I went today for my visit with the psychiatrist and the dietitian today and something was said that is a bit of a concern for me. She said that even after I lose the 60-65% of my excess body fat I will still be considered obese she said that it is rare to see people with the sleeve lose more than the 65%. When I hear this I want to ask myself, " Do I want to go through all this to still be obese?" I even asked my daughter what is the point if I'm still going to be obese. Has this been the case for you all? Have you only lost the 60-65%? She also said that I would probably hit the size clothes I want to be in but not the weight on the scale. Has anyone had this? Am I just freaking out over nothing?

I have heard this too and can understand why the average would be that low. All of us on forums are working hard to be an active part of our weight loss experience. There are plenty however, that probably choose to reverse back to old habits.

Also, there isn't much data yet. People like us are helping to shape the new view of this surgery everyday!

Great discussion on it here: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/86516-average-loss-with-the-sleeve-is-60-of-excess-weight/page__hl__nicolanz#entry896618

Many doctors only track their patients for the first year post op. A huge number of us finish our loss in our second or third years post op. The big push from many surgeons seems to be to reach goal in under a year. On a side note, this also is part of the cause that so many people feel there is an "expiration date" on their sleeve and that it has a magic off switch that stops it from working at some point. Not true.

In any case, I hadn't reached goal at one year out. By that point I had reached 85% EWL.

I have said before and maintain that there is nothing stopping you, short of your body's own limits, from achieving 100% EWL if you so choose. The sleeve doesn't come with an expiration date and my sleeve at three years post op is just as effective at controlling my intake as it was early on.

The real issue is that the required headwork must be done in order to remain a success, but that's a different story.

Furthermore, still being obese is different than still being morbidly obese and likely to continue gaining weight. Even if the worst case scenario of 50-60% EWL is all you achieved, maintaining that loss would be a tremendous improvement on your health and likely on your lifespan.

I am 5'1" and currently weigh 142 pounds and am overweight according to the BMI chart. Nobody is calling me overweight but the chart, I promise you. Even when I finally shed the last seven baby pounds back to my goal weight, I'll still be right on the line for overweight. Tell that to my size six/small pants. Would I love to be in the 120s? Sure, why not? But I'm not - I'm the size I wanted and I weigh ten-fifteen pounds more than I'd like (at goal). So what. I also don't have diabetes or high blood pressure anymore. So still being obese but being half the size you are now? Well worth the risk, in my opinion.

The sleeve does not work miracles. If you want more than a moderate loss, you have to not only work for it, but change your habits and lifestyle enough that you can keep that loss off for the long run.

~Cheri

I expect to be a size 8 by this time next year. I dont "expect" it... I DEMAND it.. new life, new me. the sleeve is just a tool. remember that.