Body Size/Weight?
ErinShannon
Posts: 158 Member
I am about 5'7.5" inches tall....I honestly don't know what my frame would be as I've been overweight since about 4th grade. Back then I remember weighing 140lbs.
So recently I've had numerous people tell me I'll never get to "x" amount of weight as that's just not me. For example, my primary care Dr. (who has known me 4 yrs) told me last week I'll never get down to 150lbs but 180-185lbs would be good.
So I am just left wondering where do people get the idea that someone can't get down that size? Am I the only one being told that I can never weigh 150lbs or that I'd never look good at a certain size? How do people know when they've never seen me that size?
I started this journey at 357lbs - I am now 246lbs - I'd be happy getting down to 175lbs but ultimately 150lbs would be my number I've dreamed of. Now that is not to say that I couldn't get to 175lbs and feel I am done and feel good about myself, but I like to leave myself open to the idea that 150lbs would be my ultimate goal. Am I missing something here? Am I being unrealistic? Can other see something that I just can't see in myself?
So recently I've had numerous people tell me I'll never get to "x" amount of weight as that's just not me. For example, my primary care Dr. (who has known me 4 yrs) told me last week I'll never get down to 150lbs but 180-185lbs would be good.
So I am just left wondering where do people get the idea that someone can't get down that size? Am I the only one being told that I can never weigh 150lbs or that I'd never look good at a certain size? How do people know when they've never seen me that size?
I started this journey at 357lbs - I am now 246lbs - I'd be happy getting down to 175lbs but ultimately 150lbs would be my number I've dreamed of. Now that is not to say that I couldn't get to 175lbs and feel I am done and feel good about myself, but I like to leave myself open to the idea that 150lbs would be my ultimate goal. Am I missing something here? Am I being unrealistic? Can other see something that I just can't see in myself?
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Replies
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i do not know where people come up with this. You can and will get to 150 if that is what you want. just because a dr. has a md behind their name, it does not mean that they know it all. I started at 292 and weigh 213 now. i will get to 140, because i want it. i have not weighed that much since i had my first daughter. the lowest i have weighed since having kids was 193 and i truly cannot wait to get there again! and you will rock 150! i have not told a lot of people about my surgery because i do not want any negative comments. it will take me a long time to get where i want but i will get there.0
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I don't really know what the "right" number is for me. I am 5'4" and as best as I can remember 130 always felt pretty good to me and I thought I looked pretty good. I played a lot of sports in high school and am still very muscular . Funny thought, my best friend told my husband that I have always been heavy....I have known her since I was 5. yes, she is still my best friend!! I think I will know by how I look and feel when I have lost enough and I think my body will also know when enough is enough.0
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I think you can probably reach any realistic goal you set your mind to. I think doctors temper their goals for you so they won't seem unreachable. And a great many don't reach them, for a variety of reasons. I think we've all seen people, on MFP and in support groups, that sabotage themselves almost from the start. You are not one of them, Erin.
There are some things that help keep us from reaching a lower weight. I know I'll probably end up carrying 20 extra pounds from the excess skin that will only go away with surgery. There's just no other way to lose that last bit of weight. But I have no doubt you can reach 150 if that's what you really want. And don't worry about looking good--you already do.0 -
Because doctors have seen so many of us, they can kinda get a feel for what we might end up at. But they do not have a crystal ball. My PCP who I love and who has always supported my weight loss surgery, told me about half of his patients are successful after RNY, half are not. He is very happy that I am one of his sucessful ones.
No one told me anything about where I would end up. My bariatric surgeon's goal is for his patients to have a BMI under 30. My highest weight was 339. I'm 5'7" tall and currently maintain between 135-140. I have been told by professionals in the bariatric field that I am in the top 10% of RNYers as far as how much I have lost and how I have been able to maintain.
I will say I am extremely dedicated at 4.5 years out. I do not track everyday, but I am mindful of what I eat 90% of the time. I have personally seen way too many people who had surgery around the same time as me already regain a ton. I will not let that happen to me. I like myself now and know I am worth the effort it takes to remain healthy.0 -
My doc and I had a discussion about this. He explained that based on my history (I was always big/overweight even as a little kid), my frame (I have a size 10.5 shoe and an 8" wrist) and other factors, he thinks 180lbs is a good goal for me and something I would be able to stick with. That was the lowest adult weight I have ever had and with all those factors, we together set that as my goal. He has worked with obese people nearly his entire career and feels realistic goals are vital to success.
I have the lapband and the weight loss is typically slower (2yrs vs 1yr) over bypass so I find it encouraging that I don't have to lose 150lbs in 12 months, I can go at my own pace and hopefully get down to what is a healthy and attainable weight.0 -
For me, I know my body size and type. I am 5'5" tall and was like a huge watermelon at 246 pounds. I remember being very comfortable at 130-135, when I was about 30. My teen weight was a bit less, though in my earlier years I was very overweight. You could say, weight loss wise, this ain't my first rodeo. At 160, right now, I am a 12 and still have far too much body fat and am still in the overweight category. I will shoot for 135 and see how that feels. I have no clue where doctors get the numbers they do. For many, it is a wait and see game. I am right where my surgeon wants me to be, but knowing my body, it has a ways to go.0
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This probably isn't what you are looking for, but I find this site to be pretty neat just to get an idea of how other people your height/shape look at certain weights. Obviously there are various differences as some people just hold their weight differently. It is actually where I go to look at pics of people my current size so I can grasp how much smaller I actually am now. I see myself in the mirror so often, I don't think I realize how much smaller I am after losing over 100 lbs, so looking at girls in my weight range helps me see a bit what others see when they look at me.
http://www.mybodygallery.com0 -
great site, thanks for sharing it0
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well I was told 180-190 lbs and my doc said he would be happy if I got to 200 lbs. I am 5"9" tall and I remember weighing 214 lbs when I was 13 or 14 yrs old.
I have no idea which weight I will end up at and since I am down over 100 lbs any number I do I will be ok with 180-200. lol0 -
A factor may be the excess skin thing... some have nearly zero, some have huge amounts. My sister's docs have estimated she has over 30lbs of excess skin all over, if I recall correctly what my mom mentioned.
So perhaps he's taking into consideration that a "healthy" BMI range for you + potential skin amounts he's seen on others. Also, the expected range with gastric bypass is to lose and maintain a loss of 60-80% of excess weight, so he may be giving you a guideline based on that rather than "ideal weight for height" sort of thing.
*shrug* But really can't tell ya, I've no clue what he's thinking.
But just height vs weight, 150 would be within your "healthy" range on BMI so it's certainly not an impossibility.0 -
I wasn't directly told, but my bariatric center's policy is to state that most patients will lose 70% of their excess body weight. Then they kind of let the patient determine that amount for herself. In my case, that puts me with a "goal" of around 170, and my personal goal has been to get to 160-165 even prior to considering surgery. I could probably go to 140 and still be happy with my look, but the "ideal" weight for my height has always been wrong for me. I was an underweight teenager (about 92 lbs my Junior year), and went straight from that to obese when I got pregnant. I was close to the 165 for a time between pregnancies, but gained it all back when I was pregnant with my daughter. (Obviously pregnancy does NOT agree with me!) I think the practitioners are probably going with statistics when they tell you a specific weight, although that does not mean you are stuck with that!0
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If that is your personal weight goal you can get to it. It is up to you really. My WLS program never did give me a weight goal or a number. Believe me, I asked and asked and they said "as long as you are healthy and not on meds you have met our goal for you". I think they say that if you loose 60% of your excess weight you are a success though in their materials in the manual they give you. My question was is that 60% of your excess weight on surgery day or when you started the liquid diet 2 weeks pre op or when you started with the WLS program? I never got a straight answer on that. As you can tell, I am a goal oreintated and numbers person! LOL!
I want to get to 130 as my personal weight goal for me being 5'4". I told my WLS surgeon that and they said that would be healthy BMI for me if that is what I want. I am currently at 131.2 as this morning. Just 1.2 pounds left but I have been at the 132-134 range the last month or so. I don't know how much my excess skin weighs on me too. If I don't get to 130 I will be happy at 135 range also.
Good luck!0 -
Our dr's over here don't give us a goal weight they just tell us that you should try to hit about 60% of your EXESS weight loss! and they are happy....
I must admit I would be gutted if I only hit the 60% exess weight loss but I am way past that now but would still love to lose about another 20 odd lbs!
not everyone hits goal and it is where you are comfrey to be honest...I am just getting that round my head!
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I don't care what my weight is. My goal size is a 12. I currently just hit 18/20 and started at 32/34 (size 5x). The dress I am wearing today is a 1x.0
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My surgeon never gave a goal weight either, though they said anywhere between 60% and 80% excess weight lost would be what they usually call a success. I've lost almost 72% of my excess weight, so I would meet their consideration of success, but my personal goal has been to fit in a size 11 jeans again. I remember feeling so super thin and healthy in size 11 jeans when I was somewhere around 160 lbs. So that's where my personal realistic goal is. I'm 11 months out and at 174, I mostly wear size 14 jeans right now, so I'm sure I could make 160. It would be nice to get down to 135 as that would be my optimal weight at 5'3, but I'd be happy just being around 160 again.0
