Realistic Goals....

I have been reading some posts with questions and concerns about getting to goal etc. I saw this website on another post on the main message board - thought I would share www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm Just add the http:// Interesting how we can get caught up in the numbers and lose focus on the goals that focus on health?.... Then I thought there were a number of questions I would have 1. Who set your goal weight? - your doc, you?, weight charts, BMI charts?? How was the goal for you determined? Or do you even have one? I looked up on this site and saw what an ideal weight for my height was and took my goal partly from there - just as a number (knew he would ask the question) - did not expect my surgeon to say that was at all reasonable -- had to interrupt him to ask if that was a reasonable goal. He was not flustered in the least.... i was!... he said that 145 was perfectly reasonable. 2. At what point would you be satisfied with your weight loss?? at goal, within 5?, 10?, 15? lbs of goal??? When you achieve certain goals other than a weight?? Anything under 200 lbs is gravy for me!!!! Under 160 is dream land..... To achieve 145 is something I will have to see to believe!!!! I am well on my way to my health goals.... off all BP meds, feel more comfortable in my skin, move about in the world much better. Just waiting to feel better and not so dragged out tired, and weird labs. 3. Did your doctor tailor your surgery according to your weight loss goals??? In other words.... more bypass if you wanted to lose more weight? RNY vs other surgeries?? open vs. laporoscopic??? Yes, my doc bypasses based partly on how much you weigh and how much you want to lose - but focuses on distal bypasses because of his past experience with weight regain. His partner now does all the surgeries but does both proximals and distals. We talked about other surgeries, but he was quite frank about what he recommends, what he will do, and why. My understanding is that distals can only be done "open" at this time, but I am sure as technology and skills advance that will change. Just wondering how it worked for others???????? B

Intially my surgeon's PA suggested a goal of 140 lbs!!! Then my PCP said that was too low for me! At 3 month check up my PA says he thinks a new goal of 135 would be good since I was losing quickly. This month my PCP says I'm good were I am at 175lbs!! At my 6 month Surgeon's check up I see a woman PA who is awesome she says I should set a goal between 145-154!! If I shoot for 153 I'm only 19 lbs away. If I am shooting for a NORMAL WEIGHT at a BMI of 25 I could weigh 155!! Confused to say the least!! I guess I'll know my goal weight when I get there!! ~Summer 240/172/goal weight??

Thanks for the info B. I found it very informative. As for my goal weight. My doctor has never given one or even discussed it with me for that matter. I'm going for my 6 month check up on the 25th and I'm going to ask him. I picked my goal weight to be 120 originally because it put me at the normal bmi according to the OH website. I now changed it to 118 a couple of weeks ago based on some other site by Bruce Underwood. To be quite honest, I feel perfectly healthy at the weight i'm at now. Better than i've felt in many yrs. But if more wanted to come off of me,,, who am I to complain God Bless, ~Angel 255/222/150/118

Hiya B, Good questions!! 1. I set my goal based upon some various weight/height chart things. A few months ago I asked my surgeon what he thought my goal should be and he asked what I thought, lol. I told him 125 and he said although that was a possibility, he didnt think I would reach that without having skin removed. He didnt think I would be able to get below 130 without the plastic surgery. I disagreed, lol. Right now, at 6 months out I am hovering at 137. I have no doubt that I will lose more, I am sure 15 lbs is not a stretch. I am also sure it will be much harder than the last 15 lbs I lost. 2. That being said about my goal, even if I do not lose another lb I am happy with where I am and how far I have come and how healthy I feel. 3. I do not believe my surgeon tailored my surgery in any particular way, although I am not certain, this was not discussed. I wanted to lose about 100 lbs and so far I have lost 85. Again, good questions!!! Thanks! God bless you and keep you, ~Andrea 223/137/123

Thanks for posting the article here. It was very good. As for my answers, here they are: 1. ME ! well me and my SO. I wanted to get to 170lbs (where I was when I started high school - yep always been overweight!). He doesnt want me below 190. My surgeon has not talked with me about goal weight yet and since I am still about 85lbs from being under 200, I guess that is not such a bad thing. My SO and I decided to compromise, my goal as of right now is 180. It may change or I may be satisfied at a higher weight. Not sure yet. 2. I will be satisfied if I can get to within 10lbs of my goal weight. I will still be about 40 - 45lbs overweight from "ideal" for my height but I have a very large frame and don't want bones sticking out. 3. I actually do not know the answer to that question. Although my surgeon did say he would do the surgery LAP (and did) but in rare cases has to resort to Open. Lise 11/29/04 409/285/180

Well, I set my own I guess. I have went to my 6 month check up and my dr. said I am doing great. I keep changing mine though, because I don't know what is realistic. I noticed with this site though, that when I changed my weight, it kept changing my ideal weight too, so that confuses me. I will be happy with another 60 lbs, but I would like to lose 75. Teresa