Did anybody stop short of their weight loss goals because they realized they liked their body at a higher weight?

[jondal]

@wedemars yeah? im currently dealing with this now, i think. During quarantine I actually lost weight, from 135ish to 125 ish (5'3) but then i got tired of dieting and restricting also had an incredibly stressful fall semester where i definitely turned to binge eating as comfort. though im relatively active, i gained like 20 pounds in 4 months, but i kind of like how i look now more? i really filled up my butt and thighs and while yeah my waist is thicker and my arms are thicker, i just enjoy my body more now? its weird bc i feel like i should lose weight but i dont really want to?? i have no idea how much i weigh now tho

 

[mlenadc]

@wedemars "Aesthetic Fat" is definitely a thing. A certain amount can pad curves in a positive way.

 

[volunteers]

@wedemars I kind of miss being thinner, but I am so much happier and healthier at a higher weight. I'm tempted to diet sometimes, but nah. I like being healthy more than I like being ultra thin. One of the good things about getting older, I'm much more confident in the (imperfect) skin I'm in and want to focus on living, feeling good, and being healthy over making my body look a certain way.

 

[xiangoth1334]

@wedemars For me, it's not about some number on the scale. It's about how strong I am, how I can use my body. I will never worry about that number if I have enough muscle to do the obstacles required in a Spartan race.

Also, I look damn fine with swimmer's shoulders.

 

[vthomas]

@wedemars I’m 5’2 and when I had my first child I was 114. I was around 130 for about a year post partum and felt horrible bc I wasn’t exercising and was way out of shape. I focused on cardio and came down to 120 when I got pregnant with my second. After I delivered I wanted to get back down to around 120. I got back down to 120 but then I started new workout routines and I’ve been focusing on strength training with plyo work instead of just strict treadmill cardio. I’ve actually gained some weight and am around 126 now, but am way happier with my figure now than I have ever been. I’m naturally small chested but I have noticed a huge different in my legs and butt. Even my husband says he think I look better now than before when I was stick skinny.

 

[vusi]

@wedemars Yikes, y’all are scaring me a bit because I’ve been sitting at 5’7 and 106 for like a year (not intentionally...) I’m trying to gain back up to 120-125, which is where I was when I was super active in undergrad. I’m currently mostly running for stress relief, but I’m trying to add more strength training back in so I can add some muscle. I fought tooth and nail to get up to 110 earlier this year (hit 103 at one point, STILL don’t know why I can’t gain weight after multiple doctor’s appointments) and then dropped back down to 105ish again. I wasn’t necessarily thrilled with how I looked at 125 but I look like a skeleton now and I hate it, in addition to knowing it’s not healthy.

Interesting fact, I lose weight like crazy when I stop working out. You’d think I’d be able to gain weight if I dropped my activity level some, but nope. As soon as I stop working out I start rapidly loosing weight again. Running + eating as much food as I can stomach is currently maintaining me around 110 but I’m stuck there it seems.

 

[stanlester]

@vusi I'm going to comment because I'm concerned. 106 at 5'7" is very light and it sounds like you know it. I know you said that you've gone to multiple doctor's appointments but I encourage you to keep advocating for yourself until you find an answer. If you're eating above maintenance you should be gaining weight, so if you're not, your medical providers should not be okay with not knowing why.

 

[vusi]

@stanlester I have tracked calories on and off, and while I struggle to remember to track everything, I have been making a conscious effort to eat above maintenance most days. I’ve had full blood work done, and endoscopy, a abdominal ultrasound, thyroid testing, and so far no one has been able to figure anything out. I have awful insurance, so I wanted to try to be more strict with the calorie tracking stuff to see if it’s just that I don’t eat enough... but I am very bad at doing it consistently enough to know if that is the source of my problems I am also a broken grad students, so while I have tried stuff like toilet in the past, it is too expensive for me to use on a regular basis

 

[stanlester]

@vusi I understand the limitations of being a broke student and having bad insurance. I hope it is just that you don't eat enough and that its a relatively simple fix. I do encourage you to track consistently enough to figure out if that is what it is. Tracking is a PIA but it gets easier as you do it. Maybe meal planning would help? Or setting alarms to remind yourself to input your calories?

 

[asmapandor]

@wedemars Sounds like you've changed your body composition, which matters more for how you look than your weight!

I'm working on this, but I still have a pretty high fat percentage so I'm not at that point yet.

 

[walknlight]

@wedemars Since Aug, I have actually stopped weighing myself. I rely SOLELY on pictures and measurements.

Stats: F/46, 5'2"

In August I had hit a wall. I was tired of tracking, weighing, everything... I talked to my coach and we decided that I would go into a build phase and just eat to satiety. No tracking, weighing, measuring... I did this from Aug - Jan. I gained 10# going from 115 to 125.

I ate 85-90% whole foods. Lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds (I am vegan) and left myself about 10-15% room for treats like halloween candy, Christmas cookies, etc... I always focused first on eating my meals with my whole foods and having the treats as secondary or after I had eaten my fill of my normal foods.

I never weighed myself during that time, but in Jan. I wanted to cut and I was genuinely curious where I ended up, which is the only reason I know what my end weight was. I cut pretty hard for about 5 weeks and then I started upping my cals and have been focusing on recomp. I have no idea what my weight is or was since the last time I weighed at 125, because honestly, I DO. NOT. CARE.

I can see that my body is physically changing and I like what I am seeing. And, I think if I knew what my weight was, I would probably let it determine my emotions. Like if it was higher than I would think it "should" be, it would make me think that the progress that I can actually see wasn't good enough. And it would negate any positive feelings that I am having with my progress.

So, no, I don't think you are being "excuse-y". Because, let's be real, cutting sucks. LOL. I also think it is that much harder after you eat at maintenance or in a surplus because you know how good you feel when you actually eat enough

I would recommend that maybe eat in a very, very slight deficit (maybe only a 50-100 cal per day deficit) and focus on recomp and shaping your body. Take pics and measurements and don't worry about the number on the scale.

 

[gammajoyce]

@wedemars Back when I lifted heavy, I was really happy at 135lb at 5’4”, and when I got down to 128 - 130, I mourned the loss of my boobs and butt!

(Now I’m 148lb and I just occasionally screw around with dumbbells, soooo ... )

 

[missjessica9]

@wedemars I'm about your height and weight, a little underweight right now. I don't think there's anything wrong with your current weight, especially if you are lifting.

 

[bella15]

@wedemars Yup, not too far off though. I'm 5'1" 120lbs now, my weight when I was skinny 5+ years ago was around 110-115.

I've fallen in love with powerlifting and since then I haven't wanted to go back to my old physique. No shade on anyone else's preferences of course, but just for me personally I wouldn't trade my bigger, more muscular legs for my old skinnier legs because lifting heavy makes me so happy.

 

[carawe]

@wedemars I am kind of going through this right now gained about 10 pounds during quarantine and have been working since the new year to lose it and i have about 5 more pounds to go , but i am pretty happy with the shape of my body so i took some measurements and realized while the scale hasn't changed much I am actually smaller than I was pre covid 19 indicating i have perhaps gained some mussel ? Going to continue on for another month just to see what happens but then regardless i am planing to switch to mantinence.

 

[threesixteen420]

@wedemars I danced ballet and kept myself quite slim. I gained 25 pounds in quarantine and quite loved the curves I developed. I think I will only lose about 10lbs.

I have started a regime of Pilates with weights, instead of heavy cardio and body weight exercises.
I went from 128lbs at 5'10 to my current 151lbs. I think 145lbs may be perfect.

Being a size 0-2, XS at my height made clothes-shopping difficult too.

 

[ixin]

@threesixteen420 I'm 5'11 and a lifter. I also gained 25 lbs in quarentine and am sitting at 190. Before quarentine I was 170 and had great curves with a little body fat. I just had a body fat composition done and 155lbs is where my body has to be to hit my optimum body weight/shape.

 

[steveinalberta]

@wedemars My Goal weight was 125lb. I am 5'3".

I am currently at 145lb and honestly I am okay with where I am. Sure, I would love to lose maybe another 5-10lb; but I don't think I would want to lose more than that.

 

[jacklein]

@steveinalberta Also 5'3(.5!), also bouncing between 143-148lbs for the last few years. I've been on the upper end of that range since covid hit, and it's a slightly fluffier 148 than it was when I was able to lift heavy, but this is a weight range that works for me. I'm a miserable human every time I've tried to go below 140 and it's like...for what? To still wear a size M? I'm good, fam.

 

[steveinalberta]

@jacklein This is so me. Everytime I get to 143lb the next week I shoot up back to 148 and then it’s cycling back down to 143lb a pound a week.

I’m till hung up on the number for some reason