I'm still struggling with the question....when do you know you have lost enough weight?

For you new people who don't know me, I work in the Medical Field, primarily pediatrics, and travel to different Hospitals and facilities throughout the week for clinics/evals, so I am with a different Medical team every day.

I get daily feedback, everything from how good and healthy you look, to you'e looking emaciated and you need to stop loosing.

I have been told the body will naturally level out and stop loosing when it has reached a normal state.

I have never felt better, I run 5K everyday at 6am, 7 days a week, plus gym time with weights and other cardio. I am definitley burning more calories than I am consuming (required 500/day above)

Bottom line, I really have no control over this. If it was a "Tool" I could control it.

Only thing I could do is to remove some Fluid from the band allowing me to eat more.

But is that the answer? Or should I just let it play itself out naturally.

What has other people done when they came to that point??

It's not easy dealing with being skinny

Well, you can control it, by unfilling a bit.

But I'm hard pressed to believe that too thin happens to many people.

Personally, speaking for how I want to look myself, a BMI of 19, 20 is good. I dont think its emaciated. And stuff anyone who does. I'm not really looking to please men who like curves either, I'm only pleasing myself. So I wanted to be model thin, and I like a few bones to show. But its not to everyone's taste.

Bottom line is, I think you ahve to be guided (but not a slave to) BMI, for most people of normal musculature, somewhere in that healthy range is going to be OK, even if its at the bottom of it and some people think you're too thin. Obviously if your BMI is 10, you've gone too far. I personally wouldnt adjust my exercise and do less I'd eat more.

If there's one thing I've learned, it feels great to not be hungry, not think about food, go all day with only a few Snacks. But it doesnt feel so great five years later when you find out you have osteopaenia, your ferritin levels are bottomed out and your kidney function is a little suspect. I realised that I needed to unfill and eat a bit more - quite separate from my weight. And Protein is not the only nutrient you need, we miss out on a LOT through not eating moderate amounts of wholegrains and such.

If you think your diet is adequate long long term, you're happy with you you feel and how you look (I've never seen you fat and I thought you looked super healthy in your recent pics, not emaciated at all) and you know you're healthy, then dont worry about what anyone else says.

From your recent pictures I think you look good. You look healthy. You certainly don't look emaciated or skinny. I would ignore other people, their opinions don't count. Most of the time they feed you crap as they have ulterior motives - like being jealous of your weight loss etc.

You will probably find that at some point you stop losing anyway. But if you think that you have lost enough it is easy to stop losing without getting Fluid taken out. Simply add in a few high cal sliders!

you find a weight that you can maintain

I struggle with adding calories, because then I add a few more, and a few more.... I assume I will need to at some point add them back in to maintain also. Can't wait for that day. Congrats on a job well done.

I thought we was suppose to take one or two days a week off from exercising?

Maybe check back in with your doctor and team and see what they suggest.

What does your doctor say about your current weight? Is your BMI below normal? How do YOU feel at your current weight?

I kept hearing that I was getting too thin. Check my BMI. I am hardly too thin. My PCP says I could stand to lose about another 5 lbs. My surgeon said I could get to 130 and be very healthy. That's another 15 or 18 on his scale. I wear a US size 10 now, sometimes an 8. That would put me in about a 4. That is pretty thin.

I care about what my doctors and bloodwork say, not so much what people say. Especially people who were used to seeing me overweight. I think that seeing someone thin when you are used to seeing them overweight can seem like they look ill, when in fact they are now healthy.

I remember looking at pictures of myself before my surgery when I had lost weight. I thought I looked ill when I was thin, because my perspective was my chubby self. NOW I look at my before surgery pictures and I see how uncomfortable I was. People will get used to the new you, and you won't hear it after a while. Now that I've maintained for over two years, I hardly ever hear about my weight from anyone. When I meet new people, if I tell them I have a band...they always ask, "why? You are so thin!"

I would definitely discuss this concern with my physician. I always thought everyone had a "set point", which was the body's signal that you were at a good healthy weight. When you reach that point, it would be like reaching a major plateau.

You've done an amazing job with your journey...well done!

I was told everyone has a "Set Point" also, that your body will tell you when you're good. You really can't eat more unless you get a un fill...which is a option if need be,

All my surgeon and PCP have to say is they are very pleased with my progress. Not much else.

BMI's are only good to a point, there are different body compositions. Example;, last year's super bowl, there is a running back for the NE patriots who I noticed he is the same height as me, although he weighs 20lbs more than me. I'm classified as overweight, he would be classified as "obese".....I Don't think so....look at a picture of him and you can't see a ounce of fat.

It comes down to "Body Fat %"...which can be more accurate regardless of one's weight.

Getting access to one of those scales can be difficult. There is one at a hospital I go to now and then. last time I checked I was in the "Fit" class. Below that would be "Athletic", then "Unhealthy".

I really need to stop listening to other people.

I struggle with maintenance, so am not the one to be giving you advice. You do look good, but if you feel like you want to quit losing, then probably loosen the band, a little. My band is pretty loose, I have 5 cc in a 10 cc band. But, I can't tolerate any tighter band. If, you can eat pretty normally, you should be okay, but if not, try to loosen it a bit. Best wishes, B-52. Karen

Exactly, stop listening to others! If some people have been used to seeing you very overweight, and now you've lost a lot, they may feel that it's too much. Only you and your doctor can tell. If your body fat is at 12% as it says in your signature, that is very good! Much lower than most men I would think. So, if you're feeling healthy, not starving yourself and have energy, then why not? I do know from reading some of your posts that you like to keep your band very tight, but you could experiment with maybe getting a little fluid taken out and see what happens....

I agree you do need to stop listening to others, sort of speak...I know most mean well but you live with your body, if you take fluid out, do you think you have the control to not over eat, and eat healthy, and is this really what you want..or are you ok with what you are eating and feel good, feel in control..if so, then so be it!! I just want to get to a weight that I can easily maintain, and feel in control with..

I think you have done amazing and look fantastic! Good luck, I enjoy reading your posts!!

I would continue to do exactly what you are doing.