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"Don't lose too much weight"



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Yesterday, one of my co-workers, a sweet man really, told me "don't lose too much weight." I'm kind of flabbergasted. So I know he meant well, but I don't want the weight police on me now any more than I did when I was heavy. I am about 10 lbs from a healthy BMI but was considering lowering my goal weight a bit (10 more lbs?) to give me some wiggle room since some weight gain is common in years 2-5. Now I feel like I'll need to wear bulky clothes to hide me weight loss. Sheesh. I know people mean to be supportive but I don't really like them critiqing my size.

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I think people mean well and it's as much of an adjustment for them to see us smaller as it is for us. I recall the first time i lost a lot of weight, i was in the middle of the healthy range, so by no means 'underweight' and everyone around me said i was 'too small' and i looked like a lollipop. I came to the conclusion that they just weren't USED to seeing me as a small person.

As long as you're satisfied with how you look and feel, the world will eventually catch up with you. :)

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Does he know you've had he surgery ? I suppose if someone sees you everyday and they see this rapid weight loss in a short period of time and they don't understand how it's happening he might be genuinely concerned about you. It probably took alot of courage for him to reach out. I guess that's one spin on it.

Unfortunately, we cant stop peoples curiosity or ill informed opinions.

Congrats on your weight loss.

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Oh wow... that to me would be a compliment. ;)

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Hey,

I completely understand where you are coming from on this one... you lose as much or as little as you jolly well want to!!! x

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Before my surgery, everyone told me they were worried I'd become anorexic and waste away. It's like people don't understand that there's a happy medium between being obese and emaciated.

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I have thought about this a lot. When I graduated from HS I was 175lbs, and thought that I was huge. Well, add 100lbs to that and then I guess 175 doesn't sound so bad.

So when my surgeon talked to me he said "I want you to be 150" :blink: I was thinking he was crazy! I was probably 15 years old the last time I weighed that (I'm 38 now), BUT, really the goal for me, for this surgery, is to be healthy. 150lbs would put me at a healthy BMI. So yes, I made it my goal, but wow, it sure sounds small to me! So if I'm having a hard time wrapping MY head around it, I'm sure those around me will have the same reactions.

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Yesterday, one of my co-workers, a sweet man really, told me "don't lose too much weight." I'm kind of flabbergasted. So I know he meant well, but I don't want the weight police on me now any more than I did when I was heavy. I am about 10 lbs from a healthy BMI but was considering lowering my goal weight a bit (10 more lbs?) to give me some wiggle room since some weight gain is common in years 2-5. Now I feel like I'll need to wear bulky clothes to hide me weight loss. Sheesh. I know people mean to be supportive but I don't really like them critiqing my size.

I got that too, and a "Have you been sick" with it.lol I know they are shocked but honestly did we look better fat? I feel sooo much better and even now the inches keep coming off although I have cut back on the walking. I just want to be healthy. I'm like you need to lose 15 more lbs to get to goal BMI, don't let anyone gt to you. :)

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I think people mean well and it's as much of an adjustment for them to see us smaller as it is for us. I recall the first time i lost a lot of weight, i was in the middle of the healthy range, so by no means 'underweight' and everyone around me said i was 'too small' and i looked like a lollipop. I came to the conclusion that they just weren't USED to seeing me as a small person.

As long as you're satisfied with how you look and feel, the world will eventually catch up with you. :)

I have a different slant to add to this. I think when you are a young person, you can get skinny and still look good but if you are an older person like me, I don't want to look older so I want to know when I've reached the point where I still look younger and not gaunt. That point for me is now at 5'4" and 144 pounds. Even tho' I'm not a size 10 or less, I agree with my husband and others that I've gone down far enough. It isn't even difficult for me anymore since I realized that when I eat more, I lose more but there is a point where it doesn't look good any more and for me that was when my BMI was down to 25 and the chart said I am average and not overweight. I think sometimes we can't see ourselves as others see us so we might need the opinions of those we love to let us know when we are thin enough. Just my opinion.

Sharon

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Speaking of people meaning well in what they say. I have a student that I tutor and when I went to their house last week the Mom told me you can really tell I'm loosing weight (which made me feel good) that my face looked thinner (yay in my book)...then she said she liked my face better before (she thinks round faces are cute). LoL. <_<

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Sharon, I agree. After a certain age, super-thin does look gaunt. Right now my BMI is 26.something which isn't too thin by any means. Plus my face is naturally full, so my face doesn't look gaunt unless I'm emaciated. I'm soon to 48, so I do think about what will look good on me at this age. I have to balance that with what I need health-wise. I'm kind of banana shaped (thicker legs than apple-shaped folks but definitely no pear) so my waist is thick. Actually, think of a banana with big boobs and you'll have my general proportions. It isn't healthy to have a big waist so I may go below BMI 25. We will see.

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I'm an older person too and I do think that I've developed some new wrinkles since my face isn't so puffy. I'm sure that it isn't attractive but it is worth it for the smaller and healthier body. I'm thinking about trying Restalyne or Dysport but I'll probably wait until I reach goal.

Friends comment that I'm lucky because I don't have saggy skin even after losing so much weight. I just laugh and am glad they can't see my upper arms and flabby legs. I know I need to tone up but right now I'm just walking for exercise. I don't think there's a lot I'll be able to do about the excess skin but I'm so happy with the results of having the sleeve, nothing can burst my bubble. Even though several people have told me I shouldn't lose anymore, I am determined to get to my goal weight.

Btw, I had the lap band and my goal was 140 which I was never able to reach (not even close) and now I have the sleeve and 130 is definitely in my sights!

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Sharon, I agree. After a certain age, super-thin does look gaunt. Right now my BMI is 26.something which isn't too thin by any means. Plus my face is naturally full, so my face doesn't look gaunt unless I'm emaciated. I'm soon to 48, so I do think about what will look good on me at this age. I have to balance that with what I need health-wise. I'm kind of banana shaped (thicker legs than apple-shaped folks but definitely no pear) so my waist is thick. Actually, think of a banana with big boobs and you'll have my general proportions. It isn't healthy to have a big waist so I may go below BMI 25. We will see.

Lisalu, do you mind me asking how tall you are?

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5'2"

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    • LeighaTR

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    • Doughgurl

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      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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