I'm still pre-op, but I figured you guys would know better. I had my psych eval today and she asked me what my weight loss goal was. I'm 5'3" and 280. I told her I'd like to get down to 150. She explained to me that I have to be more realistic, and that 95% of people don't lose 100% of their excess body weight. She also said that most sleeve patients will always be slightly overweight. Is this true? I'm looking to get down go my goal, but now I feel discouraged that I never will.

Opinions? Experience?

I can't believe she had the nerve to be so discouraging! I have seen many pictures of people that have gone over the 100 pound estimate. Just follow the rules, eat right and excercise and you should meet your goal. I was 287 when I started, 5'2 and my nutritionist told me at my last appointment, when I was 268, that I should get down to 150.

Well technically 150lbs for you is still overweight so I don't know why she was being such a downer...what does she expect of you?

I would chalk it up to her being a bit of a nut, and a not terribly informed one if she said that when your goal is entirely realistic...even high IMO. You can achieve that easily if you put your mind to it...and likely much more!

All the sleeve patients I know irl are at goal or still losing.

Well technically 150lbs for you is still overweight so I don't know why she was being such a downer...what does she expect of you?

I would chalk it up to her being a bit of a nut' date=' and a not terribly informed one if she said that when your goal is entirely realistic...even high IMO. You can achieve that easily if you put your mind to it...and likely much more![/quote']

I'm hoping to lose more. I have a naturally big build. I have wide shoulders and lots of muscle. I thought 150 would be realistic and I'd be happy. I'd love to push it to 120-130 though!

I guess what i meant is you are being very realistic, conservative even. I bet you lose more but the goal you have set is a VERY realistic goal for weight loss so she should be...if anything...chewing you out for being too conservative verses not conservative enough.

DISCLAIMER: This is my personal opinion.

I don't believe your goal is unrealistic. I think if you look around this site at individual profiles you will see plenty of folks with stats similiar to yours that have achieved healthy body weights. What I mean by that is they are no longer "by the charts" or BMI (Body Mass Index) considered over weight or obese. If you look up your BMI and take into consideration your height your goal is much closer to a healthy weight. You may in time even revise your goal.

Some stats say that you may only achieve 80% of your desired loss and some say that you can achieve 100% of your desired loss. Depends who you talk to. My surgeon suggested to me that 100% of my goal was achieveable with many people reaching 80% of the goal in the first year. Again some lose faster, some more slowly based on habits and down right determination.

I have not read anywhere so far that sleeve patients will always be slightly overweight..that would have totally bummed me out. I'm not to goal yet but I think you will be encouraged by many folks on the site that have reached/exceeded targets.

If you look at a BMI chart (and not everyone believes they are the be all end all) for your height a normal body weight would be 130 lbs. So targeting 150 is not unreasonable. Even if you thought about it this way...I want to be a healthy weight. To be that I should weigh 130lbs. If I can only achieve 80% of the needed loss of 150lbs I could lose 120lbs and then weigh 160.

I've always answered the question "what's your goal weight" with "I want to have a healthy body and weight" Of course I always have the number in my mind but if I preface it with that who could disagree? Skies the limits with this tool. You get to decide what you do with the gift of the sleeve.

Good Luck, don't be discouraged...you will get there! Again, just my opinion

DISCLAIMER: This is my personal opinion.

I don't believe your goal is unrealistic. I think if you look around this site at individual profiles you will see plenty of folks with stats similiar to yours that have achieved healthy body weights. What I mean by that is they are no longer "by the charts" or BMI (Body Mass Index) considered over weight or obese. If you look up your BMI and take into consideration your height your goal is much closer to a healthy weight. You may in time even revise your goal.

Some stats say that you may only achieve 80% of your desired loss and some say that you can achieve 100% of your desired loss. Depends who you talk to. My surgeon suggested to me that 100% of my goal was achieveable with many people reaching 80% of the goal in the first year. Again some lose faster' date=' some more slowly based on habits and down right determination.

I have not read anywhere so far that sleeve patients will always be slightly overweight..that would have totally bummed me out. I'm not to goal yet but I think you will be encouraged by many folks on the site that have reached/exceeded targets.

If you look at a BMI chart (and not everyone believes they are the be all end all) for your height a normal body weight would be 130 lbs. So targeting 150 is not unreasonable. Even if you thought about it this way...I want to be a healthy weight. To be that I should weigh 130lbs. If I can only achieve 80% of the needed loss of 150lbs I could lose 120lbs and then weigh 160.

I've always answered the question "what's your goal weight" with "I want to have a healthy body and weight" Of course I always have the number in my mind but if I preface it with that who could disagree? Skies the limits with this tool. You get to decide what you do with the gift of the sleeve.

Good Luck, don't be discouraged...you will get there! Again, just my opinion [/quote']

Thank you

I'm still pre-op' date=' but I figured you guys would know better. I had my psych eval today and she asked me what my weight loss goal was. I'm 5'3" and 280. I told her I'd like to get down to 150. She explained to me that I have to be more realistic, and that 95% of people don't lose 100% of their excess body weight. She also said that most sleeve patients will always be slightly overweight. Is this true? I'm looking to get down go my goal, but now I feel discouraged that I never will.

Opinions? Experience?[/quote']

Please don't let her get you down! The whack job psych that I went to, was to me, just another

"Hoop" I had to jump through ...

This person is the same, a "hoop" she's met you once and knows nothing.

Set your goal, work towards it and be happy

Laura

It's more of a test to see how your mental is more than anything. I was asked the same question but I stated my goal was to be healthy and to live a more active life than what I'm capable of doing now. I had done my research and understood there are some unsuccessful stories out there. Once she saw that I was knowledgable of what I was getting into she signed off with no problem wasn't even there for an hour.

They know that you want to loose weight it's more of a question to make you think and look beyond the obvious which is weight loss. Don't take it personal their job is to make sure that you are mentally aware of what you are getting yourself into and the possiblity of failure (how will you respond to it). So many folks go in not researching the surgery and understanding the good and the bad and sometimes the ugly and think this is the end all/fix all and not what it is which is a tool (not a guarantee) but there are lots of us on here that have experienced and are still experiencing success! This is 90% mental and they are there to evaluate your mental.

I hope I explained in a way that makes sense.

It's more of a test to see how your mental is more than anything. I was asked the same question but I stated my goal was to be healthy and to live a more active life than what I'm capable of doing now. I had done my research and understood there are some unsuccessful stories out there. Once she saw that I was knowledgable of what I was getting into she signed off with no problem wasn't even there for an hour.

They know that you want to loose weight it's more of a question to make you think and look beyond the obvious which is weight loss. Don't take it personal their job is to make sure that you are mentally aware of what you are getting yourself into and the possiblity of failure (how will you respond to it). So many folks go in not researching the surgery and understanding the good and the bad and sometimes the ugly and think this is the end all/fix all and not what it is which is a tool (not a guarantee) but there are lots of us on here that have experienced and are still experiencing success! This is 90% mental and they are there to evaluate your mental.

I hope I explained in a way that makes sense.

She did ask why I wanted to lose weight and how much. I said I just want to be healthy. Then she asked how many lbs I wanted to lose.

It didn't help that she was a twig *eye roll*

Im 5'8 and Im post op from dec 20th.. Never at anytime has my doc told me my goal was unrealistic.. My goal is 150 lbs too.. ive down 53.8 lbs.. and things are going well... My doc has been nothing but supportive.. so has my nurse and continue to tell me every visit how well Im doing.. Im also been asked to do a testimonial for their website..and speak at his seminar in March.. So I think Im doing great.. I dont like it when someone like that is a debbie downer.. everyone is different.. if you could never reach your goal then what is the point of surgery anyways.. I have a co-worker who tells me on a regular basis "Im not going to have surgery just to lose weight. Im going to do it the old fashion way".. and no wonder she is still over weight and not getting anywhere.. we will see I told her.. Im on my way to my goal.. and she will still be over weight. so dont let them get you down.. I dont.. best of luck to you.

I personally hate putting a number goal on weight loss. I don't believe people should be so concerned about the numbers, a weight goal should always be what makes you feel good. I also think that from the results you see on this forum it is easy to say any goal is achievable if you put the work in. Good Luck.

Okay, just trying to keep it real here. Statistics do show that the weight loss with the sleeve is slightly less than RNY, that makes it about 85%-87% of the total weight needed to be lost. That doesn't mean that we won't hit our desired goal. It just means that last little bit might be a bit tougher than than it would be just through the surgery alone and you might have to work a bit harder to hit that goal. NOW, the Dr. shouldn't have brought that up, but if you research it that's what you'll find. My surgeon even said that in our orientation session. We see people on this board all the time that has loss 100+ on the sleeve. It seems to me, just by what I follow here is that more than 100 lbs with the sleeve is a tougher, but it is certainly doable. Just just have to work at it. Don't let the knock you off your game, hang tough