i am 150lb and want to get down to 110?

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by miyu

You probably misunderstood what your doctor says. 145 is the very upper limit of what a 5'4" person should weigh before they become officially "overweight".

But in reality, 110 is just fine for 5'4".

Well, When I was 146, and I am 5'6, I wore a perfect size 6...so not even close to be overweight. At 155 i wore a size 8.
Everybody's bodies are different. I wish people would realize that and stop comparing others with themselves.

[Opsimathia]

Pants size is really not a good indicator of anything because of sizes being all over the place and preferred looks. (thin/thick)

Those charts are just basic guidelines. Preferred looks can have zero to do with health. What you need to look at after you get your basic chart guideline is your body fat percentage. To be healthy you have to be within a certain range with that. 10-31%F - 2-24%M

So as you can see there is a huge range that is healthy for your individual body. But your diet has to be healthy too. If you are skinny and eat like crap you are still going to face health problems down the road.

Originally Posted by AnonChick

The absolute minimum is 114 if you're 5'4" with a small frame. For 5'2" with a small frame, the absolute minimum is 110.

I'd still rather be at the mid-range or higher end of normal. Skinny is so 5 minutes ago. I'd rather be shaped like a woman, than a string-bean.

Real women come in string bean shapes too. I really find that annoying that people are so insecure about being thicker that they have to call string beans "not real". They eat, live and breathe too.

[rd2007]

The minimum fat percentage for men is 8% I believe and definitely not 2%. Mine is currently around 5-6% and I have read that is too low. I initially thought it was pretty sweet since the muscle was around 46%, but it turns out your body actually needs a little fat, especially to stay warm and other purposes for women. My scale also can't measure the fat once it gets below 5% and that's been happening more often lately.

Understanding Body Composition

What are the guidelines for percentage of body fat loss?

Where the fat is stored is also important. You do want minimal visceral (belly) fat and I've managed to get mine to around 3-4%. That's where all the bad things come from, like diabetes. I'd highly recommend spending a little extra to get a good scale that can measure all this. I personally own this one: Buy.com - Omron HBF-516B Body Composition Monitor Scale and also bought one for my son. It's been flawless and obviously pretty accurate. Only real issue was the original batteries (that were included) barely lasted a couple months.

[Opsimathia]

Originally Posted by rd2007

The minimum fat percentage for men is 8% I believe and definitely not 2%. Mine is currently around 5-6% and I have read that is too low. I initially thought it was pretty sweet since the muscle was around 46%, but it turns out your body actually needs a little fat, especially to stay warm and other purposes for women. My scale also can't measure the fat once it gets below 5% and that's been happening more often lately.

Understanding Body Composition

What are the guidelines for percentage of body fat loss?

Where the fat is stored is also important. You do want minimal visceral (belly) fat and I've managed to get mine to around 3-4%. That's where all the bad things come from, like diabetes. I'd highly recommend spending a little extra to get a good scale that can measure all this. I personally own this one: Buy.com - Omron HBF-516B Body Composition Monitor Scale and also bought one for my son. It's been flawless and obviously pretty accurate. Only real issue was the original batteries (that were included) barely lasted a couple months.

Those higher # are athletic lean. The low numbers I posted are the minimal fat that you need for your body to operate and regulate its hormones properly. The body fat being very low has to be overseen by someone who knows how to take a body fat reading well or in a sub tank at the doctors office.

[lemon&lime]

When you lose belly fat this tends to get you to a lower body fat % which will means better blood sugar & triglycerides------healthier. And often skinnier! Also agree that beanpole isn't bad; I have some curves but I'm not as filled out as I was. If it decreases carb cravings I'm happy. I still say 110-115 sounds fine. Aim for 15-21% body fat and you should be fine.