Question:
I am having surgery in 2 weeks and am 5 foot tall and weigh 195lbs.
I would like to know if my rate of weight loss is going to be the same as others that are more overweight. Will I lose 100lbs? — Sandy P. (posted on February 14, 2003)
February 13, 2003
I had the same stats - I'm 3 months out and down to 143 :)
— jengrz
February 14, 2003
My BMI was 41, 5'2" 223, and 4 months later down to 173. Lap-RnY
10/9/02
— Wanda R.
February 14, 2003
I am almost 5'2" and I weighed 243 at the time of surgery, I now weigh
114. I am trying so hard to stop losing weight, cuz I don't want to be
underweight. So I hope for your sake that you do not lose 100 pounds,
because that would put your BMI at 18.6 (18.5 is underweight). Most
people's bodies have naturally stopped them before they reach the extreme,
but some haven't. I fear I may be one of these unfortunate people, that
now instead of fighting the battle of the bulge, we are fighting the battle
of the bones. You will probably lose slower than most heavier people, but
you have less to lose, so it should equal itself out. I wish I had some
grand advice for you, just in case, you lose too much, but I haven't
figured this one out for myself, yet.
— Karen E.
February 14, 2003
I don't want to sound negative...but WHY are you doing this? What doctor
was approve of such a surgery..are you having serious medical problems??
Have you tried losing any other way? You only weigh 195 lbs...go on a
regular healthy meal plan...
— Cathy H.
February 14, 2003
I have to totally agree with the previous poster - why are you doing
this... your not 100 pounds overweight and I'd have to be very nervous if
any doctor was desperate enough to do surgery that he would be allowing you
to do this.. your only about 60 pounds ( if that) overweight - I know you
probably have done other diets before but you have NO IDEA what your in for
here.. and your going to be so sorry that you did this - THIS surgery is
NOT the answer to your problems, believe me, there are so many other issues
with food and pain that you are going to have to live with that I don't
understand why you would do this...This is the hardest thing I've ever done
in my life! It is NOT EASY! This is not the easy way out -as some people
might believe! Please reconsider your surgery and hire a personal trainer
or something! Your money would be better spent there! I'm sorry - I
really don't want to rain on your parade and other people might get upset
with me - but I think that this doctor is only proving to the general
public that some of them are right and that there are doctors out there who
care more about making a buck than saving your life!!! And that is scary!!
Remember you could actually DIE from having this surgery.. why take that
chance for 60 pounds or less.. and HOW in the world did your insurance even
pay for this....? Some people out there who weigh 400 pounds or more can't
get approved!! Strange world we live in!!!!!!!! Please please reconsider!!
— Tammy T.
February 14, 2003
Wow... Cathy and Tammy ... why not give her the respect that you'd probably
like.. give her credit for doing her homework and knowing what is right for
her. How many times have YOU heard... "if you just did the right
eating plan" ... you have no idea what other health problems she may
or may not have... unpleasant judgements all around ladies.
<br><br>
I am sorry, I was much heavier than you are, so I can't help with answers..
you might ask your doctor though...
— Lisa C.
February 14, 2003
If the two of you who are so negative would have looked, you would have
seen that the poster's BMI is 39+, which puts her in the severely obese
category. If she has any comorbs, then she is definitely a candidate for
the surgery. At 135 pounds and a height of only 5 feet, she would still be
considered overweight. Yes, this is a serious surgery, but she deserves
way more respect than you two have given her. And to answer her question,
you may not be able to lose 100 pounds, but that may be a bit too much for
you to lose anyway. Good luck!
— garw
February 15, 2003
Sheesh - really, people! Let's all try to remember weight in PROPORTION to
height. I'm 5'1" and 215, and I'm having surgery. JUST BECAUSE some
people haven't seen 195 or 215 in quite awhile doesn't mean that this
person doesn't need surgery. 195 for a 5'6", 5'7" or 5'8"
person looks a heck of a lot different than 195 on a 5'1" or 5'2"
person. I look like a freakin' skin colored soccer ball at my weight!
Normal weight for 5'1" and 5' 2" is anywhere between 105 to 138 -
which I'm sure is much lighter than what normal weight is for the taller
folks. You may think that 195 or 215 sounds like a dream, but just listen
to how my knees sound every time I bend them and I'm sure you'll change
your mind.
— sweetmana
February 15, 2003
I'm not sure if you would or not but most people I have spoken with say to
go underweight is rare your body just doesn't usually allow it. And by the
way Tammy and Cathy , do you two not know how to work the bmi calculater (
i can't spell) 5'0" at 195 is a bmi of 48.9 With co-morbids almost any
surgeon would do the surgery. My advice is if you have researched this and
have repeatedly failed other methods , go for it. Only you can decide whats
right for you. Good Luck
— bubba
February 15, 2003
I did the BMI and I got 38.1 ????????? Doesn't matter to me but EVERYONE IS
DIFFERNET HERE and what 195 looks on one person is not what 195 looks on
another. I think if you lost 80-90 that would look great on you. But the
main thing is your health - what would lpsong 80-90 or even 100 lbs do for
your health, back, joints etc. Good luck - Sally, Harrison, MI (3/26/03!!!)
— Sally P.
February 15, 2003
evidently i cant work the dang thing either(lol). i meant 38 ohh well.
— bubba
February 15, 2003
According to the BML calculetor on this website, 5'0" and 195# carries
a BMI of 38.1 (severely obese).
— Brenda L.
February 15, 2003
You know what - I really don't appreciate all your nasty little remarks
people -- This website is for OPINIONS - everyone has one... And you guys
are just really mean.. I didn't say one thing here that she should NOT
HEAR!!!!! Like it or not -- surgery is NOT the answer for everyone... I
totally respect her wishes to have the surgery but think that she needs to
rethink this and ask herself if she is really ready to risk her life for 60
or so pounds... I KNOW HOW TO USE THE BMI calculator - do not belittle me
for my feelings... I do not believe that this surgery is the answer to
everyone's health issue.. There is no way in the world would I tell ANYONE
that this surgery would benefit them if they were NOT AT LEAST 100 pounds
overweight... so don't be condescending and hateful! There are plenty of
good reasons why this poor girl should NOT have this surgery - and if all
of you were being honest with yourselves you would tell her that TOO!
There are too many surgeons out there who are jumping on the surgery
bandwagon and arming themselves with scapels and just operating on anyone
who wants the surgery..even if they don't qualify... If the surgeon does
not have proper criteria for choosing WLS patients, then that would SCARE
THE HELL out of me!!! What is so hard to understand about that!! This is by
NO MEANS anything meant to hurt this person... I believe that sometimes you
have to look at the other side of it and wonder why someone who does not
weigh over 100 pounds over her normal weight limit would want to do
something so drastic... Surgery is the LAST option for many people - it is
the last resort -- and not one that will cure everything! I've lost 57
pounds since my surgery(Lap RNY) Dec. 6th -- I LOVE the surgery -- I'm glad
I did it...but I was also 140 pounds overweight.. and has some severe
co-morbidities!! I wish I could have done this a different way!! Because
the pain and agony of having the surgery and all the other food issues and
not being able to eat - has been hard!!! But I am also HONEST with the
fact that this surgery was my very LAST resort!!! I had lots of
co-morbidities ... Possibley this person does too - she does not say!
However -- think about it -- even if the BMI calculator puts her at 38.1 -
YES she is obese -- on some scales she is even considered severaly obese..
But surgery should be limited to the MORBIDLY OBESE... to someone who needs
the surgery!!! My surgeon will not even schedule appointments for people
with less than a 43.5 BMI...
This type of doctor is why some of you are having a hard time getting
approved through the insurance companies - because doctors are taking
advantage of the situations and just operating on people for the money more
than likely!! ALL I WANT HER TO DO IS TO THINK HARD about her decision
before she does it...BECAUSE I CARE - not because I don't have feelings for
her feelings.. because I DO!!! There are too many other things that she is
going to have to deal with for the rest of her life if she does this... And
you people who have had the surgery KNOW THE RISKS ASSOCIATED - -SO BE
HONEST!!!!!!
— Tammy T.
February 15, 2003
First of all, I can tell that that as a "lightweight" you will
lose slower than others. It can be frustrated when others lose 30-40 lbs
in the first month and you can't come close to that. Also as a lightweight
you might not need to lose 100 lbs even though technically you could. I
think the 100 lbs yardstick is unrealistic for lightweights. I had surgery
at 5'2 and 216. My BMI was 40 during my consultation when I was 220 but I
dropped 5 lbs for surgery and it dipped to 39. I have never been 116 or
120 lbs in my adult life and I have been THIN and IN SHAPE in my adult
life. 100 lbs just isn't realistic for me. The lowest I can probably go
without looking sick is about 130 but I look good, thin yet healthy at
135/140. Now that I'm older I'm sure that being in the 130s-140s will look
just fine on me if I ever get there. So technically I wasn't yet 100 lbs
overweight when I went into surgery at 216 or even at my consultation at
220. BUT my BMI fluctuated between 37 and 40 for a long time despite diet
and exercise. People in my dr's waiting room said I was "so
little" but I was miserable and I qualified. Neither my surgeon nor
my insurance company thought that I didn't. My decision to have surgery
was a personal one and a lot of factors such as health, stamina and ability
to enjoy life, contributed to my decision, not just some arbitrary
"100 lbs overweight" number. I think that everyone needs to be
well informed and know this surgery isn't for everyone but once they make
the decision, it's their decision to make. 195 lbs is a lot of weight to
carry on a 5' tall frame. I assure you that you will feel so much better
once you start losing but as a lightweight PLEASE don't compare yourself to
others, it can become very frustrating. (Easy for me to say but hard for
me to do!) Congrats on your upcoming surgery!
— susanje
February 15, 2003
I'm almost jealous. At 5'1", my comorbs kicked in at just about 200#.
By 210, they were THERE. Apnea, asthma, high BP, high cholesterol, etc
& more etc. I could still move around, but my body was strting to have
damage that was to be never reversed. I'm so happy for you that you can
actually HAVE surgery BEFORE yourorgans and bones & joints start to
fail. That said, you ask if you can lose half of you. Maybe, maybe not.
Depends on your type of surgery, how it's done, the type post-op plan you
are offered and your ability to adhere to a good plan. That's to get it
off. As one poster said, you might shoot right on past goal into
"doll" size for a little while. I did, too, but it didn't last
long and I enjoyed my moment of being eensy teensy. I settled at a
reasonable wt for 5'1", but some of the damage the obesity did to me
cannot be undone. I've known about WLS since the 70's, but had NO idea
"regular" people could get it. I thought you had to be
"rich". If only I'd known that I might qualify sooner.....
— vitalady
February 15, 2003
WOW! I am answering here on my own question posting. I guess I should have
been more detailed but didn't think my question would have sparked this
response. First, I would like to say that I was heavier when I started this
quest. I was 202 pounds. It doesn't sound like much but at 5 foot tall it
was 39.5, just under the required BMI of 40. Now, my question for everyone
is why do you think the insurance company requires this and why do you
think they use the BMI calculator? My guess is it's because this is the
minimum that they believe a person should be at to qualify for the surgery.
My second point is that I have several co-morbid conditions that make the
weight loss required. I have diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea,
arthritis, fatty liver, high cholestrol etc. Another point I would like to
make is that everyone who were negative have alot of nerve telling me that
I should just diet and exercise and I would lose the weight. If I could do
that I would not have gone to the trouble and expense of the surgery. I
have obesity in my genes on both sides of my family. Don't you think that
people have ever said that about you??? Just because I am having my surgery
before I get to the weight that you may have deemed appropriate, don't
berate me please.
— Sandy P.
February 15, 2003
Hi...I couldn't help but feel for you...I had exactly 100#'s to lose at my
initial consult, that was after losing 20 lbs over a six month period, the
hard way (or the *right way*, if you are Oprah) On the date of my initial
consult my BMI was 40.7...on date of surgery it was 39.9, but I was
approved. I had several of the same co-morbids you mentioned in your
response post...I have lost every single pound of excess weight I had...I
now weigh 120 lbs. My loss was not as *impressive* as those who lose 100
lbs the first 4 months, but then again, I didn't have that much to lose.
My loss was about 10-15 lbs a month...after the first month, which was a 35
lb loss. I achieved dr.'s goal in about 4 months...my personal goal at
about 7 months...and am now actually below that by 7 lbs at 14 months post
op. I actually got down lower a while ago...but I upped my carbos and got
back up to where I felt I was at an acceptable level. Good Luck and don't
let the naysayers get ya down...so-called *lightweights* are just as
deserving...but somehow oftentimes we are berated and told that we took the
spot of someone who *needed it more*. Well, tell that to my kids, tell my
kids that their Mom didn't deserve her surgery that made her better. Keep
your head up and Good Luck!! Have a Sparkling New Life~~
~CAE~
— Mustang
February 15, 2003
Sandy - you have taken everything I've said completly wrong and
misunderstood my reasons for being worried...and so has everyone else
here.. At this point I won't even bother being worried for you or anyone
on this board any longer and will sign myself out of here.. I don't like to
be bashed and just because someone does not like the answer they hear -
does not give anyone reason for being rude!(some of the people here were
rude - not you) I was not rude, nor was I berating you -- what I said about
trying a diet or a personal trainer one more time - is not meant to be a
jab towards you-- I heard this MANY times from people before I had surgery
TOO..and I didn't want to hear that either.. but it is a simple fact!!
Maybe I should have listened!! Because sometimes a person needs to hear it
from a outsider! YOU my dear, ask the question - you should be ready for
any answer you got!!! And the simple fact is that I never once berated you
- but am truly concerned because there are so many doctors willing to cut
on people these days without regards to whether or not you needed it or
could make it through it!! READ the Memorial Pages and you will see what I
mean!! I"M NOT SAYING YOU DON"T NEED SURGERY!! But maybe you
could go with a less evasive type surgery..something that might be easier
for you since you don't have that much to lose.. Have you looked at the
lap-band -- I hear it is not too bad and better for lightweights... I wish
that my insurance would have paid for that!! And maybe yours doesn't either
but at least I could eat normal, drink normal, sleep normal, live normal!
(Maybe that will come in time for me - but there are people on this site
who are sick FOREVER after this surgery) I know that there are issues to
deal with on the Lap-Band also, but probably not as many as with the RNY...
Now as a RNY patient - I never know what or when I might get sick...or how
I will feel one day to the next as far as energy levels, etc, This is hard
and I'm not kidding - I mean I'm really glad I did it -- and would do it
again - MAYBE.. but I wonder my own self - did I truly TRY everything I
could to lose the weight or did I just give in to this.. I believe I did
try... somedays I wished I would have tried harder!!! I've been back in the
hospital once for dehydration.. and even today went to lunch and had a
baked potatoe which made me dump!! And that is after weeks of eating
them--so I don't know why I got sick - this just happens.. I hate having to
take special vitamins daily to keep me alive, or drinking all this water to
keep me hydrated..and missing out on the special get togethers and parties
and everyone else eating but me, and sitting down eating a hamburger!!
This surgery isn't for everyone and I NEVER said once that you don't NEED
it -- all I've said is that you are not 100 pounds overweight, your young
and have time in your life to change some things about your eating habits
- even if it is genetic, what goes in your mouth is your doing.. same as it
was mine.. and you have to be honest with yourself.. If it weren't for what
we eat, none of us would be here!!! Not because of our parents.. we are
supposed to be in control of our OWN LIVES... Sure genetics does not help
-and it means you have to work harder than someone else.. but I've learned
in the last few months that I was NOT HONEST with myself... I was a closet
eater -- I'd hide eating.. so you have to be prepared to deal with the
WHY'S of how you got to this point also... You asked the question
"will I lose 100 pounds"? If you lose 100 pounds starting at 195
-- then my niece who is 9 years old will weigh more than you! You probably
will not lose 100 pounds - if your lucky... hopefully you come through this
with flying colors and lose down to a wonderful size for your frame... I
pray for you!!! I clearly asked the question on whether you had
comorbidities - and I'm sorry you have all of this -- I'm glad you want to
take care of this before you have MORE problems.. My problem here is that I
just want you to be extremly aware of what your doing FIRST! Some people
say they research and research this surgery and then months later after
surgery, the sit here and complain -"why didn't anyone tell me this
would happen" - WELL I TOLD YOU-- and I'm SORRY FOR BEING
CONCERNED!!!!!! I AM A ADVOCATE for Gastric Bypass - when someone clearly
needs this surgery - I truly believe it can be a gift from god.. and I know
it is a personal decision - shoot I played HELL with my whole family trying
to explain to them why I was doing this!! I had to fight with them every
step of the way-- My sister is a ex-Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader - do you
think for one second she EVER understood my pain ..she did not want me to
have this surgery and I finally proved to her how BAD I really did want it
and need it...it was my decision!! She is very happy for me now -- but was
extremly worried about me during surgery and stood by my side the entire
time! I can only tell you from my experience and the experiences of others
on this site.. I want you to be healthy and happy and you have to do what
you see fit.. but I will ALWAYS question a doctor who performs surgery on
someone with a BMI lower than 40 .. which is the standard of any insurance
company -- for a REAL REASON.. because it is not safe to perform surgery on
smaller people... good luck and may the lord watch over you!!! I really
mean that!!!
— Tammy T.
February 15, 2003
The NIH (National Institute for Health) states that a person would be an
appropriate candidate for surgery if he/she has a BMI of 40 or higher;
however, he/she would also be a candidate if he/she has a BMI of 35-40 with
life threatening comorbidities. Good luck on your surgery and congrats!!
— denisel
February 15, 2003
Hi Sandy!! On Sept. 16, 2002, I was 5'2", 205 lbs. BMI was 37.5. At
50 years old with type II diabetes, sleep apnea, fibramyalgia, high BP,
high cholestral, and high triglicerides my Dr. and insurance company both
approved me with no hesitation. I had a DS on 9/16/02, am now at 131 lbs.
and feel like I have been given a new life. My children lost their father
in 1996, and I did not want them to lose their mother at a young age too.
I am also sure now that I will see any future grandchildren I am blessed
with. I would do it again in a heartbeat, even though I will not lose the
100 lbs. everyone gets so excited to reach. I feel good!! Good Luck and
God Bless!!
— Diane R.
Click Here to Return