While I hit my own goal of 235 on April 30, my doc / nut wanted me to drop another 10. So I did (I love you, Sleeve ). Now I'm 224 and feeling like, "OK, this is the floor." I'm getting a ton of nice compliments, but more and more, people are adding, "Sooooo, you're done losing now, right?" A few close friends have told me they're worried about me going much lower and getting obsessed with it. I do get their point.

So, will now enter maintenance mode...bumping up daily calories from 900-1,000 net to 1,200-1,500 net and see where that goes.

I'm 42, so this means only 45ish more years of maintenance. No big deal.

The only easy day was yesterday.

I got the same way, on my own. Not because my doctor wanted me to drop more. I had tons of people worrying that I had now become anorexic. While I can see how easily that could be to slip into, luckily I am not. I talked to my doctor about it and he said I would get down to a weight I didn't like and then once I became more comfortable with maintenance I would bump up 5 or 10 pounds and stick in that range where I am comfortable. He was right! That is where I am. I freaked a little around the Holidays gaining between 5 and 10 pounds but I have done a decent job maintaining. Most days I am pretty happy with it. Bottom line, I think your scenario is very normal for all of us. Hope this helps!!

NIce problem to have! Congrats on both of your long term success! Speaking as a pre-op with no date, I can only imagine how good that much feel to be able to "decide" your weight like that.

Awesome!

I am still losing I am only about half-way to goal, so I have many more months to get to maintenance. However, I must admit that maintenance is the scariest part - I have lost large amounts of weight before, and that maintenance phase (which should be the rest of your life) is the part where you feel like you are constantly walking a tightrope!

NIce problem to have! Congrats on both of your long term success! Speaking as a pre-op with no date, I can only imagine how good that much feel to be able to "decide" your weight like that.

Awesome!

I'm sure it seems unreal. I would have never believed it myself pre-op. I couldn't believe it as I was going through it. It does sound wonderful I guess, but it is much harder than you would imagine when you actually go through it. This has been such a tough mental journey for me personally. I wouldn't change it for anything, but it is hard work, no matter what the haters say. This is not the easy way out!! Good luck to you in your coming journey!!

And I love the quote: "The only easy day was yesterday"

Every day people tell me not to lose any more weight. Even my doctor warned me not to lose any more. It gets a little annoying. I am 5'9 and 144. My BMI is right in the middle of normal. I don't know why people think they need to constantly comment on my weight. You get comments when you're fat and thin I guess.

This is not the easy way out!!

Haven't heard that one yet. God help the first person who says that to me.

The closest I've had is someone who said that they prefer losing weight on their own. For the record, I do too. I'm not sure who else would make me lose the weight.

I'm glad no one has said this to you Jeff!! I wish I hadn't heard anyone say that to me!!. I've heard it on two different occasions. People Magazine has had several cover features of people who have lost weight "the natural way". I guess there is a stigma attached to everything, no one is exempt.

I tried telling those who said this to me that this is merely a "tool" like an exercise bike or an elliptical, that if you don't use it properly the weight loss will be temporary. They just don't get it. This process has taught me that you truly have to go through what someone esle is going through, walk a mile in their shoes, to understand. I've learned to form fewer opions of people based on this so I've become a better person for their remarks. They still make me feel bad but...I'm working on that too! You can get rid of the fat girl body, but it is hard to get rid of the fat girl brain!!

Every day people tell me not to lose any more weight. Even my doctor warned me not to lose any more. It gets a little annoying. I am 5'9 and 144. My BMI is right in the middle of normal. I don't know why people think they need to constantly comment on my weight. You get comments when you're fat and thin I guess.

Well, I bet a lot of us here look forward to the day when someone says "You are too thin".

Well, I bet a lot of us here look forward to the day when someone says "You are too thin".

Because of where I am in this process, I can tell you that is true! I never thought I would forget to eat when I weighed 265 pounds. I dreamed that someone would ever be able to tell me I was too skinny and needed to eat something.

Now that I'm on the other side, it gets very annoying. People have the best of intentions for the most part but they wouldn't have confronted me while eating a footlong sub at Subway to tell me I was too fat...so why is it OK to tell me now that I need to eat because they think I'm too skinny? Again, it's a walk a mile scenario...you don't understand it until you go through it.