Need to talk to you guys...

There is not an alternate reality in this or any other universe in which I wear a size 4.  I think my batwings alone are a size 8!

BUT, we'll just see what happens.  I had such a good Pilates class last night.  I did all the exercises and twice she told the class to look at *me* for how to do it.  Yay VSG!!

LMAO Happy - alternate reality!  You just wait honey, I thought the very same thing.  You may just surprise yourself....Yay Pilates & VSG!!! 

Deb

My advice to you is not to argue with people who make comments about your weight. Just nod your head or otherwise act like you agree with them and keep doing what is right for you and your body.

The other thing to keep in mind is that, for most people, bounce back is very real. After all, pre-WLS we would lose weight, gain it all back and then gain another 10 pounds for "insurance" so it makes sense that a lot of people post-op will gain back that 10 pounds just like before. The great thing about WLS is that we don't gain it all back first! 

Another thing to keep in mind is, that when you lose weight very fast, it can come off in weird places. This results in us looking gaunt in some parts. People key in on those parts of our body and don't notice the places we're still a little chubby. But, over time, people will get used to how you look and also your weight redistributes and you fill back out in some of those areas.

I had people convinced I was still losing weight for an entire year after I stopped, btw. That's just part of the journey, IME.

When I lost weight pre-surgery, I did indeed stablize at a weight about 10 pounds higher than my lowest ever.  And was pretty stable there until I let the food get the better of me.  Again.

Anyway!  I definitely would like to redistribute, but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth.  These last ten pounds appear to have come off my butt, so that's encouraging.  As are you!!

Def donate the clothes.. you aren't done yet! I'm only keeping mine now as I think I'm going to not shrink much more.. and since I still get the fun hormone bloat, It'd be nice to have a looser pair of jeans once a month!!

I love your philosophy and how you are at peace with keeping your focus on good eating and letting your body find it's balance within that framework, very healthy mindset. Something I'm trying to work on myself.

As far as folks telling me I'm done.. I've gotten it- or the question "how much more are you planing to lose??" My reply has always been, "I'm going to let my body call it.. when it's done, I'll know. At this point it's more about being strong and healthy.." and I smile.. 

You will reach it, and it's a nice feeling to know that it really is possible.. things can be fixed!

When I was heavy, I always had about three sizes in my closet.  My "fat" clothes, and my "skinny" clothes (I think they went from a 14-18.  I would find the biggest clothes getting tight and I'd have a "freak out moment" where I realized it was "time to do something" and I'd diet off about 20 pounds.  I'd land in my "skinny clothes", get comfortable there, relax, and slowly gain my way back into (and eventually out of) the bigger sizes until my next "freak out".  So, my theory going into all of this was that I needed to lower my "freak out point".  If I didn't have bigger sizes to fall back on, I couldn't mindlessly gain weight.  With only one size in my closet at any given time, my choice is keep the weight off, or go naked.  Since I'm not much of an exhibitionist, I'm forced into accountability.  Each time I lost a size, I'd get rid of my clothes.  The only exception is that I keep one pair of one size bigger jeans for the time period directly after having a baby (I'm still in the midst of my baby years).  Turns out, I never even needed that safety net when my son was born in November.  I'm happy to know that I won't be going up a size without making the conscious effort to do so!  So, THROW THEM OUT!  Let them go, and jump in, the water is fine with no safety net to hold you back!

 
Hey Happy......

Other peoples opinions.......Just don't matter..... Eff em'
When it came down to my final WL..... I only listened to my surgeon..... I deemed it his job.....

The clothes......I got rid of just about everything.....to a homeless shelter.....and Jimbo........

I kept a set of my biggest clothes...... just cause it was necessary.......

After I was at weight....... that has a 10lbs. cushion, I asked my mom if she thought I should get rid of the next two sizes up........

In her wisdom..... she said "Keep em'..... If you keep them.... You won't need them....If you get rid of them.....you'll need them...." At that point it wasn't really a big deal to me and it wasn't that much clothes......

Those two sizes up have been a huge motivator to me..... I see them in my drawer or hanging..... and I stare them down.....It's a reminder that I don't want to be that size..... I hate them....they are the enemy !!!!!

Messed up .... I know......

frisco

"I hate them....they are the enemy !!!!!"  I LOVE THIS!  Thanks Frisco - that was greatness!

Deb

 Happy,

You are doing so great! And I always love reading your posts....
Definitely get rid of the big clothes! Baggy clothes are so unflattering and make us also look like we either don't care about our appearance or maybe are homeless....
Keep only whatever fits now....and as they get baggy, buy new fitted clothes.

I also picked a goal kind of out of the air since it seemed achievable, but a challenge since I'd only been 150 for a brief time in my adult years, but I knew it was possible and for good measure I put 140 on my ticker, since I wanted to lose at least 100 lbs...then as I went under that weight of 170, I got very nervous...because that was my typical "diet weight"...the one that was achieved many times before....with the inevitable rebound that always happened...but it was a comfy weight for me, and I wasn't sure about going lower.

When I hit goal weight.....I also got a lot of comments that I was "too skinny", sick looking, and jokes about me disappearing if I didn't stop losing weight....

I started to wonder did I really look this bad? And was I too skinny? This was around  the 7-9 post op month mark and I hit an unbelievable 140, then I dropped under that, actually going down to 130.... and wondered would the weight loss stop or was I going to get  waste away......lol....I didn't and the weight loss did stop, in fact, now I typically am about 133 lb.

Well, I think looking back at pics, the issue was I went through a phase of looking very gaunt in the face and drawn out...maybe it was due to such fast weight loss, lack of nutrients, dehydradtion, or a combo of things..

I think that I'm looking a lot better now in pics and it's only been a few months that this change happened..at about 12 months out, I noticed I looked better in the face and the "too skinny" comments have stopped, even though I actually lost more weight and body fat during this time.

It's funny, because now I don't want to be over 135 and was actually thinking of trying to get to 125 and body fat lower...I have been concentrating on getting in more protein and am lifting weights, so I think that is also helping me not look "waif like"...and I realized that a low weight actually does fit my body.

So, don't worry....you are probably in that weird spot right now, plus people are not used to seeing you so skinny.....but keep on trucking, and don't worry about the comments or stares, people mean well, but they don't understand the process...BTW, my standard reply back to them, was "No, I'm not losing more weight, I am exercising and dropping my body fat." to people I cared about....others I just would laugh it off or ignore their comments.