Maybe this is "stoopid", but it makes me wonder.

So, you've been sleeved, lost the weight and WOOT! Reached your goal at last. My question is this; is there any emotional "fallout" after you've reached goal?

Pre-sleeve there wasn't a day nor hour that went by that I wished I wasn't fat. The health problems, the physical problems, the way i looked - you name it - all reminded me of what a fat cow I was.

Post-sleeve and 160+ pounds later I am a few months away from my goal. I still daily think about my previous state and am anxious about reaching goal. I run in to people daily commenting about how good I look and asking how I did it. All reminders of where I was and where I am heading.

I know I will make it but what about afterward? I mean, what do you think about? There will FINALLY be nothing to nag the hell out of me about being fat or remind me that I'm "not quite there yet"

What DO skinny people think about?

Ha ha..this is a good question. I'm quite a bit away from goal but I agree, one can get a bit obsessive about the whole weight loss journey. I'm sure other things will pop up....new house, remodel, job, car, world peace. I'm planning to make some career and geography related changes so I'll be obsessing about them.

I too often wonder what happens when you get there?? I am soooo close to my goal as well and it scares me! I don't know how to maintain and I am worried that something BAD will happen!!!

I have lost huge amounts of weight before, but never have got to my goal weight and therefore, have never had to maintiain my weight. I DON"T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT!! So, I guess I will be thinking about how to do it!

My weight has always been an issue since I was 9 and I don't know that I will ever stop thinking about it!

Kelly

That's a great question, Rootman! For me, I am 13 lbs lower than my goal and I still think about how "bad" I look. When I was 240 lbs., I would have given anything to be 100 lbs lighter and would not have cared one little bit that my inner thighs sag a little or the skin on my tummy hangs. For whatever reason, even at goal I don't see myself as "done". I hope someday to find peace. With luck you will think about vacations, personal goals not related to weightloss, or maybe you can focus that extra time and energy volunteering in some capacity.??? Best wishes on the final stage of your journey.

Lisa

I agree... great question! I will be interested in what the long term goalers have to say...

As for me, goal feels a long way away, and an uproad journey to it at that... luckily, I ain't scared of heights or long roads...lol

I often dream about being there... but I am not afraid of it! As my weight loss is slow... I think maintance will be ok. My surgeon suggested that I will find it easy 'cos the weight isn't falling off me rapidly!? Dunno, he might have a point! I do know that I simply, can't eat in volume now... and I think that will be my key!

I made it to goal on weight watchers once, I moved 1000 miles and no one knew I used to be fat! My life was normal, all my new friends thought the new me was the only me. I put on 20 lbs but maintained that for 3 years and still felt so much better than I had! Let me tell you coming home to visit at 20 lbs heavier was hard though - I felt like a failure and that everyone was looking at me. I think most didn't notice. Life just seems to go on! When we moved back to "home" I promptly gained all my weight back plus 35 lbs. Yuck. Here I am today, on my way to goal again, hopefully for the last time!

I wonder each and every day that once I get to goal, what the hell am I going to do to stay there. I have been reading the Maintanence thread and they have the same issues, just a different color so to speak. I'm hoping to "learn" from it as they go so that I don't freak out when I am there. But, that being said, I have never been skinny so I don't know what skinny people think like. Maybe they constantly think about how they are going to stay there lol ... who knows.

I agree... great question! I will be interested in what the long term goalers have to say...

As for me, goal feels a long way away, and an uproad journey to it at that... luckily, I ain't scared of heights or long roads...lol

I often dream about being there... but I am not afraid of it! As my weight loss is slow... I think maintance will be ok. My surgeon suggested that I will find it easy 'cos the weight isn't falling off me rapidly!? Dunno, he might have a point! I do know that I simply, can't eat in volume now... and I think that will be my key!

You and me Coops, we got the whole maintaining thing down pat, cuz when you're stuck for months on end that is kind of what you are doing...maintaining. UGH! But I am not loosing sight of my goal either, just gonna take a while to get there!!!

Rootman, this is such an interesting thread because you are SO right the last 16 months (6 months insurance forced wait time, plus 10 months post-op) have been all about LOSING weight, and what do you do with your brain when there is no more weight left to lose? I'll be checking back for answers. I was told by another WLS friend that I looked so good that I looked like I didn't NEED to go to support group anymore. I just laughed because I'm *always* going to need support...this battle with obesity can only be one if I stay on my "A" game!!

The one thing I've learned about reaching all of my millions of goals I've set for myself is that, my one ultimate goal is really to never be fat again. So, I forage on doing the same things I always did that got me my successes. Protein first, working out and not eating like a glutton.

It's really pretty simple.

Interesting question. I don't think I will ever be satisfied with the weightloss.... even now I have had numerous family members say to me "DONT LOSE ANY MORE!" because they are worried about me being TOO thin (I am definitely NOT too thin by mine or my docs standards), but my theory is lose as much as I possibly can because everyone has the 10lbs bounce back... I don't wanna bounce back to a size 12 or 14.... I would like to be where I am now, long term. I think for me, maintenance is a lot scarier than weightloss.

I will think about a tummy tuck or lower body lift. The thing you get to remove fat on your arm. Then I will think about getting a tan (real or fake) and then wearing a bikini on the beach. I just want to wear a bikini! Skinny people think about themselves

Well tonight I heard from my family "eat a sandwich will ya" I promptly retorted at 153 pounds I am hardly starving myself! Honestly I still think about I wanted to get to145 pounds, I think why could I not get there yet? should I just not eat? Should I work out more, would a tummy tuck take are of that last 8m pounds????? I am still beating myself up.

It is hard to stop the inner "chatter" that develops over the years of getting-being-losing fat.

I used to be a thin person and I cannot remember what I thought about!! Granted that was over 12 years ago, but still!! I just passed my half way point and was just thinking about this very thing.....I have no idea what I'll focus on after I get to goal! Maybe my running will become more of a focal point? I'm planning on running the Princess Half Marathon at Disney World in February 2013.....then eventually the full marathon. Some days I wonder if I'll really make it to goal and others I'm worried about what I'll do when I do!! LOL! This journey is SUCH a mental trip!!! ;o)

Great responses, I am glad to know that I'm not alone and others are having the same "issue" as I do.

Right now I'm wondering if I'll be able to eat enough to maintain, especially with the exercise routine I've gotten in to. Some days I feel guilty about the amount I've eaten and find out when I record it all at myfitnesspal.com it's only 1500 calories, and I burned up 1000+ of them swimming for 90 minutes. Will I have to cut back on th exercise or simply consume more calories? Oh, what a problem !!!

Maintaining is the where the real work starts. I can eat more than could before. Now, if a social event comes up where there will be good food and goodies, it's harder to resist. I am constantly weighing myself and having to cut back for a few days when I gain back a few lbs.

It's like a roller coaster. Some people have an easy time maintaining at first, but life sets in with fattening foods all around, and it's just

plain HARD.