Do I Have Unrealistic WLS Expectations?

[Smye 694]

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone on here can give me, from first or second hand experience, a sense of whether my weight loss goals post WLS are realistic. I appreciate all of the feedback I've gotten from folks on my other posts, but I'm really looking to hear from folks who have done what I'm hoping to attempt or personally know someone who has.

At my last weigh-in, Dec 2014, I weighed 410

Hoped-for surgery date is Feb 2014 (meeting to schedule surgery next week if all goes well)

Goal 1: 375 by May 1015

Goal 2: 325 by Dec 2015

Goal 3: 275 by Dec 2016

Goal 4: 225 by Dec 2017

Stretch Goal 5: 185 by Dec 2018

My Dr. tells me I'm freakishly fit for someone my weight (I walk 2 miles/day, haul hay around my farm, and have only GERD and a little incontinence as comorbidities, BP fine, joints fine [excepting bilateral bunionectomies 12 years ago], I don't eat junk as I raise 70% of my own calories [though my fat intake is too high], etc) so I don't see exercise being too much of stretch to do post-op. I'm having the surgery largely as prevention of larger problems once I get older (still under 30) rather than intervention, and am hoping my current fitness will help spur weightloss rather than quash it.

Any thoughts, is this realistic? Obviously I'll be talking with my Dr. about these goals as well, but wanted to hear from the forum as well.

Edited January 4, 2015 by Smye

[SuperDave 1,115]

So basically your goal is to lose approximately 190 pounds in 2 years? I don't think that is unreasonable. You are basically looking at 2 pounds per week, or 8 per month. That is absolutely attainable. It may not always be easy, but if you stick with it and truly do what you need to do, i think it is very realistic.

Just so it doesn't seem like I am blowing smoke, I am 13 pounds away from the 200 lost mark, so I know it can be done.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I agree, it sounds doable. I started at close to your weight and my expectation is 2 years as well.

[Elode 8,093]

If your body will play along you can do anything!

[SLONP-lapband2bypass 3]

Is your start weight 412, you put 214, I'm confused.

Good for you for taking this step. You will be successful as you are already doing more than many of prior to the prep phase. Do you have support at home? I have a sister who is also morbidly obese, no idea what her actual weight is, I find myself feeling guilty for being normal weight now. I have lost 82 Lbs total and now would like to build muscle mass and loose the little fat remaining. Has anyone else felt guilty about either the decision to do surgery or guilty about the success of weight loss? I feel like everyone is thinking... Just you watch, she'll gain it back. It's probably my negative feedback. ????

[BitterSweet* 835]

Same question. Did you transpose the numbers in your starting weight?

I think your goal is totally doable and with you being as active as you are, it probably won't take 2 years to lose. You're being realistic and that's great.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Absolutely doable. I think you can do it faster than you are anticipating, too. I kind of think you are aiming a bit low for your height. My husband is slender and is 185 at 5.10. If you've not been a healthy weight for a long time, it's hard to pick a number until you get there.

Go for it! Just don't make that number be your end all. You may find you love yourself at 200 or 190!

[McButterpants 2,846]

Agree with @@LipstickLady (she's a smart one!). Don't become a slave to the scale - it's unhealthy. Your body is going to lose at it's own pace - do your part in controlling what you can...what and how much you put in your mouth and how much you move your body.

You got this!

[Smye 694]

All - thank you so much for your encouragement, this is a huge boost!

@@SuperDave - Thank you! Congratulations on your huge accomplishment!

@SLONP-lapband2bypass and @@BitterSweet* - yes, that was a typo on my part, thanks for catching and now corrected. And yes, my wife is super supportive and my 18 m.o. son is too young to do anything but cheer

@@LipstickLady and @@McButterpants (I need to know the origin of that name, it's excellent!) - thank you for your words of caution. I haven't been south of 200 since I was 10 years old (I was 207 on my 10th birthday, what were my parents thinking not getting me any help?) so its a little hard to guestimate. I got down to 250 for a year in high school at my current height and felt pretty good, so anything south of 250 will feel INCREDIBLE (really anything lower than 400 will be an enormous boon). I've got "no slavery" written on my scale right below the numbers. Thank you again.

I have to admit though, taking myself from the kid who hit 100 lb when he was 6 to someone even in the neighborhood of slender is alluring.

Edited January 4, 2015 by Smye

[BitterSweet* 835]

@@Smye, You left out the single most important factor. You're a male. Boom. Consider your goal achieved. Men lose weight quite faster than women. I think you're going to do fantastic.

[Smye 694]

@@BitterSweet* Good point. Usually I try really hard (and often unconsciously fail) not to abuse my society-given male privilege, but I'll admittedly take this one (not that I want women to lose faster, but I'm glad to lose fast).

[geelynn 72]

Try hard to not compare your loss to the weight loss of others--I think someone has already said that your body will do what your body will do (male or female). I got into the trap early on of comparing my loss to others on this site (to the point where I just got defeated and stopped logging on). I've come to the slow realization after small milestones are reached (like the compliment from a person that hasn't seen me in a while, or the seatbelt fits on an airplane ride, the fact that my doctor said my blood pressure is now that of a teenager, the reduction of several medications, or the fact that I can bend over to tie my tennis shoes without feeling like I just ran a mile) that my loss is significant to my health, and although it is slower than other folks on this site . . . it is still going in the right direction! You will do great

[Smye 694]

@@geelynn - thank you! Not comparing is going to be really hard for me moving forward and the reminder is much needed. I've just added it to my list of "To-Do's" at my next appt with my counsellor.

I'm so excited for this surgery - scared, but excited!

[Zentastic 15]

OCD much? LOL. Looks like you are so excited you are setting up an itinerary like a project manager. I think it is great you are excited but you will be taking orders from your body. Not the other way around. Follow all the instructions and you will do great. You may even be thrown a curve ball of depression which might be made worse if you can't make your goals. Stay excited and just keep up the research.

[Smye 694]

@@Zentastic, how did you know? Yes, I am indeed OCD, my wife hopes it will be a strength moving forward. And yes, I'm definitely nervous about the likely depression given the massive hormonal influx as I lose fat. Fortunately (I guess) depression isn't exactly new to my life and I've got a fantastic support network - this new step on my life's journey will definitely be a stressor on that network, but I'm confident we can all get through it. The only "I HAVE TO GET THERE" goal I'm allowing myself is <300lb by the time I'm 30 (26 now).

Edited January 4, 2015 by Smye