Hear what you’re saying about BMI being innacurate, however, individuals that it won’t apply to at least as a general guide are a very small percentage.
I think using several methods simultaneously is the safest way forward, and BMI is a reasonable starting point for change.
I’m confused about how much weight I should let my body lose. I’ve hesitated to ask on this forum, because I respect the struggle many here have gone through in trying to lose a lot of weight and my issue may not seem like a problem to many.
I had a modest amount to lose, from 142 down to 125-130 (which is what I weighed for most of my adult life). I’m 5’10" and extremely small boned. I do strength training, but have a hard time gaining muscle. When I keep my carbs low, below 50, my weight starts to fall below 125, so I’ve been eating more carbs on weekends. Should I stay keto and let my body fall down to it’s natural weight? At my present weight (127) I feel healthy, but am skipping periods (which started the moment I started keto). I am afraid if I lose any more fat, I will be thrust into full menopause (I’m 48yo).
On the other hand, maybe <120lbs is a healthy weight for my small frame. The last time I weighed below 120, my body fat tested at 24.5%, and it was also the only time in my life I was fertile enough to get pregnant.
I sure was. Pushing 6’2” I never quite got there. Closer to 6’1” nowadays due to age and a fall I took about a decade a go now.
I went from 228 down to 173 (pounds) about three years ago via calorie restriction and running 30+ a week. I kept adjust my weight goal down as I wasn’t going to be satisfied with any beer gut remaining. I remember one person saying “look how skinny you are…are you well?”. Most in the family agreed I had taken it to far. I then proceeded to put weight back on until I hit 208 in July when I started keto. I think my sweet spot will end up being 178. I am stalled but at 188 now and am playing around with how to get the last 10 off. Not stressing and the phrase KCKO comes to mind.
Look up “keto Roulette”. I was in the same place as you. Those last pounds are a bear. Give it a shot.
Look in the first column of the table for your sex:
https://blog.virtahealth.com/protein-ketogenic-diet/
I pinch myself. Even in the very early days of going keto my belly fat was going down and down. Still some left so Haven’t reached my target. Rightly or wrongly that’s it I’m going by.
I would say to stay with keto and let your body decide where it feels best. Also I would up fats instead of adding carbs if you feel you’re at your best weight and want maintenance.
I have to say that BMI, even with a range, is complete garbage and based on little scientific evidence. You can easily find studies where the people living the longest aren’t in the “ideal” BMI. I simply don’t believe in numbers like these.
I was about 165 when I was younger, but much, much, much more muscular than I am now. I don’t hope to get to that weight, as I’ve been stuck at about 200 pounds for about 3 years. I can go below this weight, say by fasting 4.5-5.5 days or by fasting 36 hours a few times per week, but I always pop back up over it. Having said that, by DEXA scans, I’ve gained muscle and lost fat though my scale only went down a few pounds. So my body is changing. And I have old belts and can fit into the hole in them that are the smallest, so I’m not gaining fat.
I hate to say it, but I also don’t believe that looking like Ted Naiman, with very little body fat, is healthy as we age. (And I was a former pseudo body builder.) There’s no cushion of fat you can rely on when you get sick. I think something more than that is better.
For me, my goals change with reality. I keep doing various things, trying different stuff (currently, trying iodine and a regimen associated with that and trying a liver helping protocol, going to try to do some 36 hour fasts again), and seeing what happens. If this is the best I can do, it’s the best I can do. What’s more important is my relationship with my family, my community, my friends. Those are really what matters.
Okay, my new plan is to start eating breakfast and replace the extra carbs I’ve been eating with more fat and some protein. I’m going to trust that the hormonal imbalance issues I’ve been having aren’t due to lack of carbs, but maybe lack of calories. I’ll give it a couple months and see where my weight ends up.
I admit, part of my fear of losing more weight is my not wanting to buy new pants. I gave in last night and ordered a few new items of clothing in a smaller size (so many bargains this time of year)! Most of my work clothes come from Eddie Bauer, but they don’t make tall sizes small enough for me now!
@mossypockets: I hope that this works for you. I think that menopause is a normal thing at you age. My lady friend is still having issues at 52 , the age that a majority of women are already finished with it. She has friends who were completely finished with it at 48. I hope that you don’t suffer too much from it. The hot flashes many times per days are a hardship for her.
Old Navy makes tall clothes in all sizes. Pretty cheap too. I have no fear of needing to replace clothing (and can’t wait for that to need to happen) but if I knew I’d have to replace more than once, I’d be going for the cheap but still acceptable stuff.