Going lower beyond goal

Where are you on your height/weight chart?  At your height and weight I would think you are not totally at the lower end, so if you wanted to lose a few more it would still keep you above being under weight.  Having said that, you are certainly at a very small size. 

Are you concerned you will lose too much?  At one year post op I weighed 130.  My goal is 128.  We had a death in our family.  My husband is executor, and his obligations required us to be out of town every four days...for one year.  That schedule completely got me off my plan, and my weight loss stopped and started inching up again.  I am so regretful for that.  I wasted my last year of easier additional  weight loss opportunity.Today I was 134.  I have to watch myself extremely closely, or the scale pops up to 137...9 pounds above my goal, AND I REFUSE TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.

So your case is a little tricky.  The charts say you could probably go lower and still be in normal range, but you are wearing a very tiny size now.  I am 5'9" (a tad more), I weighed 134 this morning, but I wear a size 4 with some size 6s.  The chart says I should weigh between 129 to 170.  That is why my goal is to live at 128.  I wear a size 7.5 shoe...I too have a small fame, but even at my height and weight I wear a size 4/6.  You would think it would be smaller.

I personally advocate going as low as as healthily possible because things are very different in maintenance.

You must look amazing.  Congratulations on having such great succes..

I'm with you on this, Dasie.

I was at 120 last year, which the charts say is perfectly acceptable for a person 5 4 3/4 with a small frame.  But I looked like a skeleton draped in beige chiffon!  I wore the same size as a friend who is my height and build but weighs 10-15 pounds less.  Nobody believes what I actually weigh, they all think I weigh less.

The difference?

Lean body mass.  I have very dense, heavy bones (on my last Dexa scan I was in the "excellent" range for a woman in her early to mid-30s... I'm 56), and my body fat was at 22-25% 

I gained back to 130-135, and was fine.  But over the past month I went up to 141 (and increased my body fat to 28-29% - yikes!!), and that had to STOP.  For me, the height-weight charts are pretty meaningless, it's lean body mass (found by calculating body fat percentage) that makes the most sense in making sense of my body.  Your mileage may vary, but it's one reason I suggest using a yardstick other than the scale to figure out where you are and where you "should" be. 

sWhat is the calculation for body fat percentage?  I do not know what my lean body mass is.  I am your age.  I will be 57 in August.  Prior to surgery my bone density was excellent.  During the past year I stopped taking my calcium on a regular basis because the constipation issues were becoming out-of-control, and being out of town so much made it even more unmanageable.  I had my first scan since surgery, and I am now nearing osteoporosis.  I can't believe it. 

So If I understand what you wrote, your scans show you have dense bones thus accounting for more of your weight, and that is why you and your friend wear the same size although she weighs 10 plus pounds less?  I think I figured I must  have more fat.  At my weight and height I would expect to wear a smaller size, but because my bone density has decreased, the weight is not attributed to bone structure like in your case...correct?  I need to figure out run those calculations.  I agree...the scale is not the best indicator as a stand alone gauge.  I remember reading a post 4 months or so ago where a woman my height wore the same size as I, but she was probably 35 heavier.  She said she had a larger frame...so her weight was more bone while mine must be more fat.  I need to research what my lean body mass/percentage should be.  Thanks.

Here's a page with a great explanation.  http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm

The best and most accurate methods of calculating body fat percentage involve dunk tanks and are typically expensive.  I use two methods: the Tanita scale at my surgeon's office (underestimates slightly due to typically less fat in legs) and the Omron hand-held at my gym (overestimates slightly due to typically less muscle in the arms for most women).  I average the two and get a general level.

I do follow the scale, however, because it gives me a window on how everything else is going in general.  I just don't panic about i as much as I do big swings in the body fat.

Before I got heavy I was a big exerciser. I think my bones and muscle mass make me look smaller because I know people my weight that are at least 2 sizes bigger. I've also compared my measurements and I'm compact size wise.

I am at a bmi of 22 and I could go lower and will. I just don't want to lose the curves.

My dr is conservative and doesn't push for a goal weight. I want to be smart about approaching maintenance. I've never really been this size or in the 120's as an adult woman so it's a bit strange for me.

I know I make this harder than this should be.

So, if bounce back is about 5#, and I'm happy where I am at 134-135 - I should let my body get to about 129-130? Or do I just keep doing what I've been doing and see what happens after my year's surgiversary???

Lynn I think the consensus is to go lower. I have lost 2 more pounds since I started this thread and I am going to keep going.

I think in the long run we will not regret losing under our goals. I am really concerned about regain.

Thanks! Me too!