OK, never thought this would be an issue but here it is. I'm 114.2 pounds today. That's a loss of 132 pounds from where I started, and I'm 5'-7.5" tall. I have no butt and my pubic bone is protruding. I've lost the fat pads in my face and look gaunt. It's not that attractive on an older woman, trust me. I've had a stomach bug the last 4 or 5 days, so have not been able to eat and will lose a pound a day if I can't eat. This isn't good. My skinny pants are getting lose and I'm a size 26 in pants now. I can't eat junk because it makes me ill, so I have to eat good stuff only. It's an interesting place to be. My friends are saying I look TOO THIN; people think I'm ill. Wonder if any of you share this perspective yourselves? Let me know if you're considered by friends and family as too thin. Thanks

On 11/26/2010 at 1:40 PM, AJW said:

OK, never thought this would be an issue but here it is. I'm 114.2 pounds today. That's a loss of 132 pounds from where I started, and I'm 5'-7.5" tall. I have no butt and my pubic bone is protruding. I've lost the fat pads in my face and look gaunt. It's not that attractive on an older woman, trust me. I've had a stomach bug the last 4 or 5 days, so have not been able to eat and will lose a pound a day if I can't eat. This isn't good. My skinny pants are getting lose and I'm a size 26 in pants now. I can't eat junk because it makes me ill, so I have to eat good stuff only. It's an interesting place to be. My friends are saying I look TOO THIN; people think I'm ill. Wonder if any of you share this perspective yourselves? Let me know if you're considered by friends and family as too thin. Thanks

On 11/26/2010 at 1:40 PM, AJW said:

OK, never thought this would be an issue but here it is. I'm 114.2 pounds today. That's a loss of 132 pounds from where I started, and I'm 5'-7.5" tall. I have no butt and my pubic bone is protruding. I've lost the fat pads in my face and look gaunt. It's not that attractive on an older woman, trust me. I've had a stomach bug the last 4 or 5 days, so have not been able to eat and will lose a pound a day if I can't eat. This isn't good. My skinny pants are getting lose and I'm a size 26 in pants now. I can't eat junk because it makes me ill, so I have to eat good stuff only. It's an interesting place to be. My friends are saying I look TOO THIN; people think I'm ill. Wonder if any of you share this perspective yourselves? Let me know if you're considered by friends and family as too thin. Thanks

Me too, I lost so much. At 5"6 @ 112 lowest weight and cant help it. I've tried to gain weight and I gained 2 lbs and lost one. It's like i can eat one day and the next I'm eating 5 bites ugh. It sounds good but really it's not, my hip bones are sticking out, and I've got a huge thigh gap.

9 hours ago, Noworneverthin said:

Me too, I lost so much. At 5"6 @ 112 lowest weight and cant help it. I've tried to gain weight and I gained 2 lbs and lost one. It's like i can eat one day and the next I'm eating 5 bites ugh. It sounds good but really it's not, my hip bones are sticking out, and I've got a huge thigh gap.

Do you think you have anorexia? Does the thought of gaining weight scare you? Have you tried working with your RD to look at a workable food plan? What does your surgeon say?

If it was me (and I'm not remotely anorexic), I would systematically look at my day and divide it up into eating events. I'd look at the macros I know I need in order to gain and to hopefully gain muscle more than fat (although there would be storage of both). And I would divide up those macros into a working food plan. So no more "winging it". No more eating to hunger. Rather it would be to eat by the clock. And it would be to consume the most nutrient dense, calorically dense food that would help you strategically segment adding muscle rather than adding fat.

I would also look at how/when you eat and as long as you're able to get enough nutrients, I'd add muscle building work outs. But the calories/macros have to come first!

I would eat 6-8 small meals (do everything in reverse that you did to lose), drinking while eating so you eat more. I'd eat super calorie dense/nutrient dense! Like bone broth with stewed chicken and some dumplings! I'd add heavy cream to my coffee. I'd have a drink before workouts with BCAAs in them and then follow with a protein snack within 1 hour of working out...I'd see if I could find a trainer who is well versed in helping people bulk up with muscle. And it would become as much of a job to me as losing the weight was.

And that's how I would do it. Sounds easy, but it's got to be scary larry. Yes?

Start drinking calories (...no, not booze). But stuff like smoothies and milk and liquid yogurts, things you can sip gradually on days when your solid food tolerance is low. I’ve had those days too, though I’m not underweight - I just can’t cope with food, and I have to be mindful and make sure I fill the gap with healthy liquids.

When I kept dropping weight I added a few healthy fatty foods and 100% juice to my daily intake. I drank grape juice on a daily basis, and would eat 2-3 avocados per week. I tanked up on peanut butter, and started eating white carbs(not in huge quantities, mainly potatoes, and tortillas). It's honestly the only way I've been able to maintain. If I cut these foods out, I lose weight again. Have you had any labs pulled lately, especially a full thyroid panel? I know when I saw my surgeon at my 12 yr f/u he was concerned that was struggling to maintain, and still losing. Of course, my labs were perfect, but my thyroid levels had changed from what they were pre-op. But, maybe getting some labs pulled would be a good place to start.

Excellent suggestions.