4 years out - Everything is normal but......

There are a couple of things I did and am still doing since I'd like to bring down my body fat percentage. For reference, I am 5'4, 27 years old, and take one medication with a weight gain side effect.

-I get up every morning before work and do at least 45 minutes of exercise. It varies between bike riding, running, and the elliptical depending on how the weather is and how I am feeling. I also weight lift or do some body weight exercises (planks, dips, lunges etc.) 2-3 times a week.

-I log my food every day and eat between 1200-1500 calories a day. On the weekends it is higher since that's when I do a lot of cooking and baking. I also do longer exercise sessions on the weekends, so am hungrier as a result. I hover between 25-45g of fat per day, 100-160g of carbohydrates, and 70-100g of protein. Evaluating my diet once a month by using Sparkpeople's report function has been really helpful in learning trends about when and what I eat.

-Finally and most importantly I think, is that I've removed the vast majority of processed foods from my diet. If there are more than 2 things on the label that I have never used in my own kitchen or would not need if making something fresh, I don't buy it. If I want sweets, they're going to be really good, like homemade cinnamon buns.

I don't eat a perfect diet, I'll be straight with you. There are many weeks that I don't lose weight at all, but it comes off bits at a time. I'm sure that if I dropped the amount of carbohydrates in my diet I would lose more quickly, but I'd be unhappy not baking and playing with bread recipes. I would rather be happy and lose slowly.

Great info, thank you! I'm 5 years out and while I'm unsure of the amount of weight I want to lose, my body fat % is 36% and I'd like to be 25%. So 20-30lbs is my educated guess. I haven't had regain problems at all, I just only lost 88% of what I wanted to in the first place! I lose easily when I eat less carbs and exercise, so it's nothing like pre-op but it's not 1 year or less post op either! 

I'm 5'8" also. My Surgeon's ideal body weight for me is 169.5. I am German and my bone structure is large, I can't imagine being 140. Take your build, measurements and comfort level into consideration.

I have a lot of German in my background as well, and it said for a large build you can add 10%, but that's still too low for my taste.  My goal through all this was to be healthy, not skinny, and it looks like as of now I have acheived that goal.

I do visit my PCP who mentions nothing about my weight :)  We focus on other issues like my iron levels, which after a year have stabilized.  I go back to my hematologist in November to check again and make sure it's still normal.

The BMI chart is useless to many normies... for us, they really are. I need to be 140lbs or less according to that chart and that's just insane. I can't imagine being thinner than 160 or so. I have a large bone structure and I'm carrying around probably 10lbs of extra skin.

Wherever you're healthy and happy is where you ought to be.

I posted about this same issue a few weeks ago in anticipation of a health screening coming up at my work. I expect to hear the same nonsense. I've lost 94 pounds and counting and my surgeon's goal is 185-190. I'm sure the nurse will tell me to get to 160 or so. And I will tell her to get stuffed.

Anyone with medical knowledge must realize that the scale and BMI index are just numbers that evaluate overall health but do not take into account issues such as bone structure, level of physical activity, etc. You hae low triglycerides and are in a healthy weight range. Be proud of that and don't let anyone make you feel differently. (I am 5'10 and when I weighed the recommended weight of 155 I looked sick. Screw that!)

I go through this each year at our health fair.  All my numbers are excellent...and then they politely tell me I'm overweight and hand me some pamphlets on "weight management".

I promptly hand them back and tell them that several years ago I lost 170 lbs and this is as small as this girl is gonna get, but if any one of them wants to take me in a parking lot race....it is on!

They all just chuckle, tell me "you go girl" and carry on!

Thank you all for the kind words. I do feel comfortable where I am, so as long as my numbers are good, i wont stress too much.

your ideal weight is a range, not an exact number. At your height, a weight that would put your BMI in the normal range is anywhere from 125 to 158.

One thing you can do if you have a larger University around you and some extra money is call the Sports Medicine Department and see if they do full bodyfat analysis.  I am suggesting this because the last time I was thin (long story) I went and had this done. It requires some time and effort, including pulmonary function testing and underwater weighing.  I had lost down to 208 pounds from a high of 408.   I am 6' tall and according to BMI scales should weigh no more than 184 pounds.    It was driving me nuts since I was working out like a mad-man.   I found out by doing this that my body fat was only 14% at the time.   Meaning that I was VERY healthy and most likely had about 20 pounds of extra skin that was not going to disappear no matter what. (other than surgery of course).  Luckily, I didn't have that done since I needed it when I got fat again. ;o)

I guess the point of my ramble is that the BMI is just a guide and it is NOT the end-all of what is healthy.  I think it is probably less accurate than the old fashioned weight scales they had before with the small, medium, or large body frame business.  

Good luck and be kind to yourself!  :)