Slogging through the Slough of Despond
OK, the title of this one is a reference to Little Women. If you never read it, you still should. Love that book, if not least because Jo is my favorite, and the only one of the bunch that isn’t relentlessly cheerful. Much better than the movie.
My particular Slough of Despond is my first plateau. Been stuck at 135 pounds lost for over two weeks. Rationally, I know the weight loss isn’t over–that I will lose more weight, it’s just a matter of time. Emotionally, it’s really a struggle. I’m still 18 pounds from my goal, which I think is a pretty realistic goal.
Most people lose 70-75% of their weight above ideal. I weighed 303 when I had the surgery, and the “ideal” weight for my 5′1″ height is 109 pounds. (As laughable as that is). So you take 303, subtract 109, and you get 194 pounds. Multiply that times 75%, and you get 145.5 pounds, which would leave me weighing 157.5 pounds total when I lose 75% of my excess weight. Right now, I weigh 168. My goal was 150 pounds, so I’m shooting for a 78% weight loss.
This is not unreasonable, and I can still make it. I’m only 11 months post-op tomorrow, so there is still time. Most people continue to lose weight until their 16-18 month mark, so there’s still plenty of time. Right? Right. Just got to keep on keeping on. If this sounds like a pep talk, it’s because that’s what it is.
