buffalobillsfan
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2014
- Messages
- 81
One of the things I'm always curious about (and not a lot of people provide this info) is when people ask about how to lose regain, they tend to leave out their stats. What I would want to see is height/starting weight/lowest weight/pants and shirt sizes and current info. Add some pictures so we can visually see what you are talking about. If someone who was a size 10 is now a size 16 there may be an issue. If someone is a size 2 and now a size 6....not so much. That might just be acceptable bounce back.
One thing that stood out to me and I think it's important to note is that we really don't want to strive for a NORMAL BMI. My surgeon's office said that obese people's bodies adjust to the excess weight by adding bone mass and our frames widen to carry the load. They said when they do see people achieve normal BMI, they often look gaunt. We should strive for an overweight BMI to look healthy. Just a guideline, not a rule, of course.
I know that before my DS I had dreams and aspirations of being 117 lbs (sounded lovely for a 5'2" female). I still laughed when my surgeon said he expected me to get to 150 lbs. I seriously couldn't even imagine that was a possibility. I thought I would never get that low. I would have been pleased to reach a weight lower than I could remember in my adult life which was under 170 lbs. I normally weigh between 143 to 151 lbs. I am ok with that and I'm happy that I'm ok with that. I have long thrown out the notion that I needed to be a single digit size to be happy. I never expected that size 12 or 14 would be ok with me or that I would be ok with out plastic surgery. If I weighed 117 lbs I would look horrible. I lost down to 134 this morning (from recent bowel obstruction surgery) and I don't like looking at myself now. I can't wait to eat my way back up! I'm eating like a good DSer with all protein and liquids and little else.
Secondly, if you ask one of your friends, coworkers, or family members who you know will be honest with you about how you look now, what would they say? Yes, people do worry about us during the rapid weight loss phase and we shun them when they tell us not to lose more weight or to stop losing. I think rapid weight loss does a number on our looks and it takes time to redistribute and look normal. I think I was about 18-24 months out before I hit my sweet spot. ANY gain is scary to us isn't it?! You just wonder how far it will go and if this is it and the party just ended. Ask a few people if you can and if they think you look better with the regain then try to sit with that notion for a little while before panicking.
I also think that if your body can easily maintain a certain weight for several months then why try to fight that weight with dieting. Aren't we sick of conventional dieting? Is that weight so bad that you want to go back to beating yourself up every meal and hating how you look? How do you feel? Do you look your age or older? Do you have energy and vitality? Measure those things into your equation as well. I always keep in mind my "personal low" and it can be hard to be over that number....even when it's a pound or two....but I do my self talk and remind myself of the bad old days.
I do think that rapid gaining is a problem that should be addressed. Is it due to a physical issue, mental issue, or is it truly diet related? I eat carbs. I eat all my protein first but I do eat carbs, too. I don't make excuses for it. I know that isn't for everyone (If I had bad bloating or gas I would adjust accordingly because that's a lifestyle downer) but I don't want to hate myself for what I eat.
Just some babbling in my bored surgery recovery!
Best,
Cathy
One thing that stood out to me and I think it's important to note is that we really don't want to strive for a NORMAL BMI. My surgeon's office said that obese people's bodies adjust to the excess weight by adding bone mass and our frames widen to carry the load. They said when they do see people achieve normal BMI, they often look gaunt. We should strive for an overweight BMI to look healthy. Just a guideline, not a rule, of course.
I know that before my DS I had dreams and aspirations of being 117 lbs (sounded lovely for a 5'2" female). I still laughed when my surgeon said he expected me to get to 150 lbs. I seriously couldn't even imagine that was a possibility. I thought I would never get that low. I would have been pleased to reach a weight lower than I could remember in my adult life which was under 170 lbs. I normally weigh between 143 to 151 lbs. I am ok with that and I'm happy that I'm ok with that. I have long thrown out the notion that I needed to be a single digit size to be happy. I never expected that size 12 or 14 would be ok with me or that I would be ok with out plastic surgery. If I weighed 117 lbs I would look horrible. I lost down to 134 this morning (from recent bowel obstruction surgery) and I don't like looking at myself now. I can't wait to eat my way back up! I'm eating like a good DSer with all protein and liquids and little else.
Secondly, if you ask one of your friends, coworkers, or family members who you know will be honest with you about how you look now, what would they say? Yes, people do worry about us during the rapid weight loss phase and we shun them when they tell us not to lose more weight or to stop losing. I think rapid weight loss does a number on our looks and it takes time to redistribute and look normal. I think I was about 18-24 months out before I hit my sweet spot. ANY gain is scary to us isn't it?! You just wonder how far it will go and if this is it and the party just ended. Ask a few people if you can and if they think you look better with the regain then try to sit with that notion for a little while before panicking.
I also think that if your body can easily maintain a certain weight for several months then why try to fight that weight with dieting. Aren't we sick of conventional dieting? Is that weight so bad that you want to go back to beating yourself up every meal and hating how you look? How do you feel? Do you look your age or older? Do you have energy and vitality? Measure those things into your equation as well. I always keep in mind my "personal low" and it can be hard to be over that number....even when it's a pound or two....but I do my self talk and remind myself of the bad old days.
I do think that rapid gaining is a problem that should be addressed. Is it due to a physical issue, mental issue, or is it truly diet related? I eat carbs. I eat all my protein first but I do eat carbs, too. I don't make excuses for it. I know that isn't for everyone (If I had bad bloating or gas I would adjust accordingly because that's a lifestyle downer) but I don't want to hate myself for what I eat.
Just some babbling in my bored surgery recovery!
Best,
Cathy