I'm not sure about making it to a "normal" BMI....

Hello all :-)

I have been struggling a lot the last few months, but am finally seemingly really back on the wagon and doing well again!

I Have bounced within a 5-7lb range for several months, eating pretty much whatever I want, binge eating (sort of) and emotional eating... but FINALLY I seem to have managed to get my butt back in gear...

Anyhow...  I just don't see my self making it to 153... that's where I'd need to be to be in a normal BMI... I'm not stressing about it, I just wonder if it's even possible for MY body...

I've still got stuff to loose, no doubt, I just don't know about 25lbs... I'm 5'6", right around 180 and a size 10 pants... mostly large with an occasional medium (CRAZY!) top... but my tummy is a dreadful... I hope for plastics, but I want to wait a few years for weight stableization and to see if any babies are going to come along...

Anyone else thinking they may not quite make it?

I had a little bit of a melt down this morning thinking the same thing, but honestly, I'm at a point where I believe I will make it, even if it takes me a really long time. I've been losing super slow and there are times when I lose my patience with this, but I just have to keep trying. I'm the smallest I've ever been, but I'm still 50lbs over a normal BMI which really sucks - I think I'd be okay at a size 10, but I'm still wearing 16s, so I know I HAVE to keep losing.

I'm ready for PS now - if I had $$ just sitting around, Id go tomorrow (but I have a lot of rashes and issues with massive hanging skin so I need to get it done). I think I'd probably be happy with my body after PS, but who knows.

For me, when I'm struggling, I have to focus on just getting back on track, deal with the eating issues, and then re-focus on the WL part of it, but it's definitely important to deal with the emotional eating issues because even if you decide to hang out at your current weight, those issues can creep up down the line and cause some re-gain.

Don't focus so much on the end goal right now - just try and focus on getting back "on tracK" and really building the life style change that you are going to need for the rest of your life. You can always tweak that a little to start losing again but at the very least, you want to be able to maintain.

We can do this :)

Hi there!

I am a newbie so I really can't answer about the goal question but I have a question for you...

I noticed in your signature it says you lost 66 lbs pre op w/a low carb diet and you're about my height and age. I have a very large BMI so I have about 78 lbs to lose before surgery (no date scheduled as of yet but looking sometime in late April/early May I'm thinking).

How did you do it? My surgeon advised me to use Optifast for six weeks of nothing but liquids but I was not able to actually afford the cost each week so I am doing two shakes of that per day (and I found some cheaper and similar shakes in the store that I can afford) and a low carb meal.  I am trying to watch snacking but if I do have to have something I try my darndest to make it healthy, low-cal, and low carb like babybel cheese, sf popsicles, cucumbers, etc.

Did the weight come off fast? I can tell I have lost something but I don't own a scale at home so Im not sure but I know my legs have stopped swelling at the end of the day and I have a little more energy and some clothes are looser...

I'm just afraid that I won't lose the full 78 lbs and I need to get to walking and get in some exercise as well...

Hi :-)  I lost my 66 my super strict low carb... basically about 3 months of Atkins induction... NO cheating... it had always worked for me in the past... I kept carbs under 20 and calories around 1600... lol... that seems like a LOT to me now, but it was dropping FAST :-)

I was only required to loose 16... but I was in it for th elong haul... I took the advice here to really get your head in the game... thank God I did... I still struggle, but it helped a LOT!

Goal is just a number that can be changed. See how your doc feels and just keep plugging to whatever weight he suggests.and don't worry if the weight is bouncing around a bit.Just look back at the great progress you have made I am kind of in the same stage as you. Have lost 154 but the last 20 has been tough. A lot of folks have told me I probably won't make goal but that does not stop me from trying.

I didn't read the other replies, so sorry if this is repetitive. 

I really recommend getting body composition testing done, using the Bodpod or DEXA scan.  It was a real eye opener for me.  I found out that my original goal of getting to a BMI of 23 (155 lbs) would make my body fat % too low.

According to the bodpod, at 178 lbs (if I don't lose any lean mass between now and then), I'll be 23% body fat (within the "fitness" range for women) - but my BMI will be 26.3, which is still overweight.

So I set my goal at 175 and decided to see how I look and feel when I get there.

The Bodpod testing is really reasonably priced at the gym I went to ($25 I think?), and well worth it.  I'm going to go back for sure once I get to 175 lbs.

Your story is almost identical to mine, around the same starting weight and goal weight.  For a while when I was at 180lbs. like yourself, I felt that I could never get down to my goal weight or that I wanted to.  But steadily, I continued to lose and eventually and just recently got to 160lbs.  I'll tell ya, just those 20lbs makes a world of difference.  You will eventually get there.  If you really want to and stick to plan and keep from falling off the wagon, it will come off.  We are all so use to losing so fast at the beginning that when that slow comes, we get discouraged and lose track.  Don't give up on your sleeve, if you are determined to get to goal, stick with the plan your doctor has instructed for you, and over time you will get there and you will be so happy you did!

I'm not sure I will ever get back down to my 125-130lbs after delivering 2 babies in less than 12 months. I am just not positive I can do it. I'm pretty hellbent on getting back down to 135-140 which is where they tell me I need to be for plastics (tummy tuck with a possible lower body lift) next year.

I didn't have to fight for those last few pounds like so many other experience. I fought to not lose weight and that was just as frustrating. What I quickly realized is that it is NOT difficult to gain a few pounds. I gained 7 solid pounds to put me at the 125-130lb bounce I was happy with before pregnancy.  My skin also stretched back horrifically, and my hips ballooned out like insanely huge after I delivered Tatum. My fat came right back to my trouble zones. I really think you can make it to goal. A lot of people say that those last 15-25lbs is pure sweat, blood and tears to lose. I know I'm going to give it hell to lose my baby weight.

Tiffy, I've watched you have success piled on top of more success! You are goin to achieve whatever you set your mind to!