Doctors & Weight Goal
So I had my 6 month post op today. I have lost 95 pounds. Pretty happy about that. When I told my doctor my goal(another 90) he told me that wouldnt happen and I would be lucky to lose another 40.
My goal is still *overweight* for my height so I thought it was attainable. Him saying this totally crushed me. I was wondering what experience others had with this and what I should do with that information.
Other than be mad, which I am rightn ow
Stick with your goal. Many Doctor's base that kind of "Goal" on the statistic that 5 years out from surgery people are considered a success if they have lost and kept off 60% of their excess body weight. So if you had 200lbs to lose that would be losing 120. I have over 200 to lose to be in a normal BMI range. That is my plan. Will I adjust that goal at some point? I won't know until I get there. I had lost 90 by 6 months (about 25 pre-surgery) and by one year anniversary I was down 165lbs total. It will happen.
Don't be discouraged. This surgery journey is a for a lifetime. So pick YOUR goal. Many people on here blew past their surgeon's goal.
Cynthia 5'11" RNY 7/23/2014
Goal reached 17 months. 220lb Weight Loss
Plastic Surgery Dr. Joseph Michaels - LBL and Hernia Repair 2/29/16, Arm Lift, BL, 5/2/16, Leg Lift 7/25/16
#lifeisanadventure #fightthegoodfight #noregrets
Use it as motivation to prove him wrong. That always works for me. By coming on OH and being a part of this community, you are setting yourself up for success, and you can do better than the average WLS patient. This kind of BS is just part of the medical bias against individuals who are MO. I was thinking about this earlier. I think that the reason WLS isn't more successful is because a bunch of people who have never had food issues or WLS are trying to give us advice, and they just don't understand what makes some of us more successful than others. We need to rely on each other and listen to advice from WLS vets to learn what really works.
Height: 5'5" HW: 290 Consultation Weight: 276 SW: 257 CW: 132
on 9/9/15 2:48 am
I had a similar experience. I was told recently by the psychologist in the bariatric practice that the BMI charts were not made for the obese, and that I should not try to ever become a "normal" weight. FU, buddy! I will do this and your ignorance will spur me on to become thinner than you ever imagined.
I have reached my goal and stayed within 5 lbs of it for the most part. However I will say I am much smaller at this weight then I was before. So if I had made my goal 130 vice 145 (which I toyed with) I would have been very disappointed...and way to thin. I decided to go for size because my shape is very different now then it ever was ..and that was true before plastics. I was a size 12 at 180lbs and I know on the way up I was at least a 16 at that weight. I think you should definitely ignore his "it wont happen" but also have a size goal vice a work goal so if your like me and shaped differently you are not disappointed. I wasn't as a size 6 at 145- 155 is way smaller then I thought!
HW - 297 start of Pre-op - 290.2 SW- 279.2 GW - 145
A middle aged over the hump and over what "I'm suppose to do" woman, with the wild spirit and a nasty case of depression and anxiety!
on 9/9/15 6:15 am
The Cleveland Clinic considers the WLS to be a success with 60% of your excess weight lost. Thus, since I started at 344 pounds according to their highest measurement, my "goal" weight was 210. Seriously. There's nothing wrong with 210 -- I mean, it's a lot better than 344 pounds -- but I would still have been clinically obese. In my mind, I wasn't having my guts re-routed to still be obese.
My first personal goal was to be simply "overweight" rather than "obese" -- so I chose 175. That meant I needed to lose about 165 pounds. I gained a lot of confidence in myself and my ability to really work my tool during that time. So, when I got there, I decided that I wouldn't limit myself. My new goal was to get to a normal BMI -- or 145 pounds. When I met that, I realized that I really wanted to get to a 22 BMI (about 132 pounds) -- and that nothing but my self could keep me or get me to that goal.
So, I guess my point is this: you are only limited by what you choose to do with your tool. Surprise your surgeon -- I know that mine beams from ear to eat when I see him --
"What you eat in private, you wear in public." --- Kat
My surgeon too considers 60% excess weight loss a success. My original goal was 165 and I blew past that then I set a goal at 140 which they told me was unattainable. I have weighed between 117 and 121 now for over two years. If you follow your surgeons plan and stay on track your goal is more than attainable. I too didn't have my insides rearranged to be a thinner fat person and don't understand why that is what is expected of me.
Read what Kathryn said.
The doc's version of success (for his metrics ..skewed in HIS favor) requires you to lose less weight.
Alternatively, you did not undergo major surgery, get your intestines re-routed and your stomache hacked up/stapled to be Obese or even overweight. You did it to end up in the normal range.
Stick with your original goal. I was 285 at my highest. I reached my goal of 139 lbs, wear a size 4/6 in US clothes, a size 27 in European pants. I wear small tops and can run 8 miles without stopping and figure skate. I wanted this surgery to bring me back to a NORMAL life and your posting indiciates that you did the same.
With that said, most people do NOT have the mental grit to walk-the walk. That is why the mere loss of 60% of excess weight is a success for the surgeon, it shows he did everything right .
BUT YOU ARE PSYCHOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT from most people. YOU HAVE INDICATED YOU HAVE THE DESIRE AND THE DRIVE to get to that lower, normal weight.
You WILL do it. YOu have everything going for you to obtain it: 1) a tool that works 2) previous success and know-how as evidenced by the 95 lb loss and c) the continued desire to see that scale down more!
You WILL DO IT!!
DONT STOP and do not listen to the "predicitions" of that NEgative Nelly doc. He went to med school, not psychic school.
Keep going !
RNY Surgery: 12/31/2013;
Current weight (2/27/2015) 139lbs, ~14% body fat
Three pounds below Goal!!! Yay !
What you need to realize it that while the second 90 pounds lost is doable, it will be much harder than the first 90 pounds. After the first six months, it is excellent to lose a pound a week. That would mean 90 weeks or 14 weeks less than two years.
Most people do not have the discipline and dedication to do that. They get tired and bored and stop losing weight. You are the person who can decide to be the exception to the rules. You can stick to your plan, lose faster than expected and lose more than expected.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends