Question:
How realistic is this??

I'm pre-op. 5'2" 297# and 51.3 BMI.. How realistic is it for me to have a goal of 125# ? I know everyone loses differently and some lose faster, some slower. I'm just wondering if that in itself is a realistic goal? And what time frame should I look at? Did that make sense? lol    — KellyJeanB (posted on January 1, 2003)


January 1, 2003
My prior weight was 207 and I am 5 feet tall. And the doc said for me to expect to lose down to about 125. Maybe that will help give you a guideline.
   — Darlene P.

January 1, 2003
Your stats are close to mine. 5'2" and started at 299. My dr required a 10% loss before surgery so I was 272 on 10/22. I seem to be a slow loser, 40 lb in 10 weeks. I can't say if your goal is realistic because I don't know your age and if you have had children. I am 53 and it would be very unrealistic for me personally. I am hoping for 165. I have yoyo'd so much in my life I don't know what to expect from this old body, but if you are young and active you may reach your goal.
   — Tawnda C.

January 1, 2003
Subtract your Ideal weight from your starting weight. Then take 70% of that number and that will be a realistic weight to reach with surgery. An easier way is to do your BMI on this site and type in starting weight, how tall you are and 70% and it will give you the number. Good Luck!
   — grammie5

January 1, 2003
I'm 5' 2 1/2 and was 319 at my highest. (I'm 45 years old). I'm 20 months out from an Open RNY. I hope for a mid range of BMI (normal) which would be around 129. (I weighed 123 in high school). My goal was to lose 190 pounds, but it seems 160 is all I'm going to get. Is it realistic for ether us to get to the 120's? Probally not. But I'm still trying. It's all we can do. But the main thing is not to put the weight we will lose back on.
   — Danmark

January 1, 2003
As you said, everyone is different, but I think that for you to reach 125 is a very realistic goal. However, unless you are one of the rare lucky ones who rarely plateau, and cannot tolerate sweets, you will have to work at it. I am 5'2", 37 yrs. old and weighed 293 on the day of my surgery almost 13 months ago. I have lost over 70% of my excess weight, and I consider my surgery a success, but I dont consider myself a success because I am struggling to get rid of my last 30-40 lbs. Since my weight is no longer dropping off, even a little, I feel that my "window of opportunity" is closed and I now have to "diet" to get the rest off. I feel that if I had stayed on my exercise routine and not tempted my sweet tolerance that I would have made it to my initial goal. My tool still works, I get full quickly, so I still have that benefit when dieting. My best advice for you to acheive your goal of 125 lbs. is to take full advantage of your first 12-18 month window and follow the pouch rules, and be diligent about water, protien and exercise. If you adopt a healthy eating style you will never have to diet again. If you dont make it to your goal of 125, it may not matter. From experience, I can tell you that after weighing almost 300 lbs, it feels wonderful to be able to wear a size 12-14. I am having an abdomenplasty in 3 weeks and hope to make it into a 10, but if not, that's ok by me because I am healthy and happy, even if I didnt make it to 125 lbs. I wish you the best of luck
   — Missy M.

January 1, 2003
Kelly--I'm 5'1" and my start weight was 294.5--my surgery was 6/4/02 and I'm down 79.5 lbs (I'm a slower loser than others I've seen post). I definitely think your goal is realistic and obtainable. You just have to work to get it especially the first 12 months. My goal is 130 and I wanna reach it by my 38th birthday which is may 4th. And I WILL reach it or be pretty daggone close cos its worth the effort. So got get em! Good luck & God Bless :o)
   — Bambi C.

January 1, 2003
Here's something to think about......I think that 125# is realistic, however, you might be surprised to find that you end up not wanting to go that low. We tend to carry our weight better and at 135 I am physically smaller than I was when I weighed 115 in high school. I always tell my patients to shoot for a goal size instead of a goal weight because we just don't weigh out the same as we used to. I do think your dreams are realistic though. I'm 5'2" and went from 250 to 135. Best wishes to you!
   — ronascott

January 1, 2003
I actually didn't have a weight goal at all. I was shooting for a size 12 (what I wore in high school) and/or a healthy percent body fat (22-27% is healthy for my age group). As it was, I shot past a 12--only wore it for about 2 weeks--into a 10. I couldn't believe it. I was so sure I would wear a 12 that I had already bought a bunch of clothes. I must admit that when I got about 6 pounds away from 100 pounds lost I just HAD to make it to the century club. LOL I did end up at about 125 pounds and now wear a size 6 with 23% body fat. SIX!!! I just bought 3 pairs of pants yesterday. I think I am still in shock.<p>I think that if the weight is flexible in your mind you will do better. If I had gone into this thinking I had to weigh what the insurance company said I should I would not be as happy with my success. Plus with the emphasis on percent body fat, I had incentive to keep my healthy body mass up which keeps me smaller and healthier than if I lost both fat and muscle as I shrank.<p>125 may be a realistic goal for you but it may not. If you have been heavy for many years you will have lots of muscle to show for it. You could end up being smaller at a higher weight. That's healthy for you. And isn't that what we did this for? No matter what, you'll feel great!
   — ctyst

January 2, 2003
I have similar stats. I started out at 4'11" and weighed 252#. My personal goal was to lost down to 147. Well that happened in 8 months. I'm now 19 months post-op and still losing very slowly. I lost another 2#'s in December to make it a grand total of 140#'s lost. I never imagined that I would get below 135. Don't set any drastic goals other that to be the best you can be. Make getting healthy and feeling good be your goal. Eating healthy, exercising at least 4 times a week and taking care of getting the protein, water and vitamins should be your main focus. The rest will happen just like it's supposed. Enjoy each milestone and don't worry about the end result. It will come. Good luck.
   — Teri D.

January 2, 2003
My goal was never a number. My goal was to be 'normal' to fit in the world and to be healthy. So many things will change when you have surgery, and life is so wonderful, to shackle yourself to a number may prove discouraging. Think about your true goals. WHY are you having surgery? Write those goals down. Doing an activity, travel, hiking, climbing a particular hill, riding in an airplane. Quality of life is the issue here, not numbers. By the way, I have lost MORE than I ever thought I would, over 170 lbs now. Good Luck to you!
   — Cara F.

January 2, 2003
Thank you all for answering. I really don't have a number as a goal. I was just wondering if it would be realistic. I'm 43 yrs young, and have been obese all of my adult life. My goal right now is to have this surgery, and be healthy and feel good.. and to tie my own shoes :-) .. LOL
   — KellyJeanB




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