ONE of the world’s greatest mysteries is why losing the last five pounds is so much harder than losing the first five. But then again, maybe the issue isn’t that losing the last five pounds feels tough as hell; maybe it’s that our goal weights are five pounds too low.

    “Many women set their ideal weight unrealistically low,” says Dr. Michelle May.

    Your body is always going to fight to stay at a weight that’s right for you, she says. According to one Pennington Biomedical Research Center review of previous research, every woman’s body is designed to hold its weight in different places. To be a weight or size that’s not natural for you is incredibly difficult — both biologically and psychologically — and requires a lot of restriction, says May.

    Now, that’s not to say that everyone who has trouble losing weight doesn’t actually need to lose it. But ultimately, once your body finds its healthy, happy weight, it doesn’t want you to lose more just because you want to get into a size two again. In fact, when many women get within five pounds of their goal weight, losing more isn’t just infuriatingly difficult — it’s unhealthy.

    With all of that in mind, check out these six signs that your body has found its happy place:

    1. Your weight doesn’t fluctuate that much

    Every woman’s weight goes up and down with her hydration levels, bathroom schedule, and the time of the month. But when your body is at the weight it really wants to be, you can easily maintain the number on the scale, says May. She notes that a lot of weight-loss fluctuations are caused by losing too much weight, which causes you to overeat and gain it all back.

    2. You have tons of energy

    When most women are at a healthy weight, their energy levels are awesome, says May. After all, being at your ideal weight helps your body work as efficiently as possible. If every little task really tires you out, you might either weigh too much, too little, or you’re cutting too many calories.

    3. You eat when you’re hungry

    “Even healthy eating includes occasionally overeating, and that’s okay,” May says. If you listen to your body and let your hunger signals guide your eating most of the time, you’ll find your healthy weight and stay there.

    4. Your health is in check

    While hitting a certain weight won’t cure everything, when you do achieve your optimum weight, your body just works better. Your blood pressure lowers, your immune system gets stronger, and you just feel healthier. Even if you think you’re five pounds overweight, your annual checkup goes pretty well.

    5. You eat the foods you love

    Healthy bodies know that food is about more than fueling your body; it’s also about enjoyment. So when women’s bodies are happy, they go for that post-dinner ice cream when they really, really want it.(SD-Agencies)