Question:
I have a question......

How can some people lose so much weight in such a short length of time and not look sick. For example some of you have gone from a 24 to a size 4 in 5 or six months. I didn't want to loose weight that fast. I wanted my skin to keep up with my weight lost. I didn't want to look sick. It has taken me 17 mos to loose 130 pounds, that's fine with me because I didn't want to shock anyone. It just look like I lost weight, nothing drastic, nothing scary, nothing shocking. It just look like I went on a diet, I look healthy, my skin looks natural, I look younger and my skin is not loose. I'm just saying this because I looked at a co-worker who had surgery and she looks sick because she lost so fast. Everyone is talking about her and how bad she looks.I'm happy for her but she seem to be in a race to get skinny, No one on the other hand would know I had surgery because I look normal. This is the way I wanted to look, this is why I took my time. Anyone else feel this way, that we are not in a race to get skinny but want to look and feel healthy. Anyone???? Or is it just me.??    — Rebe W. (posted on February 20, 2003)

February 20, 2003
I guess my question would be how can you slow it down, I am at almost 7 months and I am now just getting in a little over 700 calories a day, I am trying to get that up to 1000, but some days it is just not possible. If you can eat enough to slowly lose the weight, that's great for you, but in the same sense, I hope that you are supportive of your co-worker in her weight loss. You both chose WLS as your tool in your weight loss success, I hope that she knows your on her side and not adding to the talk behind her back. Your knowledge of the surgery will help educate those who want to talk bad about her. I have an aunt that was very overweight and hadn't seen her during the time she lost 100 lbs. and when I did she looked too thin. Well she wasn't too thin according to standards, just thinner that I had ever seen her. Educate the co-workers and let them know that it's just because it's faster than typical weight loss and that she will look better as things slow down. I think it's great that you are happy with the rate of weightloss that you had, but not everyone has a choice in the rate of loss.
   — Dana B.

February 20, 2003
I went from a 24 to a 4 in six months. It wasn't something that I could control. I eat really well and more than what the plan is. I always made sure to get in 60-100 grams of protein a day and all of my vitamins which is probably why I never plateaud or experienced slow weight loss. My body never went into starvation mode to slow it down. It was really drastic and has been strange to have people not recognize me. But I have no hanging skin, everyone says that I look much younger, and I don't look or feel sick. If anything I feel like a kid again. Look at my pics on my profile, they are a little outdated by about 25 pounds but even now I look healthy not sick at all.
   — Linda A.

February 20, 2003
Rebe, I have to agree. I think losing slower gives your skin more time to adjust. Plus, I think SOME people who intentionally try to lose really fast don't eat right and are missing out on a lot of nutrients. Some of it is hereditary - my mom is 85 years old and no one would ever guess that; she has always had good skin and very few wrinkles and sagging, despite spending most of her youth working outside on a farm, in the sun. Others just naturally lose it fast and can't do anything about it. You are absolutely right that WE ARE NOT IN A RACE TO GET SKINNY. Everyone loses at their own rate and we shouldn't compare to each other because there are so many factors that can affect loss from one person to the next. The whole idea (at least for me, too) was to be healthy, and looking good is a plus because of it!
   — koogy

February 20, 2003
I really don't think that it is a choice. It depends on your exact surgery and how your body reacts to it. I have only had surgery 5 weeks ago but have lost 38 pounds already and it does not show signs of slowing yet! I would love to have no sagging skin but this loss is not something really in my control anymore. I eat properly and get all of my protein and this is what my body is doing.
   — Carol S.

February 20, 2003
There are so many factors that leap to mind here. First, not everyone can control their rate of loss-evidence of that is on the Board daily where people have plateaus, lament the slow loss, or tell us about their rapid losses (100 pounds in 5 months for example...). Some just can't seem to get in enough calories at 7 or 8 months out, and yet others are hungry all the time and have to "watch it" by the 4th month...also, whether skin snaps back or not is not just determined by how rapidly you lose-sure, its a factor, but so is age, good genes, whether you've had children and how many etc. I agree that we are not in a race to get skinny, and health is paramount on our journey, you are not alone in that view, but I wonder if those that lose weight so rapidly and look ill,may have something else going on, like not enough absorbtion of vital nutrients and vitamins.
   — Cindy R.

February 21, 2003
If your point is that people tend to emphasize speed of weight loss over lifestyle change, and don't emphasize KEEPING the weight off nearly enough, I'd agree with you wholeheartedly. But I'd be careful about suggesting that you have the secret to controlling *exactly* how fast you lost your weight (I'm sure you didn't mean to suggest that you do). If your skin isn't saggy, you were just plain lucky, just as I was just plain lucky to be a fast loser, and at least I will admit to the role luck played in my journey. At the same time, I'm sure we both worked hard at our exercise and food along the way, too, and will continue to do so. But my 2c -- from the bottom of my "melted candle"-like butt -- is that we gain nothing by judging each other's results in this way. :~)
   — Suzy C.

February 21, 2003
Race to get skinny? I couldnt help but chuckle, I am constantly amazed at our comments and attitude on a morbidly obese website. I never dreamed skinny was an option, but you can bet, I was in a race to get healthy. I have to agree with majority of opinions weight loss immediately post op is not a lot about choices, other than the choices to follow the program, get your protien in, take your vitamins, keep your water intake up. Add excercise, and those are my only concerns. Firm skin, shapely breast, well, those are great if you can get them, but they had no impact on my choice to have this surgery. My one and only decision was to choose health, and I think that is what the majority of the people I have come across feel. I would remind, all recent postie's though take advantage of the "window of opportunity". My doc places a lot of emphasis on this, the furhter out you get, the slower the weight loss does become. 8 months out, and approaching "thin"!!!!
   — Nene B.

February 21, 2003
I think the person may look sick to you because you are not used to seeing them that thin. Recently, I was at my sister's job talking to her and her supervisor about my surgery and my sister commented that I look sick to her. Her supervisor, who never saw me before said, I looked fine and healthy. I don't think anyone is in a race to lose weight other than the race to lose as much as they can during the honeymoon phase. Many factors go into how fast someone lose weight and just because someone loses fast does not mean they are not adequately nourshing their body. I think it is wise not to compare my weight loss to someone else's rate of loss.
   — Lisa N M.

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