289 Lbs To Go. Is It Even Possible?!

[rxtine 20]

Right now I am 5'11" and approx 352-360lbs. When talking with my doctor she said don't worry about the number as much as your goal feeling and size, for us taller women with larger bones 150 might look icky. I'm shooting for 199... So I can be in onederland... And see how I feel there!

[rxtine 20]

I haven't had the sleeve but am doing revision hopefully in February after my 3 nutrition visits in 90 days for my insurance and then approval.

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

One of the many reasons I went for the sleeve was I revised from the band and it is less risky to go sleeve versus RNY. The first surgeonI saw felt my BMI was too high for the sleeve expecially considering I had already "failed" at a restrictive only surgery.

Well, my BMI was 52 at time of surgery and I didn't fail with the band, it failed me. I found a surgeon who believed I could do well with the sleeve and I have been very successful with the sleeve. One of my fears with the rny was that living with a "pouch" would be similiar to being banded which was awful. i don't vomit after eating with the sleeve and can predict how much food I need to eat without over earing. Maybe the rNY is the same way, but I had such a bad experience with a pouch...

Anyway, you know as well as anyone that starting up so high it is going to be really hard to get to a normal weight BMI. So what, being a few pounds overweight is AWESOME compared to being 150-200-300 pounds overweight - at least in my book anyway!

[rxtine 20]

Cowgirljane, you made me feel better! I'm still worried I might "fail" but you're right I don't feel I "failed" with the band, I think it "failed" me. The doctor also feels it might not have been the best choice but there is no way to know at the time. I got a good feeling talking with her about revision to sleeve, I feel I will succeed with this. Like you said, even If it's 100 lbs down only, I would be thrilled!! Have you been sleeved yet? You said you are a revision... Did you do two part surgery? Or were they able to do it in one?

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

I was sleeved in Dec 2011 and have lost over 120#. My band was removed in September of 2011 so i did it in two steps to theoretically reduce risk of leaks. I had no complications - whew!

[rxtine 20]

That's where I'm at, she said two parts could happen however she won't know until she is in there! Haha. How long did 120# take? That's so awesome!

[Sharonisshrinking 82]

I was 426 and 5 days post op I am now 375. I lost almost all of that pre op on my surgeon's required liquid diet. You may have to do a longer pre op diet to get to a safer BMI. they typically want you to lose 10% of your body weight if your BMI is over 60. I did it for a month. It sucked, but you can do it. I had a very safe uneventful surgery and my surgeon said the weight loss really helped shrink my liver. My advice to you would be to get started now. Do some Protein Shakes and high Protein low fat meals. It will help you adjust. Every surgeon is different. Mine required me to do the Optifast program for a month. It was not fun. Just be prepared. But, you certainly aren't too big. You just may have a longer pre op road than others.

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

I am 11 months post op. I lost most of the weight in the first 6 months, but have just been steadily, but slowly losing since then too.

That's where I'm at, she said two parts could happen however she won't know until she is in there! Haha. How long did 120# take? That's so awesome!

[rxtine 20]

I am 11 months post op. I lost most of the weight in the first 6 months' date=' but have just been steadily, but slowly losing since then too.

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Wow! So awesome! How much are you losing now? Do you have to work super hard to continue losing?

[JD7176 84]

I started my journey at 465 and I am 5"11. Day of surgery I was 442. My surgeon actually preferred doing the sleeve on me v. RNY because I already had some serious Vitamin deficiencies that would only become much worse after RNY. I'm setting my weight loss goal at about 230. Yes, that's still pretty heavy, but considering where I came from... Oh and today I'm 359 and 5.5 months post-op.

[KatieOkieDokie 171]

I have a higher BMI, I'm around 70 (I'm 5'4 and when I had my consult with my surgeon I weighed in at 422lbs that was two weeks ago). He will not perform surgery on anyone whose BMI is too high for safety reasons. The liver being enlarged, bruising, etc. He said he would like me lose 75 lbs before he would perform surgery on me. I have a three month diet where he wants me to lose 60, and the last 15 will probably come off during my four week pre-opt diet (or more).

They put me on a 3 and 2 diet that is taken from the Medifast 5 and 1. I eat three high Protein Snacks. I have a Protein shake for Breakfast which I eat around 8:15 why I don't know I just do..lol. Then around 10:30 I eat a Protein Bar which is actually really yummy. Then I get a lean and green meal. Which consists of a lean meat (turkey, tuna, chicken), and a green veggie I always eat green Beans, I am not someone who likes change and can eat the same thing over and over again. lol. Then at 3 I have another Protein Shake, and at 5 another lean and green meal. I do mix the meat up with this meal, but not the veggie, I eat broccoli. I only eat around 800 calories a day. However, I started this diet this past Monday and I now weight 415lbs have lost about 2lbs a day. I was told not to start walking (which is part of it) until the second week. So I'm curious to see how much it will add or subtract from my loss!

My doctor also told me that he thinks that the Sleeve is good for me because of my BMI, I thought I had read that the sleeve was best for those with higher BMI's but I maybe I am mistaken?

Anyway, I do agree with some who said the best thing to do is to start now trying to eat right, and losing weight if you feel that you may have too. I was told to ditch all the bad habits before even meeting with the doctor which I tried to do. I stopped drinking pop, I haven't have sugar or chocolate since Feb. I drink TONS of Water and I'm at the point that I don't like drinking anything but Water and Protein shakes (and yes I like my Protein Shakes even the ones I mix from powder lol I'm starting to think I'm strange.. that may change after surgery though..lol).

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck!! Sorry if this is long.

[JMarshall 352]

Went to the info seminar today. Thanks to my endless research (and all the good info on this and other sites), I learned exactly NOTHING at the seminar except, of course, how to get to the hospital. Which is a good thing to know, right?? I should get a call in a week or two to schedule an appointment with the surgeon. I'm pretty excited to see what happens next! This whole process has helped me stress less about knowing what would happen next. Whatever happens, happens. And I'm okay with that.

I did also get my starting weight while I was there. It was a number I was not looking forward to seeing... but at least now I know!

Today's weight: 459. Eek. And I've actually been exercising for a few months, I wonder what it was to start off with! Stepping on that scale wasn't as awful as I thought it would be, I'm really just glad to have an actual starting number. Yay! (?)

My worry now is that my high weight will cause the surgeon to say I should have RNY and not the sleeve. I really don't want to do that! Can any higher BMI patients tell me what their experience was re: what surgery to have?

I'm tall, so I guess that helps (not much). I'm 5'10.5", my BMI is 64.9. (Oy vey! I think it was better not knowing my weight) I would like to be around 170 just so I can be in the "normal BMI" range - but that would mean I need to lose 289lbs. There are people who weigh 289lbs that need surgery!! There's like two extra average weight people inside of me! Whaaaaaat???

Ok, mini freak out over. Bring on the motivation, if you have any to spare. I just need reassurance that this battle is winable!

Its possible for you to lose all that weight. I have lost 210 pounds so it is possible. and since you are young i would stay away from the bypass. my doctor performs the bypass , band and sleeve and he stated that he would rather me have the sleeve since i am younger. he states that the weight loss when compared to the sleeve and bypass is similair. he stated that it would be better to start with the sleeve since there is less Vitamin deficient problems and that if for some reason i wasn't successful that it could be converted to the bypass. im a year out and 210 down and have about 40 more pounds to go. It is possible i am living proof. If you have any questions you can always send me a message.

[makemyownluck 785]

Its possible for you to lose all that weight. I have lost 210 pounds so it is possible. and since you are young i would stay away from the bypass. my doctor performs the bypass , band and sleeve and he stated that he would rather me have the sleeve since i am younger. he states that the weight loss when compared to the sleeve and bypass is similair. he stated that it would be better to start with the sleeve since there is less Vitamin deficient problems and that if for some reason i wasn't successful that it could be converted to the bypass. im a year out and 210 down and have about 40 more pounds to go. It is possible i am living proof. If you have any questions you can always send me a message.

Thank you! This is so inspiring. I really appreciate all the support, guys!! I have already implemented a lot of healthy changes, so I'm eager to see how much I lose when I see the surgeon on 12/6. Looks like surgery won't be until the beginning of the year (which is what I originally thought, but I had some hopeful wishes that it would be sooner!)... and I can't wait to hear what the surgeon says when I meet her. I want to know what she needs me to do to get this show on the road.

So far, I've been tracking my diet on MFP daily, staying under my target calories by quite a bit. I drink 2 Protein shakes a day, have greek yogurt for Breakfast and lunch and then a sensible, low cal dinner. Snacks, if I need them, are almonds or beef Jerky... but I have cut out quite a lot of carbs. I can already see a difference in the way my clothes fit me, and it gives me incentive to keep going. And I've been working out 2-3 days a week, and I've been steadily increasing my workouts as I've been seeing results there, too.

I know I have a long way ahead of me, but I just see it as an opportunity to just embrace this as a complete lifestyle change. My path to goal is a long one, and even if my goal still puts my in the overweight category, I'm okay with that. I just want to be healthier and get off my bp meds, and get off the path to being diabetic or having high cholesterol that I've been on for so long. I'm lucky to only have one co-morbidity, and I'm willing to do what it takes so that I don't have any more!!

I'll keep everyone updated once I talk to the surgeon. Thanks again for all the encouragement!