Question:
HOW CAN I LOOK THE SAME EVEN THOUGH WIEGHT IS DIFFERENT??

I STARTED OUT AT 130LBS AS A TEEN AGER AND FOR 13 YRS AFTER MY WEIGHT GAIN TO 260 I HAD THIS SURGERY IN MAY I WEIGH 170LBS NOW AND IM ALMOST 5 MONTHS POST OP. WELL MY QUESTION IS CAN YOU WIEGH HIGHER BUT LOOK SMALLER. I HAD TWO PEOPLE TELL ME THIS PAST WEEK I LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME AS I DID IN HIGH SCHOOL BUT I WEIGH MORE AND IM WEARING 2 SIZES BIGGER THAN WHAT I DID IN HIGH SCHOOL. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOUR INTERNAL ORGANS OR BONES TO BE CARRING THE WIEGHT AND THATS WHY MY BODY LOOKS AS SLIM, I WANT TO WIEGH 140, OR ARE MY FRIENDS JUST LYING TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER. I WOULD APPRECIATE AND ADVICE ANY ONE HAS IF THIS IS POSSIBLE. THANKS ANGIE MATHEWS    — ANGIE M. (posted on October 10, 2002)

October 10, 2002
Angie - I am going through the same thing. I started out at 277 before surgery (Open RNY on 3/28/02 - down 106 pounds), now weighing 171. Whenever I tell people how much I weigh, they are shocked! Most say that I can't possibly weigh that much. So yes, it is possible to look lighter than you are. I'm not sure why, but its possible! By the way, CONGRATS on your weight loss - AWESOME!!!! Lisa
   — sssuzie1

October 10, 2002
No, they are not lying. What is happening is that you weigh more because your bones weigh more. Heavy people develop heavier bones to support our expanding frames. When we lose weight, our heavy bones remain. People always guess me to be 20 pounds or more lighter than what I actually am.
   — Cindy R.

October 10, 2002
I agree with the previous answers. I weighed 130 through my teenage years, got up to 272, was 258 at surgery. I'm now in the 170's and look just about like I did at 130. Heavy bone theory seems to be it.
   — scottiemaam O.

October 10, 2002
Think about carrying hundreds of extra pounds around with you everywhere you go. Think you'd develop some muscles? Heck, yeah! The difference is in your percent body fat. I am a really good example. When I started college I weighed 115 pounds, size 12 and 54% body fat (I still have my measurements from then and calculated it). Before I had WLS, I weighed 230 pounds, size 22W and 57% body fat. Now I am 130 pounds, size 6P/8P and 24% body fat. The difference is in the lean body mass. That's why people who have been MO for years start to look really great at around 200 pounds even though by all the charts they are still overweight. Hope this helps!
   — ctyst

October 10, 2002
I understand the way you feel. I had my surgery in March and started at 260 and now 175. Everyone has told me that I look like i am about 150 already. My goal for myself is 160 and the doctors is 150. I myself notice that I look at recent pictures now compared to me in the 11th grade and I look exactly the same and I love it. It has actually taken 14 years off. I get carded all the time. My own father did not recognize me standing on the sidewalk. That was fun.
   — Chris9672

October 10, 2002
I am only 3 weeks post-op, but I have thought the same thing while going through the photos here at AMOS. Some of the ladies weigh 200 pounds but they look like they weigh 150/160! My thinking is while we are heavy, we have a lot of muscle mass and when we loose the weigh, those muscles are still there, causing us to weigh more, but look smaller. I dunno. I may be wrong, but thats what I think it may be...
   — karmiausnic

October 10, 2002
I am having that problem also. I weight about 172 and when I say I want to lose another 30 pounds they look at me like I am crazy. I am wearing a 12. (As much as I weight I should wear a bigger size. The only thing I can think is that all of this skin that is hanging must weight something.
   — Christina L.

October 11, 2002
Hey Angie...My goal weight is 130-135 on a 5'1" frame BUT as long as I'm happy with the reflection coming back at me in the mirror then numbers dont matter. :o)
   — Bambi C.