And in how long? What was your starting/goal weight? My surgeon keeps saying that 60% loss is considered a success. But I'd like to lose 100% excess!

I started at 248lbs. On the day of surgery 9.20.12 I was 232/233lbs. I am now 158lbs. My personal goal weight is 130lbs & I'm only 28 lbs away!!!! BTW I am 5'3. I believe any goal is obtainable w/ the use of our sleeve, healthier eating & exercise.

Thanks everyone! I love reading your responses! Im starting at 290 at 5'3" and I'd loveeeeee to get down to 130. My nutritionist said its never going to happen. He's a jerk though, and very against surgery.

I'm just nervous that no matter how strict I am I won't lose it, but you all give me hope!!

Hey Jessica, you said that you think "no matter how strict you are you're not going to lose it"

Can I swear at this site!!!!! Boy would I love to have about 30 minutes with your idiotic, uneducated, arrogant, LYING nutritionist!!

Mam, I'm so fuming -- I need to go!

Hey Jessica' date=' you said that you think "no matter how strict you are you're not going to lose it"

Can I swear at this site!!!!! Boy would I love to have about 30 minutes with your idiotic, uneducated, arrogant, LYING nutritionist!!

Mam, I'm so fuming -- I need to go![/quote']

He's an a**. I went because he was covered by my insurance company, and he was local. I think he makes profit off of medifast because he has the posters all over his walls, and he kept pushing them. He even sent me a follow up email asking me if I checked out the website.

Thanks everyone! I love reading your responses! Im starting at 290 at 5'3" and I'd loveeeeee to get down to 130. My nutritionist said its never going to happen. He's a jerk though, and very against surgery.

I'm just nervous that no matter how strict I am I won't lose it, but you all give me hope!!

So, who made him GOD? You will get down to your goal if your willing to eat healthy and stay on track. It can be done. I am now about 1.2 lbs to my goal of 140 lbs. This is so doable. Now it's maintaining that will be a challenge.

So' date=' who made him GOD? You will get down to your goal if your willing to eat healthy and stay on track. It can be done. I am now about 1.2 lbs to my goal of 140 lbs. This is so doable. Now it's maintaining that will be a challenge. [/quote']

Thank you. I'm fully committed to making a life change. I'm very excited to go through this journey!

I'm not at goal yet but have lost more than 60% of my excess in 71/2 months. I have 2 close friends who were sleeved a year before me and both have lost 100%!

I'm about 2.5 years out, but I got to my original goal in I think 14 months? Then I set a lower goal and I'm still working on that one.

And in how long? What was your starting/goal weight? My surgeon keeps saying that 60% loss is considered a success. But I'd like to lose 100% excess!

Still working on my goal weight here....still inching closer to it....at about 1/2 a pound a month. But better than putting on half a pound a month.

Meeee too!! I reached my surgeon's goal, 150 pounds, in five months, MY personal goal, five lbs less, a month later. I've been maintaining between 143 and 147 for 2.5 years. What a difference three years make!

Thanks everyone! I love reading your responses! Im starting at 290 at 5'3" and I'd loveeeeee to get down to 130. My nutritionist said its never going to happen. He's a jerk though, and very against surgery.

I suppose they have to go by statistics - remember you can do anything you want to do - this surgery will change you - big time. I am 48, 5'3" and I plan on losing every ounce of my EW.

This is a post from another WL board (OH) - one of my favorite folks Elina_7. She offers some wise advise:

This is a post for those of you that think that this surgery will get you to your goal, and I am here to share the bad news with you that it will not. This surgery alone will most likely only lead you to lose to about 50-60% of EW all by itself (on average, some people lose much less and others more). That is the bad news.

The good news is that this does not have to be your fate. You can make a choice to do much better than this statistic. You can choose to lose all the way to 100% EW and be in the top 10% of sleeve patients. You really can do this and than keep your results.

I am here at four years into my maintenance sharing this with you from my personal experience as well as observation. You can reach goal and you can keep it. This is what it takes (from my point of view) to get there and to stay there.

1) You will read about many programs on OH and your doctor will have their own program, my experience tells me that in most cases, the 600-800 cals, over 80 grams of Protein, under 40 grams of carbs is the way to go. Others will disagree, and I am OK with that. This is my post and my opinion and my observation. There is no way that I would have reached goal on 1200 calories. That is my maintenance level eating. This of course might need to be tweaked on an individual basis. If you are an athlete and workout multiple hours a day, or if you have a different goal than I did or if you have a super fast metabolism or are a guy and have tons of muscle, than maybe eating more calories will work for you. If you are a woman, petite, not a youngster, and work out an hour or so a day, in most cases, the higher calories will not get you to goal. Are there exceptions, of course there are exceptions. Are those exceptions common? No, they are not.

2) If you go into this with without realizing that the first six months to a year is all about your weight loss, you are cheating yourself. I read posts on here about how to add flavor to foods and often the point is about making this more palatable. There is nothing wrong with adding spices, or finding low carb, nutritious alternatives to some foods, however, when your focus is anything other than maximizing your weight loss, you are sabotaging your progress and your opportunity of reaching that elusive 100% EW. I can honestly tell you that I think I would have eaten cardboard in those early months if that was required of me. The dedication needs to be to the process, the rest is not that important. Find your groove with certain home made lean Proteins and mostly eat that until goal. This is not rocket science, eat 2-3 ounces of protein and eat low carb veggies as Snacks.

3) Do not allow relationships to get in your way. I don't care if you have kids, or an unsupportive husband, or parents choose to undermine your efforts. That might sound callous, but really, I don't care and neither should you. This next six months to a year is about you and you alone. This is your selfish time, the time when nothing comes before you. If you can't have certain foods in the house, get rid of them. If your spouse sabotages you, stop them. Speak up, find your voice, set your boundaries and do not allow anyone to take your mind off the prize. You matter, you are important, you are precious, and you must find the strength to do the right thing for yourself. If the people in your life are not supportive of your efforts, minimize your contact, or set firm limits. You are in charge and you will not allow anyone to get in your way.

4) Find the warrior in you and give yourself over that part of you for now. Find your type A personality, your alpha and your OCD parts and marry them to get one heck of a fighter. This is not a passive experience, this takes guts, sweat and tears. This takes being over focused on the minutia of your eating and exercise. This is a second job, a new baby, a big deal. This is not about passively taking what comes your way. You must drive this and you must take full control and responsibility. This will not be easy, but it is worth it, really, really worth it. Stop thinking that it will just happen, stop thinking that it should be easy, stop thinking that this shouldn't take a good deal of your time and energy or that it will be convenient. It will not be any of these things, and yet, in the end, you will love the results and remember the process with fondness. You will feel proud to own your results. This journey will change you, and I don't just mean your weight.

In the end, it comes down to an age old question; how badly do you want this?

I suppose they have to go by statistics - remember you can do anything you want to do - this surgery will change you - big time. I am 48' date=' 5'3" and I plan on losing every ounce of my EW.

This is a post from another WL board (OH) - one of my favorite folks Elina_7. She offers some wise advise:

[/quote']

Love this! Thank you!

Y'all are lucky. I am 2.5 years post op. Started at 302. The lowest u ever got was 189. Im at 200 now. Metabolic adaptation is no fun. Being at that low of calories for so long, your body adapts. Then, after about a year and a half, two years, you slowly start gaining. Now, the only way I can lose is with a lot of exercise and healthy clean eating at about 1600 calories. Have to eat often and a lot. Don't regret surgery as I did lose 100 pounds, but still need to lose another 40, and I lost a LOT of muscle.

Who has actually reached goal?

I have i have - 100%!!!!

jumping up and down doing raising my hand

while doing the happy dance' date=' rubbing my little tummy, and chewing SF gum at the same time

the sky is the limit to what % you want to lose

sure losing 60 + % is a success

sometimes i think docs use that low % so they can show their (docs) % rate of patients being successful

i "mark" my goal date at one year PO

i was fluctuating a couple of lbs - but i was at goal

now 6 months since goal - i am maintaining

i might slip here or there - (most/all of do sometimes) but i am doing well - enjoying GOAL

weight fluctuates about 2 lbs on occassion

maintenace can be harder than losing the weight

but i think we all know that

we had that prob with our yo yoing before gaining the weight back

i continue to say and believe - that for me - with the aide of the sleeve - i will keep my weight at goal, fluctuating here and there at times

i/we have gone through "too much" - major surgery to help us lose weight - i can not go backwards now

in the past i, as all others, have gone through too many "personal" issues being overweight - self-esteem, confidence et al

and more importantly all the health problems associated with our weight

now i'm so happy i feel like i could burst sometimes, really

and.........this 59 year old grammy - is cute as a button :lol:

go ahead, check out my before and after pictures :wub:

i'm enjoying the healthier, happier, longer life that we all want

i am proudly showing off my stats

DOS

12/15/11

235 lbs

5'3

present

130 lbs

GOAL

still 5'3

you can do anything you set your mind to

follow all the rules

i know you and everyone else will be a great success story

good luck

kathy[/quote']

Well Grammy, where r those pix;)

Thanks everyone! I love reading your responses! Im starting at 290 at 5'3" and I'd loveeeeee to get down to 130. My nutritionist said its never going to happen. He's a jerk though' date=' and very against surgery.

I'm just nervous that no matter how strict I am I won't lose it, but you all give me hope!![/quote']

What a moron...y wud they pair that stupid aerse nutritonist up w a bariatric surgeon IF he is AGAINST wls? U shud complain and let them know that he is more discouraging than encouraging and YOU DO NOT NEED THIS ON UR JOURNEY!! Put your foot down!! Ss u had to be subjected to his Debbie downess!! Xxxx n gl 2 u!!

Lost my weight in 6 months less a day and now wear a size S/M and 6/8. The post from Elene_7 hit the nail on the head. So many do not believe this and will fight their way to be right in their thinking....................they end up being the ones not reaching their goal weight and wondering why. Some people are just so stubborn!! Love my sleeve and followed the eating plan to a 'T" and as Elene said did everything right!! We all have the ability to reach goal but I agree how bad do you really want it?