How do you know when you have lost enough weight?

I'm on board with the majority of what's been said, and I'd throw in keeping an eye on your blood pressure too. A large share of people who are overweight or obese deal with elevated blood pressure, so that's another number worth following. At your ideal weight it ought to settle and become steadier around 120/80, or a touch under that. Over the longer haul, as the pounds come off, you should notice it drop. If that doesn't happen, it's one more sign you might be dealing with skinny fat.

Tracking and measuring BP is easy. Should you land at a weight you're happy with while your blood pressure stays at or above 120/80, then sitting down with your doctor is a sensible move, since they might suggest meds available only by prescription.
 
Sid the SeaGull said:

I'm on board with the majority of what's been said, and I'd throw in keeping an eye on your blood pressure too. A large share of people who are overweight or obese deal with elevated blood pressure, so that's another number worth following. At your ideal weight it ought to settle and become steadier around 120/80, or a touch under that. Over the longer haul, as the pounds come off, you should notice it drop. If that doesn't happen, it's one more sign you might be dealing with skinny fat.

Tracking and measuring BP is easy. Should you land at a weight you're happy with while your blood pressure stays at or above 120/80, then sitting down with your doctor is a sensible move, since they might suggest meds available only by prescription.
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I've taken blood pressure meds since I was in my 20s. My readings have dropped, but my goal is still to reach around 150 (my height is 5’8). I can still spot plenty of excess weight. I'm curious how my BP will respond if I lose another 25 pounds or so. Having made it this far, I figure I might as well aim for the best possible point.
 
CNCCurrency said:

Zydeceltico said:

BMI is quite antiquated. A better approach is the waist-to-hip ratio. Take the measurement around your waist (at the belly button) and divide it by the measurement around the broadest part of your rear. Much more practical.

For guys, the target is roughly .90. Search WHR to find the guideline for women.
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As far back as I can recall, the US military has relied on waist/hip measurements for its weight standards.
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That's true, though it's built around how men's bodies work. It presumes excess fat gathers around the midsection rather than the hips and thighs — which is how it goes for a big share of women, me included.

Even carrying extra weight, my HWR could still look good.
 
m100568 said:

I'm 60-something years old. My goal weight got moved down 4 separate times. Once I reached that final target, I stepped the dose down and raised my calorie intake, using a TDEE calculator as a rough guide. Light resistance training is part of my routine too. Ultimately, the goals I set didn't really matter. Even when I adjusted dosing and calories, my body simply settled at the weight it preferred. I've dropped 46% of my body weight, and my BMI sits at 21. For 8 months now, that has held steady within 3lbs.

Oh, and here's a big surprise. Sure, I can see my abs. But while I was checking out parts of myself I hadn't seen in decades, I spotted a noticeable buldge on one side of my lower abdomen. According to the doctor, it's a hernia and I'll need surgery. Right now it doesn't hurt, and I'd never have spotted it if the weight loss hadn't been enough for the muscles to show.
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That is seriously impressive progress — and the fact that you've maintained it is even better. This medication really does seem like a miracle.
 
If your Abs are visible even a little, it seems unlikely that you still have 25 lbs of fat left to shed. Should those 25 lbs come off as half muscle and half fat, you might actually be worse off for losing them. Without better objective data on fat percentage, it's difficult to make a call. Waist and neck circumference can be used to estimate fat percentage—there's an online calculator—or a dexa scan gives a more accurate reading. Chasing a lower BMI by shedding muscle has quite questionable health benefits.
 
Once I glance down while showering and actually spot it, that's my signal.

In the meantime, I'm letting my overall sense of well-being guide me. Suppose I weighed 800lbs yet felt fantastic and in good health — BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, none of that would matter to me one bit. My aim is to feel my best and extract every bit of living I can from my time on this spinning rock. And if my appearance improves along the way, hey, that's a nice bonus.
 
In my case, is it when things stall out?

I'm about 20 lbs above what I weighed in HS (and back then I was an athlete), so I figure a plateau will probably hit me before this year wraps up, and odds are I'll need to start gym work for strength training and leaning out.

What I'm after is being functionally fit — meaning a respectable mile time, not getting out of breath on stairs, being able to jump, that sort of thing.

Titrating up doesn't appeal to me; I'm staying steady at 7.5 T, and once I plateau I'll shift toward more working out/exercise. Right now I fit in walks (1-2 mi/day).
 
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