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[Mudpie]

I know where you're at with those last 5. I was there but now I've got 8 to lose - I HATE WINTER!!

Your metabolism probably has slowed down to accomodate the amount of food you're eating. You might want to bump up the calories for a week and then drop down again. You don't mention your workouts. Intensifying those sometimes also helps get off a plateau.

Dagmar

[vixjean]

Totally switch up your work out plan. What have you been doing?

[3fcuser1058250]

Yep, switch things up, foodwise (zigzagging) also adding more veggies, more water, exercise wise (more intensity) ...

Keep us posted on your progress...

[AquaWarlock]

You may be plateauing simply because your body doesn't have that much more to lose -- at your current weight your BMI is 19.1 (low end of 'normal' category) and at your goal weight your BMI would've been 18.2 (in the 'underweight' category). Of course, everybody's different as to their goals and body shape but one have to work really hard to push their body beyond normal equilibrium.

But agreed with what other said; switch up the exercises to avoid your body getting accustomed to anything and eat a lot of healthful foods.

[BlueToBlue]

I have to agree with Aqua; your goal may not be realistic or even healthy.

Also, once my BMI is below 20, I have to be very very vigilent about what I eat to lose any further weight. I have to count every last calorie (and that means weighing or measuring everything I eat) and keep my calories very low. And this is with a lot more exercise that what you are doing.

If you are at a 19.1 BMI, you must look pretty good. Strength training would make you look even better, even if you put on a few lbs. Gaining muscle is good. You'll look toned and your metabolism will be higher making it easier for you to lose fat (which is really what you want to lose) and/or maintain your weight. Instead of focusing on the last few lbs, maybe you should be focusing on your body fat %, which might mean gaining some muscle.

I also think that maybe you need to think about what a realistic goal is for the lifestyle you want to have in terms of eating and exercise. How vigilent do you really want to be about what you are eating and are you prepared to step up the exercise to get to your goal?

[BlueToBlue]

I think for most people BMI is a good indicator of whether or not they need to lose weight or can lose further weight. There are some extremes where it isn't reliable (i.e., people with a high body fat % and little muscle and vice versa), but I think those are rare.

Having said that, once you get into the mid to low end of your BMI range, I think your body fat % is a better indicator of how realistic your weight loss goals are. Understanding Your Body Fat Percentage gives a nice summary of how to use this measurement. Here are a couple of web sites that calculate it based on your measurements and/or weight: freedieting.com, BBLex. They come pretty close to the body fat % my trainer calculates for me using the caliper method.

Also, I'm not a nutritionist, dietician, trainer, or any sort of expert at all, so take what I say for the amateur opinion that it is.

[Scenestealer]

I agree with Barbara - it's mainly skewed by build and muscle/fat ratio. BMI takes height and weight into account, so your friends' short stature would not really throw off their BMIs.