Why do people that are below 130lbs still want to lose weight? I dont think I will ever be that low.
Depends on their height. If a woman is very short, 130 can actually be considered slightly overweight for them. A 5 foot tall woman's "healthy weight range" is between 97 and 128 pounds.
When I was 150, I thought I would be perfectly happy to be 130 pounds. But when I got to 130 pounds, I didn't look as good as I thought I would. I still carried a lot of fat in my stomach and thighs and my arms still jiggled. At 5' 3", 130 pounds is at the upper end of my healthy BMI range and my body fat percentage was still in the overweight range.
And, to be honest, getting to 130 wasn't as hard as I thought. Sure I've had to give up a lot of foods that I used to eat and I do have to exercise every day, but I'm not unhappy with the foods that I do eat. I've managed to cobble together a diet where I eat foods that I enjoy and I've come to accept exercise as a regular part of my life. I realized that if I decided to maintain at 130, nothing would change that much. I'd still have to get my butt into the gym every day and I'd still be eating basically the same foods. There might be a few foods that I could add to my diet and I might be able to eat a little more of them, but it's not like I could go back to the way I used to eat before.
So, since not dieting wasn't really going to change that much for me and I've come to terms with my new lifestyle, why not keep going? Why not try to get to a point where I do feel good about how I look, instead of feeling like I still have all these flaws that I have to hide? Why not get to the middle or low end my my BMI range? Why not try to get my body fat % down to acceptable range or maybe even an fitness range?
So when I got to 130, I decided I would try to lose another 10 pounds. And then I decided I'd try to lose another 5. And you know what--I'm getting there! I DO look a lot better than I did at 130. My body fat percentage IS in the acceptable range. I AM at the lower end of my BMI range. I may not make it all the way to 115 and I'm not sure I need to, but I feel good about my decision to keep going once I got to 130.
Losing weight and getting into shape is a trade-off between eating and exercise vs. weight and health. Everyone has a different trade-off they are willing to make. I have friends that are a little overweight to very overweight and that don't try to lose weight. They've decided that they can accept themselves the way they are and aren't willing to make the trade-off in terms of diet and exercise that they would need to make to lose weight. That is a valid decision for them to make and I respect it. I have other friends, who like myself, have decided that they are willing to trade-off some diet and exercise to be healthier and thinner. That is an equally valid decision and I respect it as well. In the end, it comes down to your own personal values; what's right for you may not be right for someone else: the fact that my goals are different from yours isn't a criticism of your goals.
In the end, we all die anyway, no matter how healthy we are or how good we look. The important thing is to be happy with your life in the in-between time. Decide on a goal and trade-off that you will be happy with and let others chose their own goals.
- Barbara
P.S. - And who knows, maybe when you get to your goal of 147, you'll realize that you can keep going as well. You've done great--losing 40 pounds is nothing to sneeze at and shows a lot of discipline. Without knowing your height, I can't begin to guess what is reasonable for you in term sof weight, but if a lower weight goal is reasonable, I don't doubt that you'd have the ability to get to it if you wanted to. But I also don't doubt that it's not necessary for you to set a lower goal if you are happy with yourself when you get to 147.
Last edited by BlueToBlue; 08-10-2006 at 06:24 PM.
People have similar sentiments when I say I want to be between 150 and 170. Only, they ask me why I wouldn't want to lose more. My simple answer is that my body is my body, I know what looks good on me and what I can maintain for life. I'm not tall, or short, but I do have a very large frame and am naturally muscular which I fully intend to use to my advantage! Anyone who has seen me at that weight (believe me, it's been some years since then!) don't even believe I am, and I quote, "that fat." Because somehow 150-170 are fat numbers. LOL. Whatever.
My mom, who is 5'1 and tiny, gets pretty chubby at anything above 125lbs. She is plain ol' fat beyond 135lbs. Her ideal weight is 105-110 and a size 2-4. She is 115 right now and the 5lbs makes a difference on her, whereas on my body it's like spitting in Lake Superior.. I don't ever see even a minor difference until I hit the 20lb mark.
Height is everything! My 5'1" mom looks great at 112 lbs. I would be very, very ill (5'7"). It also might be a question of personal comfort, with a bit of unrealism, too. I just saw a show where a lady, after 5 kids, at 245lbs and at 5'6", decided that her "goal" weight was 118 lbs, "just like [she] was in HIGH SCHOOL". Two words sprung to mind -- FAT CHANCE. Just setting herself up for disappointment, in my mind...
Aside from height people have individual wants and aspirations...
Then too, others remember being under 130 in high school or at their wedding or whatever and want to recapture that.
Why would anyone want to weigh under 160? Thats my goal, which is very tiny for my body. I think it really depends on height and body shape.
I have to add that your comment could really be considered offensive to some people. If someone is 115 and wants to lose 3 pounds, the struggle is still the same even if the numbers are different.
Height is everything! My 5'1" mom looks great at 112 lbs. I would be very, very ill (5'7"). It also might be a question of personal comfort, with a bit of unrealism, too. I just saw a show where a lady, after 5 kids, at 245lbs and at 5'6", decided that her "goal" weight was 118 lbs, "just like [she] was in HIGH SCHOOL". Two words sprung to mind -- FAT CHANCE. Just setting herself up for disappointment, in my mind...
I agree there. Plus, our bodies have changed since high school. We're full grown adults now. Getting back to that tiny pubescent body just isn't always in the cards. Not like I'd know anything about it, I was always fat and only had moments of thinness when I'd go on a crazy diet. lol.
A lot of people don't understand body composition. I'm 5'3" tall. At 130 lbs with 24% body fat ... I do not look good. I have flab that hangs out in several places. I will look slim and trim and fit at 122 or so with about 20% body fat.
We are mistaken in the notion that it's all about the number on the scale. If we must get to 118 lbs no matter what kind of tissue we waste ... we're in for an unhealthy surprise.
And yes, some folks will take offence. I showed this question to some friends, one of whom said ... "if I had paid attention to the first few pounds I'd gained, I wouldn't be faced with the forty I've got".
Also, the sad truth is, not everyone is happy with their body...I can't really explain it but some women still aren't happy with their body whether they are a size 20 or a size 2. It's a personal thing I guess.
Some women don't know how lucky they are not to be 40 pounds over weight, but then again they don't compare themselves to people heavier than them but rather to smaller people, and maybe they want to achieve the same-- if not- a better image.
ahh...I don't know where I'm going with this...just rambling
Why would anyone want to weigh under 160? Thats my goal, which is very tiny for my body. I think it really depends on height and body shape.
I have to add that your comment could really be considered offensive to some people. If someone is 115 and wants to lose 3 pounds, the struggle is still the same even if the numbers are different.
-Aimee
I wrote a long reply then changed my mind. Let's leave it at this : the end result may be the same, but the journeys getting there are worlds apart.
l00py: Self esteem is your answer. People who weigh 130 no matter how tall and think they are heavy have self esteem problems. I would love to be 160lbs and it works for me. It's not what the books say I should weigh but in my mind that's okay. I'll never forget when Karen Carpenter of "The Carpenters" died at 60lbs because she thought that she weighed too much when she performed. A beautiful woman with a beautiful voice with terrible self esteem issues. Be glad you know what works for you and still be healthy.
Altari - all I know is that my friend who is trying to lose 20-25 pounds struggles just as much as me, even if I'm trying to lose 100 pounds. We feel the same frustrations, the same daily watching of calories.. so I guess I base my opinion on weight loss from what I know, and my conversations with women who are also trying to lose weight. I definitely get frustrated with her because I feel she has NO clue what it's like to be my size, but for her, she's at her largest, so she's feeling the same as me even if it's different sizes.The 115 pound example wasn't the best, it was a little overly dramatic. I understand (definitely understand) that being 250+ is not easy with society, media and all of that. And I apologize if I offended you, I was truely trying to express that sometimes the core struggle can be the same, in my experience anyways.
why, oh why?
