I'm 5 ' 7, was 252 at my heaviest.....i'm down to 185 right now.

I've been aiming to weigh 150, but I'm not sure what the right weight is for me. Right now, I figure I'll aim for that and evaluate when I get there whether I want to go further or not.

I know the height/weight charts are not always the best indicator, but I don't know what else to look at. Part of me thinks that I should just aim for where I'm happy, the other part says, I need a final number.......I'm in a size 16 right now and was a 24 heading to 26/28 when I started.

The thing that bothers me terribly is my stomach. I have all this excess skin there......and I don't think just diet and excercize will get rid of it. Has anyone here experienced that? What did you do? Has anyone had/considered a tummy tuck?

So those are my major questions.....thanks for any help or ideas.

I think your current plan sounds good. It sets a goal which you find psychologically pleasing and comforting. You can always re-evaluate. I did and so did several others. Other people go for size goals as well.

As for your tummy, exercises help though that can be done once your goal is reached. I suppose you are losing weight faster than your skin can keep up. I suggest getting to goal and then focusing on it. Of course, it's never too early to strengthen those abs. It may take time for your tummy to catch up. Get to goal and give it some time and then re-evaluate your desire for a tummy tuck. They're expensive and at that point you might find it not worth it or not necessary :)

sugarfiend

The goal thing: I would probably just go until I was happy. I personally picked weight I was happy at before...but some of us don't have that luxury. I might get there and decide I need to lose another ten pounds but the satisfaction of getting there will still be enormous. 150 seems like a good preliminary goal. Then take stock and if you're happy...great! If not...well, then just take it a few pounds at a time.

As for the skin, you do need to tone the muscles...but the skin will gradually shrink back on it's own...or it won't. You need to wait at least a year after you have been maintaining and then reanalyze if a surgical procedure is necessary. Any good surgeon should tell you this anyway if you went in too early.

Until then just focus on your food and fitness strategy. Great work on your lossess until now and good luck in the future!

I'm going to echo Sugarfiend. You are the best judge of what feels comfortable for you. If you are healthy and feel good about your appearance, that is all that matters. If you saw the thread I started on Body Image, I posted a picture of a model whom I thought was obviously to thin, but several people posted that they thought her weight was acceptable. Anyway, if you ask 10 different people what they think your weight should be, you may get 10 different answers.

I have also considered doing something about the extra skin after I lose my weight. I have heard that after you lose a lot of weight, that you are supposed to wait a year to see if the extra skin is going to shrink up (I guess skin elasticity varies from person to person). I have also heard that there are some products (creams and such) that you can put on your skin to help with the process (like stretch mark cream).

Hi Sherry37

I was just wondering, how bad it is to boil veggies...thats usually how i cook mine, and you mentioned that your reading all about how it's not good.....what is the best way to eat them?? my guess is raw or steamed...

I'm not sure if there is much truth to this, but one of my friends works for a cancer support group, and she said that you should not microwave plastic because the plastic can release carcinogens....(i figure butter safe than sorry, and try to avoid cooking in the microwave) do you or anyone else know of this???

After one year of maintenance (after a loss of 60 pounds), I can say that my skin is STILL changing. A lot of the saggy skin has been taken up, (even though I'm in my 40's) and I've found that exercise has had a profound effect. I never exercised during the weight loss, but began a cardio/weight lifting program about 5 months ago. It has made a huge difference.

I may still need some outside help for the tummy , but have begun an adominal program and will give it a few more months before seeking a doctor's opinion.

For Hippie Girl... just cook your veggies with corning ware, glass or ceramic dishes. I also refuse to use plastics in the microwave. I heard about the carcinogens from plastics a few years ago.