goal?

hi everyone, i was wondering... did you know what your goal was going into surgery? i don't know if i was too nervous... or if i was never actually told when i went in to see dr. juarez in my consultation. should i know this number before surgery? i know that i need to lose a bunch! but i don't know what my goal is.

I don't think I was ever told my goal either and several people have asked me and I guess, but was never told an official number. Maybe they didn't want to scare me! ha ha!!!

I didn't have one - at least until I got within twenty pounds of what I thought would be a bottom weight I wouldn't want to go below. Then I asked at a consultation with Juarez's assistant and he told me that I didn't want to go below 140. I'm 5ft, 9 and 1/2 inches and that's like a normal person being 130 because there's about ten pounds of excess skin hanging on me now. I think it is probably a good idea to have a goal weight established before you get there. It sounds weird, but our body images can be so screwy that I could imagine a person not liking what they see in the mirror and then sliding into anorexia without realizing it. I'm pretty boney right now, but I don't notice it anywhere as much as others do. (a bit of a sharpee, but I DO like what I see). And although most of the time I feel great, when I sit down on a hard surface for a few minutes, it becomes quickly apparant that I could use a little more cushion and less bone in the fanny department. I have plenty of energy, but have also noticed that I get cold very easily without my protective blubber. I've gotten so I take very seriously the challenge of not losing another pound and I've been successful at it for a couple of months now. I know myself well enough to be sure that I'll gain at least a few pounds back, so it's OK here for now, since I'm only fourteen months out and maintaining. You can look up BMIs and probably calculate what weight you'd be at given a BMI in the low to mid twenties, but be sure and factor in the extra skin or you will be underweight. - Stephanie

I never had a goal. I think the doctors use the BMI chart as a goal line. Remember the one in Dr. Juarez is based on a 1996 chart on a medium frame. I would check with your PCP and see what they think is a good goal weight for your body type. I am tall with a large frame. The BMI chart says at a BMI of 25 I should weigh 155. I was 169 before I started to gain weight, so I know that 155 is not realistic for me. I would look sickly. Does this make sense? I hope this helps. Cynthia

I was never told what my goal was, but I LOVE reading medical records. So post-op I got the surgical consult and operative report and all those records and such and on the transcribed SURGICAL CONSULT documents he states my goal on there. I think they tell you later one, once you get closer to it or something. Not sure. You can ask him though. I don't know where he got my number from, but it's reachable - I'd like to get 20 lbs below his goal though - but I don't know. We'll see how it goes. I started gaining weight in high school so I don't know what I look like thin or what weight my actual personal body should be at. Hugs, Trisha

how much extra skin weight should i figure in? i hope i don't have much... i know i will on my tummy but the rest of me is pretty solid. i currently (and have for the last 6 years) work out 3 times a week so even though i am big... i am somewhat in shape... is that an oxymoron?? hah. i realistically would like to weigh 165-170. i have a big butt and a smaller waist...would like to keep my curves... just not such BIG curves! o.k. i want selma hayek's body! is that too much to ask for?