NOT at goal yet

I just read the latest batch of messages (haven't been here in awhile) and noticed several in a row about people reaching or surpassing their goal weights. Congratulations to you all!!! How wonderful to be at goal! I'm so pleased for you and proud of all you have done. That said, I have to be honest that despite being genuinely pleased for those who have reached goal, I'm feeling a little discouraged for myself. I have about 35-40 more to go to reach my goal range, and I'm hardly losing anything at all anymore. I'm still plugging along--I haven't given up on reaching goal. It still feels do-able to me. But I have a long way to go at the rate I've been going (lucky to lose 1-2 lbs in a month now). I'm not complaining--I just mainly wanted to post that I'm not at goal so that those who are out there who are also not at goal will not feel like "Geez, everyone but me is at goal already." I'll bet those of us who are not at goal are the majority. We need to keep encouraging each other and let each other know that we're still here, plugging along, and we'll make it!!! ---- Leslie -111

Hey Leslie! Good to see you! I saw your post on the TMB earlier and laughed - because our numbers are so consistently similar! I am down 109 lbs which puts me at 169 lbs. This week I lucked out and lost 3 lbs but I am losing more like 1 per week now on average. Again, it's a downward motion...which is so different from most of my life, when I saw a number on the scale on my way UP and not again! I haven't weighed 160-anything since summer of 1986. So this is bizarre! I agree, lots are making goal and lots still have a spell to go. I think we should all be proud of where we've come from, where we are today, and where we're going. This is a major accomplishment! I think we tend to get jaded when surrounded by all the big losses - we need to stop and think about how much weight we have taken off these bodies! Seventy, 80, 100+ pounds is some major WORK! Bravo to all of us. We're so much better off than we were 12 months ago. As we adjust to the new bodies and lifestyles, we mustn't lose sight of where we were, so that we can be grateful not to have the same struggles we once did. True, we'll always struggle with something, but how nice that morbid obesity is now a part of our past. It's up to us to keep it out of our future as well. Thanks for the thoughtful post, Leslie. As I always tell my slow-losing self...slow and steady wins the race! And it's not a race against anyone else nor against ourselves, but against the obesity that hindered us for so long. We're going to get there, all of us! Kathryn -109

You're totally right, Kathryn! As you know, I've always had a problem with comparing my progress to others' and getting unhappy about it. It's my "fatal flaw" on this WLS journey. I looked at all the at-goal posts, thought to myself that I was going to be the last one to reach goal, realized how silly that was, thought others might be feeling the same thing, and decided I should post about it. Thank you so much, though, for reminding us how we have all come so far and have so much to be proud of. Out in the "real world," our losses are astronomical and almost unbelievable to people unfamiliar with WLS. I get reminded of that every time I see an old friend who doesn't know I had surgery. They freak out, and rightly so! Over 100 lbs lost in less than a year is mind-boggling when it's not in the context of OH or the world of WLS. We do get used to seeing massive losses around here, and it can make our own losses seem "small" or "slow" to us, and they absolutely are NOT small or slow in the real world. ---- Leslie -111

Yeah, I haven't reached goal and feel like I never will. I know we all hit plataues, but I have been on one for 11 weeks now, and so I am afraid I have stpped losing weight. I still need to lose 60 pounds. I have been at a loss of 80 pounds for 11 weeks. I even joined a guym and am working out more, and still the scale does not budge. 60 pounds left to lose still makes me obese. I know I look 100% better now. But I would love to at least lose even 20 more pounds. Tammy

Hey, I'm still obese, too! I have two pounds to get to "overweight" on the BMI chart--that's my next milestone goal. I can't look at the 35-40 left to goal too much or I get overwhelmed by it and it feels like I'll never make it at the rate I'm going. What a change in perspective in just a few months, huh? Back at the beginning, 35-40 seemed to just fall of in less than a month! We'll get there. And I keep reminding myself that, even if I never lose another pound, I've already improved my health tremendously. That was my reason for having the surgery in the first place--to regain my health. And I have! So any more weight loss is really just gravy. ---- Leslie -111

Wow Leslie, You're doing awesome! I'm far from goal myself (about 25 pounds), but remember, some of what we have left to lose is excess skin/adipose tissue!!! A friend of mine in our situation went to a plastic surgeon who told her with surgery she'd lose another 15-20 pounds!!!! So with that said, you're only like 15 pounds from goal!!! That's one way to think about it........... Keep up the good work!!!! Lots of love, Dawn -107

Hi Leslie... I don't post very often, but I do read the posts fairly regularly. I feel like you do - all of these people who only (only!) had 100 lbs or so to lose are all at their goal, look great, and are happy as clams (as they should be!!) But ME... I'm NOT at my goal (58 lbs to go) and, like you, lose almost nothing these days. I've tried to up my exercise but geez, I wish I was "there"!!! I don't have any advice - just a friendly "we're in the same boat" kind of message. Congrats to all who've done so well. I AM happy with my loss so far (126), but man, I wish I could get that last 1/3 off! Kim

Leslie, You're definitely not alone in your feeling discouraged. I am down 120 but still have 65 more to go to get to my own goal; 95 more to get to my doctor's goal. What's worse is that when I look in the mirror, I don't see any difference. I get really depressed and frustrated, but then I have to force myself to stop and think of how crazy I am being. 10 months ago I was in a very tight size 30/32. Last week I bought a 14/16 skirt that fits great! The other day a friend that I have known for 15 years walked right past me because she didn't recognize me. Logically these things tell me that I am making great progress. I'm not anywhere close to where I wanted to be right now. But I started close to 400lbs and now I'm getting closer to 200lbs. That's a good thing. Hang in there - some of us get to the goal a lot faster, but eventually we'll all make it. Jen

Thanks for posting this! I am very discouraged when I read about the many people who have surpassed their goal and I am sitting her thinking that I only had about 100 pounds to loose and I have lost it yet. I've been stuck silly in the 150s for what seems like an eternity! I am seeing signs of breaking free from that range (I weighed in at 146.5 this morning), but as soon as I get my hopes up I regain some weight and right back in the 150s I go! It is so frustrating. I've been on a low carb diet, I mean about 10 carbs per day and that seems to be helping. One person said that all the people who only had 100 pounds to loose are at goal, but I am not! I've been an extremely slow looser from the beginning. My Dr. told me that since I started at 235 I would loose slower than other. Despite this, I am happy that I am not 146 and not 235. My goal is to be at 135 by my 1 year anniversary, but is not I am not going to stress...hopefully I will get to my dream weight of 125 some day. I think the point is that we just have to press on and never loose fail as we loose weight! (((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))) Vanessa

Leslie, you're so sweet to encourage and congratulate while you 'keep plugging along'. I mean it. My surgeon said 150- I wanted to see 135. Right now I'm weighing in at 156-158. I'm 5'4". I'm not there yet either. I know why too. I could probably be there by now if I made better food choices everyday all day long. I'm not saying I'm awful all the time but I definately need to get in more protein and less simple carbs. Unfortunately for me, I'm pretty content where I'm at wearing an 8 or a 10. To tell you the truth that scares me just because I'm afraid I'll start gaining it back if I get to complacent. 'Just wanted to , you're NOT the only one! hugs, barb