Recidivist

Welcome, Duk. Nobody on my medical team talked about a goal weight either, and I had the same question when I started out. Like you, I chose my weight back in college, which was the last time I was really happy with the way I looked and felt. It turns out that I got down to that weight within about seven months and was able to keep losing, so I adjusted the number down another ten pounds to my high school weight!
If you know that 181 was a good weight for you (and it sounds like you do), then go with it. This is not an exact science, and it's more important that you are healthy and feel good.

I had surgery a couple of times before bypass, so the people around me already knew that I'm not terribly pleasant when I'm recovering and basically steered clear of me in the first couple of weeks.
This surgery is more major than many of us realize, and it's understandable that you are not yourself. I'd recommend a conversation with your family to express what you need (and don't need from them)--and apologize in advance for any future crankiness.

Hands off my Dr. Pimple Popper. I love that show! I actually have the same reaction to some of her patients as I have to those on My 600-Pound Life. How did they go so long without doing anything? ("Well, I've had this lump for 28 years and I thought it might be time to get it looked at.")

Ouch, taken out of content. What I was expressing is it help me to reinforce what I should be doing. Personally when I leave a visit I am all excited about doing right but when you get into another environment it is easy to fall back in an old routine of something I have been doing my entire life. I have not had surgery and my insurance did not require 6 months of classes. I am sure your knowledge is more advanced then mine, since you had a great team behind you. After surgery I will be joining the support groups. I think I took your comment as a dig but hoping it was not meant that way. I feel like I just had a Dr. Now experience.

Those who were in my February 2019 group will remember that I had essentially no problems at all. Well, not entirely true: I ended up with a leak after surgery that had to be repaired and resulted in a longer hospital stay than anticipated. After that, however, I had essentially no pain and no major challenges.
I actually felt guilty posting about my progress when some of the others who had surgery at the same time were struggling quite a bit. I'm happy to report, however, that all of us eventually ended up where we wanted to be. The journey is different for everyone, but the end result is usually the same.

Glad to hear your are doing so well! I did not weigh myself for almost a week after surgery, so I can't comment on the weight gain.
I had a leak that needed to be repaired, so I didn't feel great for the first few days. After that, however, I was pleasantly surprised at how little pain I felt and how relatively easy the recovery was!

I had gastric bypass surgery yesterday morning and believe it or not,a day later and I am feeling pretty good. Very bloated from the air they pumped into me but no nausea or severe pain. I see I have gained about 9 pounds from the IV fluids they were giving me in the hospital but I am sure they will come off soon enough. Has anyone else experienced this? Has anyone else had the experience of feeling better than you thought you would? Reading some of the forums before my procedure had me really scared.
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I haven't posted in a while. Here's my before and after. RNY: 4/11/17, HW: 334, CW: 179. I'm 155lbs lighter and feeling great.

You are doing way better than I did before surgery! You will not be able to eat much for several months after surgery, without even trying. As Uomograsso said, you are already establishing good habits that you will need to continue later, so you have a big head start!

What she said. I definitely had some doubts in the first few weeks, which were very unpleasant. Nearly two years on, I'm thrilled with the decision and also wish I had done it decades earler.

This is the most recent comparison that I have. SW (5/1/19) 327, VSG (12/17/19)- 264, RNY revision (8/11/20)- 211, Thanksgiving weight- 185
I had emergency surgery 12/26/20 so I haven’t taken a current photo lately but my current weight is 157, so 7lbs from goal.

Okay, I'll play along! I don't have a "before" pic that really represents how big I was, because I generally avoided being photographed back then. My before is from a chorus concert I did--and I will admit that I was wearing a "man girdle" at the time. (Cringe.)
I went from 250 to a low of 132 before bouncing back up to 142.

What she said. I definitely had some doubts in the first few weeks, which were very unpleasant. Nearly two years on, I'm thrilled with the decision and also wish I had done it decades earler.

I was going to say the same thing. We all love the fact that we look better after losing weight, but the main point of this journey is improved health and quality of life. Even if you don't lose another pound (although I'm sure you will if you stick to the program), you're way better off than you were before.

mine completely went away for the first two or three years. It gradually came back, but it's not as bad as it was pre-surgery. A couple of over-the-counter antacids will usually take care of it. I did mention it to my surgeon during one of my follow-ups. He sort of shrugged and said "bummer". So evidently it sometimes does come back - although I'm not sure how common that is.

I had crazy high cholesterol and blood pressure before surgery and was on medications for both. I was also pre-diabetic. My doctor told me that without something drastic (i.e., surgery) I was going to have a major cardiac incident within ten years that I might not survive.
I was off both medications about three months after surgery. In fact, my blood pressure got so low that it was actually a problem for a while. Getting off the meds was one of the great benefits of surgery for me.

My sister and a very close friend were both very nasty about my decision to get surgery and tried to talk me out of it. Instead of being supportive when things were so unpleasant right after my surgery, their attitude was basically "I told you so." The relationship with my friend never fully recovered, and my sister is still very negative about my surgery, constantly saying that it must be terrible that I can no longer "enjoy life" because I can't eat some things. (I enjoy life more than ever, thank you very much.)
Both of them are quite overweight themselves, and my guess is that they are threatened and a bit envious that I've made such positive changes. However, I don't really care. I refuse to let their negativity get me down. I had the surgery for me, for my health and for a better quality of life as I age--and I know I made the right decision.

Okay, I'll play along! I don't have a "before" pic that really represents how big I was, because I generally avoided being photographed back then. My before is from a chorus concert I did--and I will admit that I was wearing a "man girdle" at the time. (Cringe.)
I went from 250 to a low of 132 before bouncing back up to 142.

Not sure whether you will see this before you go into surgery tomorrow, but good luck!
As quianmij said, you are very fortunate to have each other for support during the recovery process. The first few weeks are really tough, both emotionally and physically, and you may have some regrets about having done the surgery. You will also inevitably have periods when your weight loss stalls, which is normal. This board was invaluable for me to hear what other people had been through so I knew what to expect. It was so inspiring to see how much people had lost after a year or so--and nearly all of them say their only regret was not having surgery sooner (myself included).
Throughout the process, just follow the program set by your doctor and nutritionist and you will do well, in spite of occasional setbacks. You won't be hungry for months, so take advantage of that time to maximize your weight loss--because your hunger will return. Try not to compare your progress to others, because everyone's journey is different.
Listen to your bodies and go easy on yourself after surgery. You will have very little energy and will want to sleep a lot--and that's okay!
See you on the other side in a few days!

Okay, I'll play along! I don't have a "before" pic that really represents how big I was, because I generally avoided being photographed back then. My before is from a chorus concert I did--and I will admit that I was wearing a "man girdle" at the time. (Cringe.)
I went from 250 to a low of 132 before bouncing back up to 142.

What she said. I definitely had some doubts in the first few weeks, which were very unpleasant. Nearly two years on, I'm thrilled with the decision and also wish I had done it decades earler.

the first few days and weeks post-surgery can be rough, and "buyer's remorse" is common. But...most of us get through that stage and are happy with our decision to have surgery. I have no regrets at all other than I wish I'd done it 20 years ago.

btw - let your clinic know about the vomiting. Maybe they can prescribe Zofran or something similar.

From the start, I weighed myself only once a week, and I've recommended that others do the same. It's hard not jumping on the scale every morning, I know! However, you can make yourself crazy with the little daily fluctuations (and two pounds is really not a meaningful amount). You just have to trust the process if you are following your surgeon's plan, and weekly weigh-ins will give you a much better idea of the overall downward trend.

not sure where you're hearing that recovery is horrible. Mine was a breeze - at first I thought they didn't really do the surgery! Some people do have pain with this, but usually just for the first few days. A majority of us seem to have little to no pain with it, though. Even if you're one of the people who does have pain, they'll send you home with pain meds so you can manage it.

"Cheating"? You can cheat on your spouse, not on food.
As for c/s, you might want to take a look at this website.