Annoyed With Predicted Total Weight Loss By Lap Band Surgeon

[bev712 28]

Has anyone been upset with your surgeon's presurgery predicted weight loss? I had my psych screening today and am very annoyed with my surgeon's predicted total weight loss for me. I'm at 204, and I want to achieve my own goal weight of 128, which I weighed in my 20's (I'm 66 now). The psychologist informed me that my surgeon has predicted my weight loss to be only 40 pounds, to 174. I think that's ridiculous, and I argued vehemently with her that he doesn't know me, she doesn't know me, and there was no way I was going to go through the surgery and settle for being what I consider to be still fat. At 174 I'd be a size 18, only 2 sizes down. Hell, I can get down there myself without surgery - I'd gotten down to that 6 years ago, until I met my guy and started eating the way he does. (We are doing the surgery together.) Ok, my metabolism is slower than what it was in my 20's, but there are loads of women in their 60's who are at their ideal weight. Bottom line: I'm angry, determined to lose a LOT more than they expect, yet now apprehensive that they may be right. Not if I have anything to say about it!! I think they're dead wrong. Who's beat the prediction? Is my surgeon being more conservative in his predictions than most?

[Jachut 487]

Well my surgeon never made a "prediction" ( utterly ridiculous if you ask me) but i was told the most people dont lose 100 % of their xcess weight. The nutritionist didnt think i had much chance of getting to my goal of 70 kg. I not only blew that out of the Water but have settled at 65 kg which is over 120% of my excess weight. Ive spoken at info nights for my surgeon who has to say to the crowd that my results are not typical. But I didnt do anything magic, i worked my and but i dont follow a plan i eat what i want, and i exercise.

I got the predicted 75% off within a year but the rest took about three years.

[SageTracey 608]

Use it as motivation to prove them wrong! I've lost 51kg in eight months and have exceeded my surgeon's expectations - which he didn't reveal post surgery. You can either let it limit your success or drive your success. The choice is yours so go for it!

[bev712 28]

Wonderful! I know I'm not "most people," and obviously neither are you. I don't believe in lowering people's expectations of what they can do. Interestingly, these people are VERY worried about suicide among those who discover their lives haven't magically changed with the weight loss. Blah, blah, I know all that. Waste of two hours, except for the psychologist. She made some money.

[brendap 2]

yes!!! My surgeon at the military hospital said I would be lucky to lose 40 pound, but he signed of on it stating "40 lbs is better than nothing, it would still improve your health". I wanted to smack him!! He tried so hard to talk me into doing the bypass, and I was like NO WAY! so he sourced me out to Dr Lavin, and his nurse practioner said similar, I will never lose 140 pounds with out the bypass. well tough, I am using it as motivation and had my bypass on 12/07 I have lost 23 pounds to date and I went for my first post op visit yesterday. The nurse said I was doing good, that most lap band patients gain after the surgery.. I dont know what planet these people are on! Look over the lapband talk forum, there was one person who had her surgery in March and has lost 112 lbs. I want to be like that person! Hope you do well, keep your chin up! and we can do this!!

[Dave_NW 92]

Check your math. 204 minus 40 pounds is 164, not 174. However: My surgeon's team said I should expect to only lose about about 50 pounds. I said Ok, but then proceeded to lose 125. In less than a year. And now those same team members are amazed at how great I look. They want me to come speak to potential new paitents, so they can get excited about having this surgery. I told them we'll see where I am in another year, after I've had plastic surgery to get rid of the excess skin that resulted from my weight loss.

Don't let an arbitrary decision by a psychologist deter you. Their job is to decide whether you're a candidate for surgery. What you do AFTER surgery is completely up to you. If you want to see 128 again, it's entirely possible, if you work hard enough.

Good luck!

Dave

[horsegirl315 114]

My surgeon did not predict a specific amount for my weight loss specifically, but made a statement at his seminar that band patients only lose about 40-60% of their excess weight. Of course that is a statistic. I'm not going to let myself be a statistic. For me, that percentage is out of my brain because i have seen first hand how much people can lose. And just think, we here at the forums do NOT represent the majority of lap band patients. WE are proactive. WE are the ones here asking questions, wanting to do the most we can to succeed. Sadly, my Dr informed me, most patients get the surgery and never come back to the office. The day ofthe seminar, we were told that 90% of us wouldn't follow through with the necessary steps to get to the surgery date. Well here I am. Got my surgery date yesterday. Going in January 30 and I'm going to change my life. For most of us, this is it. The last straw, our last hope! I believe we will all lose more than the statistic, there is no TRy. Just DO.

[B-52 7,113]

Screw Him!

Once you get into that Green "Zone", you just keep on keeping on. It becomes a lifestyle.

Whats he gonna do? Give you a un-fill when you reach his weight goal? At that point you go in and tell him "I feel fine. Let me be right where I'm at. I'm happy and satisfied"

[Jachut 487]

One thing i have noticed though is how uncomfortable people get when you start dipping below. Bmi of 25. I mean 20 is healthy right? So why do all mu current doctors (lapband doc, colorectal surgeon, oncologist and gp) grill me in a very unsubte attempt to uncover my eating disorder? Why do they now think that th exercise that was applauded on the way down is now excessive?

Weve all been told time and time again that fr weight loss to be successful, you need to make permanent changes, yet now people are saying " enough, you can ease off now". Theres something very complex in ourvway of thinking that makes us very uncomfortable with large weight loss.

[transforming jlaroux 78]

Same motivator for me! I was told I would only lose about 50 pounds! Ha, I'm already down 67 pounds! I have smashed his goal for me. I used my anger at him as motivation to prove him wrong. AT my last fill he told me he was proud of me and gave me a hug! He said I was in the top 40% of bandsters who lose successfully. I don't consider still being morbidly obese as successful though, and I am no where near done. I plan to be at 100 pounds lost by April. I have also been asked to speak on a panel at the hospital. And because of a fellow bandster and myself, the clinic is starting to increase there support for us, because it is nill.

Transform yourself! Prove your surgeon wrong, because he is and they need to learn that the band does work!

[readytogoforit 172]

hey you guys, how many people on this site get so angry when they don't lose what they "thought" they were "supposed" to lose.

all my info -from my insurance co. & doc(University of Minnesota) says 40 to 60%. I welcome the comments from my doc. we are trying to get healthy not ultra skinny. do we really want to create another problem?

live each day with all the gusto that thin(not ultra skinny) people live. eat to live not live to eat. this is not a race.

it scares me when people get so worked up. isn't our health the main concern? are we doing this to "show them" or start to love ourselves for who WE are?

[TexasDianne 5]

was he testing you, perhaps? I think it's ridiculous that any doctor predicts the future. YOU are the only one in control...if you want to hit a certain goal, HIT it. The band is only a tool to help you get to that goal...no one can predict what you will do but you. :-) Go, girl!

[B-52 7,113]

hey you guys, how many people on this site get so angry when they don't lose what they "thought" they were "supposed" to lose.

all my info -from my insurance co. & doc(University of Minnesota) says 40 to 60%. I welcome the comments from my doc. we are trying to get healthy not ultra skinny. do we really want to create another problem?

live each day with all the gusto that thin(not ultra skinny) people live. eat to live not live to eat. this is not a race.

it scares me when people get so worked up. isn't our health the main concern? are we doing this to "show them" or start to love ourselves for who WE are?

Maybe so, but it is these same pinheads who preach we should have a Normal BMI and Body fat Index. I want to love myself and return to who I used to be, not what I've become.

[skinnybitch 3]

I actually had my doctor back out of surgery at the last minute, after he had already scheduled it and my mom bought her plane ticket to come take care of me. He told me he did not believe I would be successful. I was so angry and upset, but I didn't let that stop me. I found another surgeon that was able to keep my surgery at the originally scheduled day and I'm about 2 months post op and have lost about 45 lbs. my new doc is super impressed by how quickly I'm losing. I trUly believe that my previous surgeon helped me lose so fast. I've set out to prove him wrong. Use it as motivation to prove them wrong!

[Knaroz 31]

Yup when I made my goals with my doc I said I would love to be 250. He said I didn't need to be unrealistic and to shoot for 275. Now I am closing in on 175... Needless to say he has me speaking at most of his seminars now lol.

Never be a sheep, you know your body. Use this as the tool it is, not as the crutch you expect.