Question for vets- final weight?

How did you determine what your final weight should be? Did you go by number or how you looked? My Dr. wants me to be between 128 - 135. I feel like I won't be able to reach this goal. I weight 160 now and it takes everything to get the weight off. It is so slow. Has anyone lost 145 pounds with the sleeve? I have already lost 115 but I am nervous the rest won't come off. Thanks

My doctor never really gave me a number of what I should be. I think you should aim to feel comfortable in your own skin, be healthy, look good and stay at a weight you can maintain. At one point I got down to a size 4, but it wasn't realistic for me to stay at that weight.  Also, remember that some of what you see reflected on that scale is excess skin - so you are thinner than you think.

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it!

When I set a goal (Dr didn't) I aimed for a healthy BMI and settled on 155 (I am 5'5").  I got down to 156 and then had surgery for hernias and tummy tuck.  I am currently floating between 135 and 139.  As I am not yet back to my full excercise routine (only walking) and activity level (I have a wound VAC right now for 2  necrotic surgical wounds that would not heal) and am trying to figure out what my maintenance level should be, I don't know if this is where I will settle.  I will say, I never thought I would get this low. 

Congrats on your success as well! Thanks for your response!

Michele:

You and I are so similiar that I wanted to ask you about your tummy tuck.  I am at 156 lbs. and am 5'5" tall.  I am scheduled for a Fleur de lis tummy tuck and hernia surgery on May 17th.  Do you remember how much skin that they removed from you and why did you have two necrotic wounds?  Were they caused by senomas or skin issues or did you go back to work to soon?  Any thing that you can share with me would be so much appreciated.  I am getting nervous and  I also worry about necrotic wounds too.  I also want to say that you have done an awesome job on your weight lost too.

I was 18 pounds lighter  when all was said and done after surgery.  I believe at least 10 pounds of that was the skin removal. It may have been a bit more, but i do think some of the weight difference was actual weight loss.  

Before you read more, please know that if I had it to do over, I would still do it.  First, the hernias needed to be repaired (lots of pain) and the excess skin had to be removed for numerous reasons.  This was a possible complication that I was fully informed about (although who thinks it applies to themselves-LOL) and unfortunately occurred.  Amongst the things that could go wrong, it is not to be take lightly at all, but is also no where near the worst of things that could occur.

Because so much muscle and flesh is cut and repositioned, decreased blood/fluid flow can occur-especially where suture lines meet.  One of the necrotic areas was where the vertical and horizontal lines met and was not unexpected.  The other necrotic area was several inches above that just below my navel.  That was not expected, per se, and was the larger of the 2 (I could stick my thumb in it and it measured 4cm long, 2 cm wide and 3 cm deep with tunneling on the sides).  

I have not yet returned to work.  For 8 weeks my surgeon debrided the dead tissue in the hopes of stimulating healing.  When that didn't produce the desired results, I went for an outpatient procedure-aggressive debridement and he put on a wound VAC which I still have (3 weeks today for this).  It is working.  The smaller wound is healed and the larger one is coming along.

Eating was tough for a couple of weeks afterward.  I felt like I had a new pouch!  I significantly increased my protein and by necessity my fluids before and all this time afterward.  I found it more comfortable to alternate throughout the night between a recliner and propped on my side in a semi-sitting position in bed (to take pressure off my tailbone).  I wore a sports bra, stretchy excercise pants and loose shirts for quite awhile.  You need to be comfortable.  Also, until I got the wound VAC, I wore my binder all the time. I felt much better  with it on.  Ask your surgeon if you will need to do dressing changes at home.  If so, you want to get what you need ahead of time.  I recommend you get paper tape as it is easier on your skin.

That is all I can think of at the moment.  If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.   Please, if you remember, let me know how it all goes.  You have done awesome as well and in the end you will be amazed at the difference after this surgery.  I still look in the mirror or pass by a larger picture window and catch my reflection and am surprised (awesomely so! if that is a word) by who I see looking back.

Michele

 Thank you so much for the reply.  My husband always expects the worst and I expect the best so I am prepared either way.  I am taking off six weeks of work so that I can heal the best that I can but my doctor did warn me that we made have healing difficulty at the T-section of the incision, so I am prepared.  I will let you know how I am doing once I make it across the other side.  I am sending you a friend invite so I can send everyone a message.  Thanks again.

Veranda,

My doc let me set my goal weight & when I suggested a number he thought it was reasonable and attainable...I chose it based on how I looked and felt in the year prior to getting married, I am between 5'4 & 5'5 & choose 138...I actually lost below that to 125 and maintained that +/- a few lbs for 3 yrs then experienced some regain and now flux +/- on my original goal...

As to your second comment on not being able to get to the goal your doc set...If your surgery date is close to the date you joined this site, you are still in your 2 yr "honeymoon" and can definately lose more, to me it was painfully slow after the 1st year, no more than 2 lbs a month @ about 13 months and still lost even smaller amounts until I found my maintenance tweek, one month less than 1 lb lost total...If you WANT to lose more, just keep following your plan and don't start doing the add-in thing we all do when we are trying to figure out how to maintain and/or when we start feeling comfortable that we have "made it"...

I realy appreciate your post. It was very encouraging and helped me get re-focused on what I need to do. Congrats on your success.