I am still losing about two-three pounds a month. I'm pretty dang small/petite so I'm looking for input from you all about how you arrived at goal?

Did your body just stop losing? Did you make an effort to increase calories?

I've always said my body will decide. I didn't have a personal goal weight. My surgeon's goal was 170. I'm 140 and 5'2". Size small/x-small and 4 jeans. I work out 5 days a week 60-75 minutes. How I eat and exercise all feels very comfortable and easy to me. I like my lifestyle. It feels healthy and balanced.

If I want to go for insurance to cover PS, I have to be stable weight for 6 months!

I must be close. If your weight loss slowed down like mine, how long before you stopped losing and found that bounce?

My weight naturally stabilized and I had to cut back on treats and step up the exercise to get the last few pounds off. I'm 5'6" and 135 lbs. I wear a 6 or small. Maybe your natural weight is less than 140?

Lynda

I had to stop my weight loss on my own. I'm in extra small shirts and size 0 pants. 5'2" and 116 lbs. If I didn't actively try to maintain, I could easily be in a double 0 pants by now (I'm embarrassed actually to say I have one pair of 00 pants!) I am eating 1500 calories right now and no exercise. I'm still slowing losing at 1500 so I'm not sure where I will land. But I'm afraid to start exercise back up because then I will firstly, lose more, and secondly, not really know what my calorie limit is if I do not exercise for a few days.

I do see an endocrinologist about every 4 months. He's part of the surgical practice. He calculates my BMR, etc. He told me I'd have to eat above 1800 calories a day to stop my weight loss. I have a lot of muscle. I don't want to lose any muscle. That's important to me.

The endo can always guess how many calories I've been eating by how much weight I've lost since I last saw him and the BMR. I'm surprised every time. (I have a rough idea from MFP) I guess I will make an appointment to see what he thinks, too.

I like to read the range of responses. Thank you for sharing.

I had to stop my weight loss on my own. I'm in extra small shirts and size 0 pants. 5'2" and 116 lbs. If I didn't actively try to maintain, I could easily be in a double 0 pants by now (I'm embarrassed actually to say I have one pair of 00 pants!) I am eating 1500 calories right now and no exercise. I'm still slowing losing at 1500 so I'm not sure where I will land. But I'm afraid to start exercise back up because then I will firstly, lose more, and secondly, not really know what my calorie limit is if I do not exercise for a few days.

There is so much variation! It's amazing to me. You sound similar to my mom. She was 98 pounds most of my childhood. She's about 110 now. She's wispy and thin. I'm more athletic build and I don't want to be wispy. What a journey!!!

I am still losing about two-three pounds a month. I'm pretty dang small/petite so I'm looking for input from you all about how you arrived at goal?

Did your body just stop losing? Did you make an effort to increase calories?

I've always said my body will decide. I didn't have a personal goal weight. My surgeon's goal was 170. I'm 140 and 5'2". Size small/x-small and 4 jeans. I work out 5 days a week 60-75 minutes. How I eat and exercise all feels very comfortable and easy to me. I like my lifestyle. It feels healthy and balanced.

If I want to go for insurance to cover PS, I have to be stable weight for 6 months!

I must be close. If your weight loss slowed down like mine, how long before you stopped losing and found that bounce?

CBT, I am 5'2 and recently hit 140, which was my original target (doc's was 154) for a total loss of 83.5lbs in 2013. Look fine with clothes on but am planning to have some cosmetics. Surgeon has asked me to give him 5-7lbs to play which would take me to 133-135 post that surgery.

My dietician told me that would be perfect at my age. That's something to factor in - I was 120lbs at 18 but would look like death at 52 if I drop to that.

So my plan is to take it steady for now, try to minimise any further loss but continue exercising to build muscle/ tone. Dietician has said take it a pound at a time and see how it goes so that's what I am doing now. Good luck!

I actually started regaining before I hit my goal. My surgeon did not give me a goal. I finally found what worked to finally get to goal, (to be under 170- I am 5'9" and 60 yrs old) I wear an 11 pant, L top, big bones. I like a lean look too, and do look pretty lean. Although I am happy with how I look and feel now, I could probably lose another 10 to seal the deal (the vanity 10) and am slowly moving towards that but no pressure. I never had a problem with losing too much weight or trying to stop losing... not yet anyway!

I find it so I interesting that some continue to lose with increased calories. I guess I MIGHT have continued to lose if I had continued exactly as I was when I reached goal but added back so

W additional carbs and weight loss stopped. And also so weird to me that at younger ages, more calories are consumed and weight loss occurs. If I, at age 60, were to eat that many I truly would gain. Smh!!!

well, I can't help much since I had to do hand to hand combat with each of the last 10 pounds to get to my initial goal of 158.

I am now hanging out around 148, which I got via 5:2. I don't think I will ever have to worry about losing too much! I am 5'5" and have a pretty substantial frame so I feel great at this weight. My next goal is to change some of that to muscle... lose fat and gain muscle still staying under 150#

I am just about two years out. I got down to 125 and I am 5'6 and 41. That was a very hard weight to maintain. I seem to easily stay around 132 with little effort. I'm now a 2-4 and small top. I could easily gain if I'm not careful, probably ten pounds quickly. If I stay reasonable I sit around 132 if I'm super good I can get under 130, but it seems nobody can see the difference so I am ok at 132. I don't work out, but I'm fairly active.

It is so funny how body types are so different. I too am 5'2" CBT and am about 5 pounds heavier than you but I am nowhere near a size 4 jeans! I can't even imagine that size. My size 10 jeans are very comfortable and may be able to squeeze into an 8. With my Italian hips and booty can't imagine I would ever be a 4.

CBT, I am 5'2 and recently hit 140, which was my original target (doc's was 154) for a total loss of 83.5lbs in 2013. Look fine with clothes on but am planning to have some cosmetics. Surgeon has asked me to give him 5-7lbs to play which would take me to 133-135 post that surgery. My dietician told me that would be perfect at my age. That's something to factor in - I was 120lbs at 18 but would look like death at 52 if I drop to that. So my plan is to take it steady for now, try to minimise any further loss but continue exercising to build muscle/ tone. Dietician has said take it a pound at a time and see how it goes so that's what I am doing now. Good luck!

That looking like death thing, that's exactly what I don't want. Lol.

The endo put me on supplements because my body just revved up. I am not willing, at this point, to stop dancing and only weight train. That would be the next fix because I burn a lot of muscle at rest, because I have a lot of muscle, so then when I dance for an hour, it puts me in overdrive.

I eat up to 1700 calories a day. The endo told me if I eat over 1800 every day (gah!) I will start to gain. That's based on my BMR and other stats. He's followed me from 1/2012 to now and he's been dead-on with all his number craziness. Lol.

I find it so I interesting that some continue to lose with increased calories. I guess I MIGHT have continued to lose if I had continued exactly as I was when I reached goal but added back so W additional carbs and weight loss stopped. And also so weird to me that at younger ages, more calories are consumed and weight loss occurs. If I, at age 60, were to eat that many I truly would gain. Smh!!!

You know, the other wild card is that I had two surgeries after VSG. Both were six months apart and reconstructive and required a lot of healing time. I doubled my protein both times for healing and I never went back to the carb monster. So I wonder if that kept me in line, behaviorally because I was already not exercising for4- 6 weeks each time

I will attest to the power of protein, though! My last surgeon was absolutely shocked at my recovery. He brought in a surgical resident to review my case. Kinda interesting cause you learn a lot when a doc is teaching another doc in front if you. Anyway, there are three phases of PT and I only had to do phase one because I was in the 99th percentile for healing. I put that down to protein and following his orders.

VSG is hands down the best decision I have made for my life. I am really happy

It is so funny how body types are so different. I too am 5'2" CBT and am about 5 pounds heavier than you but I am nowhere near a size 4 jeans! I can't even imagine that size. My size 10 jeans are very comfortable and may be able to squeeze into an 8. With my Italian hips and booty can't imagine I would ever be a 4.

This is such a recurring lesson for all of us who live in western culture. We are individuals. The foundation for health is similar and still my way won't be your way. When the board gets all bonkers and preachy and catastrophic about how people are going to die because they don't so it the right way, that's when I take a break for a couple months. I really appreciate that we each have a path and that we learn from each other's experiences. Take what we can use and leave the rest. Thanks for the comment

Well here's an update! I had a plastic surgery consult today. The surgeon (who works very closely with my bariatric surgeon) told me not to lose any more weight. I kinda thought that's what was happening. She said a lot of very helpful things. Showed me how my body will change. Some science and some clinical experience and some anecdotal. I like her.

So she wants me to up my calories again. Over 1800. A lot has to do with how active I am and that my metabolic rate will triple to heal from the plastic surgery. She said I will lose a minimum of five pounds from the surgery. So now I will put effort into maintaining. Thank you for the feedback.

I'll be 5 years out this april. I maintained easily the first 3 years. When I wanted to stop losing, I ate nuts and avocados.

I regained 15 lbs between 3 and 4 years but I did take it off with 5:2.

I'm 61 5'2" and I weigh 135. I have been bouncing down to 133 but it never lasts long after a weekend.