Reaching Goal After a Year?

Greetings all, My surgeon never gave me a goal weight. My PCP says 130. My personal ultimate goal is to not have an overweight BMI, which means I need to hit 140 lbs. I'm currently at 183lbs. At 11 mos, I rededicated myself. Back to tracking through fitday, no bad card, high protien, low fat, exercise, etc. Keeping it under 1000 calories a day. Yet, in the last two months I've only lost 3 lbs. Here is my question, I'm wondering if this is a plateau or is this the weight I've stabalize at? I've lost 98 lbs so I'm not upset, but if I've stabalized, I'll start plastic surgeon consults. How many of you reached goal after 1 year out? Did you weight loss ever pick up again? Advice? Thanks, Torrey (281/183/160)

Congratulations on losing 98 lbs. But I don't think you are done yet. I'm 16 months out and still about 12 lbs from goal. The last 6 months, it's been coming off pretty slow but it's still coming down. I looked back and I weighed 165.6 on my 1 year anniversary and today I weigh 153.4, that's 12.2 lbs in about 4 months (I lost almost 6 in 1 month so the other 3 months averaged about 2 lbs a month). I think you need to give yourself 18-24 months before you consider yourself "done". I think you can still lose more weight as long as you follow the program. Anyway my advice to you is to wait awhile yet. It can be frustrating but you'll make it....just keep the faith. Linda

I seemed to be at a plateau for 3 months starting at 8 months post-op with no movement. I decided to make some subtle changes... I cut back on sugar free things and added a small walk at lunch time (15-20 minutes at a light relaxed pace). Those subtle changes yielded an 11 pound loss in 3 months and basically got me to goal. I reached goal at 14 months post-op. Kathy

Thanks for the feedback. I plan to on plan until I get below all my goals. It's good to hear about stories about people still loosing after a year. Cheers, Torrey

The first 100 pounds seemed to come off pretty easily, but I REALLY had to work at the last 50. I upped my exercise and really concentrated on good food choices. I even went back to weigh****chers just to be accountable on the scale. It took a while, but by 18 months, I had reached my goal. Of course, maintenance is another matter. I've never really maintained before, and it's much harder than I expected. I keep gaining and losing the same five pounds. You can do it, and it sounds like you're on your way with fitday, high protein, low fat and exercise!!!! Joni

The weight loss slows down but if you stick with it I think you can continue to lose for several more months. You might be stuck in a slow down period but it often will pick up again if you stick to your food/exercise plan. My plastic surgeon told me he wanted my weight stabalized (no weight loss) for six months before he'd do the plastic surgery.

My doctor did not give me a goal weight either. He basically wanted me to loose 100 lbs, my personal goal was to loose 110. I hit goal at 11 months. Over the course of the next year I lost 13 more pounds but I was not near as strict the second year. I am now 2.5 years out, and I have recently gained about 10 lbs back. I feel it in my clothes. I know I have not been eating well, my nerves have me crazy right now. If I can get happy and get back to my strict routine, I know I can loose the 15 pounds I actually want to loose. I know people who are still loosing weight two years plus, but they are very strict to the diet and exercise plan. In my support group they talk about the first year being the honeymoon period. Where you can eat anything and loose weight. It is tougher the second year, but I know you can do it, just stay disciplined. Lori

Thanks for all your kind responses. I know that the scale with eventually start moving again. Moving down I mean, not up. I shudder to think of the way I used to eat. I have no doubt that if I keep my calories below 1200 a day, I'll keep losing. I just miss losing 3 lbs a week instead of 3lbs a months.