Question:
What are people using as their start weight?

I see some using when they started the process for surgery, the day they leave the hospital, the weight right before surgery at the hospital. Reason I ask is that the day you leave the hospital your loaded with fluids, the day of surgery weigh in your depleted of fluids and usually have had some kind of colon cleansing...so it is a false daily low, and a person may have lost weight before surgery...since they started the process. I seek clarification because I am noticing that some of the fast losing has included the IV fluids from surgery. So many of us who cosider ourselves slow losers might just be average pending what we consider our starting weight.    — Carla T. (posted on February 3, 2002)

February 3, 2002
I am pre-op, but I plan to use my weight just before I go into surgery. I will use the weight I am at before I leave to have my operation, probably on the 5th or 6th of June. Then all my tests and fasting, etc. will not effect the weight. I think the fairest way to do it is a few days before surgery. That way you get your most recent weight, without having any of the surgery related things get in the way.
   — Jennifer Y.

February 3, 2002
I use the weight that I weighed the morning of surgery. I had lost about 5 pounds or so prior to the surgery date, since the consult date which was about four months before. The surgeon goes by the weight at my initial consult. Hope this helps.
   — Karen L.

February 3, 2002
Hi Carla, Really good question. For me I use the weight I was at week before the surgery when I weighted in at my surgeons office. I put on 15 pounds of fluid in the Hospital, but do not consider that my true weight. I know of people that included the post surgery fluid weight as pounds lost. I think it is too easy to get caught up in the numbers game and the old tapes start playing. Their many issues we can measure our successes with. Such as daily exercise, nutrition and water intake.
   — taryncarrol

February 3, 2002
I used my starting weight as the weight I personally had seen on a scale pre-op. That was 286. My surgeon's report indicates 280 but I gained 6 more pre-op. I KNOW I weighed that much. That's what I go by as MY gauge in my journey.
   — Annie H.

February 3, 2002
I also used the weight that I was at my preop appointment which was 4 days before surgery. That is also the weight that my surgeon goes by.
   — Lynda T.

February 4, 2002
I use the weight I was at my pre-op testing appointment which was 1 week before surgery. I had lost 3 lbs. from consult to pre-op but don't count that...nor do I count the hospital water gain. Surgery 12/18/01 Lost 32 lbs. Remember, some of the folks who have higher BMIs will tend to lose faster in the first few months and then taper off and lose steadily. People who start off at lower BMIs (like me @ 40.7) will tend to lose slower at first compared to others with higher BMIs, but will still lose a larger amount the first few months and then taper off.
   — Karen B.

February 4, 2002
I use my weight from my first weigh in at the consult, which was 4 months before my surgery. I lost 18 lbs. between then and surgery just by "prepping" for the life change. My surgeon uses the same before weight. We figure that it is still lost weight, and weight I wouldn't have lost if not going through the process.
   — Danielle M.

February 4, 2002
I gained and lost some weight as I got ready for my surgery. My five week pre-op photos were at 303; I gained all the way up to 310 and lost back to 303, where I happened to be the day of my surgery. I use 310 as my biggest weight ever, because it is, and I am now down 100 pounds in 20 weeks! GO ME!! I think people should use their highest weight ever, whenever that happened to be.
   — Julia M.