How do you know when to stop dieting?

[StuntNun]

DH and I have been LCing since mid-June and have both lost enough to bring our weights back into the normal range. Now I'm wondering how we will know when we have reached our ideal weights. I assumed that weight loss would naturally slow down as I approached my ideal weight however my BMI is 22 and I am still losing 1-2 lb a week. I don't know whether to keep eating as I have been and see what happens, or whether to introduce some more carbs for a maintenance diet. I'm wondering what other people's experiences of low carb diets were as they approached their target weight.

[giraffeseatpineapples]

Maybe you have a slim bone structure? BMI is not always accurate as a guide to optimum weight. If you havent had any of the 'your getting too thin' comments it might be ok to lose a few more lbs - its good to have a few lbs leeway when you start to experiment with increasing the carbs then you can aim to stay within a weight range of 4 - 7 lb of your optimum weight.

I have heard weightloss should taper out at an optimum level. In theory your calorie needs will go down as you lose weight so eventually the amount of food that was helping you lose weight should only be enough to maintain weight. Mark Sissons also has a chart which advises of carb ranges optimum for rapid loss, slower loss, maintenance and weight gain. carb curve

There was a thread about maintaining weightloss recently which listed the bootcamp order for introducing higher carbs back in to diet.

[BIWI]

How do you feel about still losing weight? Do you think - from looking at yourself in the mirror, the way your clothes fit - that you need to lose any more weight?

If you don't, then I would say that you need to start upping your carbs to that you're not losing weight any more.

There is a theory that with low carbing you can't lose too much weight - your body is using its fat stores only - but obviously you need to decide what you think is right for you.

[StuntNun]

I'm not sure about that Giraffe, I have very narrow wrists which would suggest a slim bone structure but then I have wide shoulders and hips. I like your idea of having a few lbs leeway and I was thinking of going 4 lb lower than my target weight. I know a couple of LCers who weigh themselves daily and if their weight is e.g. 132 or above then that's a low carb day, if it's 130 or below then it's a 'cheat' day. That seems to me to be a good way to prevent the weight creeping on again.

I actually have no clue how many carbs I get a day or whether it fluctuates wildly, I just follow BIWI's Bootcamp Light rules most of the time.

I'm not sure I'm a reliable witness on whether I want to lose more weight BIWI. There are a couple of problem areas - armpit fat (yuck) and a bit of a flabby tummy which isn't surprising after four pregnancies and two c-sections. To be honest I didn't think I would actually get to my goal, which would mean a BMI of 21.5. It's another five lb to go so I suppose the best thing would be to reassess in a month or so.

DH on the other hand is having serious clothes issues. His clothes are hanging off him. His waist is heading for 28 inches and it's very hard to even buy clothes in that size, I suppose he would have to have his suits taken in. Maybe it would be a good time for him to start weight training again, then he could fill out the gaps with muscle!