The Over Half Thread

asyoz · 09:01 PM

I thought I'd start a thread for those of us who have to:

LOSE MORE THAN HALF THEIR STARTING BODY WEIGHT.

I started at 166kg, and my goal weight is 75kg, so I have to lose 91kg, well over half my body weight.

I thought it might be interesting for us to compare notes in a room of our own.

Once a few have popped their heads up, I'll post a couple of issues I wanted to discuss...

PLEASE only people on the Cohen Plan.

asy

dizzy · October 27th, 2006, 10:33 AM

Hi
I started posting on the old thread and it closed down!! I started at 116.4 and have to get down to 54-59kg. So... near enough to half my weight. I've been on cohens for 7 weeks and am down 16.4 kg. Feeling much better generally but still concerned about the skin elasticity. Am hoping that as I get closer to goal my skin will start to stick to the underlying structures more. Although my arms seem thinner (my sleeves don't feel so tight) the measurements haven't changed much. Loving my cheekbones sticking out more and I'm getting comments about being sick as I'm losing it so fast.
Just gotta love Cohens
Dizzy

asyoz · October 27th, 2006, 04:29 PM

Yeah, the skin elasticity is one of the issues I wanted to talk about. Losing THIS percentage of weight means our skin is hugely oversize when we started.

I'm having a problem with my arms, They were huge to start with, a 53cm diameter, So far, I've lost roughly a metre off my measurements, but only 3cm off my arms. I can feel that they've lost a heap of fat, but no diameter. I can see definition in the muscle in the arm, but the skin just hangs.

I must admit I'm terrified of them not shrinking. The rest of me seems to be shrinking with the loss, but just not my arms

asy

dizzy · October 27th, 2006, 11:47 PM

Hi,
Know the feeling. I could drop four sizes in blouses from a 24/26 to 20 as far as my tummy and chest go but the sleeves still feel way too tight. Still its worth the weight (!!!). Am dying to see how things improve over time and if I have to resort to surgery then it will probably be worth it.
Dizzy

Jewls · October 28th, 2006, 01:31 AM

Hi Guys,

I started cohens 18 weeks ago and have lost 31kgs (it might be more but i can weigh myself cause of the broken ankle). I have 61 kgs to lose and my starting weight was 120.6kg, so it is almost half or i was on my way to being double of what i should be. Anyway I have the same concerns as you both do about the excess skin BUT I met a lady some months ago that had done cohens. She lost 62kgs and she had no excess skin, some of it was just a little flabby around the tummy but she said that would change over the next few month, especially with tone and firming excercises. She also told me that the arms are the last place that you lose considerable weight from, and that they (skin) does firm up.

This will be interesting to watch and experience cause i too have turkey gobble arms and would like them to firm up but I won't consider surgery on them. I am on a waiting list for repair surgery. I have a 2cm whole in my abdomin wall. The only reason why i am on the list is that the surgeon offered me an appronectomy (spelling???). Now that i have lost this weight i am hoping that i wont need this surgery again (been done before - just abdo not apron). My stomach was so big and dangley I considering it putting myself on the list but i really don't cope well with surgery ~ getting rid of excess fat and skin would be good but i still don't think for me that it is worth it. Does that make me a hypocrite?
Glad you started this thread

Jewls

heavenlylamb · October 28th, 2006, 04:00 AM

i'm also in the half body weight thread - well close to half anyway.

Interestingly, my stretch marks are just beginning to show again. I got them with my second pregnancy, and they had disappeared because my skin was soooo stretched afterwards.
I think our arms will tone up, but it might take some time. My consultant said that the skin firming continues on for a year or so after you finish the weight loss.

Chelsea · October 28th, 2006, 06:33 AM

Hi Heavenlylamb

In four months my weight has remained steady but I have shrunk another 7 cms.

Size 8 trousers which I bought at the end of the program and which were a snug fit are now a little loose around the waist and I can get my hands (both at once) in the pockets without having to squeeze them in.

Cheers

Chelsea

asyoz · October 28th, 2006, 08:44 AM

Size 8.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Size 8 is so ridiculously unfathomable it's not funny.

I know it's true, but it's just that I've NEVER been a size 8 in my life, well, not since I was about 6yo...

Can't wait to see what I end up!

asy

feeling frumpy · October 28th, 2006, 09:06 PM

Hi all,

I also belong to this thread (and many others!!!). I am just coming into half way....it's taken me a long time but in the last 15 weeks I have lost 22kgs. Altogether I have just reached 44kgs loss and I don't EVER want to find them again

I have another 45kgs to go and I can actually see that I may be able to achieve this. I think the only time I was "normal weight" was when I was born....and then it all went downhill (or in my case downloading my fat genes

).

It's funny how people perceive weightloss. Saw some people this morning that I haven't seen for months and most very positive. A couple said you look different and couldn't place what it was and then realised and were complimentary. One said what's your secret, and keep going......one said how drawn and tired I looked and felt sorry for me!!!! I get a giggle out of the different views, but fortunately it spurs me on and I feel I am achieving something.

I hope this turkey neck will fix itself up as it seems the skin under my chin needs something to fill it up. I would like to think it will shrink into my neck rather than needing fat to layer it.

Have a good day

dizzy · November 1st, 2006, 09:35 AM

Hi

I also have the scraggy neck thing happening but am quite happy as it means that the underlying fat is disappearing - never to return. when I mentioned the surgery thing about my arms - I don't want to have it - it is just an niggling doubt that I'll be left with these baggy arms that won't go away and I would really love to wear sleeveles tops come the hot Perth summers.

I do love the way my skin is suddenly looking. I have gone from having incredibly dry skin especially on my arms, hands and face to having some tone. People are commenting on how well I look.

If this is what they are saying now I can't wait until I'm at goal.

Dizzy

asyoz · November 1st, 2006, 01:57 PM

Yeah, I am with you there, my skin is not sagging as much as I thought it might, especially in my stomach. I worried that it would hang down. It used to be big enough that I could use the top of it as a table and put a plate on it (no, I'm not kidding, scary, but true). Now, it's *almost* flat, not FLAT, and no 6-pack, but hey, it's now smaller than my boobs, and not hanging down at ALL. No loose skin.

My thighs haven't got any loose skin either. They still have a long way to go.

The arms are a WHOLE nuther thing, they're going to be my shitty-spot. My upper arms, I've said before, are flags. Talk about tuck-shop arms! Now they're losing their internal fat, you can see the muscles through the skin, but there's still the huge flap hanging down. People tell me it's shrinking, but I don't feel it yet. It's frustrating, but I know it'll get there.

But everywhere is getting thinner. Necklaces I couldn't get on before are loose. My ring is falling off (darn, I'll need a new one! hehe). My wrists have shrunk and I can get bracelets on now, even my SHOES are loose!!! My forearms are visibly smaller, there's no longer the giant tree frog folds at the wrist (or ankle!) the skin on my forearms is still a little oversize, but just this week it's tightened up!

Frumpy, I'm so pleased you joined this thread, we have the same amount to loose, by the look of it. I have 91kg. What's your end goal?

asy

feeling frumpy · November 3rd, 2006, 03:23 PM

Hi all,

asyoz: you are doing so extremely well on your weightloss so far. You are going full steam ahead and inspiring me and others to continue with this. Well done and even better is the satisfaction all the clothes that you are getting rid of for good.

Cohen's goal weight for me is around 55kgs at the upper end of the scale.....I am only 5'2" short and when I look at my petite daughter who is 52kgs, I just can't imagine me looking like her....there is this skinny person waiting to be released from within me and she is half way there. At first I thought this would be hard to achieve but now it is becoming realistic. We can all buddy up to help each other achieve our goals.

I hope my tummy goes away as I seem much smaller from the shoulders than my hips and tree logs (legs). After 4 children and years of being obese, I fear the muscles have been stretched to full capacity....I see before and after photos of people who have lost massive amounts of weight and their tummies are NORMAL - there is hope for me yet.

I read somewhere that it can take up to 12 months after weightloss for the skin to catch up with the rest of the body.

Let's keep being motivated and to keep shrinking. Have a good day.

asyoz · November 3rd, 2006, 08:15 PM

Thanks!

I have been overweight for so long it's ridiculous.

By the way, the muscles are predominantly UNDER the fat layer, so they haven't been stretched that much.

I can't wait to see what I'll look like when I'm finished, it's a little like having a baby and not being able to wait to see it's face.

I found a website once where you could put your body type, weight, etc in and it drew a computer image of your body, it was pretty accurate, I"m looking for it again to see if I can draw what I'll look like finished! Can't find it yet...

asy

feeling frumpy · November 4th, 2006, 02:47 AM

hi asyoz: I don't know if this is the same site that you are talking about, but try My Virtual Model. You can input your height, weight and features and see the shrinking model what you would look like. You can play dress-ups with the model as well. It's great fun.

dreamer · November 4th, 2006, 09:34 AM

TOH'ers united!

I realised my ticker was out by about 6kg ARGH! I pretty much do fit in here, I was 134 and I need to get to 62-65.

I am really worried about the excess skin. My face neck and boobs go first. My arms are THE worst part of my body. They are like Dumbos wings - and I seriously think if I tried to glide off a cliff I could fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My friends don't believe me when I tell them I have 40kg plus to lose. I do think they are being genuine (I hope anyway). I seem to carry my weight really well. I'm 170cm tall - my thighs alone must carry a good 10kg each! I can't believe I actually went down a shoe size! It's amazing what fatty boomba clothes can hide!

I know exercise isn't really part of the equation. We don't really consume enough calories to handle an exercise regime. This is a concern to me, partly because being thin is fine, but being an unfit skinny is not teaching me how to create much balance. Yes having not to exercise is a bonus I guess, but being unfit it not a good thing either. What are your thoughts on this guys?