Starting weights

What weight are we to go by? Last time I was at my surgeon's office I had gained 8 lbs...then when I weighed at the hospital for surgery I was down 8 lbs, then when I got home full of fluids I was up 10 lbs and now I am down 15 lbs. Does that mean I lost 5 lbs so far or 13 or 15? NO this isn't a riddle!

It may as well be a riddle! I think everyone is doing a little different. I planned on using my hospital weight, and my hospital never weighed me! So personally I am using my home weight before going in. I guess everyone can pick what they want. This is not a competition, so the rules don't have to be consistent! Joy

I wonder why the hospital didn't weigh you....you would think for anesthia purposes they would need an exact weight. Oh, well I guess the surgeon's office will always think of THEIR weigh in number as official.

To each is own. I'm using my home scale either the night before or the morning of (if I remember to bring it to the hotel with me). I'd like to see if I can get my self to weigh only once a month because I don't want to be a slave to the scale. However, I know I'll be weighing on my doctor's scale 2 1/2 weeks post-op when I have my first post-op visit. I may just close my eyes and ask him not to tell me. I'm just planning on following the food and exercise plan and let my body take care of itself. We'll see if I can stick to this. Monthly may be hard as I tend to be a bit of a curious sort. Caboose

I am a slave...every morning...but NOW it will be fun fun fun. I guess officially I am down 13 pounds already...that is 8 before surgery on the 2 day liquids only and then 5 more since surgery.

Sally, I go by 2 different weights: (1) what I weighed on my first visit to my surgeon; and (2) hospital weight day of surgery (I was down 20 pounds from my first visit to my surgeon). This way, I can look at the total journey (weight at surgeon's office) AND to my own personal strength and commitment to doing this, and doing it right! (down 20 lbs. from first visit). Like Rob, I am trying very hard not to concentrate on numbers. Never worked for me in the past, why should it now? Rather, I want to be fully focused on improving my quality of life by following the WLS protocal to the letter, and by incorporating exercise into my daily life, for the rest of my life. For me, this is about staying alive longer, and enjoying living in a new, more healthy, more joyful body and mind. Hope this helps. God bless, Maureen

Nice to see someone who's on the same regime I am, Caboose. I've never been a "slave to scales", as you so aptly put it. But then again, I've always said I don't care if I weigh 900 lbs as long as I'm comfortable and healthy...and a size 10 (I'll probably never dip below a 10 due to my musculature. It was such a relief to actually hear TWO surgeons confirm that!!). I weigh about 50 lbs more than people think I do - both surgeons said I carry 35-45 pounds in excess muscle weight. Go figure, eh? So that's why scales don't excite me. I did WLS for other reasons...to get my fibromyalgia under control. AND - by the GRACE of GOD, I've been pain-free and energetic (versus chronic fatigue) since I left the hospital, so my 'goal' has already been met! MIRACULOUS!! Now my goal is to MAINTAIN this new and foreign feeling of HEALTH!! I'll be weighing in at my surgeon's office on my follow-ups, so I weighed myself at home the morning before surgery, and have a baseline to go by (it was the same weight as at my consultation with him). I'll be VERY curious to see what/if I've lost when I see him this week. Maybe the results will spur me to weigh on a regular basis, but I absolutely refuse to do it more than monthly...say, maybe on the 9th of each month. I'll wait and see, but I'm not a scale-oriented person. I wasn't weighed at the hospital, but I think it may be because my BMI was "high enough" that it wasn't in question. I don't KNOW that, it's just a theory. Kimmer Queen of the Niners, Instigator to All Marchers, High Priestess of Giggles

I don't know which one to go by either, I could go by my hospital weight which is 244 or I could go by my real pre op weight which is 265. Going from 265 to 232 sounds so much better, but really I've only lost 12 pounds since the surgery so..., I think I'll go by the weight I was the day of surgery. 244. Kelley 12 pounds since surgery and total of 33 lbs since January

Personally, I would go by what you weighed at the hospital right before surgery. I think I've lost some, too. The slacks I put on this morning are usually snug in the hips, but not today! Yea for me! Hugs all! -Marcie T-7

Although I'm pretty sure I was a few lbs heavier when I went in for surgery (I had already been playing with them anyway), I am going by my last weight nekkid at home. Doctor's scales are frequently off (amazing huh?) and I keep mine which is a sliding scale properly calibrated, so I know exactly what I really weigh. It would be nice to show more loss, but in the end all that matters is that it's coming off and I want to be able to calculate it right where I do it every day. Dina - gonna start putting my stats down as I ALWAYS forget! 338 / 325 / 313 / 150 high/start/current/goal