80 sticks of butter!

So, I was driving to work today thinking about my recent loss of 20 lbs.  It's the equivalent of 80 sticks of butter. I really don't see a difference, but other people have noticed. I don't want to lose any more weight because the skin just hangs, hangs, hangs. My PCP's goal for me is another 5 lbs.  Three years ago my gastro set my goal at another 15.  The charts say I need to lose 25 lbs.   My BMI is 28.8 (slightly overweight).  To have a healthy BMI I need to lose 26 lbs.   FYI BMI is no different than the weight charts...and see here it says I need to lose more!   So those who know me, how much of the 26lbs is extra skin?  Do I really need to lose 104 sticks of butter? Angela:)

Angela,

Your topic made me look - that's an awesome way to look at it.

As far as the charts and your goal weights - I'm to early out to tell but I know where you are coming from.  My surgeon's goal is 125-135.  I have always said I would like to get down to 150 and see where I am then.  I forget off the top of my head where that puts me at BMI....but I'm 5'3"  125-135 just seems SOOOO low to me.  Probably because I was probably around that weight in grammar school.

From what I've heard after plastics you can "only" expect to lose anywhere between 3-12 pounds, depending on the severity of the skin.  So most of that extra weight is "sticks of butter" and not skin.

I say do what feels right - and where YOU are happy.

Pam

Hi Angela, I don't worry about what my BMI or  what a weight chart says I should be,  It's where I feel good at.  My goal is about 20lbs less than what my BMI says, I would rather say I am 20lbs overweight than 150lbs overweight,  what do you think?  I am actually very happy where am at now. So my goal now is too just continue to eat right and excercize.  I am not focusing on losing the weight anymore, because I know that am only 7 months out, and am sure I will continue to lose the weight.  I just want to learn how to maintain it, that was my biggest problem when it came to losing the weight.  I could lose weight as long as I watched what I ate, and I could gain as long as I didn't, but I never made it a way of life , and that is my goal.  I believe by having the surgery I have finally accomplished that.  Good-Luck and continued success on your journey!!!!

Don't forget, people who were significantly overweight for a long time have more bone density. We needed it to support the extra poundage, so it means that we're a bit heavier than someone else with the exact same amount of body fat. I started at 328, got down to 178, went back up to about 198 and stabilized there. Way too much for a short person? Maybe. But it was better than being 328 and I know I have always had metabolic problems due to PCOS. I had my LBL and I am down to 183 now. I will probably lose more as more swelling comes off. It's amazing how much weight does come off with the skin. I'm sure I'd lose a bit more with the thighs and the arms. It's great that you are so close to your set goal. Enjoy! My husband tells me to ignore the numbers, but we live with numbers every day. So, I went from a 26 dress to a 12, and I think that's a pretty good number. ;)

I did not know that about the bone density, that's really interesting.   I was 450 at my highest, and now I'm below 200 lbs.  I'm 5'9".  I also have metabolic problems due to PCOS.  I honestly think I have at least 15 lbs of extra skin that would be removed as the result of a LBL...but I want to wait until after I have a baby, whenever that is.  Losing over 250 pounds, which I carried for many many years did havoc to my skin. I did have an arm lift and I lost 5 lbs as a result of that.

Even if there is fat attached to the skin, I know it will be removed with plastics. 

Thank you for writing !

I just realized, losing 250 lbs is losing 1000 sticks of butter!

Amazing, huh??? Imagine a pile of 1,000 sticks of butter. You'll lose at least 15 with a LBL. I'm 5'3" and I lost that much!

Angela, I would say a good amount of that extra weight is the skin. I had a TT back in September and I lost about 17 lbs. Some was skin but some was just from not being interested/able to eat as much. I had to wear binders that constricted my stomach and made eating a little uncomfortable. I need to lose about 15 more pounds to be a normal BMI and I think at least a third of that is skin weight. That is just an estimate. Amy

butter damn thats what got me into trouble last nite, i was craving butter and ate two biscuits along with it. im happy with my weight, but man i got an awful lot of skin hanging around.  i think about plastics and then i think about turning 60 this year and do i really want to go thru more surgery. ( ive had lots of surgery other than WLS in the past ten years) anyway  ill keep the butter thought in my mind, maybe it will keep me out of the frig. hugs to all, jacki