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So How Many Of You Guys Want To Actually Get Down To A Normal BMI?



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I've been here since 2014 and one of the things I always find odd is how so many people chose goal weights that are still classified as overweight. It seems to be rather split among the sexes too. Not sure why people don't want to get down below a 25. Like they somehow think that they won't look good or something? I finally got to a normal BMI and even I want to go lower because I can still see things I need to improve.

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It does seem like most people settle for not being obese and their Drs encourage that. Even though physically I am about as small as I want to be clothing and size wise. I want to get down as low as possible. I don't think I have to lose to 25 though, if I lose to about 27/28 I can get to 25 with skin surgery.

The only reason I want to go as low as possible, hopefully to a 24 or 25 BMI is because I am still young and with aging I am going to end up regaining some. I would rather have enough bounce room I never end op obese again.

I also think near the end it is so hard to get that last weight off people just give up instead of continuing to feel like they are failing.

Many people also have a lot of their identity wrapped up in being fat, and they don't want to give it up.

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At my lowest adult weight, my BMI is barely "normal." My current goal weight gives me a BMI of 25.2 and I'm fine with that. My boyfriend, who is in excellent shape and has never had a weight problem, has a BMI that classifies him as obese. I know a few weight lifters in that same boat. I also have normal sized friends who are classified underweight and look fine. IMHO BMI doesn't take enough into consideration, and the only time I ever gave it any thought was when qualifying for surgery.


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My lowest adult BMI was 23, which I was at for barely 6 months. I was a healthy overweight person most of life, active in a lot of sports and eating fairly healthily. So yeah, I'd like to get back there. My goal is to hit 24 BMI, cause I can't imagine myself any thinner, plus, it gives me some wiggle room in case I do regain a little with the "bounce back". But who knows - I may change my mind if and when I get there (which will admittedly be quite a while from now).

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Most of my life I was a healthy weight up till 2008 when I married and started having kids. Stress and boredom got me where I am today. My goal weight is at a normal bmi, because that's where I can literally feel myself being again. It'll put me at 23.2. But because I'm older and have had kids (body changed), I don't mind 150-160 either, as long as I'm pumping muscle. If I'm not working out 🏋 with heavy weights, then I'll shoot for 145. But then again, I really don't care to think of numbers. If I'm happy and healthy without all this fat, then that's what I'll take. 😊

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Great topic! I suspect you will get many different responses. Mine is that my goal is not a number, it is a healthy balance. Yes I keep track of the number on the scale as a visible way to gauge my progress towards a healthier weight. But even at 200 lbs, my body feels so different. when I rest my head on my hand I feel the bones in my face now. That feeling is so odd and a little creepy. I feel the bones in my fingers, wrist, shoulders and ribs. Maybe I'm just still mentally wrapping my head around this. But I also feel great and have a blast shopping. I already feel like I fit into the world better. Not saying I don't want to loose another 20-30 lbs because I would like that. And if I lost a little more than that then I'm not going to cry about it. But not everyone will go that low so I feel like I am just having realistic expectations. I just want to have a sustainable permanent healthy relationship with food. I look forward to other's comments.

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I'm really sorry. I didn't see this was in they guys room and I can't delete my post. Sorry guys. I don't mean to invade your space.

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BMI doesn't determine if you are healthy or not. Most professional athletes are considered overweight by BMI. LeBron James is considered overweight by BMI. Do you think he really cares that his BMI is 27.5? I will guarantee you he is more fit than any person with a BMI under 25.

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Oh I didn't see it was guys either! I thought the "guys" in the topic was generic lol.


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Sorry guys! ;-)

Most of us will never be professional athletes who have so much muscle that our BMIs don't reflect reality. However, with this being the guys room, I could understand how BMI might not be an important measure since a lot of men who lose weight also do a lot of weight training.

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My original goal weight was in the overweight category simply because I couldn't imagine weighing less than that (210), and I wanted to have a goal that was attainable. I blew right past that and have been in the healthy category for almost a year now.

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I set my goal weight at something that is over the "normal" range, because I am trying to be reasonable in my expectations. There is nothing that prevents me from going past that goal or setting a new one once I reach it though. Mostly, I just wanted to be healthier, and even at my present BMI of 36.5, I feel A LOT better than I did before. I'm back into martial arts; I don't get winded going up a flight of stairs -- in fact, I run up them now; and that is already a success for me even if my weight loss were to stop exactly where it is now.

Keep in mind, being healthy isn't measured in just BMI. In fact, I was just recently reading about a recent study that showed cardiovascular health for subjects who were "overweight," but exercised frequently was significantly better than subjects who were normal weight and didn't exercise.

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oops....sorry too. thought it was a general "guys" as in everyone. :)

Edited by Newme17

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I would love to get down to a normal BMI which for my height would be 170 but willing to sacrifice weight for muscles. Honestly thou I take anything less then 200 hahaha

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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