October 2018 Sleevers

[Hrsnjs 267]

[mention=345410]Hrsnjs[/mention] I'm real mad at that surgeon, who is not only an a*****e but wrong. We all lose at different rates. We all have different metabolisms. Some of us have more active thyroids than others. If you lost a lot of weight pre-op, maybe that slowed your metabolism down a little bit, compared to someone who didn't, you know?
At my six week I was only down (checking my notes) 20, and I started at a higher weight than you and lost less weight pre-op. 30 pounds, given your starting weight, is a totally unreasonable goal -- not to say nobody ever manages it, but anyone who does should really count themselves lucky!
I wonder if he screwed up and assumed you'd had RNY instead of sleeve. They do lose a little faster at the outset.

I wondered the same thing! I asked him. He knew I'd had VSG. It was like he thinks all fat people lie about what they eat. I showed him my food logs in my phone. He simply said I'm not logging everything. I was floored. You guys being supportive makes me feel better about it. It wouldn't have bothered me so much if he weren't a respected and very experienced surgeon. I remind myself that all of our pre op and post op programs are different...I guess surgeons can differ in what they measure as success, as well.

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[Hrsnjs 267]

That really makes me angry! Instead of celebrating your weight loss - he made you feel bad about yourself! BTW - 80+ before surgery plus 16 since means your are closing in on 100lbs which is FANTASTIC!!! Please don’t let one jerk bring you down!! ((HUGS))

Hearing all of your responses really do help me to feel better about it. I'm glad to see my own surgeon again in six weeks!

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[Hrsnjs 267]

Hey, so, I'm just feeling really nice about my weight loss chart and thought I'd share it (with the y-axis, which shows actual numbers, cut off). That "expected" line was created by figuring out my excess weight (surgery weight minus ideal weight), multiplying that by .6 (on average, sleevers lose about 60% of their excess weight), and plopping that number down a year from my surgery date. That may end up being a bit off -- some people take 18 months to get there -- but it gives me a starting point. For sure, if the blue line ever crosses the red line, I'll move the 60%EWL number to 18 months and still have a motivating chart; but for right now, I could put it at one year out and didn't have to make that many spreadsheet rows. [emoji6]
Anyway, I take my weight every Wednesday when I wake up, and that's how the blue line is plotted.
Caveats: 60% is an average, and I'm not sure what the actual distribution of weight lost really looks like for gastric sleeve patients. So for my own case, yeah, I could end up doing better or worse, and I know that. Some of that is under my control -- I can follow the program and do the work to get the best possible results for my body -- but some of it will come down to age, genetics, etc.

I'm at not quite 15% of my excess weight lost this week (week 8). (I was past 10% at week 6, so I guess JessaK's team would say I'm on track. My team seemed happy enough.)

That is awesome. You are doing great. I'm at just over 15% of my excess weight lost and I'm five weeks and two days post op. Seems reasonably successful to me! Keep up your hard work. We are winning this battle! [emoji106]

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[Georgetown 253]

17 minutes ago, Hrsnjs said:

Thank you! That does help me. I know my surgeon is ok with my process. It's just one thing a fat person who's used to failing does NOT need, ya know? All of your guys support helps. So thank you. ️

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I hear ya! Especially from someone in that field! Seems like he skipped the compassion part of med school!

[JessaK 59]

9 minutes ago, Hrsnjs said:

Thanks, this was a useful tool. Using this calculation it is 16/102x100=15.686. Did I do that right? My starting weight at surgery was 243. The IBW chart my doctor uses says 131 for me. Which means 102 pounds excess body weight. Seems like my 16 pounds is maybe ok...

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Close! You do your starting weight. Looking at your profile, it says surgery weight was 279 correct? Excess would be 148.

16/148x100=10.8%

My surgeons estimated weight losss for a sleeve at 6 weeks is 10-12%. Then 20% by 3 months out.

[notmyname 591]

5 minutes ago, Hrsnjs said:

I guess surgeons can differ in what they measure as success, as well.

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It is interesting. A week or so ago when folks posted their goal weights, mine was WAY higher than a lot of folks because my doctor measures success as losing 60% EWL - which for me is still just barely obese. But, you know, I'm OK with that. You're doing great (we've lost about the same - I'm at about 16% EWL).

[Hrsnjs 267]

Thanks, this was a useful tool. Using this calculation it is 16/102x100=15.686. Did I do that right? My starting weight at surgery was 243. The IBW chart my doctor uses says 131 for me. Which means 102 pounds excess body weight. Seems like my 16 pounds is maybe ok...

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Wow. I can't do basic math today. 112 pounds excess body weight, not 102. So that becomes 16/112x100=14.2857. does that look right[mention=351995]JessaK[/mention] ?

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[Hrsnjs 267]

Close! You do your starting weight. Looking at your profile, it says surgery weight was 279 correct? Excess would be 148.
16/148x100=10.8%
My surgeons estimated weight losss for a sleeve at 6 weeks is 10-12%. Then 20% by 3 months out.

My starting weight of 279 was when I started my medically supervised diet a year before surgery. Day of surgery I was 243. Which start do we use?

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[Freiabr 425]

4 hours ago, Hrsnjs said:

Ok so o had my six week checkup today and saw the other surgeon in the practice (mine was out of the country for a family emergency). I was feeling good! He asked me a bunch of questions and then after all of the answers, he basically told me that I had to be lying because I should have lost 30 pounds by now and it's only been 16. I feel like a failure. I'm getting (shooting for) 600 calories a day... realistically I'm averaging around 700. This doctor told me that I had to be taking in 2000 calories a day to not be losing more than I am. I feel deflated and like I've failed. I tried to explain what I was doing and he said he wasn't there to negotiate my diet and that only I know the truth. I mean I lost 80+ pounds on my own before surgery using a low carb diet, I know HOW to do this. I did have a small sliver of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. But come on, that hasn't cut my weight loss in half. I will be glad to see my own surgeon again in six more weeks. I saw him last week and he was pretty happy with my loss up to then. Then I talk to this guy. Feeling very defeated.

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What a jerk! You know, you have gotten this far to let an Ahole that doesn't know you tell you these things...I know you felt horrible as I had my share of negative people around and now the feeling but I learned that they can say what they want and it doesn't matter, because you're doing your thing and minding your own business...everybody is different, we all lose at a different pace, there's no ONE fits all here! He should've known better being a doctor...my doctor told me that I have 100 pounds to lose but he also said to not expect crazy weight loss because I don't have a lot to lose and my metabolism is slow...so lets do this, TOGETHER! We got your back! We'll get there, no matter the pace!

[Hrsnjs 267]

What a jerk! You know, you have gotten this far to let an Ahole that doesn't know you tell you these things...I know you felt horrible as I had my share of negative people around and now the feeling but I learned that they can say what they want and it doesn't matter, because you're doing your thing and minding your own business...everybody is different, we all lose at a different pace, there's no ONE fits all here! He should've known better being a doctor...my doctor told me that I have 100 pounds to lose but he also said to not expect crazy weight loss because I don't have a lot to lose and my metabolism is slow...so lets do this, TOGETHER! We got your back! We'll get there, no matter the pace!

You rock, and you're totally right. I will get there! We all will. 🥰

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[JessaK 59]

12 minutes ago, Hrsnjs said:

My starting weight of 279 was when I started my medically supervised diet a year before surgery. Day of surgery I was 243. Which start do we use?

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It’s totally up to you! I would calculate both for my own information but your surgeon is measuring effectiveness of surgery so he would calculate off of 243.

[Freiabr 425]

Did you use an app for the chart?

[Freiabr 425]

3 hours ago, CrankyMagpie said:

Hey, so, I'm just feeling really nice about my weight loss chart and thought I'd share it (with the y-axis, which shows actual numbers, cut off). That "expected" line was created by figuring out my excess weight (surgery weight minus ideal weight), multiplying that by .6 (on average, sleevers lose about 60% of their excess weight), and plopping that number down a year from my surgery date. That may end up being a bit off -- some people take 18 months to get there -- but it gives me a starting point. For sure, if the blue line ever crosses the red line, I'll move the 60%EWL number to 18 months and still have a motivating chart; but for right now, I could put it at one year out and didn't have to make that many spreadsheet rows. 😉

Anyway, I take my weight every Wednesday when I wake up, and that's how the blue line is plotted.

Caveats: 60% is an average, and I'm not sure what the actual distribution of weight lost really looks like for gastric sleeve patients. So for my own case, yeah, I could end up doing better or worse, and I know that. Some of that is under my control -- I can follow the program and do the work to get the best possible results for my body -- but some of it will come down to age, genetics, etc.

I'm at not quite 15% of my excess weight lost this week (week 8). (I was past 10% at week 6, so I guess JessaK's team would say I'm on track. My team seemed happy enough.)

Did you use an app for the chart?

[CrankyMagpie 509]

Just now, Freiabr said:

Did you use an app for the chart?

No, I just used Google sheets. (Like Excel, but on Google Drive.) Excel or Numbers would work too.

Edited November 28, 2018 by CrankyMagpie

[notmyname 591]

Welp, i figured out why my clothes all fit the same. Did my measurements today (1 month after surgery). Hips/waist basically the same. Bust/chest/legs have lost a fair amount. Which is weird because I usually lose pretty proportionally (except the bust, because, y'know, women are like that)