[JenMusic]

I'm having trouble believing that I should be anywhere near the Featherweights forum. I've lurked here a bit, and maybe posted on occasion, but in my head it feels like this is where the thin people are, and my inner fat girl keeps telling me I don't belong here.

I think I probably do, though. I've been losing for about a year, and have gone from around 200 pounds to 129 at today's weigh-in. That puts my BMI at 23.6, which is normal (for the first time in adulthood for me). I'm wearing size 6 and 8 pants and M and L tops, and most days I feel like I look pretty good.

However, I'm still not where I want to be. Some of that is toning - my stomach, in particular - and some of that is loose skin. But I know there's still excess fat on my body that could come off. I'm an apple shape, and would love to have a waist-to-hip ratio of under .8. I would love to have a BMI of around 21-22, which would be around 115-120 pounds. I don't want to get all wrapped up in arbitrary numbers, but I think the middle of the healthy BMI range seems like a good place to aim for.

To me, these are not vanity pounds, but I can see why some people would look at them that way. In that respect, I think this forum might be a good place to hang out and get some support. And hopefully give it!

[Wildflower]

Welcome JenMusic, and congrats on your 71 pound weight loss!!! That's fantastic, what type of plan are you following? 129 definitely makes you a feather!!! And if it helps solidify this in your mind, you weigh 10 lbs less than me and I post here all the time!

You'll see we have a thread for "getting out of the 120's" (and 130's and 140's and 150's) - you fit right in!

[JoJoP]

WOW you've lost a TON of weight, especially for just one year!

Don't think of it as "vanity weight;" think of it as you getting and keeping control of your body!

[bargoo]

You definitely belong in featherweights.....that is the while idea to lose those last stubborn pounds ,that just seem like they don't want to leave.
Congratulations on your great loss , so far.

[pinkflower]

welcome! Congrats on your weight loss

[JenMusic]

Thanks for the welcome and the encouragement!

It's nice to to know there are others in the same boat, and we're working on this together.

ETA: Wildflower - I'm counting calories. I didn't know what the heck I was doing when I started, really, so I kind of chose 1400 a day as my limit. I stayed there for a long time (looking back at my tracker, I was probably averaging a little bit over for the first few months, maybe 1400-1450 range). I got more strict about 1400 in the fall, and now I'm closer to a 1350 average.
I don't love exercise, but I do DVDs 4-5 times a week. Mostly 30 minute circuit (cardio/strength) workouts, a la Jillian.

[krampus]

Welcome! That's an amazing loss so far.

I have similar problems with my stomach. It's still there and still flops around, but for me doing a lot of pushups, ab work (simple stuff - crunches, planks, "bird dogs," Billy Blanks Tae Bo DVDs) has helped a lot. Sometimes after a particularly good workout I swear I can see where my abs would be if they "popped."