G4H – No, I’m really not sure. I think I want to hover around 149 in maintenance, not 155. That is right on the cusp of a clothing size for me (8 vs 10s) so my 8’s feel a bit snug at 155 but good at 150. 140-145 technically would be right in the middle of the health BMI range for me. I just feel like I’ve come this far, that I should hit my original goal of 140…but maybe at 43, it’s not meant to be. I need to make an appnt with my GP anyway so maybe I will talk to him since he referred me to IP to begin with.
I know you have consulted with a plastic surgeon on some extra skin. Do you ever have a hard time telling what is saggy skin vs fat or cellulite. My thighs are such a mess. Toning up is helping a little but I keep wondering what they would look like if I was 10lbs lighter. Impatiently waiting to hit 6 months in maintenance to start consulting with some Drs on my stomach and breasts. Not even sure what they can do about thighs…or what I can afford.
Do you ever have a hard time telling what is saggy skin vs fat or cellulite. My thighs are such a mess. Toning up is helping a little but I keep wondering what they would look like if I was 10lbs lighter. Impatiently waiting to hit 6 months in maintenance to start consulting with some Drs on my stomach and breasts. Not even sure what they can do about thighs…or what I can afford.
Saggy skin IS always a very thin layer of fat cells lining the skin. Once you can shed that fat (and believe me THAT is the real issue for everyone in weight loss) the skin will eventually shrink, provided it is well hydrated from inside.
There are a few things that they can do about thighs - it would involve some liposuction to remove the fat lining and leaving the skin to shrink in its own time, OR one of the two options for legs. A lateral lift with an incision around the low abdomen where a band of skin is removed, the remaining skin below is pulled up to meet the top half and closed, OR a thigh lift, which involves an incision on the inside of the upper leg with the skin being pulled around and up. Both are expensive and have recovery times involved and both involve spot lipo.
Thanks guys for the warm greetings.
Congrats Sue on downward movement again.
Congrats Amber for reboot. I'll let you know what I find out to see if there are some insights you can glean.
Long overdue congrats Amanda on dealing with recent struggles and getting back to P1.
CenTxChk - I would focus on working out vs weight loss. I know I don't feel right if I work out at night. I have to work out in the morning. I have read that one burns 3x more body fat working out first thing in morning on an empty stomach. If your goal is muscle gain then you would adjust that. But, I also read that mentally it is good to work out first thing in the morning because you are telling yourself that it is the most important thing you have to do that day and hence, doing it first. Plus, of course, you have the metabolic benefits all day and endorphin release.
OK will try to figure the MFP out today LOL...got busy at work yesterday...
I have lots of extra skin too...probably will prevent me from getting into any smaller sizes too.... I would love to do something about it...but I am a surgery chicken LOL...that is why all these years I never got a breast reduction even at that large size....
Some of the alternates I ordered arrived yesterday....unfortunately it was all the restricteds LOL...
OK will try to figure the MFP out today LOL...got busy at work yesterday...
I have lots of extra skin too...probably will prevent me from getting into any smaller sizes too.... I would love to do something about it...but I am a surgery chicken LOL...that is why all these years I never got a breast reduction even at that large size....
Some of the alternates I ordered arrived yesterday....unfortunately it was all the restricteds LOL...
I hear you on the fear factor. No matter what's wrong with us, there's always the possibility that some well-meaning surgeon may make it worse! LOL
I found that losing the 70lbs left me with lots of loose skin that was - for want of a better term - like a chubby roll. When I got to the 90ish lbs down the fat cells started seeping out of it and the skin started laying flatter and looking more like a cross between cellulite and crinkle cotton (if you can visualise it). Not aesthetically appealing, but it did put me into an 8, rather than the 10-12 that the fatty loose skin had kept me at. Don't quote me on it, but I think that may be the difference in reducing body fat percentage, rather than losing the weight.
Found a beautiful quote today that I'm going to try and keep in mind:-
"Never give up on something you really want. It's difficult to wait, but more difficult to regret".
Everyone is doing SO GREAT on here. You have all been such a huge inspiration for me ... SO THANK YOU one and all for being here and sharing parts of yourselves!
So a chart update (Just call me "chart girl")
Full 40 year history ... with all my yo-yo dieting ... And how much progress I've made in the past year!
Detail of my losses over the past year ... both weight and measurements ...
Zoom of the past few months ... still showing good losses!
Keep up the great work and inspirational fight everyone!!! I am rooting for everyone here to hit their weight and health goals! It's not easy, but definitely worth it.
Last edited by Avalon1957; 08-27-2015 at 07:21 AM.
Ro, welcome back and wishing you much success on your continued journey
G4H, good for you for sticking to it when you weren't feeling your best, especially just getting back into p1!
CenTxChk, I understand wanting to go lower, just don't focus too much on the exact number and more about how you feel about yourself when you get to where you want to be whatever the number
Sue good to read about your downward movement and bra shopping success, I've always had trouble in that area, and still do.
Alexandra, as usual your charts are amazing and interesting to see, thanks for sharing!
So, I'm still struggling with up lbs even though I feel I have been eating at a defecate and have been working out and been active. So I am considering going back on P1, I wonder if the clinic will give me a coach discount
I mentioned I may be an IP coach at the local clinic because they are having trouble finding a replacement and as a last resort they've asked me lol Well the hesitation was mostly because they know I work full time and didn't want me to feel obligated as the place is owned by DH boss, not because they didn't think I'd do a good job.
So I start today, I will go in over the next few days before the old coach leaves, and sort of train with her I guess. Hopefully I will be helpful and not be one of those terrible coaches I read about here on this forum!!
It is actually really good timing, because we just had a couple of major vet bills for two of our pets including a toe amputation for suspected cancer! The extra income from a second job certainly is welcome.
Hope everyone is having a great day! Hoping for great losses for everyone
Great graphs, Alexandra. I wish I had a quarter of your mad spreadsheet skills. It's amazing to see the patterns in loss and gains when viewed over that long a period, and I'm sure it'll be helpful to you in future (with maintenance and knowing where to set your weight parameters).
Yay DD, another experienced IPer becoming a coach. That's awesome, and your clients will be very lucky indeed! Sorry to hear about the furbaby's amputation, and I hope s/he is healing nicely.
Ro and DD – So good to see you both! And DD, please share your coaching experience. I would LOVE to hear about it!! Can I ask if they are paying you an hourly rate or is it more like commission off the sales of products? Just curious as I would love to do this on the side too. You are going to be great….and there is NO worry about you being one of “those” coaches.
I cry Uncle! I feel like my body is telling me enough is enough and my P1 resolve is slipping badly less than 3 wks in. Pretty sure I will be talking to my coach about heading back towards maintenance tomorrow morning.
Bless my DH who recently told me:
• I am perfect the way I am (obligatory DH comment btw)
• he thinks what I am unhappy about all my loose skin
• I am skinny enough
• Not sure what I would look like if I lost another 10lbs.
I love that man *sniff* I do love that he thinks I am crazy but is supporting me no matter what.
So last night I had a slip up but the kind where I waited until everyone went to bed before diving into some junk food. Sadly, they were brownies that I tried cooking with pureed beets (instead of oil) from my CSA so even though it was a “cheat” it wasn’t that great of a tasting cheat. It bothered me more that it was my old eating habits of sneaking crap when others weren’t around. Those are the eating habits that will get me back to 260 in a hurry.
I made an appnt with my PCP for Monday morning. I had been going bi-annually for my diabetes. Going as a follow up and to request blood work and check my hormone levels. I realize there is no exact weight that I should be shooting for but I would LOVE for someone to give me that magic number….maybe he can give me some guidance.
Ro and DD – So good to see you both! And DD, please share your coaching experience. I would LOVE to hear about it!! Can I ask if they are paying you an hourly rate or is it more like commission off the sales of products? Just curious as I would love to do this on the side too. You are going to be great….and there is NO worry about you being one of “those” coaches.
I cry Uncle! I feel like my body is telling me enough is enough and my P1 resolve is slipping badly less than 3 wks in. Pretty sure I will be talking to my coach about heading back towards maintenance tomorrow morning.
Bless my DH who recently told me:
• I am perfect the way I am (obligatory DH comment btw)
• he thinks what I am unhappy about all my loose skin
• I am skinny enough
• Not sure what I would look like if I lost another 10lbs.
I love that man *sniff* I do love that he thinks I am crazy but is supporting me no matter what.
So last night I had a slip up but the kind where I waited until everyone went to bed before diving into some junk food. Sadly, they were brownies that I tried cooking with pureed beets (instead of oil) from my CSA so even though it was a “cheat” it wasn’t that great of a tasting cheat. It bothered me more that it was my old eating habits of sneaking crap when others weren’t around. Those are the eating habits that will get me back to 260 in a hurry.
I made an appnt with my PCP for Monday morning. I had been going bi-annually for my diabetes. Going as a follow up and to request blood work and check my hormone levels. I realize there is no exact weight that I should be shooting for but I would LOVE for someone to give me that magic number….maybe he can give me some guidance.
Soooooooooo happy to hear you cry uncle - I was worried for you!
DD that’s awesome for you to be a coach - yes please keep us up to date as you learn.
CenTx I was wondering if you might be trying to go to low. When I was going down too low I had a few binge days - I actually binged on IP food - one time 7 in one day. It was because I was starving and my body was done. Once I started back on P3 again I was totally better and haven’t overeaten again since.
I had an interesting NSV - I flew last night to Dallas to see my brother - I kept thinking, why does this plane feel so comfortable, why is this so much easier. Then I thought back and realized the last time I was on a plane was part way into P1 (I had lost 35 lbs so it was a lot better even then) but this time was actually amazing. The seat belt was so comfortable, I was only taking up about half the seat, there was a really big man next to me kind of spilling over the armrests but I was fine because I didn’t need my whole seat. I couldn’t believe how much more comfortable I was. That was awesome.
I’m on P1 for the 2nd week now for my little reboot and feeling really good. My niece is a very forthright 11 year old and was very clear with me today that I do not need to lose any more weight. So that actually was kind of helpful, because she would tell me if she saw something that needed work.
So it helped me feel at ease with the reboot, that once I get back to goal, I don’t need to try to go further or find a lower goal.
Last edited by Grateful4Health; 08-27-2015 at 11:18 PM.
I cry Uncle! I feel like my body is telling me enough is enough and my P1 resolve is slipping badly less than 3 wks in. Pretty sure I will be talking to my coach about heading back towards maintenance tomorrow morning.
...
So last night I had a slip up but the kind where I waited until everyone went to bed before diving into some junk food. Sadly, they were brownies that I tried cooking with pureed beets (instead of oil) from my CSA so even though it was a “cheat” it wasn’t that great of a tasting cheat. It bothered me more that it was my old eating habits of sneaking crap when others weren’t around. Those are the eating habits that will get me back to 260 in a hurry.
I made an appnt with my PCP for Monday morning. I had been going bi-annually for my diabetes. Going as a follow up and to request blood work and check my hormone levels. I realize there is no exact weight that I should be shooting for but I would LOVE for someone to give me that magic number….maybe he can give me some guidance.
Listen to that little voice telling you it's enough. At some stage you have to trust your body to know where it's at. 5'8 and 150lbs is in that golden zone of normal weight.
Hubby is probably right - it is the loose skin that causes you some psychological issues. Keep on with the exercising and tone up the muscle. Decreasing your body fat percentage will tone you up and give definition to your body beneath the loose skin, and eventually it will even out more.
The hidden snacking could be a mental response to the stress of not knowing whether to quit or not. Doing it once shouldn't be an issue, and you are aware that you did it, so I think you can nip it in the bud once you make a decision whether to continue or to call time and head back to maintenance.
I'm sorry you're finding it so tough, but we always knew that maintenance was going to be the harder part of weight loss. I know you'll get the hang of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grateful4Health
I had an interesting NSV - I flew last night to Dallas to see my brother - I kept thinking, why does this plane feel so comfortable, why is this so much easier. Then I thought back and realized the last time I was on a plane was part way into P1 (I had lost 35 lbs so it was a lot better even then) but this time was actually amazing. The seat belt was so comfortable, I was only taking up about half the seat, there was a really big man next to me kind of spilling over the armrests but I was fine because I didn’t need my whole seat. I couldn’t believe how much more comfortable I was. That was awesome.
I’m on P1 for the 2nd week now for my little reboot and feeling really good. My niece is a very forthright 11 year old and was very clear with me today that I do not need to lose any more weight. So that actually was kind of helpful, because she would tell me if she saw something that needed work.
So it helped me feel at ease with the reboot, that once I get back to goal, I don’t need to try to go further or find a lower goal.
Wonderful to feel that way on the flights! and I'm glad you have a little one to keep you straight.
I've often wondered if it's ever possible for a formerly overweight/obese person to ever make an honest and accurate assessment of what a normal body weight genuinely is, or if this skewed perception stays with us for life.
Ro and DD – So good to see you both! And DD, please share your coaching experience. I would LOVE to hear about it!! Can I ask if they are paying you an hourly rate or is it more like commission off the sales of products? Just curious as I would love to do this on the side too. You are going to be great….and there is NO worry about you being one of “those” coaches.
I cry Uncle! I feel like my body is telling me enough is enough and my P1 resolve is slipping badly less than 3 wks in. Pretty sure I will be talking to my coach about heading back towards maintenance tomorrow morning.
Bless my DH who recently told me:
• I am perfect the way I am (obligatory DH comment btw)
• he thinks what I am unhappy about all my loose skin
• I am skinny enough
• Not sure what I would look like if I lost another 10lbs.
I love that man *sniff* I do love that he thinks I am crazy but is supporting me no matter what.
So last night I had a slip up but the kind where I waited until everyone went to bed before diving into some junk food. Sadly, they were brownies that I tried cooking with pureed beets (instead of oil) from my CSA so even though it was a “cheat” it wasn’t that great of a tasting cheat. It bothered me more that it was my old eating habits of sneaking crap when others weren’t around. Those are the eating habits that will get me back to 260 in a hurry.
I made an appnt with my PCP for Monday morning. I had been going bi-annually for my diabetes. Going as a follow up and to request blood work and check my hormone levels. I realize there is no exact weight that I should be shooting for but I would LOVE for someone to give me that magic number….maybe he can give me some guidance.
Cen - Your husband is a keeper! Like mine its so important to have that support in place... Good luck Monday. I have been known to binge eat packets LOL...I have to really get some control of this as your are right its the same as before only this time I am binge eating IP packets instead of a loaf of italian bread on the way home from the grocery store...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grateful4Health
DD that’s awesome for you to be a coach - yes please keep us up to date as you learn.
CenTx I was wondering if you might be trying to go to low. When I was going down too low I had a few binge days - I actually binged on IP food - one time 7 in one day. It was because I was starving and my body was done. Once I started back on P3 again I was totally better and haven’t overeaten again since.
I had an interesting NSV - I flew last night to Dallas to see my brother - I kept thinking, why does this plane feel so comfortable, why is this so much easier. Then I thought back and realized the last time I was on a plane was part way into P1 (I had lost 35 lbs so it was a lot better even then) but this time was actually amazing. The seat belt was so comfortable, I was only taking up about half the seat, there was a really big man next to me kind of spilling over the armrests but I was fine because I didn’t need my whole seat. I couldn’t believe how much more comfortable I was. That was awesome.
I’m on P1 for the 2nd week now for my little reboot and feeling really good. My niece is a very forthright 11 year old and was very clear with me today that I do not need to lose any more weight. So that actually was kind of helpful, because she would tell me if she saw something that needed work.
So it helped me feel at ease with the reboot, that once I get back to goal, I don’t need to try to go further or find a lower goal.
Oh I remember my first plane trip when I was down just 40 pounds and it made a huge differnece. I have not been on a plane yet under 200, but I am sure I will be nice and roomy. My next flying trip is not till March when my convention is in Dallas...
So last night my ex coach now friend and I took an Introductory Belly Dancing Class! So much fun. and the woman that taught it is a fellow IP er down 100lbs. It was so cool to talk to her and discuss the program....
DD Good luck in that coaching gig! I love my coach and even though she is no longer affiliated with the clinic, she is helping me on the side till she lands somewhere... I am that loyal...LOL
Saggy skin IS always a very thin layer of fat cells lining the skin. Once you can shed that fat (and believe me THAT is the real issue for everyone in weight loss) the skin will eventually shrink, provided it is well hydrated from inside.
There are a few things that they can do about thighs - it would involve some liposuction to remove the fat lining and leaving the skin to shrink in its own time, OR one of the two options for legs. A lateral lift with an incision around the low abdomen where a band of skin is removed, the remaining skin below is pulled up to meet the top half and closed, OR a thigh lift, which involves an incision on the inside of the upper leg with the skin being pulled around and up. Both are expensive and have recovery times involved and both involve spot lipo.
Amanda (Briael), I love your analysis. Sounds spot on to me.
Especially the part about saggy skin being caused by too much fat remaining on the body under the skin. And if one lost that extra fat layer and hydrated enough and gave ones body enough time to adjust (maybe a year? or more? at that lower lower fat % weight) -- that a lot of that physical characteristic that we think of as "excess skin" would mitigate quite a bit.
The issue might be that many of us stop before we get to the point of really losing enough fat and then dont give our bodies enough time at that much lower weight and much lower BFP to adjust.
I am very close to crossing my BMI=25 weight line (which the medical community tells me is a first cut healthy estimate). But I can tell you that I know I still have too much body fat on my body at that weight. My excel spreadsheet, along with some online calculators, is telling me I am still around 27% body fat (about 54 pounds of fat) -- and I think I would need to get my body fat percentage down to about 23 or 24% to reach a more optimal place.
To do that I think I might need to get my weight more in the BMI=22 range (more in the middle of the healthy BMI range (Healthy BMI's range from 19 to 25)) which would put my optimal weight at 180 pounds (for me, at my height).
Reaching a weight that much lower than where I am right now, will put my waistline around 32" -- based on all my detailed charting -- which is where I was in high school -- and I bet would drop my body fat percentage down to a healthier 23% or so. (By the way, a weight of 180 lbs and a target body fat percentage of 23% ... places the fat weight at 41 lbs). So even though I am crossing the healthy BMI 25 line now -- optimally I still need to lose another 13 pounds of fat (and about 22 pounds total) to be optimal.
And that 13 extra (excess) pounds of fat I am carrying right now, I'm sure is sticking to the inside of my skin (esp in my trouble zones like waistline and inner thighs) -- so I totally get where Amanda is coming from with her illuminating post.
However most of us here also have the "aging" problem (where you tend to lose muscle mass (and get fattier) as you get older) and not being active enough (I am guessing) -- if we played more sports, did more light weight training, did more cardio along with healthy low fat low cal high protein eating -- I do think it's possible to at least approach these more ideal goals (IMHO).
However all of this is just my opinion! We are not all cookie cutter and everyone needs to figure out what is right for them.
Last edited by Avalon1957; 08-28-2015 at 10:26 AM.
G4H – Hope you are enjoying your trip to see your family! Out of the mouths of babes…listen to your 11yo niece. My 12yo never has a problem letting me know what she thinks about most everything, including my diet! So glad you enjoyed your flight. How blessed we are to have opportunities like that to remind ourselves how far we come.
To everyone else – Thank you and I am sorry if I’ve been a little cray cray. This weight loss stuff is hard and my perfectionist, type A personality is struggling seeing myself as successful without nit picking all the imperfections. I needed a kick in the rear from you guys and DH to see that.
Sue – I love that you took a belly dancing class! Good for you! And how great you and your coach are hitting it off. She will be a great source of support for you in many ways I am sure.
Had my WI this morning and I am up. Ha! But in good news my BF% and fat lbs are (finally) coming back down. Looking at my stats this morning, I believe it will take me a month (or more) to get back to where I was pre-vacation. That was a bit of an eye opener on how long it can take for our bodies to get back to “normal” after an over indulgent week. I just need to have faith and follow the program (keep telling myself that).
Can’t believe I am going to say this…but I am looking forward to going to the gym and work out with my trainer tonight. I am really blessed that to have surrounded myself with great people concerned about me being successful. That and my trainer is REALLY cute. Have I mentioned that before? Nothing like having a really good looking guy give you 100% of his attention for an hour twice a week, kwim? Of course, I pay him to do that but he knows his stuff. That and it’s motivated my (typically not jealous) DH to start coming with me to the gym. So he’s working out too which is a win-win for everyone!
This weight loss stuff is hard and my perfectionist, type A personality is struggling seeing myself as successful without nit picking all the imperfections. I needed a kick in the rear from you guys and DH to see that. 
Good for you! And how great you and your coach are hitting it off. She will be a great source of support for you in many ways I am sure.
I am really blessed that to have surrounded myself with great people concerned about me being successful. That and my trainer is REALLY cute. Have I mentioned that before? Nothing like having a really good looking guy give you 100% of his attention for an hour twice a week, kwim? Of course, I pay him to do that 
but he knows his stuff. That and it’s motivated my (typically not jealous) DH to start coming with me to the gym. So he’s working out too which is a win-win for everyone! 
