Did your doctor tell you an expected weight loss?

libguy2753 · June 4, 2009

I'm just curious, did your sleeve surgeon tell you what he expected you would lose with the surgery?

I had my consult with my doctor this week, and I was kinda surprised by the comments he made. He flat-out said to me "you won't become skinny" and that I'll only have 60% EWL at most. I know he's saying that because he is trying to be realistic, but I thought that was a fairly discouraging thing to say to a new patient. Doesn't my weight loss really depend on the things I do (or don't do) with the sleeve? I was just reading about a guy at OH who lost over 200lbs with the sleeve. I want to be that guy. I don't want to be thinking in my head "okay that's about the limit for loss with a sleeve."

WASaBubbleButt · June 4, 2009

I'm just curious, did your sleeve surgeon tell you what he expected you would lose with the surgery?
I had my consult with my doctor this week, and I was kinda surprised by the comments he made. He flat-out said to me "you won't become skinny" and that I'll only have 60% EWL at most. I know he's saying that because he is trying to be realistic, but I thought that was a fairly discouraging thing to say to a new patient. Doesn't my weight loss really depend on the things I do (or don't do) with the sleeve? I was just reading about a guy at OH who lost over 200lbs with the sleeve. I want to be that guy. I don't want to be thinking in my head "okay that's about the limit for loss with a sleeve."

I think it is a combination of several factors. To name a few....

How small and tight does your surgeon make sleeves? On OH there are 3-4 people that went to the same surgeon in Tijuana. One was able to eat an entire chicken breast 3 weeks post op. Today is my one year sleeve anniversary and I can't eat half that. The others stopped losing at 4 months post op. So surgeon skill is a big one.

Patient attitude, there are some who go into this with the idea that they spent a lot of money on surgery thus the surgery should do it all. They should be able to eat cake and drink soda and lose weight because they spent $10K. It doesn't work that way.

There are people that just can't hack it, they can't make the changes. I have a friend that was banded and is 50# heavier banded than pre-op. It's not the band, it's her. She cannot stop the sugar no matter how hard she tries.

Then you have people that are malignantly obese (50BMI or greater) and once they get down to a 30 BMI they are thrilled and ready to stop. They lost more than they ever hoped for and they are good to go with a 30BMI. I almost did that, when I got down to about 160 I was smaller than I ever hoped for and I announced to my doc that I was done. I was good to go. He kept saying, "BubbleButt, you wanted to get to your original goal and you can still do that!" He really encouraged me to keep going and I'm glad he did. But I was totally happy with settling for less. I would have been one that didn't reach goal for that reason.

Look at people's tickers. They are shooting for a BMI if 30. That's still obese. But that's okay, that's what they want and it's their body. None of us really knows what BMI we will be in the end. We think we know but sometimes people see they could lose a little more, others a little less.

All the above people are factored into the 60% stat your doc is coming up with. If you go to a good surgeon, agree and follow through with changing your eating habits, stick to it... you can lose 100%. Heck, I did it with a band and that is harder than a sleeve. If I can do it, anyone can.

Malaika · June 5, 2009

IToday is my one year sleeve anniversary and I can't eat half that.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WASa!!!!!!!

Rosebud2 · June 5, 2009

I think that is BS. I think it truly depends on you. If you are determined, you will get where you want to be. I post on another board that has been around a while and most people use the tickers, and you can see how amazingly well most have done. Some take longer than other, but the ones that apply themselves get to their goal weight. The ones that don't will post things like "I didn't plan to spend the rest of my life on a diet." No, you don't have to be on a diet the rest of your life, you need to make wiser choices.

serious · June 5, 2009

I'm just curious, did your sleeve surgeon tell you what he expected you would lose with the surgery?
I had my consult with my doctor this week, and I was kinda surprised by the comments he made. He flat-out said to me "you won't become skinny" and that I'll only have 60% EWL at most. I know he's saying that because he is trying to be realistic, but I thought that was a fairly discouraging thing to say to a new patient. Doesn't my weight loss really depend on the things I do (or don't do) with the sleeve? I was just reading about a guy at OH who lost over 200lbs with the sleeve. I want to be that guy. I don't want to be thinking in my head "okay that's about the limit for loss with a sleeve."

I agree totally with everything Wasa said, but I wanted to add a comment about attitude. I an an RN and have worked in many hospitals throughout the country. It is no secret that part of healing and winning the weight loss game is your mental attitude. That's why the attitude of your health care provider is important. You need someone who does not mindlessly quote statistics, but sees you as an individual who can do this. It's a partnership. Your health care provider, imo, should be one of your biggest cheerleaders, afterall, you are entrusting him to perform this service for you. I don't pay anyone, whether it's a doctor or a hairstylist, if I feel they can't work with me. Telling someone they won't ever be skinny can become a self fullfilling prophecy. The human mind and body in the hands of a skilled and positive surgeon can work wonders. I've seen it.

Rosebud2 · June 5, 2009

:thumbup::thumbup:

Well said.

I printed out photos of me in my youth when I still look GOOD. (Figuring the BMI charts now I never knew it was that low. I always felt fat because I weighed 136 pounds and my 5'2" friends all weighed 110.)

Anyway, I brought them to Mexico with me and had them all around the room to remind me of why I was doing this. :biggrin0:

Dr. Aceves came in and saw them and asked if that was me. I told him yes and he gave me the thumbs up. I told him that was what I was going back to and he gave me a high five. As I left the hospital he told me he wanted to see me when I got there. He was very encouraging and made me feel good. He never said "Oh, you're too old and you have too much to lose." That is the kind of doctor you want.

Malaika · June 5, 2009

I don't consider the way you eat with the sleeve to be a diet ... I consider it to be a new lifestyle with a new way of eating and I don't plan to ever be on a diet again the rest of my life. I intend to use the sleeve for the purpose it was designed for -- a tool to help me lose all this weight and I plan to do whatever needs to be done to make that a reality.

I don't know that I've ever been skinny ... however I know I have weighted a WHOLE lot less than I do now and I intend to work my butt off (as well as other parts) to get back to that point.

I am not going to let ANYONE tell me I can't do it! And if they did, I'd prove them wrong ...

PROVE YOUR DOCTOR WRONG AND MAYBE HE'LL QUIT THROWING OUT NUMBERS HE DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT!

WASaBubbleButt · June 5, 2009

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WASa!!!!!!!

Thank you! Seriously, you have no idea how much I appreciate this.

I owe a great deal to Dr. Aceves. I was sick, miserable, and had NOOOOOOOOOOOO energy with the band. Dr. Aceves would email me and tell me that I needed a sleeve and he was looking at his schedule and I wasn't on it. ;o)

I got my sleeve and got my life back.

I love my sleeve, it gave me my life back. Who could ask for more?

I am officially one year post op. I have NO problem maintaining my weight. I feel good, people tell me I look good but due to body dysmorphia... I don't see that yet. I can go shopping, I have the energy to walk long distances. Life is freak'en good!

I am one year post op and I LOVE LOVE LOVE life for the first time in a very long time.

Sleeves rock!

Get a sleeve, get your life back!]

Rosebud2 · June 5, 2009

One year, you old whippersnapper you. No wonder we look to you for advice. :biggrin0:

Malaika · June 5, 2009

One year, you old whippersnapper you. No wonder we look to you for advice. :biggrin0:

Should we call her "OLD WISE ONE" ? :thumbup:

WASaBubbleButt · June 5, 2009

One year, you old whippersnapper you. No wonder we look to you for advice. :biggrin0:

Rosebud...

Thank you sooo much. I love love love your post. ;o)

You know what? It's true, sleeves rock. Bands suck. Thank you for your post.

Life is good with a sleeve, you get it back!

debking811 · June 5, 2009

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WASA!!

You are a true role model...thanks for all the support and the questions you've answered...always appreciated :biggrin0:

WASaBubbleButt · June 5, 2009

Should we call her "OLD WISE ONE" ? :biggrin0:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You should NOT call me OLD wise one. Just wise one, that is good. ;o)

Okay, I am 47.. but that doesn't mean I am sensitive about my old freak'en age!

I'm just WISE. See how that works? ;o)))))

I am verrrry wise, a young wise. Very young wise.

See?

WASaBubbleButt · June 5, 2009

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WASA!!
You are a true role model...thanks for all the support and the questions you've answered...always appreciated :biggrin0:

Thank you thank you thank you.

OP... sorry for taking over your thread but I gotta tell you, this feels damn good.

I'm officially an old timer! Your thread tells me so. AND! In a good way!

Thanks.

Malaika · June 5, 2009

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You should NOT call me OLD wise one. Just wise one, that is good. ;o)
Okay, I am 47.. but that doesn't mean I am sensitive about my old freak'en age!

I'm just WISE. See how that works? ;o)))))

I am verrrry wise, a young wise. Very young wise.

See?

Well HELL -- I couldn't call you OLD WISE ONE anyway ... I'm 4 years older than you ... okay, we'll stick with YOUNG WISE ONE ... I think VERY YOUNG WISE ONE is pushing it a bit at 47 ... :biggrin0:

Regardless, you have been a wealth of knowledge for me during this journey, and I applaud your success ... I hope you stay around for a VERY long time.