The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Mike]

Happy belated birthday to ya... here is the best I can do when it comes to cake for ya....

[lifelovinaries]

thanks mike! that cake looks pretty much calorie/carb free so i will take it

[Maisy]

[size=14]

And soj...YES, the 60# club was one of the BEST gifts ever! It was soooo funny at work because i came in and one of the guys there had made a salad for me, put it in a nice little plastic container, cut a hole in the top and put a big tapered candle in it and lit it. This was my birthday cake sitting on my desk, waiting for me at 7:30 am. I could do nothing but laugh. I LOVE my co-workers! Now that i think about it, i wish i had taken a picture. It was so cute (and thoughtful, i might add)...

size]

OMG that is the nicest!

[Tawanda]

Happy (belated) Birthday!!!!

[Lauren]

Happy Belated Birthday to you! It's so awesome celebrating birthdays when you know you're making such awesome life-altering changes...it's the best kind of birthday gift!

Lauren

[aquarianskye]

Hey lady! I guess I've missed a few things while I was out. HAPPY BELATED B-DAY and CONGRATS ON THE 60# CLUB! Whoo hooo to you lady!

[lifelovinaries]

DAY 178
Ok, finally have a chance to post a little and catch up on everything. Well, to let you guys know what is going on with me... I have been trying to keep up with the reading (which hasn't been too hard since things seem to be a little slow around here! ) I have been OP this week but not fully compliant. Most of my meals have been MF but i have had meals off plan too. This wasn't intentional in the beginning but then it became intentional (to be explained in a minute.) Either way, the scale has not been all that kind. I am still in the 60# club but by the skin of my teeth. Another .5# and i get the boot. I WILL NOT let that happen. So, here's my dilemma and the reason i have intentionally had off plan meals:

I am thinking of changing my goal. Soooo many people are telling me "DO NOT LOSE ANYMORE WEIGHT!!!!!!" However, there are a select few that i truly trust to be brutally honest and their opinion is that i should not lose anymore and if i do, don't make it more than 10#. My weight is currently 180.1 which is still 8.35# above the healthy range for my height. I kinda thought that 155 (my current goal) might be a little too small for me but i figured i would shoot for it anyway. There was no rhyme or reason as to why i picked 155 except that it was pretty much half way between my height's healthy weight range (125 - 171). Ok so now i am thinking around 170 or so. I really HATE to raise my goal. It's not that i feel that i could not lose the weight but more of a question of is 155 really too small for me. Would i feel comfortable at 170? Yes. It's funny because i have said to many others here that changed their goal "don't feel like you are cheating, do what is healthy for you, do what will make you feel comfortable" and at the same time, i am realizing that i didn't know what it felt like to be in those shoes. Right now, i am feeling guilty when thinking of raising the goal number. I have been getting in a little more exercise and still keeping up with my pushups. I really wanna work on changing my body composition. So with that, i figured i would try to test myself and see if i was able to make smart food choices when adding in different foods with MF. Unfortunately, i have been able to see firsthand that mentally, i don't know if i'm ready to stop yet. My food choices have not been all that bad but when i make a bad choice, it's BAD. So let's go to the portion control thing...everything in moderation...NOT. I figure if i over-indulge, i have to limit myself at the next meal. In a perfect world right? Well it worked a majority of the time but not always. I see that i was trying to maintain without quite knowing how to transition. Guess i shoulda read up on it a little more. So, it really hasnt been that bad because i have only increased my weight by another pound. It does scare me a little that sometimes i feel like i won't be able to maintain. Then again, the fear may come from knowing that i shouldn't even be thinking about maintaining anything right now since i haven't reached my goal yet. What to do, what to do? Any advice/suggestions/opinions right now would be greatly appreciated. Currently, i am fitting into a size 12 (dress clothes) and junior's 13 jeans ~ they are a little snug but not uncomfortably so and YES, they can be worn in public! So c'mon guys, help me out a little, i am still on the fence with this one.

[lifelovinaries]

forgot to add...brutal honesty is greatly appreciated. No offense will be taken from anyone's opinion.

[cydj21]

While I'm not quite as close to goal as you are, I'm actually having the same internal debate at the present moment. I keep flopping as to whether or not I want to just hit 150 (the top of the healthy weight range for my height of 5'5") or push further into the 130s to get into the middle of my weight range because I feel like I could, but then I've just never been a teeny tiny girl so it seems kind of silly and like I would be "too small" or something.

I don't think brutal honesty is required. Other people may disagree. My suggestion is to continue with the program and get yourself solidly into your healthy weight range...say 5lbs under the top of the weight range, because that way one mishap won't bump you out of the healthy range which we know wouldn't be much fun psychologically. From that point, reconsider how you feel, your health, your feelings about your appearance, and make a decision based on that. You'll be at a healthy weight and you can decide for yourself if you want the extra pounds to be gone. If you aren't comfortable with transitioning/maintaining still from an emotional and/or eating habit standpoint that would definitely be a factor to take into consideration when making your decision.

Phew! Anyway, that was rather long-winded, but that is the line of thinking I am going with right now. Whatever you decide, do not allow yourself to feel guilty about adjusting your goals. Healthy is healthy and you've gone a long way toward giving yourself the gift of health for a lifetime so do not beat yourself up if you are healthy and love the way you look - our society needs more than few more healthy women who are NOT Paris Hilton thin. [/i]

[DogMa]

Personally, I would go more on size than weight. If you're at a size where you feel comfortable and you look good, then stop (but transition properly and don't just go hog wild with treats). If you think you'd be happier a size down (and that you'll be able to maintain it comfortably), go for it.

And remember, you can stop for now, wait a bit and re-evaluate later on. Just because you raise your goal now doesn't mean it has to be your goal for life. Maybe live in your new body for a while, maintain for a while, increase your workouts for a while and see how you feel about your body as you build muscle and increase definition and such.

[Tawanda]

Gee, this dilemma sounds familiar.

Okay, my suggestion is to get into the healthy weight range by at least 5#. Do transition properly (do as I say......not as I do ) and then you can re-evaluate your goal after maintaining that weight for awhile.

It isn't an easy decision in many ways....

[katieb920]

Okay are you ready for my 2 cents.

Let me tell you what is going on with my friends and co workers.

1st my friends have always known me as a heavy person, same with my coworkers. Since I have lost 58.4 they think I need to stop. They are saying to me that I am getting way to skinny What the heck I am 5ft 6 in and i am currently 193.2. And my stomach can still be a shelf for me to hold my food. But when I meet people for the first time and tell them I need to lose about 50 more pounds they said wow good for you, you are going to look great.

So erica as a friend of yours, try to find someone that you really don't know that well and just bring up the topic of dieting and see what they say. But in my opionion I think it is all you girl. IF you feel comfortable where you are then stop, if you think you can lose 10 more pounds then do it. You are a smart woman and you will know if it is time to stop.

PS if we saw some studio pictures maybe we would be able to help out a little bit more.

Love ya girl,
from one jersey girl to another PEACE OUT

[lifelovinaries]

ok, all of you guys must have been in my head last nite and this morning. I truly appreciate the input. As of last night, i had decided to get a few pounds into my healthy weight range (maybe just under 170...165-168). I really do wanna see what additional exercise and strength training can do for the rest. However, i don't think i am going to change my ticker just yet because my decision has not been finalized and i don't wanna keep jumping back and forth. T, up, this sounds REAL familiar . Now i can really empathize. Cyd, I must say i am comfortable (for the most part) with my size now but maybe that is the problem. I've lost 60# and i feel comfortable. That may not necessarily be a good thing. Sometimes being comfortable and being healthy are not the same thing. But i think i am going to go for another 12 lbs and re-evaluate my position. Robin, Why did it not even cross my mind that my goal for now doesn't have to be my goal for life? Jeez, that is common sense, Erica (talking to myself for now). Why am i stressing so hard because, yes, i can lose weight later on down the road. I had to chuckle to myself when i read that because for whatever reason, my goal is stuck in my head like that is what it has to be for the rest of my life. Thanks for bringing the simple to light. I guess i have shown that constant exercise is not my forte but i know to be TRULY healthy, exercise is a must. Katie, most of my friends/coworkers whose opinions i trust have seen me at this size. They actually watched me blow up over the last 12 or so years. However, when i went to the dr. for bloodwork a few weeks ago, i saw a doctor that i had never seen before. When she looked at my weight she said "wow, good for you, you have lost a CONSIDERABLE amount of weight since you were last here." I told her that i planned on losing approximately another 30# (at that time) and she said "Honestly, considering your height and structure, i don't think you need to lose anymore than an additional 10-15 although you look fine as you are now." That made me feel WONDERFUL coming from a doctor. Yeah, i know, i need to post some pics Hopefully, this weekend, i will have a chance to take some and get them posted! Thanks again guys for the input, it really has helped ease my mind a bit. Jeez, i still can't get over that i didn't consider that my goal for now doesn't have to be my goal for life. Yeah, i really feel stupid now!

[summergirl]

Interesting thing to think about!! I do feel that you should do what feels right for your body. And, I can understand the part about people thinking you look "Too thin". I have a naturally narrow face, and last year when I was pregnant, one of my best friends and her husband told me I looked better with my face a bit rounder, as I looked "too thin" before. Let's just say the before weight was 177, and by no means too thin for me... But my face fools people.

For me, it is a lot about SIZE. I am butt, thighs and hips, without a doubt. So for me, fitting into a 10 would be absolutely great! If you feel comfortable in the size you're in, then congrats to you! I do agree with some folks that have mentioned giving yourself some "Wiggle room" with 5 pounds inside your zone! I think that will prevent heartache in the future. You've done so great, I applaud you for what you've already accomplished.

When I was first attempting to set my goal, I spoke with my health coach, and she said that what she did and what some of her other friends have done was get to their "goal", then take a look in the mirror naked and if they don't like what they see, continue. I'd be on MF forever if that was the case, ha ha

Can't wait to follow your journey, whatever you decide!

[aquarianskye]

Wow Erica. I often think you look into my head to pull out some of your concerns. I know that I'm no where close to 'stopping' but I've been thinking about it A LOT lately. I'm not quite sure why. I keep trying to justify stopping. I think, for me, what it comes down to is fear of the unknown. I seriously can't remember being as small as I am now since HS.

I'm glad you've decided to continue.