Hi All,

Just a quick note to let you know that we have a support group coming up this Saturday in Raleigh. Anyone who has had or is considering any type of WLS with any practice is welcome to join us. Please go to http://www.meetup.com/nc-wls for details and to rsvp. You need to sign up on meetup to RSVP.

We will have a clothing swap and be sharing favorite books, magazines and other material we have found helpful.

I know that when I started this journey, the program I’m with asked me to articulate where I wanted to be in terms of size and weight. What would be the highest acceptable, what would be comfortable, what would be my ‘dream’ weight and size? This helped me try to look at my expectations and try to level them some. I have to admit my actual weight is not what I had anticipated. It’s actually lower. My husband is in the midst of his own journey and he’s not shooting for the ‘normal’ BMI range, because he’s been that small before and to be honest, it’s just too small for him… he really does have big bones and a muscled physique.

I think that when looking at what your goal weight should be, you need to work with your Dr and take a number of things into account: your starting weight/bmi, your bone structure, your build, your age, etc…

I also think that it’s important to realize the number on the scale, while important as a point of reference, is not the end all when determining if you are at a weight that is good for you. Do you feel wonderful? Are you able to do the things that you want and need to do to enjoy a fulfilled life? Are your vital signs where you need them to be to live long and healthfully? If these things are in line and the number on your scale is not where you had imagined, you might have reached your goal weight without knowing it.

So how do you think you will know when you have arrived at goal weight?