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I only found out about this site today. I began my trip down the bariatric road in late February of this year after roughly 4 years of being pointed in this direction by my doctor. I was resistant primarily because prior to back-to-back knee injuries (right first, followed by the left three months later) in 2008 which were both 'corrected' surgically but have rapidly deteriorated in the years since to the point where I'm grinding bone-on-bone on both sides, I was very active - ice hockey 3x per week including 1x week through the summer, gym 6 days/wk, cycling 100-200 miles/week, so I could 'do it myself'...except with my knees in the state they are, I can't. Having consulted with two separate orthopaedic surgeons, they both agreed I need total knee replacement in both knees - badly - but neither will perform the procedure at my weight. Having this surgery is a stepping stone to my ultimate goal of no longer being a 56 year old 80 year old. So, upon being referred to the bariatric program here in Toronto, I attended the virtual orientation class on March 7th and subsequently attended either virtually or in person, all of the other classes/consults up to and including the surgeon, and have done a sleep study and had an endoscopy and on July 7, received my surgery date; Aug 28 Being in Canada, I will only be out of pocket for the two weeks of liquid diet pre-surgery and then the regimented stages of dietary progression post-surgery. Everything else is covered including all of the diagnostics, the surgery and the hospital stay. I'm looking forward to getting my life back...

My surgeon set my goal weight at 80kg. My personal goal weight was 75kg, because my aim was to be the same size I was when at my smallest back in 1997, which I vaguely recalled being around 75-78kg. When I hit that goal I then had a new goal of 65kg, so I have a buffer in case of the common regain a couple of years post-surgery. I like having a weight goal, it's motivating and I find it useful. I also take what size I am and how my clothes fit into account.

Great work!

On the night before I started my pre-op diet, I had three sushi rolls and a Hendricks gin and tonic. Zero regrets. It was delicious.

My goal weight shifted a few times. I want to preface all of this by stating I am very short statured, so these numbers are going to sound extremely low. I had a BMI of 46 when I started the process and weighed 245 pounds. I chose 120 at first, then found out I would still be considered overweight, so I lowered it to 110, which is dead-center of a healthy weight range according to the BMI scale. Ironically my posture has improved since my surgery and I am an inch taller now, and 120 would have been fine all along (for a woman my size it's between 94 and 124 pounds).

You don't need to fixate on a specific number. Look at where you are now and figure out if this is the right weight or if you want to weigh less or more than your current weight. There are a lot of things to consider, but to generalize, how do you feel and look at your current weight, and how sustainable is it? If everything is good now, congratulations! This is your goal weight. It's probably not that simple because it can be a bit of a balancing act, but figure out, overall, if you'd be better off losing more weight or staying where you are. Are you physically comfortable, able to be as active as you'd like to be, and have good mobility? (Of course, there are factors other than your weight that affect these things, but consider whether losing more weight would improve these things.) Are you satisfied with how you look, what size clothes you wear, how people perceive you? Do you look healthy or do people often ask you if you're sick (which may indicate that further weight loss would be a negative for your appearance)? How easy or difficult is it for you to stick with your current calorie level for the long term? If you're hungry all the time and struggle to stick to your plan, you may be setting yourself up to fall off the wagon and regain. If you're satisfied with what and how much you're eating and exercising to maintain your weight, it's sustainable for the long term. How are your health metrics? How's your blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, etc., and would losing more weight be likely to improve anything? Do you have any vitamin deficiencies that indicate that you're not eating enough (or not taking the right supplements)? I would take the numbers from your dietitian and GP with a grain of salt because bariatric surgery patients are different from their average patients, and without specialized training, they may not understand the nuances and may be basing their advice off the good old BMI chart. In my opinion, if they are giving you a specific number as a goal weight, or telling you that your weight is "too high" or "too low" based solely on your height and weight rather than your actual health metrics, they probably don't have great knowledge in this area. The bariatric dietitian will probably be more helpful. I know you have to wait a couple of months, but you seem to be doing fine for now, so unless you have major problems, you can probably just keep on doing what you're doing until then.

I went by body fat percentage, I found that a Hispanic female of my age range should have 35% body fat, so that was my goal. I’m still obese per the BMI, but if I get any smaller I’ll have a bobble head because I have a good bit of muscle

I remember hearing my Mom and Aunt talking about my weight as a young girl. My cousin was a year older than me and weighed less than me but we both looked the same size. Seemed they were always comparing us. I had more muscle weight or just carried it well they said. Hence my start with weight scale numbers. When I went to the carnival the guy who guesses your age or weight never got it right. I always weighed 20 more pounds than I looked and when I was 14, I looked 16/17. I always walked away with a prize. LOL I never go by weight calculators because they don't take into consideration muscle mass. Mine always told me I should weigh 135 for my height but the few times I reached that goal, I looked gaunt and sickly. Because at 135 I looked like I weighed 115. But at 150, I look 130 which is just right for my 5'6" frame.

You've already lost 30-40 pounds ...... I would call that a Rousing Success !!!!! Are you writing down what you eat ? If you are,you can take your notes right to the dietician and they can steer you in the right direction. Might be a simple fix

It's only been a month and a half. Way way too early to decide the surgery has been a fail. You could be having hormone issues, water weight, or it could be a natural fluctuation. I always gained 4-6 pounds when a stall hit and then when it broke, I'd immediately lose that weight plus an additional 2-3 pounds right off the bat. How is your exercising? How often are you eating? Are you dinking anything carbonated? How are your calories and carbs?