Question:
I've met my goal, look and feel too thin, how do I stop losing the weight?
I'm only 10 months out and have reached my goal. I know that not many people have this problem, so I apologize to those who are struggling to meet their goals. My face is gaunt and I look unhealthy. I still have excess skin around my tummy, thighs, hips and breasts (or what's left of them) so at least that part of me isn't too thin. I'm worried because I met my goal at 10 months that my body still has a long time until it adjusts and I stop losing. I don't want to change my eating habits, I've tried very hard to make the lifestyle change required to be healthy. I just feel and look too thin. I've cut back the length of my cardio workout, and work out harder so my heart rate is up and I'm working my cardio system instead of just burning calories. I've also doubled my strength training, I do the circuit twice to put on some muscle and tone up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I see my surgeon mext week, but I'd like to hear from some of you who've been there. Please email me if you'd like: [email protected]. Or visit my website: www.geocities.com/divahammer/index.html — Heidi H. (posted on December 13, 2003)
December 13, 2003
Heidi,
I dont really have an answer for you but I wanted to tell you that you look
GREAT. I read your profile and your pics look like two dif people. You are
so cute sitting there in your old navy :) I cant wait to be there myself.
congrats!
— JennA
December 13, 2003
i am 10 months out and ten pounds under my docs goal for me. They said
they wouldn't worry about me until I reach 115 which is 15 more pounds for
me. But, like you, my face is guant and everyone tells me not to lose
anymore but I can't seem to stop. I am 56 years old and 150 would have been
good for me. That was twenty pounds ago. You say you don't want to change
your eating habits so I really don't have an answer for you. my
nutritionist said for me to up the carbs and sip with my meals and snack.
I haven't started doing that yet. Guess i am just waiting to see where my
body will take me. I am not losing fast now so maybe I am about finished.
— Delores S.
December 13, 2003
I also overshot my goal by quite a bit. I had never been too thin, so I
rather enjoyed it. The "too thin" comments started 30# ABOVE
goal, so by then it was just "white noise" to me. I can see in
pix now that I DID look gaunt, but working with so many of us, I see
EVERYONE looks a lil gaunt as they slide into goal and yes, even those who
supplement correctly. You just can't suck 100+ lbs out of a body and have
it look normal immediately. The nice thing is that people who are healthy
do not STAY too thin. Honest. When bounceback does occur, it can be more
frightening than staying underweight. Bounceback is different than regain.
It's just getting squared away into your parking place. I went from 104 to
118 and all over in between for about 7 months before I parked about 110.
I completely agree with not giving up the healthy eating habits you have
attained! This wt is not permanent and you'll be fighting to hold it down
by the 2 yr wall, so let your body find its own level, even though it may
bounce around for another coupla months. I know you want to be done and
all normal and shop til you drop, but just like we couldn't control the UP,
we can't really control the DOWN without making ourselves swing back UP
again. See?
— vitalady
December 13, 2003
There is no secret here. If you want to stop losing or even gain some
back, you have to add calories, so eat more. It doesn't have to be bad
eating habits if you add good calories, like protein based snacks. Try
adding a few hundred extra calories a day and if still losing, add another
hundred a day etc, etc, until you stop losing or gain back some. And try
cutting back some on the working out, perhaps one less session a week.
— Cindy R.
December 13, 2003
If you don't want to lose weight come live at my house. But seriously, it
is just the law of physics, eat more calories than you burn. If you aren't
sure how much you are eating and burning do fitday.com.
— Tawnda C.
December 13, 2003
I JUST READ YOUR PROFILE. GIRL YOU LOOK GREAT.
— Marlo M.
December 13, 2003
I would suggest decrease in aerobics and greatly increase weight training -
not curcuit training. Try the program Fit for Life. When I have done this
- I packed on the muscle - very quickly - so much so that when I was losing
sizes, I was not losing any weight (of course that was at 350pounds! - but
you get the idea). Good Luck!
— MissKimberly
December 14, 2003
Heidi, First congrats on making it to goal. Your body has been like mine,
once we gave it the chance it has cooperated wonderfully! You look awesome
and I know you feel wonderful.
<p>My reaction is if you want to keep eating the same way, and I know
that feeling - why mess with what's been working, then you need to cut back
on some of the exercise. Your body has gone through a major change in a
short time. Losing over 150 lbs on your shorter body is AMAZING! The skin
and everything else needs time to catch up. I'd start by cutting out one
day of exercise and see how that goes, or if you feel better then keep the
frequency the same but lower the length. The higher heart rate is great
but it will still burn calories. Just set your weight in a treadmill and
play with the incline and see how the calories burned total up faster.
Increasing strength training is also going to burn more calories. The more
muscle you get the more efficient your body will burn everything. So I'm
guessing you will either need to eat more or cut back on exercise till you
find that balance. You have that beautiful son to chase around so that
burns plenty all by itself.
<p>I also was freaking about getting to goal much faster than I ever
imagined. I'm not quite there but only 38 lbs away and 204 lbs off. I
will reach goal very close to my 1 yr anniversary. Maintaining and not
gaining or continuing to lose is something I have been struggling with
mentally and how I get this downward slide to balance out and stop close to
where it is. Give yourself some time to balance out and get used to your
new body. Maybe you won't look gaunt after the skin catches up. I know
you will find the way! Let me know what suggestions Wasco has when you see
him this week. Support group is Monday night. I'd love to see you there!
Enjoy the holidays with your new healthy life.
— zoedogcbr
December 15, 2003
I don't have an answer for you...I just wanted to say that I can only dream
of having this problem...hee hee..I can never imagine myself saying that I
didn't want to lose anymore weight...I can only hope to get to my goal
weight, any less will be an awesome bonus for me! :)
Good luck on your journey!
:) Tracy
— TracyInTheZoo
December 16, 2003
Do ask your surgeon but I would continue loosing and smile unless you get
under a BMI of 20 or so. I went thru this and got some bad eating habits
that are hard to break, I fell into being complacent and regained a bit..
Our bodies know when to quit loosing and when you loose FAST like we did
the hanging skin makes us look like were dying or something. Just f0ollow
the basics, protein water vitamins and let your body settle in where it
wants. Isnt it wonderful loosingt fast:)
— bob-haller
December 16, 2003
Heidi,
Who is telling you that you look too thin? I wonder if you aren't just
hearing and believing what someone may be telling you?
I saw your photo and you are a cutie petutie! You are in no way too thin.
Like the other posters said, let your body decide where it is comfie.
Don't start eating badly because you are worried. Trust your body and keep
up the life changing habbits.
Michele
— Michele B.
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