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...are you at a good weight? Do you neither want to lose or gain weight? Or are you at a different point and want to lose/gain weight and are working on it?
Do you have any chronic illnesses? Or a condition you got rid of after changing your eating/exercising?
If you're at a good weight for your age/height, would you share your eating/exercise program so we can all benefit?
I'm around 20 pounds over my "ideal" weight. I've been around that for years. But my ideal weight has changed over the years as well. When I was a 20-something, ideal would've been 120. I usually weighed between 125 and 130, then. That "ideal" crept up slowly over the years. Now, at age 61, my "ideal" weight is probably 140. I'm at 158.7 (as of this morning), down from 165 a month ago.
What's changed to cause the weight loss? I'm in constant pain and not eating as much as I was. Bone on bone hip arthritis is no joke. I'm guessing I'll probably lose another 5-6 pounds before my consultation with the ortho surgeon to see if I'm a candidate for hip replacement surgery.
I only take OTC ibuprofen and acetaminophen for the pain, plus a mentholated liniment (similar to Absorbine Jr). But it's pretty gruelling, and I'm normally a pretty physically active person. So - lack of appetite = eating less. I still eat, just not as robustly.
Very little exercise this past month other than arms. I can't do any core exercise at all. Once I get through surgery I'll be dancing every day, jumping on the trampoline every morning, riding my bicycle and walking around the block again.
I think "ideal" weight can be kind of a white whale. I recently read something that I posted in another thread, that your healthiest and happiest weight might not be your lowest weight. If someone is obsessing about diet and exercise and restricting to chase the number on the scale and not actually enjoying their life and appreciating their body for what it can do now, that's not healthy, either.
Ghatti, we must be clones! In my 20's my weight varied between about 125-130. Over the years it has crept up to a high at one time of 185. Over the past year, between less food and more exercise, I have dropped from 170 or so down to 158....same as you! My ideal weight would also probably be about 140, but that seems so skinny to me now! I would like to get to around 150 and stay there. We'll see. I'm actually a bit concerned about the weight loss, as in the past, it was excruciatingly difficult for me to lose. I could exercise like crazy and starve myself to lose a pound.
Ghatti, we must be clones! In my 20's my weight varied between about 125-130. Over the years it has crept up to a high at one time of 185. Over the past year, between less food and more exercise, I have dropped from 170 or so down to 158....same as you! My ideal weight would also probably be about 140, but that seems so skinny to me now! I would like to get to around 150 and stay there. We'll see. I'm actually a bit concerned about the weight loss, as in the past, it was excruciatingly difficult for me to lose. I could exercise like crazy and starve myself to lose a pound.
So if you continue eating less and exercising more, at the current rate, you'll be at around 146 in the next year. That's pretty darned good! It took you several years to gain it. So as long as you're feeling healthy, it's not gonna be such a bad thing to take a couple of years to lose it.
It's funny, early this year I thought if I could lose 30 pounds I'd be at my ideal weight. Now that I've lost 30 pounds, I still feel like I need to drop 10 more so I'm still on my journey. It hasn't been easy and the last 10 seem to be the hardest. You almost have to stop eating. I just hope after the next 10 I don't feel like I need to drop another 10. Once you get there you have to be careful not to creep back up.
I lost about 20 lbs so far this year, then went on a 5-week road trip. I started off really good, sticking with my eating plan as best I could. But toward the end, I slip-slided. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover I gained only 3 pounds (I was worried it would be 10 lbs, or 20!). Now to lose them again...
...are you at a good weight? Do you neither want to lose or gain weight? Or are you at a different point and want to lose/gain weight and are working on it?
Do you have any chronic illnesses? Or a condition you got rid of after changing your eating/exercising?
If you're at a good weight for your age/height, would you share your eating/exercise program so we can all benefit?
Thanks!
This is a great question.
I guess a lot of it depends on who is defining "ideal weight"? I don't pay attention to the BMI measurement that was basically "endorsed" by MetLife in attempting to manipulate life insurance premiums.
I base it on "how do I feel at the weight I am at?"
Quick recap -- 15 years ago, I began to work out with progressively heavier weights. I was always athletic in high school, college, and post college, but I really got hooked on powerlifting, specifically squats and deadlifts. The issue is the more I lifted, the more I wanted a few extra calories. Before I knew it, I was at 245 pounds, 6'2", and 18% bodyfat. I had a job that was very physical, so it was like working out 40 hours a week.
Fast forward 15 years, and I had to deal with the declining health of my parents. I knew I would not be hitting the gym, and a year later, Covid had arrived. I switched to 2 meals a day, no processed foods, and relatively low carbs. Well, over the span of 24 months, I had lots 56 pounds. True, some of that was muscle, but some of it was fat. The "new" me was now 6'2" and 189 pounds, but 15% body fat.
Am I still "overweight" by the BMI charts? Maybe, but those were never a concern. Losing 56 pounds is the equivalent of not carrying 9 gallons of milk around with you, every step of the way. I no longer had the desire to be 245, and of course, I'm sure my PRs in both the squat and deadlift may never be approached again. But I feel FANTASTIC every day when I get up. Some of that is definitely the weight reduction, but most of it I attribute to my lifestyle.
Two things that I discovered over the last 18 years. No matter what, you cannot outwork a horrible diet, or even a clean diet that is larger than your BRM. Second, you need to always be thinking about building muscle through resistance training, as it will make life considerably easier. The amount of weight you use almost does not matter. I focus on time under tension now, and my lifts are relatively modest.
Count your calories, try to avoid processed food and alcohol, and drink lots of water, but don't forget your electrolytes.
Yes, ideal weight is kind of arbitrary, isn't it??
I think ideal weight, for me, would be good health without heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or any other serious disease. And being in good enough physical shape to walk where I want to walk and ride my bike where I want to ride.
And great blood work from blood tests. And not being on prescription medications. I now take two for high blood pressure.
I've been reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman's books and finding the "nutritarian" way of eating makes a lot of sense. I'm trying to make my foods and calories come from high nutritive sources.
So far I'm finding this new way of eating delicious and filling. Lotsa salads and vegetables--filling and low calories...
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Once you get there you have to be careful not to creep back up.
