Question:
At 14 Months I have only lost 90 lbs. Am I considered a failure
Starting weight loss was 264 lbs. and I now weigh 174 lbs. I wear size 12/14 and I feel great. — Debbie B. (posted on August 5, 2002)
August 5, 2002
Oh dear one, You are only a 'failure' if that is how you choose to see
yourself. Your weight loss is a terrific accomplishment. If you still have
weight you want to lose go back to the basics--protein, water, exercise.
THe tool doesn't go away. Sometimes we just stop using it appropriately.
— phoebe
August 5, 2002
A FAILURE???? ARE YOU KIDDING??? Oh my goodness, you are wearing a size
12/14...I bet you feel better and have much more energy. You are probably
still concidered "over weight" by the charts, but you have to
almost be Twiggy not to be in that category. I am sure that you are out of
the obese category...when was the last time you could say that???? If you
still want to lose weight, and you have tried all of the normal things that
everyone harps on here (ie: protein, exercise, new type of exercise,
decrease carbs) then make an appointment with your dietician and get some
new suggestions. Talk to your doc. But, if you do not lose another pound,
you are in no way a failure, and do not let anyone tell you that you are!!
Hugs
— Vicki L.
August 5, 2002
I think you answered your own question when you said you feel great...How
can you be a failure if you feel great? Congratulations on your new you...
— Diane B.
August 5, 2002
I agree - you answered your own question.
— Lisa J.
August 5, 2002
The surgeons at the Hospital of the University of Pa. consider the WLS a
success if you lose 30% of your weight prior to surgery. Based on that,
you were a WLS success at 79 pounds. You have to remember if you compare
your weight loss with others (which you shouldn't, BTW) that as a
"lightweight", so to speak, you will lose weight at a lesser rate
than the heavyweights and super-heavyweights. Congrats on your weight
loss - keep it up!!!
— John Rushton
August 5, 2002
Hi Deb. I think the hardest thing in the world for us as post-op, is NOT
to compare our stories with others. I'm 8 months post-op and am down 90
lbs. and feel like it's not enough compared with other stories. But I am
reaching for my own star, in my own way. I started out at 286. You were a
lightweight to begin with. The question is this, and I think you already
answered it. How do you feel? You feel GREAT! 'nuff said. Go girl.
— Annie H.
August 5, 2002
I read this question an hour ago and decided the responses were so on
target, I could pass it up. But it kept gnawing at me. To even POST this
question, you have some self-esteem work to do. "ONLY" 90
pounds? Did you not fight for that? Are you not proud of that? Yet you
put that post up there, welcoming someone to endorse it as a failure. Get
Self Magazine and a few other ones and start working on your self-esteem.
I imagine most of us will need to do that to redefine ourselves when we get
to your point. Get manicures and pedicures and flirt and smile. YOU have
made yourself a success. Your question represents a lot of insecurity and
unwillingness to accept personal success in this regard. You deserve
better... Good luck!
(I think I wore a size 12 a week or two in 9th grade. Calvin Kleins went
up to that size. I did weight watchers for months to fit into those jeans.
Got a few weeks out of them anyway. Kept me out of the "husky
department" at Sears for a few weeks...)
— Karen F.
August 5, 2002
Debbie, I too felt a little discouraged by my "slow" weight loss.
I am 3 weeks short of a year and down 85 pounds. I had hoped to be at
-100 by 1 year. But, like you I started out as a "lightweight".
Sounds funny to say that because I never thought of myself as a
lightweight. However, 1 year ago I was even able to lose 5 pounds and keep
it off. And now I'm -85 and still going even though it extremely slow
going now. I have approx. 50 more I'd like to lose and I figure I have the
next year to work on it. Anything we have lost because of our surgeries is
a good thing. Your key point was that you feel good, me too...
— Betty M.
August 6, 2002
Debbie, do you consider yourself a failure? Because I don't. A size 12/14
is really normal in my book. I guess if your goal was a size 6, then
perhaps you do consider yourself a failure. One thing I remember is being
told that our pouch is just a tool and at some point if we want to keep the
scale moving down, we have to work it-and that means going back to the
basics of protein first, low carb, low sugar, lots of water and EXERCISE.
If you want to lose more, you will have work ahead of you. Personally, a
size 12/14 sounds good to me!
— Cindy R.
August 7, 2002
Debbie,
Boy, do I relate to you. I too started off a "lightweight"
at 260#. I lost 90# in 10 months and have been on a horrible plateau for
nearly 3 months now. I lose 4 pounds, regain them, lose again only to
regain. Have gotten totally disgusted with myself. I have gone from a
size 24/26 to size 14. Could probably wear a 12 but my residual
tummy and floppy thighs make it look bad!!:) My family thinks I'm crazy to
beat myself up about it. My PCP thinks I've done great. I think the only
reason I can't be content is that my surgeon is very demanding and wanted
me to lose 100# in 11 months! I am still 40# away from my personal goal
but, as all the others have said, we should be very proud of the 90# we've
lost. I know I never could have done it without WLS! Hang in there!!:)
— LLinderman
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