck between 127-124. I have been in this weight range for the past 3 months or so, despite keeping up a fairly consistent routine.

about 3 years ago, I was consistently staying between 116-120... I was there for about 6-8 months without even trying and only gained when my medication was changed.

I guess what I am trying to say is that there may be ideal weights for certain heights/body types, and age, medication, etc. come into play, (for instance, I will never be able to healthily maintain a weight below 110, nor can I healthily be at 145) but I don't believe that there is such thing as a narrowly defined "natural weight". There may be a weight span that is easy for you to healthily maintain, but adjustments to your diet/activity level are likely to change that weight-span.

[cantgetenoughchoc]

Thanks. I'm only 22 so age shouldn't be a factor. Perhaps I just need to try a little harder and increase my exercise in order to break through the plateau! I'm glad to hear that I'm not fighting a lost cause!