Question:
How do I stop losing weight???
Okay, my starting weight was 335, I had surgery on 7/28/2003. I now have lost 177 pounds, but I STILL WEIGHT 158! According to all the "charts", my ideal weight is 145 (I'm 5' 8" tall), yet everyone is telling me to STOP LOSING, I look anorexic (new picture of me should be posted very soon). 1) I STILL FEEL FAT 2) 158 IS NOT THE WEIGHT I WAS LOOKING TO BE 3) I AM STILL LOSING PRETTY STEADY, SO I DONT SEE 145-150 TOO FAR OFF. 4) ONCE I REACH "GOAL", HOW DO I STOP LOSING? What are people's opinions on this (people with experience, NOT people that have never dealt with weight-related issues). Thanks very much for your time! — teresaxxxx (posted on September 19, 2004)
September 19, 2004
Don't listen to those people.. they are jealous. People that knew me before
all say that I am anorectic. I just tell them that my doctor is perfectly
happy with my weight and I am not concerned. I think you look great.. you
look like you could be your own daughter you look so much younger! Go you!
— SarahC
September 19, 2004
I am in a similar position. I started at 350 on 11-12-02. I'm down to 128
now. Lots of people say I am getting too thin. The guideline for anorexia
is 100 pounds if you are 5' tall and add 5 pounds per inch over that. If
you are under that amount you are too thin.So, 140 should be okay for you.
I think people are used to seeing us overweight, so we just look SO much
smaller than before that they see us as too thin. I cut back my water
intact to 48 oz per day and added more carbs. I still weigh weekly and plan
to continue that so I don't get out of my range of 125-135. Good luck.
— dianne E.
September 19, 2004
Don't freak out over it. Like a previous poster said, the people around
you are used to you being bigger. At my bottom weight I was 130-135 and
6's were baggy on me. Everyone in my family and at work were complaining
that I was too thin. We moved. No one in my new surroundings felt I was
too thin, and they even knew about my surgery. Anyhow, enjoy the WLS ride,
your body will stop when it's done. Evil thing is....your body will then
think it made a mistake and try to pack 15lbs back on. ;) Grats on your
weight loss, good job!
— RebeccaP
September 19, 2004
I had surgery Jan. of 2002. People are just now telling me I look better.
They said I was too gaunt looking before. I haven't gained a pound so I
guess they just are used to me now. I weigh 105 lbs at 5'1'' with a small
frame so I am right where I should be. We lose so fast it takes our body
time to adjust. Give It time and they will get used to the smaller you.
Randy Elam
— lablady_29
September 19, 2004
Our appearance before/after a large WLS could give some people that
appearance, but often it's just perception. For your stats, you're still
above your ideal weight. Keep in mind also that if you were overweight for
a long time, your bones are more dense than the average person who is not
overweight. Just be comfortable with yourself and ignore anyone's ideas.
I fight theg 'still fat' feeling as well and probably always will. It's
just a side effect of being overweight for a long time. My husband still
laughs because I have so many problems shopping in regular stores. My
first impulse is "I'm still fat." Just live. Lord knows we've
all not lived as much as we can.
— Cathy S.
September 19, 2004
Gosh, you weigh 158 at 5'8" and you're complaining! Not to bash you
here, but that's a fantastic weight loss, and if your frame is large, 158
is definitely in the normal range for this height. I'm also 5'8"
(large frame), now weigh 164, and couldn't be happier. The only reason I
might try to lose a few more pounds would be to "hedge" the
bounce-back gain that a lot of us experience. Otherwise, I'm very happy
here, and feel great at this weight. I guess it also helps that everyone
thinks I weigh around 135-140, but I've always appeared smaller than my
true size. When I weighed 270, most folks thought I was around 225. As
for stopping the losing, I don't think most of us will have to worry about
that. But if you do, I would think you would increase your calories a bit,
and maybe add a few more carbs into your diet. Best wishes.
— Carlita
September 20, 2004
Don't worry - you're just a year out & you'll stop losing soon, and may
even gain some "bounceback" pounds. I'm 2 years out, and it
happened to me about 1 1/2 years out.
— jengrz
September 20, 2004
Hi Teresa, I know where you are coming from. No one has told me that I look
too thin, they all say I look great... however, I can see my
"thinness" in pics and I am starting to look gaunt. I lost
14" inches just around my middle. Everyone carries their weight
differently. My excess 5 pounds plus are apparently excess skin. I have had
several Dr's tell me that if I have my excess skin removed I will be at
least 15lbs underweight when they are done. Contrary to your staement about
feeling fat, I do feel thin and fit but the weight loss is starting to
concern me. I have been seeing a counselor for about 3 months. I am
5'8" with a "large" frame. The weight charts say that my
normal weight should be 165lbs. I am 170 now. I am almost 18 months from
surgery and I am still losing - and I am not even trying. My Dr told me to
increase my caloric intake. I am by adding protein bars or drinks. I don't
want to go the other way either -and put weight on. Best wishes, Maggie B.
283/175/170 04/03
— M B.
September 20, 2004
When I was at 150 (I'm 5'1), I was "too thin" and gaunt, they
said. At 110, after 6 months at the weight, I was "perfect",
they were glad I put some wt back on. ??? The way my doc puts it,
"tincture of time" is what makes the difference. You don't really
want to stop LOSING, do ya? You want to stop looking gaunt. Big difference.
They really got on me about 30# from goal. Everyone I knew had an opinion
on my weight. So did I. And I wasn't done. It's true that everyone goes
thru a gaunt period at the end of the wt loss. The high protein users slide
by a little longer, but they still look a little gaunt when the skin is
still waiting for the 100+ lbs to come back and it doesn't. BUT it doesn't
stay that way, if you are healthy & nourished. Although proper
nutrtition alone won't make the skin fit, it does help keep the tone and
rebuild the underlying muscle. You don't really want FAT over those bones,
you want a nice layer of muscle. That's why you don't want to give into
the concept of eating more or adding sugars. Adding fatty tissue won't
help, and the sugar cravings battle is still in front of you. No point in
taking it on any sooner. Some of us DO lose too much, for a short time, but
then there is bounceback. If your goal is to hit 145, then how bad would it
be to be at 130 for 6 weeks and then have to watch the scale climb back up
to 145 and just hope you can park it there? Sounds to me as if you are
doing just fine and it's OTHERS' perceptions that are tripping you up.
— vitalady
September 20, 2004
You and I have almost IDENTICAL Stats- The day of surgery (11/18/02) I
weighed in at 327- I don't know about you, but I was ALWAYS fat- a fat
baby, fat kid, fat teen fat adult- I've settled into about 150lbs. I've
been eating junk lately (stress eating) so my size 10's are getting snug-
Anyway, I found my body just stopped losing weight when ti was ready. At
our height, we can actually get into the 130's and still have a normal BMI-
(I think thats to thin)
To slow down your weight loss, you need to simply add more calories/Carbs-
As far as saying you still feel Fat- I know how you feel- I'm still living
in a fat head- I wonder if my mind will catch up with the rest of me. When
I'm feeling fat, I take out my pre-op pic- With me, I'm just about skin and
bones, but with all the loose skin (ugh) I did have some some skin removal
from my abdomen last month- this definatly has improved my self image a
little- In my opinion (for some,like myself) Losing weight is half the
battle, then there are the mounds of skin to contend with-
Best wishes Kim
— WABBIT F.
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