lilbearzmom

judgey wudgy was a bear....how do you know she's "lazy"? Maybe those yogurts were treats. You have no idea what her kids eat every day. You have chosen to make a life change, but that doesn't mean you should go around making judgments about others. Nor does it qualify you to. I honestly do my best to feed my son well. I really hate the thought that if I pick up a treat for him, some self-righteous woman next to me in a supermarket is automatically labeling me a lazy parent. Just a thought.

judgey wudgy was a bear....how do you know she's "lazy"? Maybe those yogurts were treats. You have no idea what her kids eat every day. You have chosen to make a life change, but that doesn't mean you should go around making judgments about others. Nor does it qualify you to. I honestly do my best to feed my son well. I really hate the thought that if I pick up a treat for him, some self-righteous woman next to me in a supermarket is automatically labeling me a lazy parent. Just a thought.

Me too! No one has said to me, "Don't lose anymore weight!" I figure it's at that point I have arrived. LOL

So I am 5 lbs from goal. Well, to clarify, an initial goal that, 100 lbs ago seemed like an incredible dream. It is still about 14-15 lbs above the top of a healthy BMI (I am 5'4 and the goal is 160). My thinking in picking this weight was 1) I thought I might be happy at that weight; 2) it seems like a higher goal weight might be easier to maintain and 3) my doctor was/is happy with this goal. What I figured I would do, ultimately, was get to 160 and then focus on reducing BF% rather than a number on the scale (which would probably result in a little more weight loss). Now that I am so close, I am wanting to revise that number down. Like maybe I want to go down to a "normal" BMI. I am also afraid that I might never be happy with my weight and always afraid of regain. It's like I am afraid of maintenance- it's got to be harder than this and I am already struggling from time to time (I am terrible about getting exercise in and am feeling hungry often now. You could say my sleeve is fully healed and happy.) I have always given the advice to others with the same question- you should make your goal weight where you feel most comfortable and where you are not afflicted with any co-morbidities. It makes a lot of sense, but what if you are never comfortable? I am free of my pre-surgery co-morbidities (DM & hypertension), so there's that. This probably should have been a blog post because at this point I'm rambling...LOL I need some insight- really tired of obsessing about my weight and food and and and...

When I was deciding on a goal, what I originally did was just pick a just within normal BMI (which was 140lbs for me and put me at a BMI of 24.9). In the back of my head, I never really thought I would ever make it there. I had never weight that amount in my entire teenage to adult life (maybe when I was 10, or something like that!). I just decided that I would make changes that I could live with for the rest of my life and go from there. When I reached my goal weight and even dropped a few pounds below, I did a happy dance that is for sure!!
Setting a goal is a very personal thing. For everyone it is going to be different. The only thing that I wanted to do for myself was to make it attainable and realistic. I did not want to set myself up for failure by saying I want to weight 115lbs (still within normal for my height). I knew that it was something that I could never manage and would drive myself crazy trying to. Could I lose a few more pounds, well, probably, but I wouldn't be happy if it took everything in me just to get there and attempt to maintain. I had surgery so I could live a relatively normal life. I eat healthy, I am active, but I sometimes have an ice cream.

For me, it wouldn't be "stopping" anything. Well, except weight loss. I would like to at some point be content with just maintaining- adding a few healthy calories. It will always be a battle. Just like before surgery- hence, NOT an "easy way out".

I found this VST page and I have gone crazy nuts over all the information here. I am new to the site, and went to several, okay MANY profiles to look at all the profiles, before and afters and stats.
WELL..... I just discovered that you all can see on your profiles who has visited! ha ha ha....
Hi, my name is Angie and yes, I stalked your profile :ph34r:

I am one of those that gets pretty obsessive about numbers and statistics - I still have every graph, chart, booklet, and document from every weight loss attempt I have attempted (the Weight Watchers Collection is like the Smithsonian lol).
I originally had set 130 as my goal - then revised it to 140. That goal weight puts me in the healthy BMI range (we all know how inaccurate these are - yet still they are widely used.) I am 49 next month and I am 5'3".
Our bodies are all so vastly different - I now wear a size 8 in pants but also can wriggle my rump into a 2 if there is at least 1% spandex in the material (this is when my husband starts following me around the house leering at me and telling me how 'sexy" my pants are...this makes me think maybe I should not wear them in public rofl!) I have friends who I think look smaller than I do and they wear a bigger size from the same store - go figure. So I have decided that clothing number sizes are not something I am going to get in a tizzy about...heck I wore a 3-5X on top less than 2 years ago.
I want to get to 140 and see how I feel. I have heard bariatric surgeons say that a BMI of 22 is ideal for a woman (whatever that means) - I know I will want that 140 to be the top end of a bounce range - which means I will most likely want to drop below that number to maintain that healthy BMI.
My doctors and nutritionists never set a goal weight for me - the goal has always been to resolve co-morbidities - and that happened at 9 months post. At my year one checkup I was already considered a spectacular success with an 80% EWL...but I will not be happy unless I go all the way. I have never achieved goal weight in my life and I am going to do it this time, and maintain it.
I feel good - I don't feel obsessed, just determined and positive to do the things I need to do to achieve what I want. I can see how far I have come, which has taken a long time to be able to see (I never liked looking - it was too painful), I can see it now and I am almost there

So I am 5 lbs from goal. Well, to clarify, an initial goal that, 100 lbs ago seemed like an incredible dream. It is still about 14-15 lbs above the top of a healthy BMI (I am 5'4 and the goal is 160). My thinking in picking this weight was 1) I thought I might be happy at that weight; 2) it seems like a higher goal weight might be easier to maintain and 3) my doctor was/is happy with this goal. What I figured I would do, ultimately, was get to 160 and then focus on reducing BF% rather than a number on the scale (which would probably result in a little more weight loss). Now that I am so close, I am wanting to revise that number down. Like maybe I want to go down to a "normal" BMI. I am also afraid that I might never be happy with my weight and always afraid of regain. It's like I am afraid of maintenance- it's got to be harder than this and I am already struggling from time to time (I am terrible about getting exercise in and am feeling hungry often now. You could say my sleeve is fully healed and happy.) I have always given the advice to others with the same question- you should make your goal weight where you feel most comfortable and where you are not afflicted with any co-morbidities. It makes a lot of sense, but what if you are never comfortable? I am free of my pre-surgery co-morbidities (DM & hypertension), so there's that. This probably should have been a blog post because at this point I'm rambling...LOL I need some insight- really tired of obsessing about my weight and food and and and...

Well there's the problem, dont look too closely . Im never going to be a super model and I look a heck of a lot better with clothes on but saggy boobs or not, Im happy as a kid in a candy store being able to wear a (loose) size 10. But without my glasses on, Im friggin HOT lol.

I too started drinking coffee at an early age. Just the smell conjures up memories of my grandparents and comfort. I was never told that I couldnt have it, it was more that caffeine was off limits. But that being said, I just finished my daily cup of joe and will move onto my Decaf green tea now. Ive been having a bold cup of coffee with stevia and sugar free Creamer in the morning and if Im in the mood, Ill one in the afternoon. I also have a sleeve of steel like laura-ven so there really isnt anything that hasnt agreed with me.

Each person's goal is going to be different. i do notice that when people get to the goal they set, they set a new goal. This is what I did. I never asked my surgeon's office what my goal weight should be until the end and the doc just said, "you look really good and i don't recommend losing any more." Heck that was about 10 lbs a go. Now I am totally happy with my weight and working on maintenace. I do have to go back and do a reset and get back on track. I weigh myself daily and I do have days where I have a lot of head hunger. So I know that I have to be careful.

Where do you stop? Well that's a very personal choice.. And I know a hard one! BMI? A number on a chart.. Yet my "goal" is based on that flipping number.
I go back and forth too. Am I putting to much pressure on myself and my body to meet this number?? Am I aiming to high? For the stars?
Or worse than that...OMG am I getting LAZY or complacent and thinking eh this is good enough?? I'm good here at this number why try and go lower...
I'm healthy now I'm happy (not deliriously but it's life right ) and can move about life with ease...
So this flipping number??
**** as I'm writing this I realize I have nothing to add to help you so let's blog away!!
I'm 5'4 also..

So I am 5 lbs from goal. Well, to clarify, an initial goal that, 100 lbs ago seemed like an incredible dream. It is still about 14-15 lbs above the top of a healthy BMI (I am 5'4 and the goal is 160). My thinking in picking this weight was 1) I thought I might be happy at that weight; 2) it seems like a higher goal weight might be easier to maintain and 3) my doctor was/is happy with this goal. What I figured I would do, ultimately, was get to 160 and then focus on reducing BF% rather than a number on the scale (which would probably result in a little more weight loss). Now that I am so close, I am wanting to revise that number down. Like maybe I want to go down to a "normal" BMI. I am also afraid that I might never be happy with my weight and always afraid of regain. It's like I am afraid of maintenance- it's got to be harder than this and I am already struggling from time to time (I am terrible about getting exercise in and am feeling hungry often now. You could say my sleeve is fully healed and happy.) I have always given the advice to others with the same question- you should make your goal weight where you feel most comfortable and where you are not afflicted with any co-morbidities. It makes a lot of sense, but what if you are never comfortable? I am free of my pre-surgery co-morbidities (DM & hypertension), so there's that. This probably should have been a blog post because at this point I'm rambling...LOL I need some insight- really tired of obsessing about my weight and food and and and...

I hate all of you. No not really, but I have gone practically bald. My Hair loss has been significant. I am 9 months out and still waiting for it to stop.

You are an idiot to post this here. I don't have any problem wih people posting their stories (even ones with bad outcomes), but in no way shape or form is this kind of situation common. The opposite is true. So stop trying to scare people away from LIFE SAVING surgery with your story. It would have been fine if you had told the story and left it at that. But no, you have to punctuate it at the end with your moronic advice and how you would never have weight loss surgery. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx violation of forum rules. People die from having their wisdom teeth out- should they not have surgery to alleviate their pain?
I hate trolls.
-Kendra

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. I know I'm in new territory and other sure how to deal with this reality.
Thank you for the words or wisdom.

I totally agree with all the replies. Trust me, you NEVER had restriction for donuts!! I can and DID Down bags of powdered donuts over the last year! You can pack a whole lot of junk down our small stomachs if we choose to do so.
Again, as others have said. You still have the tool you need and you can still accomplish YOUR goals! Get your head back in the game, stay totally connected to others like us who have the same struggles and are dealing daily with it and I think you will find yourself quickly in a "better place!"

Do you like dark chocolate? I have bought a bar of high quality Ghiardelli's and eaten it slowly, broken up into pieces, The pieces are fairly big and are approx. 70-80 calories. But chocolate isn't a trigger food for me.

You are an idiot to post this here. I don't have any problem wih people posting their stories (even ones with bad outcomes), but in no way shape or form is this kind of situation common. The opposite is true. So stop trying to scare people away from LIFE SAVING surgery with your story. It would have been fine if you had told the story and left it at that. But no, you have to punctuate it at the end with your moronic advice and how you would never have weight loss surgery. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx violation of forum rules. People die from having their wisdom teeth out- should they not have surgery to alleviate their pain?
I hate trolls.
-Kendra

I use sugar free creamer! Love it!

I currently use sugar free creamer but its still 30 cal per teaspoon. I'm looking for something too

I got the sleeve for all the same reasons listed above, but also this was my chance at a fresh start. A redo. Forced Portion Control. It doesn't come without struggle though. I didn't have the surgery to eat like I used to. I've studied nutrition and prepared myself to make life changes.
Sure, I have days or even weeks where I fall back into old habits but now it's easier for me to get back on track. Instead of gaining all the weight back, I may gain 2-3 pounds, get back on track, a continue on with my weight loss. I think those who gain the weight back have given up completely. Your outcome is still up to you but the sleeve helps tremendously! Good luck on your journey.

Have u looked into the 5:2 diet? You eat normal for 5 days and then any 2 days of the week u eat 500 calories. There's a post in the veteran section with a really good explanation by Georgia.
BTW you are a success! You look really good. The rest will come off. It takes time.