Ticker weight loss in your signatures so inspiring

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to say, I am so incredibly impressed with how much weight so many of you have lost, or are now losing, (or like me, planning on losing).

Every time I read responses to posts, I see those weight loss tickers underneath and am staggered by the weight loss I see there.  It's absolutely amazing, and so inspirational.

I going for surgery (RNY but possibly Sleeve if the doctor decides that's a better fit for me during surgery) on Feb. 1st, and I have a lot of weight to lose. I was 304 Ibs at my last doctor's appt., and I'd like to get down to between 135-145 or even 150, but when the surgeon suggested 175-185, I agreed to that because seriously, it's been over 20 years since I've seen the 100's at all.    

Did your surgeons expect you to lose fewer Ibs than you eventually lost?  I hope I'm making sense; it's quite late and I probably should have waited until tomorrow to write this post.

Kathy

Hi Kathy, 

I feel cheated at times when I hear people talking about the "meetings or conversations with their surgeons" I never met my surgeon until after surgery, I have never been told how much to expect to lose, what they recommend is a healthy goal weight for me to work towards, he basically just did the surgery, came to see me once after surgery, mainly because I demanded to meet the one so referred to as the man who, in my very grumpy mood after surgery finding out I had gotten the sleeve, then finding 7 incisions instead of the 5, "who did this to me??" I have my one month follow up at my clinic in Windsor on January 6th and I will meet with the dietician and though I have a personal goal I'd like to get to, I'm hoping to gain some feedback from that appointment that most are getting from their surgeons. They didn't even weight me on the day of surgery or at any time while au was in the hospital, I found a scale while walking the halls that I just popped on for my own journey log. I was super excited to be under 300lbs this morning!

I have to agree watching everyone weight tracker is so motivating, it helps to be positive that the sleeve will work out for me!

Hi Cinderz,

You are doing great!  Under 300; woohoo!  I'm so sorry you weren't able to meet your surgeon until afterward; that's just awful. 

You are going to rock your sleeve; I just know it!

Hugs,

Kathy

My surgeons office tries to set a realistic goal which is the average that most people lose (around 65% of excess weight). Remember that average is in the middle and includes people who are both very motivated and not so much.  On OH, the people who post the most are probably the most motivated. They have researched what they should do to lose and maintain and they are getting regular support on OH.  So I'd bet the OH average weight loss is more than the general public.  I followed the advice of OH veterans and am still following it and have had great success so far in losing weight and in maintaining over the last few months.

Thanks, Liz.

I plan to be very active here and to follow the advice of the veterans here as well.   Congrats on your weight loss and maintenance.  I can't wait to get started.  It's so hard to believe I'll be leaving for Toronto in a few days time for my pre-op meeting, and to pick up my 3 weeks worth of pre-op Optifast.  Can't wait to join you all on the losers bench next month!

Kathy

I recall being new herre and seeing those tickers wondering if mine could ever reach as high as what I'd seen. It takes diligence and determination, but it's possible. 

My doc never set a goal weight for me- he asked me what I wanted to weigh and I picked 175. He was fine with that- I felt like I was kidding myself and really wanted to say something that started with a 2, but felt o needed to push myself for more. 

Now my weight has been hanging around 191-195. I'm working on losing more- I never set a timeline to lose by and that's fine with me. if I never lose more I'm still happy with what I achieved. Since there will always be work, either to lose or maintain- there is no being "done."  I'm just working at it. 

Hi Peachpie!

You're one of the ladies who's ticker absolutely blows me away, lol.  Such a major accomplishment.  I agree, there's no being "done"; it will be lifestyle change.  I need this tool to help me but it's not a magic wand and I understand that there will be lots of challenges ahead.  I'm so happy I've found this amazing support group.

Take care,

Kathy

I agree it is so inspiring! My office refused to set a number, so I arbitrarily chose the weight that made me a "normal" BMI. But I knew once I was there that I had a lot more to lose so I just kept going, which took me from 123 to 114. A typical morning on the scale, now, usually reads 115 - 117 depending on the day.

I don't think our surgeon's offices say this enough, so I am going to yell this message to newbies as often as I can: "LOSE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN IN YEAR ONE!!!". It get exponentially harder to lose as time goes on. It's not impossible to keep losing after the first year but it sure gets easier to plateau and even regain. If you are golden in year one, and don't cheat off plan at all, you will defy everyone's expectations. 

Don't forget--you are not locked into any number that you set with your surgeon! Go lower if it feels right! 

Thank you JuniperB.E.H., that's great advice!

I will be thrilled to meet my surgeon's goal but would love to go further, like you said, if it feels right.  I plan to take full advantage of my first year. 

Take care,

Kathy

I went into surgery weighing 272 pounds and had been obese my whole life,even as a child. My surgeons nurse practitioner asked me to pick a goal. I picked 160 as it seemed unattainable --they gave me a goal that was the middle of what their patients lose but both goals left me in the overweight bmi category. I did not have my insides rearranged and jump through far too many hoops to still be overweight. I had lost both parents far too early to the complications of diabetes and high blood pressure which I already had. I wanted my health back and set my mind to follow all the rules all the time. They were happy with my weight at my 6 month checkup and felt I had lost far more than they expected. They wanted me to start adding in carbs which they had pushed all along but I ignored them,trying to lose as much and be as healthy as I can. At 9 months post op I weighed 120 pounds which at my height of 5'6.5" is a bmi of 19 point something. My body tolerates the lower weight better because I have severe rheumatoid arthritis and have since I was 20 and since I can no longer take NSAIDS,the lower my weight the less joint pain. My year 2 and 3 follow-ups the nurse practitioner told me my weight was too low-that their patients never get to a normal bmi and that I couldn't maintain that. Yet here I am 31/2 years later at 120 fully clothed. At year one she was worried and thought I had an eating disorder and made me meett with the surgeon-- who gave me his blessing to stay as low as possible as long as I wasn't underweight--and the dietitian.  Finally in August at my 4 year she shut up about my Weight! I don't normally not follow medical staffs advice but I knew my body felt better at this weight and my rheumatologist,who knew me best,agreed with my plan. So yes I lost far more than my revised goal of 145 (top of a normal bmi for me) and loads more than my doctors goal. My blood work is perfect now and I feel like a younger,healthier version of myself. Before and after to follow.