Something my surgeon said made me a little blue...

My surgeon did not set a goal weight, but asked the same question of me. I told them under 150. That was because that was pretty much the lowest I had ever seen during my adult life. Her exact words to me were "you may or may not get there". They beleive you are successful if you lose 65% of your excess weight.

I am now sitting at 128 and they are estatic. I believe that alot of surgeons don't want to give their patients false hope of unattainable goals. But statistics are averages so there are always people who are above it and below it. The good news is that you know you can attain the weight because you did before.

I see no reason why you can't with a little hard work.

 I think your Dr probably said that so you would not be disappointed if you don't lose as much as you would like to.  He wants his patients to have a goal that is doable so they are not disappointed if they don't lose more.  Although, I think most patients lose more than the Drs say the average is.  My BMI was always between 40 & 42 and have lost 101 lbs in just under 6 months and plan on losing at least 30 to 50 more.  I will be happy with that range.......I am already happy with what I weigh now but would like to lose a bit more.

All the studies I have seen quote somewhere between 40 and 60% EWL at 5 or more years out for bypass. If you had 200 pounds to lose, 40% is 80 pounds kept off, not 46. In fact, I've never seen a study that uses absolute pounds because absolute pounds isn't really comparing apples to apples.

 I think most patients who keep posting HERE and who follow up otherwise do lose more ... but the real statistics after eight years post are SOBERING .

this is what they say ;  average excess weight to lose for bariatric patient pre-op is 200 lbs .  Most lose 65 % or more of that within 18 months of the surgery ....  150 lbs or so .  Unfortunately the average loss 8 years post is only 46 lbs !!  

YIKES!! 

Well now that you made me want to jump off a bridge! LOL!

I think the surgeons talk in averages, some people never reach their goals and others exceed.
It is a tool and what you do with it depends on you.
Dont let anyone put limits on what you think you can do!
Maria

Perhaps the surgeon didn't want you to expect too much and get frustrated. I'm not sure what he was talking about since everyone is different.

I am also 59 and hit the 100 lb loss mark today--less than 9 months after surgery.  I have not weighed 140 since I was in the 5th grade, many many years ago.  My surgeon didn't set a goal.  About 20 lbs ago he told me that my body would stop when it got to the right weight.  I wanted to weigh around 146 so I made that my personal goal.  The funny thing is that I am ready for the weight loss......feel that I am thin enough.  We'll have to see.  I have never been a single digit anything--but now my dress size is less than half of my ring and shoe sizes...............Unreal.  One thing I am finding though that it is hard to find suits (what I need for most work days) in a size 4.  (Maybe that's because I bought them all).

Just relax and don't put that kind of pressure on yourself.  Just follow the rules and see what happens.  All I can say is if I could do this (jaked up metabolism and all), then so can you.

Reading all your responses has made me feel better today than I have in weeks.  This LW board is my lifeline!  I am so grateful to all of you and I do believe participation on this board is going to be VITAL to my success.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Kat70

 The only reason i posted that depressing  sobering statistic is because we all have to realize just how seriously we MUST take this recovery long term .  

I run into people in OA  ALL the time who LOOK like they never had bariatric surgery yet they are post op .  U dont really see these people posting here in OH but they ARE out there .

I suspected the statistics were harsher further out ...but i never thought theyd be as sobering  as they ARE .  

All the more reason to be aware of them .. so we ANTICIPATE  the metabolic issues and solve our own emotional eating etc.... before it Eats US !! 

the surgery is just a temporary reprieve ...  its a very brief .. get out of the prison of fat  card .... if U dont learn a totally new lifestyle and fundamentally change the way U relate to food .. sorry , without a stricture Ure a goner ....

statistically at least ... 

  please dont beat me up for bearing bad news    Yeah it kinda sux but I think being in the dark about it and EATING  and REGAINING  unknowingly sux WORSE .  

That's pretty weird he would say that because statistically lightweights do BETTER than heavyweights and are more more likely to get to a normal BMI and stay there. This is well documented.