How Do You Know When You Are Done?

congratulations and thank-you.

i guess me and my body will just take it one day at a time. i don't consider myself on a diet though. i eat like a normal, HEALTHY, thin person, and i love it. i can't see myself reverting. I guess time will tell and we'll have to see if these last 13 pounds decide whether or not they wanna stick around, but i'm going to try to not give them more attention that they deserve

It's hard to know, isn't it? I am almost 5'5" and am currently at 141. I would be satisfied being done, but like Jodi said, I would like to be a little lower (maybe where you are) in case of a little bounceback. I still see some pockets of fat, but some of those are due to a little sag I believe. I bet you look fantastic. You should be very proud and satisfied at the weight you've achieved!

I'm not saying I wouldn't enjoy having more weight come off, I'm just wondering if that should really be my focus? I lost weight over the weekend when I stopped concerning myself with it so much. I am a great calorie/protein level, I exercise daily, and I don't plan to change any of that because I consider it to be a healthy lifestyle, MY lifestyle.
I've got saggy boobs and my tummy is not as tight as i would like it to be, but we all make sacrifices and these are ones I can live with. I plan to continue to work more on toning said tummy, and even so that might put on a few pounds of muscle that I don't want to stress out over.

Thanks

Based on my own experiences, I would go at least 5 pounds lower than where you feel comfortable because at 2 years out, many people end up going up a bit. So, if this is the weight you want to be at for the rest of your life, then 5-10 pounds lower will probably get you there. Stopping now will get you to be looking at this weight with longing and feeling unsatisfied.

Also, once you are a normal BMI, what matters are things like body fat % and not the absolute number on the scale. I've been a lower weight than I am now and had all my pants be tight, for example, because back then I had more fat than I have now.

Again, I didn't say I plan to stop losing weight, I am just wondering if maybe I should do a mental shift on priorities. I'd like to tone up my tummy a bit more which will add weight and drop a couple inches, and I don't want to be obsessed with every single pound I have left that may or may not come off. My major concern is that I don't want to get in the mindset of "just 5 more pounds" because that's the start of an eating disorder and I really don't want to exchange one for another.

My body fat % was 23.6% as of two weeks ago, and my BMI is currently 22.6, so I think I'm in a pretty good place. Yes, I can do better, I want to focus more on lean muscle building, maintain my current food intake and exercise regimen. I want to see these last 11-12 pounds and "bonus" rather than "have to or I'll never be happy" does that make sense?

I agree about not wanting to get in a state of never being happy. But I'm also saying that from experience I was thinking *exactly* what you were thinking when I got near goal and now 2.5 years out I'm realizing that I shouldn't have made the mental shift from losing to maintenance quite so early. I should have given it another month or two at least.

Hey, you asked. That's my answer.

Fair enough and I appreciate you not only sharing but also giving me a reason why and getting the real question.
I promise I'm not giving up, and I am still working hard, but I do think it's time for me to focus on the other reasons I'm on this journey and not be enslaved to the scale. I promise to celebrate each and every victory as it come and even rejoice if/when i reach this mythical 125 pound marker. I just think it will be easier to acheive if I become a little less obsessed/stressed over it.

Definitely go by when you feel good where you are and not by the BMI. I do agree that we should aim for a normal BMI but the range varies according to our body structure.

I am 5'6" but would look anorexic at the lower end of the range. I have a medium frame and am curvy.

I had found a bmi calculator online that has you put in certain measurements...they determine what size frame you have and then give you a more accurate BMI to shoot for. Don't have the site bookmarked but maybe you can do a search for it.

You are doing great BTW!!

Thank you! I used to be curvy, then my boobs went away. I've never had hips before, but now my hip bones stick out and my waist goes in, so I have the illusion, which amuses me and get my hubby all kinds of hot.
My BMI is smack dab in the middle of the range (YAY) so I'm a little less worried about that. at 136, if I gained 10 pounds, I wouldn't be happy about it, no, but I'd still be healthy (under 150). But like I said, I'm only 7.5 months out, so I don't believe my body is done losing, even though I can feel all of my ribs and for the first time ever have visible collar bones and hip bones. I'm fighting the last leg of this battle with my belly and I honestly believe that if it thinks I'm ignoring it, there will be less coristol released and I might actually win this.
If you find the site, let me know, I'd be grateful

PS In case anyone was wondering, my current measurements are as follows:
Neck: 13"
Bicep:10" X
Forearm: 9.25" X
Chest (underbust):33" X
Waist: 33"
Abdomen/Gut (Thickest Part): 33"
Thigh: 18"
Calf: 12" X

And I put X's next to the measurements that cannot possibly go any lower due to me being down to muscle or bone there.

Hi Jenna,

I am 14 months out and at 5'6", I am holding steady at 136.  I was very comfortable with how I looked at 148.  I have lost a little more than I wanted to and feel a bit thin (especially in my face), but as those above have said, some rebound weight will most likely occur (my doc estimated ~ 10% of weight lost, providing I stick to the program - we can gain if we don't follow the program).  I hit my personal goal of 148 in 10 months and was at 140 as of Jan 1 and lost an additional 4 lbs in the past 2 months.  I feel like there may be a pound or two more out there to lose, but have been focusing on maintaining since I hit 12 lbs below my goal weight.  I have just added in an additional snack of some nuts in the afternoon to add some calories. I am 12 below my goal in hopes that it gives me enough "wiggle room".  That's my plan, such as it is.

Maura