I go for my third NUT appointment and my teaching session with the bariatric nurse on Friday. They want me at 271 the day of surgery (which has not yet been set, but is at least two or three weeks out at best), and this morning I came in at roughly 274. (This is down 36 lbs since December, 20 since February when I started this. The December-Feb weight was after I got my new job and my stress level dropped by several orders of magnitude, so my body relaxed too.)

So I'm not worried about dropping the weight required for surgery. But then what?

I have never weighed less than 220 since my sophomore year of college in 1990. I literally can't imagine what I'll look like. I can't imagine what clothes I'll be able to wear.

I've set a goal of 180 because that is the smallest I can imagine myself ever becoming. That still has me at a BMI of 34... there are people on here getting the surgery at smaller than that!

Am I having a failure of imagination? What's reasonable to expect in the next year and a half? I really don't know! Can I actually expect to wear a size 18 ever again?

I know how you feel.... I have never been below 215 as an adult or a high schooler even (I hit 215 2 years ago and quickly bounced back up above 230...) I have no idea what I will look like around 190, 175, 160.... and it's a bit odd feeling. I can't even begin to picture it in my head. But I'm hoping to find out!!

Can you expect to wear an 18 ever again....of course... I would hope you can expect to wear much smaller than that as well!

I think 180 is a good starting goal, and when you get there, you can see how you feel and revamp the goal. Nothing wrong with a starting goal that is higher...

Get yourself out of the box and let your imagination run free! You will still be "you" just a more agile version of you! And if that ends up at 170 or even 150 so be it. Put in the hard work and have fun

Devichan, you'll figure it out as you go! When I was first banded, I picked a goal that felt like a dream...from 260 down to 175. I hadn't weighed 175 since I was 15 so it was definitely a "pipe dream" to get there. But in the first year, I hit 175...and then realized I needed time to adjust. It felt wonderful..and scary at the same time. I didn't know who this thinner person was in some ways. Didn't like having my butt hurt when I sat on benches, loved and didn't love the feeling of ribs. Didn't like my hip bones hurting when the stitching in my pants went across that area. That sort of thing.

In other words, 175 felt thin enough! But after staying at that weight for about 5 yrs, it became my new "normal." Now, I've picked up about 25 lbs (which is why I'm revising to the sleeve) and this size feels almost as bad as 260 did! My new goal is around 150.

It does take time for our self-image/brains to catch up with the physical changes.

I think it's less imagination and more of a reality. Ask your doctor what a healthy BMI is for you based on your body type. I told my doctor I wanted to be 130 and he laughed and said that 120 was more realistic. If I am going to take the big step of surgery - why would I sell myself short of what is truly the most healthy BMI for me? Makes sense if you think about it. I think we are all so used to failing that setting a safe goal is a way of being self-protective. Now - 5 months out - I see the reality in it all and am so glad my doctor gave me a truthful and realistic goal - because my imaginition just would not have gotten there on its own!

Good luck and aim high (or low - if we are talking about weight)!

I know what you mean! My doctor set my goal at 140, and I was like "I haven't been 140 since high school in 2001!" But I am only three weeks out and I'm already finding it coming off faster than I ever thought it could. You should go on to YouTube and check out AMYSDMOM. Starting with her first videos she was 300. She runs full marathons now and is 5'9" and 145. It can be done, but your imagination will have to play catchup with your body as it changes.

I haven't discussed a goal with my doctor much at all. My 1st goal is 160 (I am 5'5), which is still in the overweight category by about 11 lbs. I asked about 160 as a goal and he was fine with it- he's happy with me in the range of 155-160. I'm planning on reassessing at 160.

I think you also have to consider the weight of extra skin. Me at 160 is probably more like 145-150...

-Kendra

I go for my third NUT appointment and my teaching session with the bariatric nurse on Friday. They want me at 271 the day of surgery (which has not yet been set' date=' but is at least two or three weeks out at best), and this morning I came in at roughly 274. (This is down 36 lbs since December, 20 since February when I started this. The December-Feb weight was after I got my new job and my stress level dropped by several orders of magnitude, so my body relaxed too.)

So I'm not worried about dropping the weight required for surgery. But then what?

I have never weighed less than 220 since my sophomore year of college in 1990. I literally can't imagine what I'll look like. I can't imagine what clothes I'll be able to wear.

I've set a goal of 180 because that is the smallest I can imagine myself ever becoming. That still has me at a BMI of 34... there are people on here getting the surgery at smaller than that!

Am I having a failure of imagination? What's reasonable to expect in the next year and a half? I really don't know! Can I actually expect to wear a size 18 ever again?[/quote']

Dont focus so much on size because everyone is different. I am 268 lbs pretty similar to you and I wear a size 18 so it really depends on the person