When I went to see my doctor the last time (in July) I had lost 25 pounds (I was at around....177? 180? Something like that, anyway). She measured my waist-to-hip ratio (it was *just* above what it should be) and calculated my BMI, and told me that my "healthy" weight would be around 125 pounds for my height (5 feet.) That seemed pretty okay to me; it's at the high end of the healthy weight range that WW uses.

Now, though, I've lost 52 pounds; I'm down to 151 pounds. And...I don't know. I look in the mirror and I'm like...if I lose another 26 pounds, what in the **** am I going to look like? At this point, I might weigh 151, but I only *look* like I weigh about 130. So at 125, what the **** will I look like?

And I feel fine at this weight. I really do. I like the way I look. I like the way my clothes fit. Yes, I still have some toning up to do, but I just cannot imagine losing another 26 pounds and still liking the way I look.

Plus, I also think to myself: okay, yes. I *might* be able to lose the remaining 26 pounds, but if I can't *maintain* it, what's the point? Right now I am struggling to lose every single ounce. I'm not finding this as livable as I used to.

I never thought I'd say this, but: I think I'm okay with being 20+ pounds overweight. Because I'm beginning to realize that this BMI thing is, in some ways, a total pile of crap. Yes, I might weigh 150 pounds, but I also have high bone density and some pretty decent muscle mass. I've lost 50 pounds, and that's a huge accomplishment. And I've also come to realize that "weighing 125 pounds" is just something that *sounded* good...but definitely not something I can maintain.

My only issue is that I don't know if my doctor will agree. She hasn't seen me since July, and I've lost an additional 25 pounds since then. She might take one look at me and say, "Yeah, that's enough, taking everything into consideration, you're at a healthy weight now." But she could just as likely say, "No, you're 5 feet tall, 150 pounds is still way too much, and you need to lose at least another 20 pounds." If she says that....well, I'm screwed, aren't I? I can't change my goal weight to something out of the healthy weight range if I don't have a note from her, right?

Gah. I just hope she sees my side of things, because I really can't see myself losing another 25 pounds (at least, not without starting to lose muscle, because there's not much more fat there to lose.)

Has anyone else ever found themselves in my situation?

If you're happy with where you are right now, then I would go ahead and start maintaining. If your doctor still thinks you need to lose another 25lbs you can start working on that after the next time you see her. BMI is definitely a tricky measurement that isn't always useful. If you don't know, it might be helpful to find out what your body fat percentage is, and if that's within a healthy range then I wouldn't worry too much about BMI.

If your doctor still wants you to get down to 125, I would ask her if there are particular health concerns she has with you maintaining at around 150. If she's only worried about BMI, then I wouldn't rush to lose the weight just to fit into the healthy range of that measurement.

And congratulations on your 50lbs lost!

BMI is an archaic system. I would of course discuss these issues with your doctor but you know what? Being slightly overweight is not a sign of poor health. You kind of have to weigh the pros and cons of trying to achieve a weight that you're going to be miserable trying to maintain. If you are healthy, the number on the scale is just a number on the scale.

BMI works great for population studies, but there are a lot of individuals it doesn't fit so well. Maybe you should look at your body fat percentage to help you and your doctor agree on a healthy weight.

There's an NIH paper (I think it was an NIH paper, but I can find it if you want) that recommends people lose weight for six months at a time, then switch into maintenance before considering another weight loss attempt. This is the same analysis that came up with the "10% of body weight" weight loss recommendation.

I wouldn't be able to "officially" start maintaining through WW, though, would I? I mean, I'm not at the goal weight I set with them (am I ever kicking myself for doing that! I only set it, like, three weeks ago, even though my doctor recommended my ideal weight in July.) So I wouldn't be able to go into the "maintenance" phase of WW yet, would I? Gah, I'm so confused!

No, you would not get the maintenance benefits of WW unless you had a note validating your goal outside of the BMI range for your height.

My advice would be to visit your doctor again and have a basic physical. Get your cholesterol checked and other such things. If your numbers are good, you may be able to convince your doctor that 150 is a good set point for you.

You also may be surprised at how good you look at a lower weight. Are you currently working out? Are you lifting weights or doing anything like yoga or pilates that tones your muscle? Muscle does weigh more than fat, so that might also make you happier at a weight that is technically "overweight" according to the BMI scale.

My dh has just finished losing 40 pounds and he certainly didn't consider himself overweight, but he looks much better at his current weight which is just a pound or two above a BMI of 25. We both now weigh significantly less than we did when we got married (neither of us was obese according to the BMI scale, just in the overweight range).

If your weight loss is stalling, you may need to bump up your activity level in order to keep things rolling. I've spent over a year on maintenance, and I would say that activity level is key to maintaining. When I back off my exercise, I start to crave things that aren't as healthy and it becomes a downward spiral packing back on the pounds. Activity is essential for good mental health, IMO, which also promotes good physical health.

Maintenance with WW is so worth it. They've now updated the program so you get free e-Tools for 8 weeks for every time you check in and are within your goal range. I love going to meetings and encouraging people and telling them that they can do it and it is so worth it. Maintenance is definitely something not to miss.

I do plan to do that; I'm due for my annual physical anyway, so I'll have all that stuff checked. I know everything is good, though; even though I've always been overweight, I've *never* had a problem with cholesterol or anything. So it should still be good.

The only exercise I have been doing over the past year is walking. Brisk walking, 60-90 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week. I just joined the Y last week, so I'm starting some new activity now (treadmill, elliptical) and I'm planning to start weight training tomorrow. (I'm a bit apprehensive because I've never done anything with weights before, so I'm not sure what I should be doing.) As for being surprised with how good I look at a lower weight -- I know my own body and believe me...if I lose another 25 pounds, I will not look good. I certainly won't look healthy. At 150 pounds, I'm wearing a size 8. I'm perfectly happy with that and have no desire to go down to, like, a 4 or a 2.

Oh, I'm perfectly willing to bump up my activity level. I'm just not willing to work out to the point of exhaustion. An hour a day, every day? Not a problem. 2-3 hours a day? Not happening. I'd be skinnier, sure, but I'd be miserable too, and my weight loss would go out the window because I'd give up.

I definitely intend to make it to maintenance; I look forward to reaching my goal and getting my lifetime membership. I just think that in my case, a higher goal weight is best for me.

Bumping up your activity level doesn't necessarily mean spending more time - it can also mean bumping up the intensity. If walking (and you're doing a lot) isn't doing it, try riding a bike or jogging - something that gets your heart rate up higher. You could even work up to thirty minutes of jogging and replace the walking you're doing now with that.

I have a friend who is about 5 feet tall, and she definitely had plenty of meat on her. She lost weight while we were in college and got down to a 2 or 4 and looked much better. A size 2 or 4 on someone who is 5'10" (like a model) is completely different than on a person who is 5'0" - the former would look anorexic but the latter might look like the former at a healthy size 8. So while I haven't seen a picture of you, it is possible that you could lose more weight and look just fine.

Have you had a body fat test done? That might also lend some insight and help build your case if you want to convince your doctor that your current weight is a good place to stop.

What you've done so far is great and you should be very proud. Enjoy the fruits of your efforts!

You might get your body fat percentage checked. Some people are above 25 BMI due to having more muscle rather than having excess fat. If that is your situation then your doctor might agree you are OK and you could get a note for WW. On the other hand, if your body fat percentage is higher than it should be then maybe you do still want to go lower in weight.

I actually checked at the Y tonight, and they do body fat analysis there. I can get it done for free, too, since I'm a member (well, and an employee now, too!) So I'm going to make an appointment for that tomorrow, and also make an appointment with my doctor to see what she has to say. I have a feeling she's going to want me to lose a bit more -- she might agree that I don't need to go down to 125, but I think she might want me a little closer to it than I am now.

First off, in regards to exercise you don't need to increase the time but the intensity. Look into HIIT where you could do 1 min of walking at your max and 2 min walking slowly. You'll actually burn more calories in a shorter period of time.

Also look into weight lifting, it's really changed my body composition even at a higher weight. I think it's GREAT that you're getting your body fat percentage checked out that will help you get a better idea of what more you'll need to lose. Just be careful... how will they measure it? Because the scales are notoriously inaccurate but calipers are at least going to give you a better idea if it's from someone who's experienced.

I can't speak to WW and maintenance but I think what you're doing is good. Talk to you doctor, see about your body fat percentage and evaluate from there. If your tests look good have a heart-to-heart with your doctor and see if they'll bump up your goal weight. Could you also talk to WW about taking a maintenance break and coming back in awhile?

Ultimately, this is your decision. I think talking to your doctor and getting her opinion is important but I've also had experience with doctors that don't really have the best knowledge when it comes to weight loss so it's also hard to say what's best. The best I can tell you is do what's best for your health. I know for me being 20lbs overweight makes a difference in terms of my joints and how I feel and I'm pretty muscular with a large frame. I'll never get to the low end of my BMI but I do plan at least to get into a healthy BMI range. However, that's my choice to make. Personally, I wouldn't let WW dictate my goal weight but you have to do what you think is best for you in terms of maintaining your weight loss. I've found the community at 3FC enough to keep me on track but it's totally OK if you feel you need more than that.

If you are 5 feet tall, 150 is a lot. I'm 5'4" and weigh 147, exercise 10-13 hours a week at the Y, and still need to lost another 10 pounds to be where my doc wants me. I tried to get him to give me a goal of 155 and he refused because he said I just wanted to subconsciously quit before the job was done. After reflecting on that, I agreed.

Yes, I realize that 150 pounds at 5 feet is a lot. I do feel, however, that a number on a scale doesn't take into account bone structure, body fat percentage, etc.

But I have come to the conclusion that if I am doing this for my health (which I am) then stopping at 150 pounds is useless. Yes, the BMI isn't a *perfect* measure of health, but it is a component, and I am still in the "overweight" BMI category. Actually, at my goal weight of 125 pounds I'll still be at the high end of a normal BMI.

I'll be perfectly frank here -- I don't agree with a lot of what you say on these forums (or at least the way you phrase things) but the point you make here about subconsciously wanting to quit is correct. I think part of my wanting to raise my goal weight is that I just want to get to my goal weight. I've realized, though, that if I stop here just because I'm impatient, it's not going to mean anything. Whereas if I keep going to my original goal weight -- well, that will be a victory for me.

You are so right. I mean, I've lost 53 pounds at this point and right now, I am smaller than I've been since I was ten years old. That's over half my life spent being severely obese, so I'm not even familiar with what a healthy weight looks like for me! So I look at myself and think, "I'm good with where I am" even though I'm still quite a bit over what I should be.

Since I wrote this post I have been to see my doctor, and she is still advising me to get down to 125. And if I want to stay in Weight Watchers and get to my goal, 125 IS my goal (she refuses to write me a note stating that a higher goal weight is okay. *L*)

So I'm going to keep on truckin'. I've gotten two-thirds of the way to my goal, I can go the other third!