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when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 5th, 2006, 12:35 AM posted to alt.support.diet
determined
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Posts: 652
Default when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)

I've been listening to other people here and started thinking about my own
insecurities and body image problems. Because I have such a skewed and
negative view of myself, I wonder how I will know when I have reached "good
enough". I know it's such a vague thing, and depends on personal and
fitness goals. I am down to 22% bodyfat, and weigh 127-130 lbs. I am more
fit than I ever have been before. I am exercising 4 times a week, and eat
healthy 90% of the time. And when I put my clothes on or look in the
mirror, I feel fat. It's a mental thing I guess. When I first started, I
wanted to reach 22% bodyfat. Now I wonder, do I go for 18-20%? How do I
know if it's just vanity or a realistic and healthy goal? I think that I
want to get down to 122-125, which should put me at around 20% bodyfat. But
it's killing me to be so obsessed with counting calories, exercising,
watching the scale, etc. I don't want to be on a "diet" anymore. I just
want to exercise a few days a week, and eat normal, and splurge once in
awhile, and just have my clothes fit and not have to freak out if I ate a
few too many cookies.


  #2  
Old November 5th, 2006, 01:50 AM posted to alt.support.diet
[email protected]
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Posts: 227
Default when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)


determined wrote:
I've been listening to other people here and started thinking about my own
insecurities and body image problems. Because I have such a skewed and
negative view of myself, I wonder how I will know when I have reached "good
enough". I know it's such a vague thing, and depends on personal and
fitness goals. I am down to 22% bodyfat, and weigh 127-130 lbs. I am more
fit than I ever have been before. I am exercising 4 times a week, and eat
healthy 90% of the time. And when I put my clothes on or look in the
mirror, I feel fat. It's a mental thing I guess. When I first started, I
wanted to reach 22% bodyfat. Now I wonder, do I go for 18-20%? How do I
know if it's just vanity or a realistic and healthy goal? I think that I
want to get down to 122-125, which should put me at around 20% bodyfat. But
it's killing me to be so obsessed with counting calories, exercising,
watching the scale, etc. I don't want to be on a "diet" anymore. I just
want to exercise a few days a week, and eat normal, and splurge once in
awhile, and just have my clothes fit and not have to freak out if I ate a
few too many cookies.


For one thing, you should probably be within the range for medical
health. That is quite a wide range, but you don't want to be under that
probably. More broadly, if you are happy with yourself at your present
weight, there is no need to lose any more weight. Just maintain. You
can always lose more later if you decide to. The problem the vast
majority of overweight people have is that they fail to monitor their
weight and slip back into old habits of overeating and in a few months
are right back to their old weight. Sounds like it might be time for
you to stay where you are and re- analyse your situation in a few
months...say 3 months. dkw

  #3  
Old November 5th, 2006, 02:00 AM posted to alt.support.diet
Del Cecchi
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Posts: 227
Default when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)


"determined" wrote in message
. ..
I've been listening to other people here and started thinking about my
own insecurities and body image problems. Because I have such a skewed
and negative view of myself, I wonder how I will know when I have
reached "good enough". I know it's such a vague thing, and depends on
personal and fitness goals. I am down to 22% bodyfat, and weigh
127-130 lbs. I am more fit than I ever have been before. I am
exercising 4 times a week, and eat healthy 90% of the time. And when I
put my clothes on or look in the mirror, I feel fat. It's a mental
thing I guess. When I first started, I wanted to reach 22% bodyfat.
Now I wonder, do I go for 18-20%? How do I know if it's just vanity or
a realistic and healthy goal? I think that I want to get down to
122-125, which should put me at around 20% bodyfat. But it's killing
me to be so obsessed with counting calories, exercising, watching the
scale, etc. I don't want to be on a "diet" anymore. I just want to
exercise a few days a week, and eat normal, and splurge once in awhile,
and just have my clothes fit and not have to freak out if I ate a few
too many cookies.

You have to change your definition of "eating normal" since that
presumably made you fat in the first place, assuming you were really fat
and not just brainwashed by society.

Second, you need to decide why you want to be 'not fat'. Good to Optimum
health? Look like an Abercrombie and Fitch ad? Get hit on in bars? Be
able to do the activities you enjoy? Be honest with yourself.

Myself, not dying soon was on the top of the list.

del



  #4  
Old November 5th, 2006, 02:19 AM posted to alt.support.diet
determined
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Posts: 652
Default when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)


"Del Cecchi" wrote in message
...

"determined" wrote in message
. ..
I've been listening to other people here and started thinking about my
own insecurities and body image problems. Because I have such a skewed
and negative view of myself, I wonder how I will know when I have reached
"good enough". I know it's such a vague thing, and depends on personal
and fitness goals. I am down to 22% bodyfat, and weigh 127-130 lbs. I
am more fit than I ever have been before. I am exercising 4 times a
week, and eat healthy 90% of the time. And when I put my clothes on or
look in the mirror, I feel fat. It's a mental thing I guess. When I
first started, I wanted to reach 22% bodyfat. Now I wonder, do I go for
18-20%? How do I know if it's just vanity or a realistic and healthy
goal? I think that I want to get down to 122-125, which should put me at
around 20% bodyfat. But it's killing me to be so obsessed with counting
calories, exercising, watching the scale, etc. I don't want to be on a
"diet" anymore. I just want to exercise a few days a week, and eat
normal, and splurge once in awhile, and just have my clothes fit and not
have to freak out if I ate a few too many cookies.

You have to change your definition of "eating normal" since that
presumably made you fat in the first place, assuming you were really fat
and not just brainwashed by society.


Well, I have never been really fat. I had a baby about a year ago, and
gained way too much weight, but outside of that, I've never been more than
15-20 lbs overweight. In fact, I've spent most of my life being in the 5-10
lbs overweight category. I decided this time around to focus on bodyfat %,
and tried to figure out where I should set my goals. At first, 22% seemed
pretty good. I've never been that low, even at my lowest weight. Now I'm
at 22% and just expected that I would look somehow more slim/defined. But
the trainer at the gym is telling me I won't achieve a really athletic look
until I get below 20%. This means I need to drop another 7 or so lbs of
fat. I just don't know if I have the willpower to go lower. Maybe I do
need to just sit here for awhile maintaining, and then reevaluate.

Eating normal for me is actually eating quite healthy, with an occasional
splurge. My "normal" day if I wasn't trying to lose would come in around
1400-1600 calories. I can't lose weight unless I cut calories down to 1200,
and add in the exercise. I'd love to just eat at maintenance for awhile and
do my normal exercise without having to be so concerned with every calorie.



Second, you need to decide why you want to be 'not fat'. Good to Optimum
health? Look like an Abercrombie and Fitch ad? Get hit on in bars? Be
able to do the activities you enjoy? Be honest with yourself.


Hmmm. Honest huh? Ok, I do want to be able to do activities I enjoy. I
also would like to fit into size 6 jeans and wear a swimsuit next year. I
have no dilusions of looking like a model, but I would like to be the best I
can possibly be without having to have my life revolve around exercise and
eating properly.

Myself, not dying soon was on the top of the list.


That's a good motivation...;-)


  #5  
Old November 5th, 2006, 02:38 AM posted to alt.support.diet
The Historian
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Posts: 750
Default when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)


determined wrote:
I've been listening to other people here and started thinking about my own
insecurities and body image problems. Because I have such a skewed and
negative view of myself, I wonder how I will know when I have reached "good
enough". I know it's such a vague thing, and depends on personal and
fitness goals. I am down to 22% bodyfat, and weigh 127-130 lbs. I am more
fit than I ever have been before. I am exercising 4 times a week, and eat
healthy 90% of the time. And when I put my clothes on or look in the
mirror, I feel fat. It's a mental thing I guess. When I first started, I
wanted to reach 22% bodyfat. Now I wonder, do I go for 18-20%? How do I
know if it's just vanity or a realistic and healthy goal? I think that I
want to get down to 122-125, which should put me at around 20% bodyfat. But
it's killing me to be so obsessed with counting calories, exercising,
watching the scale, etc. I don't want to be on a "diet" anymore. I just
want to exercise a few days a week, and eat normal, and splurge once in
awhile, and just have my clothes fit and not have to freak out if I ate a
few too many cookies.


Good enough is whatever you are happy with. If you were happy being 500
pounds, few would object.

  #6  
Old November 5th, 2006, 04:15 AM posted to alt.support.diet
Bill Eitner
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Posts: 107
Default when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)

determined wrote:
I've been listening to other people here and started thinking about my own
insecurities and body image problems. Because I have such a skewed and
negative view of myself, I wonder how I will know when I have reached "good
enough".


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waist-hip_ratio

Check out the items in the "see also" section too.

I know it's such a vague thing, and depends on personal and
fitness goals. I am down to 22% bodyfat, and weigh 127-130 lbs. I am more
fit than I ever have been before. I am exercising 4 times a week, and eat
healthy 90% of the time. And when I put my clothes on or look in the
mirror, I feel fat. It's a mental thing I guess. When I first started, I
wanted to reach 22% bodyfat. Now I wonder, do I go for 18-20%? How do I
know if it's just vanity or a realistic and healthy goal? I think that I
want to get down to 122-125, which should put me at around 20% bodyfat. But
it's killing me to be so obsessed with counting calories, exercising,
watching the scale, etc. I don't want to be on a "diet" anymore. I just
want to exercise a few days a week, and eat normal, and splurge once in
awhile, and just have my clothes fit and not have to freak out if I ate a
few too many cookies.


I'm assuming you're a woman.
If so, 22% bodyfat is considered fit.
If you're waist to hip ratio is 0.7,
from a health perspective you're done.
The rest is mental.
--
  #7  
Old November 5th, 2006, 04:39 AM posted to alt.support.diet
determined
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Posts: 652
Default when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)


"Bill Eitner" wrote in message news:dHc3h.22439

I'm assuming you're a woman.
If so, 22% bodyfat is considered fit.
If you're waist to hip ratio is 0.7,
from a health perspective you're done.
The rest is mental.


hmm. Well, with a 28" waist and 35.5" hips, I come in at .78 ratio.
Unfortunately, I have that apple shape, and as I lose weight, I lose it in
the same proportion. I fear that I will never achieve an hourglass shape at
all! And to be honest, my waist is really the only part of me I'm unhappy
with, only because I either have to wear pants that are super baggy in the
hips to fit my waist, or too tight in the waist to match my hips. When you
look at a woman's size chart, my hips are a size 2-4, while my waist is a
10-12... grrr!


  #8  
Old November 5th, 2006, 05:11 AM posted to alt.support.diet
Del Cecchi
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Posts: 227
Default when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)


"determined" wrote in message
...

"Del Cecchi" wrote in message
...

snip

Second, you need to decide why you want to be 'not fat'. Good to
Optimum health? Look like an Abercrombie and Fitch ad? Get hit on in
bars? Be able to do the activities you enjoy? Be honest with
yourself.


Hmmm. Honest huh? Ok, I do want to be able to do activities I enjoy.
I also would like to fit into size 6 jeans and wear a swimsuit next
year. I have no dilusions of looking like a model, but I would like to
be the best I can possibly be without having to have my life revolve
around exercise and eating properly.

What is it about wearing size 6 as opposed to 8? Ain't nothin but a
number. And you could wear a swimsuit right now.

As for life revolving around exercise and eating properly, does your life
revolve around showering and washing clothes? Or are they just part of
the routine that you need to do?

If you are tired of obsessing about food, stop. If your exercise routine
is taking over your life, cut back.

I presume you have a significant other, since you recently had a baby.
What does he (assumption here) think of the way you look? Most men
don't like women who look like boys, for what that's worth.

And that "be the best I can be" is a recipe for failure because it is too
easy to think that we should be better than we really can be. Better to
be accepting of what we are and try to improve what we can. And realize
what is really important.



Myself, not dying soon was on the top of the list.


That's a good motivation...;-)


Worked for me.




  #9  
Old November 5th, 2006, 07:13 AM posted to alt.support.diet
joanne
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Posts: 137
Default when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)



On Nov 4, 7:39 pm, "determined" wrote:
Unfortunately, I have that apple shape, and as I lose weight, I lose it in
the same proportion. I fear that I will never achieve an hourglass shape at
all!


Just wondering what you do for exercise. ..cardio? weights? both?



joanne

  #10  
Old November 5th, 2006, 05:30 PM posted to alt.support.diet
sirch
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Posts: 38
Default when is it "good enough"? (the obsession of weight loss)

"determined" wrote in message
. ..
I've been listening to other people here and started thinking about my own
insecurities and body image problems. Because I have such a skewed and
negative view of myself, I wonder how I will know when I have reached

"good
enough". I know it's such a vague thing, and depends on personal and
fitness goals. I am down to 22% bodyfat, and weigh 127-130 lbs. I am

more
fit than I ever have been before. I am exercising 4 times a week, and eat
healthy 90% of the time. And when I put my clothes on or look in the
mirror, I feel fat. It's a mental thing I guess. When I first started, I
wanted to reach 22% bodyfat. Now I wonder, do I go for 18-20%? How do I
know if it's just vanity or a realistic and healthy goal? I think that I
want to get down to 122-125, which should put me at around 20% bodyfat.

But
it's killing me to be so obsessed with counting calories, exercising,
watching the scale, etc. I don't want to be on a "diet" anymore. I just
want to exercise a few days a week, and eat normal, and splurge once in
awhile, and just have my clothes fit and not have to freak out if I ate a
few too many cookies.



*Now I wonder, do I go for 18-20%?*

Yes, Why not? 16-20% is considered GOOD/LEAN.
21-25% is considered AVERAGE/FAIR

I think it's great that you've gotten to where you are, but did you have
a certain goal in mind before you started dieting?

That should be your determining factor, your goal.





 




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