Question:
Question

I am 5 months post op from gastric bypass. I've lost 74 lbs and feel great but my question is this: how do you stop losing weight once you've made it to your goal?? I'm not there yet but my family thinks I look great and is afraid that I will get too skinny. I'm sure that won't happen but it is a legitimate question. Does your body just know when to stop losing weight?    — Mary G. (posted on August 25, 2008)

August 25, 2008
I'm not at my goal weight yet but it's my understanding that you add more calories into your daily count, especially if you exercise. If you see a NUT you might bring it up and see what he/she suggests. Congratulations on losing 74 lbs already.
   — DEBI R.

August 25, 2008
Congratulations on the 74 lbs gone! That is wonderful. And yes your body just seems to know when to slow down. General rule is that you should loose 75 - 80% of your excess body weight after surgery. However, everyone is not the same. I had lost 75.3 % at my 18 month visit and have lost very little since then. I am pretty satisfied where I am now. If I lost a few more pounds that would be great but if I stay where I am that will be great also. As long as I don't gain it back I am perfectly happy. Best of luck on the rest of your journey! It is a wonderful ride!
   — Jean N.

August 25, 2008
Hi Mary, The way my DR explained it is you have your BMI "basic metabolic index" and your BMR "basic metabolic rate" as you lose weight one lowers and the other raises, when they balance out you will stop losing and start maintaining your weight. Best of Luck to you and you're doing an awesome job, Mel
   — purpleangel0909

August 25, 2008

   — Lil' Booty

August 26, 2008
I never came close to having your problem/fear. I was afraid it would stop too soon. But your fear is the same as mine only reversed. And I know several people who struggle to keep their weight from dropping more. They have been told by their doctors to "eat"...Plain and simple right? But the problem then switches to what I eat too much and start gaining and then can't stop?...I think that you have to take it a day at a time, just like now, while losing your weight...If you begin to lose too much you will have to add more calories to your day a little at a time until your weight stabilizes for about a month...At that point you will know where you maintain weight. many people add an extra protein drink because it is lean and add calories without stretching your pouch (liquid) and is not a carb and won't store as fat. Your body does know when to stop for the most part. There are some people that don't agree with their body! I know one lady who has been adding more and more calories to try to get from 120 to 125 and she just keeps trying and just cannot gain weight! But she's not losing either...Her body just wants to be 120 and that's that! So many of us have our own struggles from one end of the spectrum to the other...The answer is to eat more...but as we all know that's often much easier to say than do when it is a problem. Good luck and much success on the rest of your journey! You are doing GREAT!
   — .Anita R.

August 26, 2008
Thank you everyone so much!!
   — Mary G.

August 26, 2008
Congrads on the weight loss. I have got to about 80% and the weight loss has slowed down a great deal. My Surgeon tells me as I get closer to a normal BMI, it will just stop losing on the 1000 calories a day that I eat, otherwise they will have me increase to about 1200. Some in our support group are within 5 to 10 lbs and they are just losing 1-2 lbs a month now. Regardless, I have never got this close to normal before, except maybe in the 5th grade, but then I was fat for a 5th grader. Best of success to you.
   — William (Bill) wmil

August 26, 2008
Your body just knows when to stop. I lost 150Lbs. And you are able to eat more as the years go by
   — Joanc