NYT article

absolutely!  Ignore that!!!

(I could go on and on and on.....)

I agree. My surgeon does not give goal weights, per se, but he does expect everyone to get below a BMI of 30. For me, that was 189 pounds. My joints and back did not feel good at that weight. My body feels better at 140 so I fight hard to stay here.

I've got to say that my personal goals were pretty close to my surgeon's goals were pretty close.  His conservative goal was to be in the overweight range of BMI (for me that is under 164 lbs) and ideal is in the normal range of BMI (for me 136).  Before I started the journey I said if I could get to 160 I'd be "ok", but ideally I would like to get and stay between 130-135.  At my 6 mo. check-up I was at 169 and doc was very happy.  As of this morning I'm at 161 - 30 lbs to goal.  We have a 40th wedding anniversary trip to the beach planned in early June and I'm really hoping to be at goal or close to it by then.  I know I won't have a "beach body" but at least I won't be mistaken for a "beached whale".

I'm often the guest speaker at the pre-op classes at my clinic.  I'm at normal BMI, which from what I've read, only about 10% of patients get to (this may just be true of former SMO patients though, not sure).   I told the class that the average loss is about 70% of excess weight, but that's an average - some lose more, some less.  I told them there seem to be a lot of us out there, though, who have managed to get down to a normal BMI, but that doing that is going to take a lot of work and dedication on their part.  I figured that way they wouldn't assume that they all were going to magically get down there - but that it is possible if you're really committed.

Hmmm..... Yes, mixed feelings about the article. My Doc doesn't give goals...but that didn't work for me. Yet his wife- a SW who works in the office did say to me at the first appointment- "Why wouldn't you want to be a normal BMI?" When I hedging my bets on how much weight I wanted to lose when asked that question. I couldn't imagine 'normal'.... So I set a goal for top range of a normal BMI.... adjusted it as I went for body-fat testing, but ended up meeting and surpassing it anyway.... Mini goals along the way helped tremendously...

Low expectations breed low results.... and the idea that it is magic.

The nurse practices at my surgeons office told me they don't expect patients to get to a normal bmi but I didn't have my insides rearranged to still be overweight. I kept following the rules and ended up at a bmi of 19.4 and have been there for over 31/2 years. I guess I'll show them. It's hard work but my joints feel so much better at this weight that it is definitely worth it. 

Darn autocorrect.  Supposed to be nurse practitioner. 

That reporter Gina Kolata with NYT has been doing some great reporting on WLS of late... check out her other articles... very fair and I love that she's using actual patient photos and not headless, people sitting on benches neck to fast food bags ;)

More comments on the article for those interested http://conscienhealth.org/2016/12/getting-grip-reality-baria tric-surgery/  Ted Kyle is always has great comments, a good blog to follow for those interested.