a couple of questions

I know a great many doctors that would say otherwise, Marina.

Q1& 2 - some people were given # from their surgeon, some people set their own; there's even a tool somewhere where on OH that can help you determine it -- I don't think there is a consistent answer to "how much weight you should lose in a year" as everyone's situation is different. I would say the consistent feedback is "as much as you can as early as you can (with medical support/approval). My surgeon didn't give me a #; he told me that I could expect to lose 80% of my excess weight and maybe even 100# if I was "very focused". He was very pleased when I went past that.

Q3 - therapy - yes.

Q4 - post pix whenever you want -- some people do them monthly, some people never post their before -- there's no "rules" just do what you're comfortable with!

I did work with my surgeon and was given a goal weight. For me, that is the weight where my BMI is 24.9 or below. Once I achieved that goal, my surgeon recommended losing another 10, 20 or even 30 pounds so I would have a cushion for the bounceback regain phase that follows weight loss surgery during the third year after the operation.

I am 5'2" and my goal weight is 136 pounds. I only lost an additional eight pounds. My bounceback regain started at month 30. In three months, I shot back up to 142. I was determined to lose the regain and never get any higher.

I accomplished that by weighing myself daily and tracking my food and exercise. I am a person who sets goals and works through obstacles. Waiting to see where you end up would be like getting in a car to go somewhere and just driving aimlessly with no destination and no maps.

This is a tool that will help you to determine your BMI, how much to lose, and the rate that it can happen.
Post Op Planner

1.) My surgeon's practice define****ting goal as 85% of EWL; his patients are expected to hit that to be considered a success. My personal goal was 140 simply because I didn't remember ever being that weight as an adult. I got to both numbers with no problems. What a person loses in a year is depends on many factors and is highly individual. I lost 130 lbs, with a day of surgery weight of 280. My doc and I were both pleased with that. If your surgeon hasn't discussed it with you, definitely ask about it.

2) Yes, especially if emotional eating is a thing for you. Emotional/boredom eating is an ass kicker. Therapy teaches you how to cope without turning to food. If you've found a good one that is geared to weight loss surgery post-ops, stick with her! The most recent therapist attached to my doc's office is next to useless. She just sat there behind a desk and blinked stupidly at me for 45 minutes.

3.) I've never posted any official before and after pictures for the site itself, but if I had, I'd have waited until I hit my ultimate goal. I did start a thread when I made it to my personal goal and had a set of pics in the thread.

Hope these answers help!

My doctor asked me what my goal weight was before I had surgery. I had no idea. I looked up BMI and chose 130 lbs. I'm 135 lbs right now, a size 4-6, am extremely satisfied with my healthy labs and all of the energy I have, so I'm not going to intentionally lose any more weight.

the first one is this-how do you determine your final weight?

I think my doctor picked an arbitrary number (150). It depends on many factors - type of surgery, height, bone structure, age.

how much weight should i be losing in a year?

There is no right answer. Again, so many factors - type of surgery, current height and weight, age. I lost all my excess weight in just over a year (175 pounds).

do others recommend going to a weight loss therapist and what have their experiences been?

I was already in therapy when I decided to have WLS. Back then (16+ years ago) therapy wasn't an insurance requirement like it is now. If there was anything I needed to discuss, we did just that. I think everyone should be in therapy :)

also when do most people post their before and after pictures here on this web site? i have lost 141 lbs and feel that it is too soon. any feedback would be helpful. thanks

I don't think I ever posted before and after pictures here because it was 16 years ago and this site wasn't as robust. I did take pictures every month (same location) so I could see the changes.

Congrats on your 141 pound loss!! It's never too soon. You don't say how long it took you.

My surgeon did not want to set a goal weight. He went off the average weight loss for RNY patients (for me, that meant under 200 lbs) and we made that my initial goal. Once I reached that, we had a discussion about my personal goal (180 lbs), and made a plan together for me to get there.

I will say that my body has refused to weigh less than 170. This is exactly what I weighed in high school while playing sports year round, so it feels good to me. I'm very active now so I know a lot of this is muscle. So even if you set a goal weight that is super low, you may not get there... it's certainly worth trying, of course!

Rather than weight or BMI, I think a good goal for your final weight is to make sure your waist circumference is less than half of your height (in centimeters or inches). Waist to Height ratio of less than .5 means you have the lowest risk of death from obesity related causes.

I set my goal weight at a number I remembered being happy with my body at. It was 153# in college. Very random number. I had surgery just over two years ago and maintained at 160# for almost a year and was satisfied. Then I started losing again unplanned but looking back changes were made. I am now at 149# and am thrilled. I don't have a goal from here. Just keep on what I'm doing and monitor as I go.

Therapy-yes. I don't think you need one specific to WLS though. We got all that weight because we ate for reasons. Those reasons can be worked out with any therapist in my opinion. I see one that specializes in anxiety since that's my biggest issue.

I have not and likely will not post pics here. I'm a sporadic poster and don't like having my stuff out in the world but I would say post when you feel comfortable.