Obese After Sleeve?

[Sannah 258]

Anyone?

Surgeon says I will loose 80-120lbs and I have age on my side so closer to 120 This will put me at 180 lbs which is still obese according to those crazy charts!! I am 5'5"

Has your experience been similar?

Did your surgeon give you a realistic measurement?

Have you lost more/less?

While the scale is a good tool for motivation. I am starting to think that fat and muscle mass ratio is a stronger indicator of health and progress. Rather than bmi, which does not account for the differential of weight of fat and muscle. Thoughts?

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[SkinnyMinnie2Be 255]

Anyone?

Surgeon says I will loose 80-120lbs and I have age on my side so closer to 120 This will put me at 180 lbs which is still obese according to those crazy charts!! I am 5'5"

Has your experience been similar?

Did your surgeon give you a realistic measurement?

Have you lost more/less?

While the scale is a good tool for motivation. I am starting to think that fat and muscle mass ratio is a stronger indicator of health and progress. Rather than bmi' date=' which does not account for the differential of weight of fat and muscle. Thoughts?

Sent from my iPhone using VST[/quote']

That's my fear as well. I'm 5 feet tall and 280 starting weight (currently pre-op). If I only lose 120 that still puts me in the obese category. In order to be a healthy BMI I have to be 124lbs..so that's over 150lbs to lose. Just keep in mind though that the sleeve is just a tool and it will work to its full potential if u work it to its full potential. There's people who have lost 300-400 lbs with the sleeve so anything is possible. Just focus on high Protein low carb low sugar and lots of Water good luck to u!

[Capt Derel 287]

Well so far in 6 months I lost 120 exactly. I really havent exercised like many of you can but I do what I can with what I got and where I am at. So if this is only 6 months, what about the next few years. I can say this "you will lose more than you will ever think so dont shoot yourself in the foot thinking that way"

[lollyfidy1965 402]

My personal weight goal is 180...which will "technically" still be "overweight"...even at 5' 11"!! However...I know that I will look and feel magnificent at that weight! My surgeon felt my number was a bit of a stretch (my weight at our first visit was 330), but I am determined. I'm now 11 weeks post-op, and am at 254...I KNOW I can lose the remaining 74 pounds!!

[diochick 40]

My starting weight was 281 and I'm 5'6", so I'm in a similar boat. I was sleeved almost 6 months ago, and am currently down to 198. My surgeon asked me what my personal goal was at the beginning of this journey, I said 170, which is the lightest I ever remember being, and it seemed doable. This would still leave me in the overweight category. I was told my goal was perfect, as that's where they would expect me to land. I've since shaved an additional 20 lbs off that goal which would put me at 150, and the normal range. I think the sleeve will assist you in getting to the surgeons goal, after that it's hard work and exercise. I go to the gym 2-3 times a week, and I'm seeing slow but steady results. As it's been said before-the sleeve is just the tool, it's how you use the tool that decides how well it works.

[desertmom 297]

I personally,after almost 6 months (and in,hopefully,the biggest stall I'll ever have..lol) come to the conclusion (spelling?) that one will lose as much as you want to.If you expect to get to your goal (normal BMI) and WORK to get to goal you will.If you sit on your behind,like I did until a few weeks ago,and wait to get to goal,you will not.

If you are a male or you are still young you will get there faster.Using the first year to lose as much as possible seems super important to me now.

That is my opinion and Im sticking to it....lol

[JMarshall 352]

I am down 152 pounds since i had my surgery 10 months ago. I am currently 338 pounds. i am 202 pounds down overall. i am still technically obese but i am still healthier than i was. no more sleep apnea,back pain and no more high blood pressure. The BMI is a general tool used to calculate what is supposed to be normal. i am 6 foot 4 and have pretty wide shoulders. if i got down to 220 pounds i would look like i had a eating disorder. The doctor is basing that quote from the national averages of sleeve patients, some people lose more some people lose less. Even if you are still obese, i promise that you will still be healthier.

[M_Johnson 43]

I am 5`3 beginning I was 242 my personal goal in the beginning was 150 which my surgeon told me was great. I am down 65 pounds since April 11th. I recently told him I would like to be 130, he said that was not unrealistic. According to those charts for a small frame I would have to be like 105. I think I would look sick if I was that small and he agrees. I personally just want to be healthy. I am happy with the 65 pounds I lost already. I think you need to take into account your lowest weight you have ever been and your body type. I have never been 105# I have been 130 and looked good. I think my personal goal is doable and anything else is a bonus in my mind. I also try to tone as much as I can, so muscle weighs more. I like to judge how I am doing by my clothes sizes also. I went from a 22/24 to a 12 and the 12 jeans I just bought are getting loose, that means inches are falling off! I just had to order new scrubs for work, went from a 2 x shirt to a medium and an xl pant to a small!

You will get out what you put in to your sleeve. You are doing great and I have no doubt that it will continue. as far as those silly charts, forget them. You feel great now and that will only continue, from where you were to goal, even if it is still ” over weight” is a HUGE accomplishment! Keep it up, you will be at goal before you know it!

Michelle xo

[kmoore 97]

Do remember that BMI is relative. It is based on height and weight. It does not consider body structure, which differs with everybody. Two people that are 5' 2" will not look the same at the same weight, for example, simply due to their general body structure. Sometimes the actual number has to be overlooked. How do you feel? Are you off of meds? THOSE are the important things to consider. All of that being said, I also believe that if you follow everything to the letter with nutrition and exercise, this will allow for a greater loss overall. The "normal" loss with the sleeve is considered to be 70% or so...this would put me at 150lbs...which I remember being at LONG ago and remember looking and feeling great at this weight. However, if I go by BMI, this will still be obese for me. 138lbs is the top of normal BMI for me. I'm not going to sweat it. Whatever gets me healthy is golden with me

[slojo 150]

I feel you should weigh what you want to weigh. If its 200lbs you're better off than if you weighed 300lbs, If you look and feel good at a goal weight that is above the area that THEY call obese SO WHAT... as long as you're happy there, go for it!

[Butterthebean 8,146]

BMI is a useless number which was designed to categorize the masses and to chart obesity on a worldwide basis. Applying it to individuals who have drastically altered their weight (such as bodybuilders and WLS patients) gives inaccurate data.

We can lose fat, but our bone structure will not change in any way. And the longer you have been overweight, the heavier your skeleton is likely to be. It grows over the years to accommodate the weight and size.

[sleevemeup 41]

I think the important point to remember is that the sleeve is just a tool. I am pre-op with a October 18 date. Like all of you, I have scoured the internet forums looking for answers! I can't remember if I heard it from my doc, or on the internet, but the statistics of loosing weight and keeping it off is very low- single digit percentage when you go at it alone without the sleeve when you are at the high weights like most of us.

That being said, I think if we use the "tool" properly, it is possible to reach your goals if they are above 120 lbs. I know we all have different stories as to how we got "here", but for me- I can loose to a certain point, but can't seem to maintain it... I loose steam with plateaus, sometimes I get sick and need steroids and that totally sabotages everything- so I eat.... I am hoping with this great tool, I can get to the point where I won't need steroids for inflammation and exercise like I used to! My ideal goal is 120-130 lbs lost, which would be pre pregnancy, but I'd take a 100 lb loss if I feel good! And remember- skin can add weight too!

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

First thing to my mind is your surgeon is shooting numbers based on averages. On average a sleever loses 70% of excess body fat.

You don't have to be the average. Tree are many here that have lost more than they currently weigh. This is your life, and your journey, you decide if average is good enough

I can tell you now, average is not for me.

[DanaInNewOrleans 513]

I am 5`3 beginning I was 242 my personal goal in the beginning was 150 which my surgeon told me was great. I am down 65 pounds since April 11th. I recently told him I would like to be 130, he said that was not unrealistic. According to those charts for a small frame I would have to be like 105. I think I would look sick if I was that small and he agrees. I personally just want to be healthy. I am happy with the 65 pounds I lost already. I think you need to take into account your lowest weight you have ever been and your body type. I have never been 105# I have been 130 and looked good. I think my personal goal is doable and anything else is a bonus in my mind. I also try to tone as much as I can, so muscle weighs more. I like to judge how I am doing by my clothes sizes also. I went from a 22/24 to a 12 and the 12 jeans I just bought are getting loose, that means inches are falling off! I just had to order new scrubs for work, went from a 2 x shirt to a medium and an xl pant to a small!

You will get out what you put in to your sleeve. You are doing great and I have no doubt that it will continue. as far as those silly charts, forget them. You feel great now and that will only continue, from where you were to goal, even if it is still ” over weight” is a HUGE accomplishment! Keep it up, you will be at goal before you know it!

Michelle xo

I agree with Michelle. My "goal" weight is nowhere near the "normal" weight range for my height-- I'm 5'2. I'm have a small frame so the official "normal" for me would be somewhere around 110 -- not realistic as far as I'm concerned. My personal goal is about 160-170, which would be a little below my lowest since I was a teenager. The nutritionist told me that patients have about one year to lose the 90% of the weight they are going to lose (which I found a little odd since I see people here who have continued to lose weight after that "magic one year mark). I'm praying that this works for me-- I'm so afraid of being the odd person who does not lose weight with this surgery. My surgery is not until late November which just give me longer to feed that anxiety about failing. I wish it was tomorrow!

[imworthit 156]

I am 302 and my surgeons goal is 180-190. I think is the perfect frame for me. I don't want to be too small, my heads to big;)