Stop dieting even when BMI is still a little high?

[Dmmetler]

Or, at least, not worry so much about losing weight? 

I’ve gone from 178 to 143,which was about where I was at before my thyroid died. It’s still a slightly overweight BMI, but seems to be where my body likes being. This summer, it really hasn’t changed much, even with weeks that we were traveling and eating out and I could control much less. But it also hasn’t gone down, even when the calories in and out should have been enough to see a change over a several week period. And I know in the past this is the point where It is a real struggle to lose at all, and it doesn’t want to stay off. 

More importantly, even while traveling my blood sugar is stable. My 90 day average, including several weeks of travel, is 111,including after meal readings. Since I’ve been home from this last trip, only 4 readings have been out of the normal range, and those have been very slight. Even my fasting, which are traditionally high are near normal. So, while the other shoe is still waiting to drop (since I have autoimmune markers that indicate that eventually I will be type 1), I feel pretty good here. 

 

So, is it reasonable to say “OK, I’m happy here” , and eat to keep my blood sugar stable, but worry less about overall calories? 

[LucyStoner]

Short answer:  yes, I think it is reasonable provided you more or less maintain the habits that got you to 143.  

[regentrude]

Sounds like that weight may be a good equilibrium for you. I would stop dieting, just keep an eye on healthy habits.

[Bluegoat]

Yes,  I would not put too much stock in what an artificial number says is right.  Treat it as a guideline but follow your body.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

If you aren't continuing to lose, this may be your maintenance level. It's shocking how low the calories have to be, for some of us, to avoid gaining and to keep our other numbers down.

I would think the same - it's a bit long for a plateau and you're at a familiar level - but I would not increase calories because I'd assume I'd gain because I'd been maintaining at the lower level. This lifestyle is managing your blood sugar and you are neither gaining nor losing. Do something for variety if you are feeling restless (different meals, a new kind of exercise) but stay the course. The discipline is keeping you off meds for now.

And here's the experience - having lost my grip on effective mgmt, there will not be a next time. It's tedious to keep the daily discipline but it's so much harder to lose ground and have to establish those routines again.

 

[G5052]

If your bloodwork and habits are good, I'd stay with it. My doctor always says that healthy weights in middle age shouldn't be written in stone. Continue to weigh on a regular basis and don't let go of what you've achieved.

I'm right in the middle of a healthy BMI, walk every day, lift weights, and have great blood work. I'm small-boned, but have no plans to lose any more weight.

[Pawz4me]

I agree with the others. Listen to your body. A very long time ago a smart doctor told me "Your body knows a lot more about what weight is healthy for it than any height/weight chart does." That was back when the old height/weight charts were still used, before BMI was the standard. The intervening years have convinced me that he was absolutely right.

[Soror]

Sometimes you just need some time to maintain for awhile before moving down a bit more and sometimes your body's set point is a bit higher than what the experts say is optimal. I'd hang out there awhile and see how it feels, better to pick a higher weight you can easily maintain than a lower weight you have to fight to keep. Congrats on your weight loss and blood sugar levels!

[Katy]

My doctor says weight is a ridiculous and arbitrary number.  She says you should go by body fat and blood work.  Some people with tiny bones are at a low to normal weight but are obese on the inside, others are too thin at what is technically an overweight number. If you're not sure, get a physical and also check triglycerides, cholesterol, homocysteine, and any other inflammation markers your doctor routinely tests.  Then test your bodyfat percentage.  If all those numbers are in a normal range you're fine staying where you are.

Edited July 27, 2018 by Katy
Edited to replace bowls with bones. No idea how autocorrect thought THAT was a good idea!

[Tanaqui]

BMI was invented to be used on populations, not individuals. Worrying about it on an individual level is futile. If you feel healthy and you're happy with your weight, then you're probably okay.

[lavender's green]

A few years ago I read that some study showed that people who were just a tad overweight according to BMI had the best health outcomes. I don't have time to google for it, and it's possible the information is now outdated, but you might try searching for that.

[shawthorne44]

 

When you look at the raw data of health vs. weight studies, there is a U-curve.    The bottom of the U starts at your ideal weight and ends around morbidly obese.  So, it is much healthier to be a little overweight than to be any amount underweight.  The data reported in the published papers is massaged throwing out data from diseases deemed to not be related to weight.  But, the same researchers will sometimes throw out disease X and then leave it in on the next study, and then throw it out on the third.  They will also throw out data based on the person.  So, for example, in that big study of nurses, one nurse that smoked and was ideal weight got lung cancer was removed from the data.   But a nursed that smoked, got lung cancer and was overweight was left in the data, since the cancer was obviously because she was overweight.  ?

 

[Pen]

First of all congratulations on your loss!  

For the most part my answer would be sounds like you have reached a good point to stay at except for two possible caveats. 

1 is that I have noticed in myself a tendency toward conservation of mass, so body wanting to conserve its status quo does not necessarily mean that it is a good level    May just mean my metabolism has adjusted  

2 is your references to thyroid and autoimmunity. If it were me, given thyroid and autoimmune marker issues, I would want to figure out what nutrition plan would work  to potentially stop a future problem from materializing rather than waiting for the shoe to drop.

That doesn’t necessarily mean dropping more weight, but I think I would shift from concentrating on losing weight to concentration on a lifetime being healthy as possible plan that won’t find you losing the great step forward you achieved, and creeping back up in weight. 

[lmrich]

I think it is fine to work on maintaining your weight for a while. You might want to lose 5 pounds in a year or two. Or not.