When do you stop?

I've lost 77 lbs since surgery.  I now weigh 183 and I feel and look pretty good.  I'm consistently a size 14, size 12 in some things.  I have had multiple people tell me that they think I need to stop losing weight now.  When did you decide?  Or, did it just stop?

How tall are you?

What does your surgeon say? 

I transitioned into maintenance very slowly.  I did not really change my way of eating much.  Now I do have some wine occassionally and some other things I didn't have before.  But I did not actively try to stop losing weight.  A lot of people end up regaining, so be careful adding in food so that you stop losing weight.  Often our bodies will determine when we should stop.

I'm 5'7.  My surgeon said about 190 was my goal initially (60% of excess weight) but at my 3 month appointment he said I could get down to 160 or 150.  I would still like to get to 160, but now I'm afraid that I won't look good.

You aren't used to seeing yourself like this.  Others aren't used to it.  

I'm 5'10 and range between 171-177.  I'm very muscular, but relatively thin -- not much fat left.  

I personally would not recommending adding much back in yet.  If you do add stuff in make it protein, veg & healthy carb (fruits / veg).  Adding in sugary carbs is a super slippery slow.  

I decided to stop when I got into the ideal BMI range - the high end of it.  

Your friends' opinions are not a good barometer of what your healthy maintenance weight should be.  Neither is your family's opinion.  If you're family is like mine, many of them are overweight so seeing me at a normal weight seems "too thin".  Don't listen to that hogwash!

You decide for yourself.  If you want to lose more you certainly can by sticking to your plan.  Consult with your doctor and make an informed decision.  

Good luck!  

No one ever set a goal for me so I set 125 for myself - I am 5'0".  At my last dr. apt I think i was 133 and he said, "I'm good with your weight where it is."  I told him i wanted to get to 125 and he said he was good with that as well.  I am now at 129 and feel good, but self-perception is totally off - I bought a size 6 dress and was convinced that when I went to wear it, it was going to be too tight.  Well, it isn't too tight, lol.  Good luck and i'm sure you'll be happy wherever you land.

Hi Sarah,

I see  lot of similarities.  I'm 5'7 1/2 and my surgeons goal was  194 for me.  It was basically a BMI that was overweight and not in the obese range.  My personal goal was 180. When I reached 180, I still had a pot belly, so I decided to lose slowly until my belly looked good.  I then lost another 20 pounds.  My belly is better but is still not flat, but I decided to stop the weight loss.  I'm 66 years old, and I do want to have some fat reserves in case I get sick.  I am doing some weight training to tighten up my core hoping to lose the last of the belly.  I think its working, but slowly. 

I guess this is a long way of saying that its complicated deciding on the right weight. I actively added an extra meal a day to stop weight loss.  I know I could lose more.  I'm just not sure how healthy it would be for me.

Good luck with your transition to maintenance.  I hope it goes well for you.

Best wishes,

Carol

I plateaued out at about 165. I have gained some weight back and now I am at 182. I can still wear a ten but it's getting snug and realize now that I should have tried to go beyond my plateau. I miss my size 8. Backing to clean eating. So I guess my suggestion would be to lose until you are comfortable but try to stay on track. It's a very slippery slope. I had surgery in May 2010. The experts say I should weigh about 130 but I was really comfortable at about 165. Congratulations on your journey so far! Best of luck.

At 183 for your height you are still solidly in the overweight category. (Normal BMI for a woman 5'7" tops at 159 lbs). Now mind you I don't hold much stock in the whole BMI thing because I allowed it to totally mess with my head.

Anyhow, what I want to say is that you have to decide what is best for you! I made the mistake of listening to what other people said about my weight and went about gaining back some weight. Well, I spiraled a bit beyond what I should have and gained about an extra 20 pounds. So, follow your heart. If you want to weigh 160 or 150 you go for it and to hell with what everyone else says. Once they see you at that weight for months on end it will become your new normal and they will get used to it.

Please don't make the mistake I did and listen to what others think. They don't live in your body. You do! It's your life and you get to live just as you please - in the weight category anyhow!

Once you get where you want to be then mindfully start adding back about 100 calories a day until you find your maintenance range.

I am shooting for normal BMI, once I get under 25 BMI I will consider  myself at goal.  Family and friends.... well they will have their opinions!  and they will not mind sharing them!