Is it all about some arbitrary number on the scale??

Well of course not!!  Give me some credit won't ya?

How and why I chose 140 lbs or more percisely why I want to maintain between 140 and 145 lbs:

1.  I have been that weight several times before in my life:
     -  I was that weight in high school a couple of times.
     -  I was that weight when I met hubby 15 years ago.
     -  I have lost down to that weight a few times as an adult, but could not maintain it.

2.  I know, even now, how I look and feel at that weight:
     -  I got down to 142 lbs since I got this surgery
     -  I felt fantastic there
     -  I gained 13 lbs and I did not like some of the areas it came back on, and overall I felt thicker, with fat showing up around my bra (under my arms and a bit on my back).  Fat showed up on my tummy and thighs, I started to fill out in the waist and get a muffin top in tigher things, etc.

3.  -  I know as women age, they may thicken, especially in the middle. 
     -  I know I 'was' an all of nothing kind of person, and I have had a tendency to gain weight back, so the bigger buffer I have the better for Cindy.

I don't know why I would ever agree that it is just some arbitary number on a scale.  I guess it is because it was not worth defending myself, that it was ok to let someone take my power away.  But hey today I choose to defend myself.

How did you choose your goal and why?

Big hugs,

Cindy

I did not choose my weight...it chose me!  I just seemed to stop at 134 and now I stay within about 2 pounds of that and that is okay by me.  It seems easy to maintain and that is something I have never been able to do in my life.  Wearing the same clothes for 2 winter seasons now makes me so happy.

Laura

I know what you mean, I actually wear my clothes out now!!  What a concept!

Hugs,

Cindy

 Hi Cindy, what a great topic.  I didn't/haven't picked a number, not really.  I remember when I started cruising the boards and learning about the VSG, I thought it would be wonderful to get down to 160.  After I had the surgery I thought it would be amazing to get down to 145.   I remember my sister making an "are you crazy" comment when I told her I was going to Mexico and and I quipped that she wouldn't think I was crazy if I got down to 126lbs., but in my heart I was thinking 145 would be awesome.  And now I weigh 119!  I think my body will let me know when it's done.  I actually think that I am there now.  Now my reason for choosing such a drastic WL method was that my knees were becoming disabling, and I just don't want knee replacements.  This was a last ditch effort to save my knees.  It think it will keep the old knees going a little longer, but ultimately, the arthritis will take it's toll.
Anyway, I'm a bit long winded, sorry.  I am HAPPY at this weight, so the number is just icing on the cake

Very very cool to hear what you expected compared to where you are.  Pretty incredible eh?  I am so glad your weight loss has given your knees the releif they needed.

No need to appologize for being long winded...  I love it.

I am so proud of you honey,

Cindy

Originally, I thought getting down to 120 lbs would be great. It would be a normal BMI and I had been at that weight for a short period of time, about 20 years ago. I also thought that the 130's wouldn't be bad, since I had spent several years in the 130' s and felt good at that range. I was able to be active, skied, camped, hiked, and was a white-water rafting fanantic.

When I asked my PCP, he said 110 lbs based upon my height of 4'11" and my surgical weight.  I think I sat there with my mouth hanging open and said, "I don't know, if I can do that." When I reached 120, I just kept doing what I was doing, and weight kept coming off, slowly, but it came off. When I reached 108, I called the dietician and she told me that I could increase my calories and to contact her, if my weight dropped down to 105. Since then, I have been maintaining between 108-110, spending most of the time in the 109's.

I exercise about 5-6 days/week, including 2-3 days of strength training.

Today, I had my body fat tested hydrostatically and I am at 10.6 % body fat, so I am finished losing. My focus is now on increasing my lean muscle mass and not focusing so much on a number on the scale. I have 97.5 lbs of lean muscle mass and 11.5 lbs of fat, which I think is darn good for my age of 57.

So, the bottom line, our weight is secondary, compared to how we feel, act, and what our body composition is. If we reach a certain number or size and we feel good about it, the scale value is only part of the equation.

My focus for exercising will be to maintain my low body fat and preserve my lean muscle mass.

Gail

Hi Gail,

I like how guys guys seem to have played it by ear, so to speak.  Isn't it quite incredible that the 120 - 130's would have been just fine for you, and yet here you sit at the 109's...  now that you 'feel' and 'see' how it is at 109 lbs, would you still consider being in the 120 - 130's range?  Or do you really like the way you feel and look at 109 lbs?

I would love to get my body fat tested hydrostatically, but I am sure they don't have such a thing down here.  Perhaps sometime when money is flush and I am in Canada or the US I will get that done.  I think it would be neat to see the ratio between the bone and muscle and the fat.

Sounds like you have a healthy outlook on it all.

Hugs,

Cindy

This entire process has indeed been a journey. I never knew what it would feel like to be at 108-110, because I hadn't weighed that amount since elementary school. Now, that I am here, I want to stay here. I am in the middle of my BMI range, the bariatric program said that I was a "Superstar" at my one year follow-up last Friday, and I feel great.
 
The body fat testing was something that I had wanted to do for months, so that I could stop focusing on a specific number on the scale and wonder, if I should try to get down lower. Now, I can say, "NO." I am at a healthy weight for my age and frame size. The body fat test proves that I am where I need to be.

Do I want to be in the 120-130's? At this point, NO, because I like how I feel and look at this weight and muscle mass. Also, most important, I don't want the return of pre-diabetes and sleep apnea, which would increase the potential for those illnesses to rear their ugly heads, if I were to put on more weight.

All the exercise, including strength training has definitely paid off. People might call me "skinny" but if I am skinny, it is not a skinny fat. One can be skinny, but have a high percentage of body fat. That is known as "skinny fat." My trainer introduced me to that term.

The hydrostatic body fat testing was 49.00, not bad at all. The percentage of error is 2-3 % according to online data, but the tester said the error range was 1 %. This method of body fat testing is considered the Gold Standard.

Good discussion topic.

Gail

Very interesting and percisely my point about my number being lower than goal, once we have been there, we know how good it feels and we want to get there and stay there...

Wow that is not expensive at all.  I will check it out for sure.

I am what you would call 'skinny fat'.  I have not been exercising and weight training.

It is one of my goals to set up a program for myself and eventually even have a home gym.  It is not in the cards right now.

But getting back to my walking, hand weights and floor exercises is, so that is my goal, very soon, I am just not quite ready yet.  I am still struggling mentally and have enough on my plate just getting through the day.

I am sure enjoying this discussion, thanks for your input.

Cindy

Let the body decided....but I have to confess.  My driver's license said 145 forEVER.  I finally changed it to 240 a few years back - still a 60 pound lie, but felt obligated to correct it since a good friend works in that department and she knew the truth! So she let me fib again anyway.

One time years ago, I was scout leader for cub scouts.  We visited the sheriff's office.  They wanted to show us how their computer system worked so I volunteered my DL #.  When my co-leader saw my weight on the screen she commented about it.  I told her it was my goal weight.  The sheriff just laughed.  Little did I know that the day would come when it really is my weight and I don't need to lie anymore. ....'cept now Iowa doesn't put weight on the DL!