Question:
How low can I go?

When I was in college a few years ago, I took a health class where we had to have a fitness evaluation. I had mine privately with a physiology major: he measured my body fat (always a miserable, humiliating experience) with some sort of electronic waves. He said that I was carrying around 187 lbs of bone and muscle. Does this mean that I will never get to under 200 lbs in my life????? I would love to get to my ideal weight of 140 at some point in my life. My dietician said that I will never reach my goal weight.    — jenn2002 (posted on December 22, 2001)

December 22, 2001
When you're MO, your bones actually become more dense (stronger) so they can carry you around. My personal opinion: you will probably get down to about 200, but not much less. I'm in the same boat. I lost 150 lbs. very quickly (8 months) and each pound after that has been a real struggle. I am now within 75 lbs. of my goal and these last pounds have been very hard. I'm thinking seriously about re-evaluating my goal.
   — Terissa R.

December 22, 2001
Sometimes I think they tell you that so that you are not discouraged "if" you don't reach your goal. I too wonder if I will ever reach my goal and somedays it seems very unlikely, but I hear all the time how people have been told by their surgeon or the nutritionist that they will never reach goal and they do despite the information. I think if you really want to and work at it you can reach it. The first 6 months you lose the most and then you have to work to get the rest off by using your pouch as a tool and not reverting back to old habits. My surgeon said that for the first 2 years after WLS you lose the most pounds in the first two months, then you lose between 5 and 15 pounds a month for the last 18 months... losing closer to the 5 pounds a month the further out you go. Don't get discouraged yet... use the information the nutritionist gave you as a tool and set it in your mind that you are going to prove her wrong! Hang in there and good luck!!!
   — Kellie Jo B.

December 22, 2001
I agree with kelly. My nutritionalist asked me what my goal was and I said 175 , she said to me " most people would be happy to be under 200 lbs". I figured she said that so I would not be discouraged. And I re-thought things.I knew I would be happy at anything under 200. I am now 135-139! Anything is possible. But remember this surgery is a gift and the pouch is a tool use it wisely. Good luck and God bless.
   — Rose A.

December 22, 2001
Well I have been lucky, having lost 70% of what I am overweight before my 5th month anniversary. I know my bones are heavy and dense, and I will not loose to chart weight and really dont care at this point. I feel so much better at this weight its unreal. Anytime your unhappy go pick up a bunch of heavy bags of topsoil or something. I loaded 100 pounds in my van last night and my best friend remarked, just think you were carrying that on you constantly. It REALLY gave me something to think about!
   — bob-haller

December 23, 2001
Please do not be discouraged or influanced by your previous body assesment -- My LMM before surgery was 168lbs. and a couple of weeks ago (16 months post op) it was 105lbs. YES, you can reach your goal. You have been given a tool that YOU can use to suit exactly what body you would like to live in. I am saddened when people with this tool "settle" for less than they want -- As obese people I think we are programed to settle for "less than" and even while I'll always think of myself as an obese person living in a thin body -- I have hit and kept MY goal of 120 lbs (5' 6" female) -- I work hard for it but I enjoy the work so it doesn't feel like work. When I first went below 145lbs (my surgeons 80%ish goal) he told me to up my carbs and cut back on my protein shakes. Mind you he is a good surgeon but when I truly wanted to know what to do I looked and searched out the real pro's -- those people with 3, 5 and 10 years post-op who were both HEALTHY and THIN -- I asked them what to do. They told me, PWE -- Protein, Water and Excercise and I followed their advice to the letter -- still do, and I've never been thinner and healthier in my life. WE CAN ALL have our goals -- our own personal goals -- yes, our bodies adjusted to carry around 100's of extra pounds but it also adjusts back to NOT carrying around 100's of extra pounds. Personally, I look toward the post-op's who have kept up the good health for years -- that is my personal goal, to have this good health and thin body for years to come -- I stay in close contact with them -- I ask questions and I get detailed answers so I know what to do... how to get this way (MY GOAL) and how to stay this way (A LIFE LONG COMMITMENT) I've also right out and asked some surgeon's if their is some "medical" reason we are limited to 60% - 80% of our ideal weight -- the answer has been NO, no medical reason -- it is just an average statistic of the WLS patient -- this tell's me a lot of patients are not living compliant with their new tummies. When we are compliant, we can have it all.
   — [Anonymous]

December 23, 2001
Your outcome will depend on the type of surgery you have (how much "tool" is it?) and your post-op nutrition. Sometimes adhering perfectly to a bad plan can hold you to those low expectations, but moving to a more sensible plan can get you the rest of the way down. We never "relax", however, once we touch goal, but need to keep living the life to hold it. It doesn't have to be miserable at all. It can be fun & rewarding to just know that we're in control, many of us, for the first time ever.
   — vitalady