Anyone TOO skinny?
Well, it's a funny thing. I'm told this all the time. It doesnt' comprehend with me. I'm 5'6, size 6 sometimes a 4, and I am not yet at my goal weight of 135. HOWEVER...that was my college weight....I was 20 then....and now I'm almost 50. I saw my surgeon on my one year anniversary and told him I'd like to lose another 8 pounds, and he told me it isn't necessary, that it is a personal decision for me since I am of normal weight for my height and at a normal BMI. I think your start weight may have something to do with it. The more you lose the more drastic it seems, I guess. If I were you, I'd keep going til my body says stop. Sounds like you're doing great.
Joan
Hello
I'm alittle late with a reply to this but I don't get on line that much.
I go through periods were I worry about losing to much. Anyone ever read Stephen Kings book "Thinner"? For the last few months I felt like it was telling my story (minus the hitting an old gypsy lady with a car and being cursed). Plus I don't feel cursed I do truely feel blessed to have had this surgery.
I feel wonderful health wize which is why I had the surgery and look the best that I ever had in my whole life which is an added bonus.
I started out at 277 wearing size 26's that were tight. Now I weigh in at 165 and am wearing size 10's which are getting alittle lose. I had my year check up last week and my doctor told me that I've lost enough not to lose anymore. I've been maintaining this weight for a couple of months. Maintained it by eating more of my peanut butter crackers and it was intentional for me. Becasue I feel good right were I am.
Now the crazy silly head part of me story will begin! LOL I am happy were I am but my personal goal when I started this was to reach 150 pounds. Thats only 15 pounds away. But in the past 2 months when I became so close to my personal goal I also started to freak out in my head that I was goign to disapear. AND as an added bonus the thoughts in my head also were telling me when I looked into a mirror that I am still fat. ARGGGGG So have I gotten to the point where the fat that is in my head has reached brain matter that is dipping into uncharted territory??? Yikes! Before surgery I had thoughts of how discustingly fat and ugly and unhealthy I was. Now I KNOW that I am THIN I KNOW that I am healthier I KNOW that I look good....still...there are those nagging thoughts of fatness and all that goes with it. I've been told that this is all normal. NORMAL??? HAHAHAHA
Well ok I signed on for this trip I've been on worse trips for sure! Where I work there is a woman who had the surger a couple of years before me she has lost a tremendous amount of weight and looks fantastic compared to before. We are different shapes and heights so we aren't going to resemble twins. There is another woman who is going to be having her surgery in april that we work with. We are watched. We are commented on. We are compared. Offices, are a different world of their own.
Anyways, I've decided to change my persoanl goal for now. Instead of losing to 150 I've upped it to 159. Thats only 6 pounds away. I lose slowly now when I try to which is A-Ok with me! That weight will also put me in a BMI range of Normal.
I think it would be so nice to wear a size 8 can't imagine a single digit for a clothing size other than a shoe. O and anyone into numberology stuff I use to wear a size 26 add the two together and its an 8 hummmmmmm
I wish I had words of wisdom for anyone out there I only have my experience. to all good luck and god bless, pam
Hi Kim,
I have to raise my hand on this one and say yes, I have lost too much weight, and I'm still losing.
I am 5'4" highest weight 242#, weight at surgery 221#. I placed my personal goal at 150#. My surgical team does not set a goal for us, they say that the scale only show numbers that may be right for some but not for everyone.
Anyway, I am now 123#, and still losing.
The last time I saw 'the team' they said they want their patients to lose 60% of their weight by 1 year out, at that appointment I had already lost 85% of my weight. Thinking that I wasn't eating, they recommended that I see a psycologist which I did not follow through on because I am eating. They also recommended that I gain some weight.
I eat 3 good size meals a day, mainly protein, and many snacks, mainly carbs and I have now started drinking with my meals. I get all my water in and 1, sometimes 2 protein shakes a day.
I go back to see the team at my 1 year anniversary, which is 3/18, and since my last appointment, I'm probably down another 10#s.
So yes, I agree with Va, it is possible to lose too much.
I would like to have some plastics done, but I don't want to lose even more with the removal of the excess skin.
Just my 2 cents.
Betty
Take care of yourself, my mini-friend!
To all who may be concerned, be sure that you have a full range of blood tests to determine if you are getting sufficient quantities of essential nutrients. The mal-absorption part of the surgery may have gone into overdrive for you and you may need special supplements.
I am pleased to have stabilized at 135-140 lb range. That puts me in a size 8 most of the time--I am totally amazed and thankful!
Joy
Hi Angel mine
I go in on Friday. 3/18, my anniversary date to have all labs and blood work done. My surgeon doesn't have them checked until the first year anniversary.
I bought my first pair of size 4 jeans, I could not believe it! I don't think I have ever been that size. But I really do not want to lose anymore, however the scale is still moving down. I am eating all the right 'stuff.'
I see the nutritionist on Friday too, so maybe she will have some suggestions.
Take care my
Love, Peace and prayers to you Joy.
Betty
Kim,
One quick note about people saying that we look too skinny, and then the suggestions for maintaining weight... There are a couple of things at play, yes they may be comparing us to our pre-op weights, that's one thing. Another thing is that people today do not have a valid concept of what "normal" looks like, because the social norm is overweight. The average BMI of American women age 20-74 in 1960 was 24.9. In 2002 it was 28.1 - which is medically overweight. So if today's social standard is to be overweight, with a BMI of 28, and you're at 20, that's a huge difference visually, even though you'd still be medically considered healthy down to a BMI of 18.5 to 19, assuming you had no health problems.
I looked at the National Institute of Health's bmi chart, at 72" and 149, your BMI is 20.2. The lower end of normal for 6' is 140 lbs, so you do have a bit of margin before you become medically underweight. Aside from image concerns, how do you feel at your current weight? Do you feel healthy? Not shaky, weak, fatigued, prone to getting sick? If you feel ok then maybe your weight is ok. If you feel unhealthy, then you may need to talk to your doctor about adding weight.
Couple of pieces of advice:
1- journal what you are eating, determine your basal metabolic rate (calories burned by your body to keep you alive), and how many calories you burn in excercise. To maintain weight, you have to consume the same amount of calories that you burn in a day. The journal will help you to see how many calories you are really taking in and expending.
2- see a nutritionist. I'm sure you want to maintain weight by eating healthy and nutricious foods, so it may be helpful to meet with a nutritionist or dietician to design a good eating plan
3- get your blood work done - make sure you have your vitamin levels checked, your iron, and also you blood sugar. Like Va, my sugar is low now too, so in addition to the food types, the frequency of your eating may also be important
4- I saw people who talked about stopping excercise... I would talk to a doctor about that. Excercise serves a lot more purposes in your health than just weight control - weight bearing excercise helps to maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis, aerobic excercise improves cardiovascular health, manage psychological stress, and gives other health benefits. If it's manageable, I would recommend eating enough extra to cover the calories expended during excercise, and continue to excercise to maintain your overall health.
5- See a psychologist or a therapist if you need one. I have a friend who is post-op and she is below her goal, and she is having a terrible time trying to eat enough food to maintain her weight because she is completely afraid of losing control and returning to morbid obesity. She needs help to get her through this period of fear and help her get through her eating disorder. If you feel like you might have a similar fear or another issue, please don't hesitate to seek help for that also. I know I didn't get to the size I was because I was blissfully happy and at peace - and being skinny now doesn't resolve my underlying troubles.
Best of luck,
Jen
I get so tired of people telling me that I need to quit loseing weight, I was 400lbs and now I'm 210-220 and I too want to quit with the weight loss so I just eat carbs and anything that I can handle that will stop my weight loss, I want to get around 240 or so, so I'll just keep doing it this way. Maybe it won't bite me in the butt.