Body Image and Issues after Weight Loss Including discussions about excess skin and reconstructive surgery

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 12-02-2010, 09:16 AM   #1  
Calorie Counter
Thread Starter
 
RoseRodent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Scotland
Posts: 470

S/C/G: 197/ticker/136

Height: 1.65m

Default A higher "after" weight and attitudes

I'm curious, if anyone has gone down from really heavy to still heavy, let's say average height female goes down from 250+ to something above 160, what reactions do you get from your doctor?

It's just a bit of a silly question, cos I've watched a lot of shows about weight loss, Biggest Loser, Half Ton Mum, 200kg kid, all of that sort of thing. I always found it curious that those people were super-congratulated for their healthiness part-way through their weight loss journey. Well yeah, no brainer that being 190 is better than being 400, but the thing that always used to - if I'm honest - annoy me a bit was they were being told how amazing and healthy they were at 190 and I was 190 and being told how dreadfully fat and unhealthy that was, and I used to think if I told my doctor I used to be 300lbs maybe they'd spare me the lecture about being 190!

Just interested to see what goes on in the real world, maybe all these shows are just trying to press home the miracle of weight loss and not worry about the last few pounds and in real life doctors are not actually fooled that 200lbs is skinny just because it's not 400lbs.
RoseRodent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 09:20 AM   #2  
Calorie counter
 
Eliana's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,679

Height: 5'4.5"

Default

I don't know, but somehow the body responds really well to weight loss. So if a 300 pound person comes down to 190, it's quite possible they've corrected things like blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. A doctor may get snarky with a person who is 190 pounds because they have the same problems the 300 pound person started with...high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol.

That's just a guess. I know that by the time I'd gotten down to 190 (from 235) I'd corrected all those things. I'm sure I had those problems at 190 on the way up, but on the way down it was fixed.

Does this make any sense?
Eliana is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 10:26 AM   #3  
Tiff
 
pipernoswiper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: OHIO
Posts: 491

S/C/G: 322/ticker/175

Height: 5' 7"

Default

when i lost the weight the last time, my blood pressure came down to good around 250, at 169 the doctor warned me it was time to consider maintenance as i had quite a bit of lose skin, he guestimated to be 10 to 15 lbs.

it depends on the individual i think. just depends, but someone coming from 300 plus pounds, it is completely reasonable to think that they may want to maintain 190.
pipernoswiper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 10:48 AM   #4  
Calorie Counter
Thread Starter
 
RoseRodent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Scotland
Posts: 470

S/C/G: 197/ticker/136

Height: 1.65m

Default

It does make some sense, except that there was never anything wrong with my blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, any of those things. In fact if they didn't weigh me nobody ever, ever talked to me about weight, but if I went on the scales and the BMI was there in front of them I got the weight lecture. I was told for one treatment I had to get my BMI down to a certain figure (can't remember what now) or the treatment would not work. I was actually still above that BMI when the treatment started (and worked!) but they had stopped weighing me because they believed I must be below that BMI for sure by the way I looked. Back then I was working out a lot but still eating a lot too, so I guess I was in good shape and heavy on muscle, but all that mattered to them was my BMI. I'm in significantly worse shape now (just in terms of muscles, etc.) and my BMI is 5 points lower!
RoseRodent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 10:54 AM   #5  
Tiff
 
pipernoswiper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: OHIO
Posts: 491

S/C/G: 322/ticker/175

Height: 5' 7"

Default

i don't know, it is confusing to say the least. my daughter is 5'5" and has legs like a pro speed skater, she lift's weights 3 times a week, watches carb intake, and does cardio 5 times a week. she is not heavy by any stretch but weighs 175, her doc said she needs to lose 20 lbs, but i honestly don't know where she is going to lose it, her arms and legs both look like a bodybuilder.

i don't know.........grumble grumble......i don't think they take into account she is training right now for spring track and shot put. there has to be an exception to the rule....has to be. and i don't know how, but at 169lbs i was in an american eagle size 8..........now tell me how THAT makes any sense....
pipernoswiper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 11:00 AM   #6  
Less of a Better Me
 
Koshka's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,412

Default

I guess it is all relative. My understanding is that the health risks of someone who is 190 is higher than that of someone who is 145 but it is way less than the risks of someone who is 300. Now, that is for the group as a whole and I'm sure there can be individual differences. And BMI isn't as useful for people who do a lot of strength training as for the average person.

I remember seeing my doctor when I weighed 165 and him bringing up a need to lose weight to me. I would hope that if a doctor knew that someone had lost a tremendous amount of weight but was still obese that the doctor would be careful about being too heavy handed on losing more weight because you don't want to discourage the person and perhaps have that person give up and go back to the original weight.
Koshka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 11:15 AM   #7  
Calorie counter
 
Eliana's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,679

Height: 5'4.5"

Default

In the states, I think it's pretty common for doctors to avoid the subject of weight until it becomes glaringly necessary. Even then it seems most often doctors turn to surgery because they seem to have this notion that weight loss can't happen without it. So if you were here, it's likely nothing would have been said.

I'm actually glad to see a doctor did take notice! Of course I would have posted very different 80 pounds ago. I knew darn well I was overweight but would have been mortified had a doctor brought it up. I have been trying for ten years and it just wasn't working. I needed more education about how the body works, how long it takes, that patience is really important, blah, blah, blah. THAT'S what I wish doctors would present. Not just "You're fat...eat less."

Last edited by Eliana; 12-02-2010 at 11:15 AM.
Eliana is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 11:25 AM   #8  
Senior Member
 
seagirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: East Coast US
Posts: 2,440

S/C/G: 195/180.2/165

Height: 5'9"

Default

My doctors never care about my weight. And sometimes I think - hey, if I used to weigh 250 I'd be so happy to be at 187, but since I used to be 150 I'm not so thrilled to be at 187.
seagirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 11:29 AM   #9  
Hi there!
 
LiannaKole's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 910

S/C/G: Ticker

Height: 5' 5"

Default

OP, I think if your doctor doesn't know how far you've come, she or he is going to assume the worst - that this is your high weight and you're not working on it. I think they do that because often, that IS the truth for a lot of people.

"I needed more education about how the body works, how long it takes, that patience is really important" -- EXACTLY, Eliana!

I wish I had been told how to eat right and exercise, or at least where to go to learn that stuff. AND that weight loss takes time, isn't always a steady loss, and to stick with it because basically if I find a way I like that lets me eat less and move more and stick with something like that, I WILL get smaller over time.

No doctor I've ever seen said that stuff. Makes me wonder if they even know it, honestly (the last part, not the eat less move more part, which they vaguely and flippantly tell you to do and not how).

People tend to expect weight loss to be magical and instantaneous, like the TV commercials. It's not.

Last edited by LiannaKole; 12-02-2010 at 11:29 AM.
LiannaKole is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 11:34 AM   #10  
Calorie counter
 
Eliana's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,679

Height: 5'4.5"

Default

Lianna, I wonder if they know it too! You always hear that you should shoot for "1-2 pounds per week". But it isn't really 1-2 a week. That sounds linear to me! When I don't lose that much I feel broken. But if you say "4-8 pounds in a month," well that makes sense! And that's what I lose. I do not lose every week. I lose 4 one week and nothing for three.
Eliana is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 11:56 AM   #11  
Senior Member
 
KforKitty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Posts: 812

S/C/G: 290/170/170

Default

I'm exactly the person you describe. I've lost 120lbs to get to 170, so technically still overweight. However my weightloss was medically supervised and my GP was happy to call me at maintenance where I am. In reality I do carry my weight well and I don't think anyone would guess that I'm 20lbs overweight. My upper body is quite small and I fit in medium tops (UK size 12s) mostly. I was left with some loose skin on my lower tummy so still take a UK14 in jeans/pants and I still have plenty of junk in the trunk, which will never change whatever I weigh.

My bloods are excellent, my BP normal and I do 4 or 5 hours a week high intensity/high impact fitness classes at nearly 47 years of age so I think by any medical definition I'm 'fit' despite my BMI falling into the 'overweight' category.

Kitty
KforKitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 12:43 PM   #12  
Just Me
 
nelie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Maryland
Posts: 14,707

S/C/G: 364/--/182

Height: 5'6"

Default

I've lost 150 lbs but yet still weigh over 200 lbs. I never had high blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. Actually, all my blood tests were considered optimal prior to weight loss. The reactions I get from my doctors? They are happy about my weight loss and maintenance of weight loss.
nelie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 02:24 PM   #13  
no gravity!
 
moon safari's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 150

S/C/G: 301.5/185/150

Height: 5'6"

Default

Can you imagine how frustrated and discouraged 400lb people would be if they went back into the Dr.'s office at 190 and the doctor was like "you're still terribly unhealthy."

Take into account that it's television. If these doctors don't give encouragement the participant is less likely to continue. If the doctors don't acknowledge and make a BFD out of the loss they've already had, there's no drama in the show.

Plus you might just have a douchebag for a doctor...
moon safari is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2010, 02:28 PM   #14  
Hi there!
 
LiannaKole's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 910

S/C/G: Ticker

Height: 5' 5"

Default

Eliana: I lose the same way, now. My loss used to be more linear, but now it's stall, drop, stall, drop, stall, drop. You're right - no one ever says people lose weight differently, and you might want to aim for X lbs per month. That would be MUCH more helpful.

I think most doctors also don't think "maybe this person has lost a lot of weight - I'll ask because it's relevant medical information" because of findings like this:

"Most patients with body mass index (BMI) above 30 kg/m2 will not reduce their BMI to below 25 kg/m2..." -- NWCR

It's not the finding or the reporting of it that's bad - it's just that generally people just don't lose weight like that, so doctors generally say it can't be/isn't done. Frustrating when they give up on their patients, though.

Speaking of which, if today's weight holds for me, I am below a 25 BMI for the first time since I can remember! :
LiannaKole is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2010, 04:07 AM   #15  
Calorie Counter
Thread Starter
 
RoseRodent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Scotland
Posts: 470

S/C/G: 197/ticker/136

Height: 1.65m

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by pipernoswiper View Post
my daughter is 5'5" and has legs like a pro speed skater, she lift's weights 3 times a week, watches carb intake, and does cardio 5 times a week. she is not heavy by any stretch but weighs 175, her doc said she needs to lose 20 lbs, but i honestly don't know where she is going to lose it, her arms and legs both look like a bodybuilder.

i don't know.........grumble grumble......i don't think they take into account she is training right now for spring track and shot put. there has to be an exception to the rule....has to be.
It should be on the bottom of absolutely every single BMI chart that the chart should not be considered suitable for anyone who is "an athlete" but almost all doctors seem to manage to ignore this disclaimer because they think that everyone makes excuses about their weight so let's not give them excuses.

Almost every international athlete weighs in obese because the BMI is designed for people with average builds and average muscle/fat ratios. There are very few doctors out there who can give people realistic understandings of their weight in the context of their athletic build because the only education they receive about weight is that more of it is bad and causes diabetes and things, but a body fat measurement might be useful reassurance.
RoseRodent is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:21 AM.


We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.