Hey guys

I have been having this problem for some time now and I am sure many of you have had the thought cross your mind. When do I stop losing weight? I feel like I am so used to losing weight that I won't know what to do with myself when I don't have to anymore! The problem is that I have always looked about 10-20 pounds less than my actual weight. It is my frame, the muscle, genetics, who knows... but at 5'6 and 175 I feel really athletic and I look good (IMO ), I just want to tone some more. I am not looking to be stick thin, just toned. My doctor suggested to not go too much lower than 165 because of my body type.

Has anyone had a similar problem? When did you/are you planning to stop? I know maintenance can be just as grueling, but I truly can't wait to get there!!

Hi! I wish I had some advice for you but I'm kinda in the same situation.

I'm only a few pounds short of my goal and wondering if I may revise it (and go a little lower). I seem to be doing well with weight loss ... but not sure how I'll manage once I hit maintenance.

Like you, I'm getting ppl saying to me now (as recent as today!), "oh, geez you're skinny, you don't want to lose any more". I'm still toying with the idea of dropping a little lower, maybe down to 110 - which, because I'm short, would be ok on me. At the same time though, I want to maintain and even increase muscle mass, not lose it so I'll be focusing on body fat percentage - this may mean the scales don't budge much at all from here.

I'll probably just have to play it by ear - see how I feel. I need to watch my energy levels, and general health, so I'm confident my body will let me know when enough is enough. If I start to get sick/run down then I'll know it's reached its limit. Maybe you have already considered this as a possibility?

I say play it by ear as well. Also keep in mind that you are going to be working on "maintaining" once you reach that point. You don't want to get to a weight that you can't maintain. I've have done that even though I was in the middle of a healthy range for my height. Since I'm pear shaped, my face and upper half were very thin and I had people thinking that I was losing too much weight. Now, I'm 10lbs heavier and no longer have to restrict myself so much and I feel like I can still "splurge" every now and then. I did go up a pants size but as a pear shape, thats to be expected

For *ME*, I thought I looked pretty damned great at 175. I felt strong, and people *thought I weighed less. (* I know now they just said that to be nice). Actually 175 was my original goal. Once I reached it, I was still on a roll and I felt like I had more in me, so I decided to continue on. I decided to try and get to a "normal" BMI. So I made it, and the maintaince transition process was more difficult than I imagined and I ended up losing about 15 more pounds. I have since then leveled off to around 145 and it feels pretty good.

NOW, when I go back to pictures of *ME* at 175 I am shocked at how big I look when I thought I looked so hot...lol

It's all a guess. Do what feels right. If you decide to go lower and don't like the result, you can always gain some back.

It's a hard personal decision to make for sure! I chose 140 because at 146 everyone thought I looked great but I know there were a few problem areas on me I would have liked to work on. I would also like to fit into a size 8.

I've seen someone on here give the advice of to keep going and then if you start to look too thin that's when you stop and start to maintain and even let yourself gain a little to get to that 'comfortable' point.

i'm having this issue as well- maintenance is a scary thing.

just do it until it feels right.

if it feels right now, stop and take a breather. maybe lay off a little bit? if not, then keep going!

Thanks guys for all the great advice! It is such a weird place to be in. I know I am not at risk of being too skinny ANY time soon :P But I have had people make comments like "you looked better with a little more weight on you" and what not. I know, stupid, but still it makes me wonder. I have literally not been under 160 since early middle school. I don't even know what I would look like!

Have any of you taken a break to level out and have a rest and then kept going? I think I will stop at 165 and see if any lower would even be a possibility.

I think you should at least attempt to get into a healthy BMI range. I'm curious as to why a doctor would suggest something higher than that?

I'm toned and I carry my weight really well but I still get flack at my doctors office for being over healthy BMI for my height.

I took a maintenance break for a year and a half. I'm back to get the rest off.

I am ending a two year break at just under the healthy BMI threshold. I found that it was "okay", but left too much room for bad habits and no exercise. I think I have room for more strength and flexibility, plus I need to improve some blood work numbers further. I'm (with the exception of tonight) following a better eating plan and adding exercise - I expect about 140 when stable, but not sure. It's new territory.

@Val- I agree. I want to at least eventually get to 155 which is the top of the normal BMI range for me. But BMI is truly not an accurate measure in some cases. For me, 155 will be a lot different than that same weight on another body. I have no idea what it is but my whole family is just "heavy". My sister is 5'6 150 pounds and wears a size 2 or 4. Good luck with the rest of the weight, that is true dedication for finishing it off!!

@ICU- Good luck to you! What kind of exercise are you doing? I really want to give my body a bit of a break but I am afraid I will get lazy and gain some back. Good for you for sticking it out!

Oh gosh it's really hard to know when to stop. I could have stopped twenty pounds ago when I was at the top of the healthy BMI range. I looked really good then. Everyone kept saying I looked awesome, I had nice curves, etc.

However, I really like how I look now

It really sounds like we have similar body types. I'm the same height as you, large framed, muscular (I lift weights) etc. Currently I'm 161lbs and wear a 4-6 (but the 6's are definitely baggy now).

I've been 140lbs (so in the late 90's I was wearing a size 8 then no clue what that would be now-a-days with vanity sizing) when I was high school and 155lbs in college (was wearing a 10 then but again, vanity sizing has obviously changed that!). Both looked great on me so I decided to set a goal range where I really want to get below 155lbs so doctors stop bothering me but I won't get below 140lbs because I know that's maintainable and I don't want to go so low that it's hard for me to maintain.

If you want to see pictures to get a better idea, check out my progress pictures here. I post them every 10lbs.

I really don't think I look too thin at this point, I definitely have a good deal I could lose in my stomach, for instance. But I am pretty happy with my body (and pretty much have been after getting 175lbs).

As for the question of where to stop? Well, I have some other goals too. I wanted to wear a size 8 or under (check), I want to have a 28" waist or under (30" at the moment so no), originally wanted to get my bust/hip measurements under 40" (check so I moved that goal to 38"), and I have some fitness goals too. I've tried to think more about the shape that I want rather then the exact number of the scale.

mirax, thanks! I appreciate the sentiments of good luck! I'm a past Masters-level competitive swimmer who's gone very, very soft. At 44, I'm also discovering that a body that's been in motion, desperately wants to remain in motion, and will send you all sorts of messages. I can hold my weight at the "healthy" number by watching what I eat ... but my LDL goes through the roof unless I exercise. I got slapped in the face with a 205 LDL/295 total cholesterol about 3 weeks ago - first time I've ever failed the ratio. And my left shoulder is my bellwether of fitness - it acts up when a) I am stressed, b) when my neck is out of line and it's time to visit the chiro, and now c), when my back and abs are too weak to keep it in proper alignment.

So ... I am sneaking up on fitness without getting my brain into it too much. I'm just running/walking on the treadmill, and last week I took my first deep-water aerobics class. It's accelerated my weight loss a bit, plus I feel "firmer" in the softer spots. When my shoulder gets back to not hurting, then I will go back to lap swimming and resistance bands - just very, very carefully this time!

I honestly don't know where I'll end up. In the best shape of my life (junior year of HS), I weighed 150, but could bench 165 and was 9-10% body fat. Ten years later, I was in the 140's and "skinny fat" at close to 30%. These days, my goals are more around functional fitness ... but I won't rule out short-course Nationals for next year, either!

To your original post of "where to stop" - I guess it's where you find your balance of doing things at a level that you can do them forever. The scale's a dependent variable ... not a result in and of itself.

Yes, you can be large-boned and carry your weight well. I'm small boned so I've had the opposite problem
When I hit 135 lbs, I was told to stop losing weight.
Honestly, I considered myself done when I reached my goal but I'm always trying to 'fix' parts of myself. Right now, I'm on an intensive 30-day get-fit plan in order to get my body ready for the summer. I don't care so much about the weight anymore, I just want to look lean and sleek.
I guess I've started realizing that it's really over now that I don't spend so much time feeling guilty about what I've eaten. I don't see nothing but fat when I look in the mirror. Sure, there are 'spots' that I think need to be reduced but I can be happy with my appearance.
That's why I agree with everyone who says you should play it by ear. My 140 lbs was an abstract goal because I'd never been that small and it sounded like a nice, round number. Once I reached 140, I decided to lose more. Just see how you feel when you get there.

@ Running- yes we do have a similar body type! You look excellent btw, congrats! I am 175 have a 28 or 29 waist. I would love to get to a 26 or so but we will see. I have an hourglass figure and my weight spreads pretty evenly... but my thighs are stubborn! What kind of exercises have you been doing? Keep up the good work!

@ ICU- you're welcome! That is great that you are already athletic. It can be a real struggle to lose weight and tone when you are not already an athlete. You seem to have a similar body type to me as well, muscular. I have never and never will be a teeny tiny little thing. My structure just won't allow it! But kudos to you for getting serious about fitness, it will really help with the maintenance part when you decide you have gotten there. Thanks for the advice, you are definitely right- I need to be able to maintain the weight I choose forever.

@ imperialistic- Your pics in your signature look wonderful! You have come such a long way, you should be proud. I can't wait until I get to the point where I can either decide to lose some more or just stick with that weight. Are you still on a "diet" or are you just exercising and maintaining at this point?