My body fat, and my brain...

 Trish we can be sleeve sisters, we have about the same stats..and ALOT OF MUSCLES...

I was thinking the same thing!!!!  We're both being so hard on ourselves, yet we have muscle and it weighs so much more than fat!!!  I'll bet you look great!!!!!!

P.S.  I sought out this post to re-read it.  And was surprised to see that you responded to my post.  I didn't get the notification from OH....

((((hugs)))))) we are sleeve sisters and we need to stick together!!!

I love my muscles!!!  MUSCLES ROCK!!!!  I would so rather have my guns, then be a twiggy girl.

Disclaimer-  if any twiggy girls read this, you look great!  I just would rather have the athletic build.

Same devil ***** tells me I should be 121, about 10lbs lighter than I am at this instant in time -- I somehow bounced up 4lbs in 3 days while my scale batteries were dead.   She seems to ignore the fact that my Size "Small" swim shorts and bikini top are too big, though. Go figure :)

You are doing great.  Enjoy Sweden. I have a lot of friends Norway and Sweden. You'll love it.

 Yeah, Sweden is going to be great, I need to focus on the experience of that trip instead of my weight. I am estastic that I will comfortable on a long haul flight!!!!

Heather

I think you are doing amazing! I totally struggle with accepting the number on the scale though, so I know where you are coming from! I am up to 167 from my low of 159 (I am 5'8")... but have been working out with a trainer and doing lots of lifting and my measurements are all either the same or smaller (lost an inch each off of the biceps, even though I am now sporting some nifty muscle there! ... goodbye batwings!)

I am also going to have my body fat tested again - I had the dexa a year ago and was at about 36%, and my percentage according to my trainer (using calipers and bioletrical impedence) were at about 26% two months ago.  I know these aren't exactly athletic-quality stats, but they are within a healthy range for my age.

So why am I wondering whether this is good enough? Why am I feeling like a bit of a WLS slacker at a size 10-12? Would I actually like myself any more at size 6 or 8?  Would I even look all that different at size 6 or 8? Would losing 10 or 20 more pounds make me healthier than I am now? Could I maintain that loss easily - or would I be setting myself up for a lifetime of a very restricted eating plan - even more so than now?

I dunno - but it seems to be something that lots of folks are having to deal with - when is it ok to just be content / happy / maybe even ecstatic with where we are, rather than trying to come up with some other possibly unrealistic and possibly meaningless goal?

Thank you for writing this Margo.  I could have written that paragraph about being good enough.  I look great where I am, and hubby tells me I look thin, But the blasted BMI charts still have me in the overweight category.  I wear size 10, and I look good, and I am muscular.  Would I be magically happier if I could get to 6-8???  I dunno....all I do is fight to get there....

P.S. I'm 5 foot 4.

 Thanks for writing this Margo, you have so many good points on so many levels, especially your paragraph about being 'good enough', I know that this is the core problem with me. No matter what the DEXA scan says, I seem to never feel satisfied or good enough. Gotta work on that.

Heather