Low BMI Rate of Weight Loss?

[Jaelzion 1,123]

2 minutes ago, Crick said:

Yeah the averages thing can be a mess. When I had my 2 month post-op virtual check-in with the nurse a couple of weeks ago, I got really frustrated because the nurse said I shouldn’t set a goal in the normal BMI range. Their goal is to get you below a 35 BMI. Well, hell, at that point my BMI was around 30 already so a 35 BMI would be a failure for me, since my BMI at surgery was 37. I fully expect to get to a normal BMI range and I was actually a bit taken aback by her insistence multiple times that I shouldn’t set my goal that low even after I gave her my stats. I know she was going by the averages but given where I am at this point at 2.5 months post-op, I don’t see why a normal BMI shouldn’t be my goal.

I liked my surgeon's approach. He gave me the stats on how few people get to a normal BMI and said he would be happy if I lost half my excess weight. But he went on to say that the statistics are just averages and some people lose more and some less. And there was nothing stopping me from being one of those who lose more, so we would see! And so I did. It's good to understand the statistics but you don't have to assume you'll be average.

[Jaelzion 1,123]

1 minute ago, ms.sss said:

whoa. You must have been feeling twilight-zone-y when you reached goal! Are you used to it yet?

I have no idea how much I weighed at 10 years old but it was probably less than 60lbs. I wonder what that would like on me now. Probably not very good!

I'm not! I literally don't know anything about being a normal-sized adult. I experience something new and different almost every day.

[ms.sss 14,848]

6 minutes ago, Crick said:

Yeah the averages thing can be a mess. When I had my 2 month post-op virtual check-in with the nurse a couple of weeks ago, I got really frustrated because the nurse said I shouldn’t set a goal in the normal BMI range. Their goal is to get you below a 35 BMI. Well, hell, at that point my BMI was around 30 already so a 35 BMI would be a failure for me, since my BMI at surgery was 37. I fully expect to get to a normal BMI range and I was actually a bit taken aback by her insistence multiple times that I shouldn’t set my goal that low even after I gave her my stats. I know she was going by the averages but given where I am at this point at 2.5 months post-op, I don’t see why a normal BMI shouldn’t be my goal.

I didn't heed my nutritionist either on most things, not so much on goal weights (which she had none), but just food/lifestyle choices. I am finding that there are alot of nutritionists that go by a set manual and prescribe the same advice to everyone they deal with with little to no customization (i mean, your experience is just another example of this).

I hope that folks do their own research and make decisions on their own observations based on THEMSELVES (along with taking their team's advice into consideration) vs. accepting all that is told to them by a single source.

Clarification: I an not endorsing non-compliance to your surgical team. Merely a suggestion to educate yourselves as much as you are able, or can stand.

[Crick 144]

56 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

I didn't heed my nutritionist either on most things, not so much on goal weights (which she had none), but just food/lifestyle choices. I am finding that there are alot of nutritionists that go by a set manual and prescribe the same advice to everyone they deal with with little to no customization (i mean, your experience is just another example of this).

I hope that folks do their own research and make decisions on their own observations based on THEMSELVES (along with taking their team's advice into consideration) vs. accepting all that is told to them by a single source.

Clarification: I an not endorsing non-compliance to your surgical team. Merely a suggestion to educate yourselves as much as you are able, or can stand.

Oh yes, my surgeon’s office is all about doing plant-based diet and you will drag meat from my cold, dead hands. I will eventually even add occasional treats such as cake and ice cream and other goodies I bake - just not so soon after surgery. I did a body scan and RMR test last week and met with a sports-based nutritionist and she not only agreed my Protein goal was good (I’ve been aiming for 65 g/day, my program said 40 was sufficient), she was all about including meat and also increasing my protein up to 80-90 g.

I will include the birthday cake I made last week for a friend (one of the few who knows I had surgery) - she told me I didn’t have to but I’ve missed baking. Since it’s a tried and true recipe I didn’t have to taste it and managed to have all of it leave my house without so much as licking the frosting bowl. It’s a 3 layer chocolate cake completely from scratch.

[Arabesque 6,594]

3 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

When I asked my dr what weight he expected me to get down to he asked what I weighed in high school and said a weight 20 pounds higher than that without exercise and same as high school with exercise. Based on that conversation I don’t think you will get smaller than high school. At least that’s not the norm for my doctors patients. If that makes sense.

Like @ms.sss, I’m not a standard case either. I’m the weight I was when I was 12 which is the year before high school for us. It’s also the age I began menstruating & from when I started to put on weight - about 5kg a year & I was exercising more & eating less. Prior to that I was not overweight. Damn hormones!

The calculator was way out for me too. It gives results on the 60 - 65% average weight loss stats. But it is guide as to what you could expect.

PS - Pretty amazing cake @Crick.

Edited April 1, 2021 by Arabesque

[Carole Williams 0]

I have my sleeve procedure next month in about 3 weeks. Getting nervous!
I want to hear from others like me so I know what to expect, part of me is nervous I won’t lose any weight and the other part of me is scared of getting so skinny my husband or I won’t recognize myself.
I have a BMI of 35.5 and qualified through insurance due to pre-existing conditions. I’m 5 foot 2 inches and weigh 199 and would consider myself as having a larger natural frame.
When I diet hard, I can drop about 20-25 pounds in 3 months or so, but it always just shoots back up. I have read that I could get down into the 140s or 130s even and I can’t remember the last time I weighed that. Even in high school I was in the low 150s when I played field hockey.
I am VERY ready to get healthy after my mom had a major health scare recently. If I continue on this path I get afraid I may not live to see my own kids get married or even see my own grandkids someday.
Still, while I know everyone’s body is different, I would like to know what I can expect, because it seems like what I read on forums vs the official medical representation is different.
How fast did everyone lose weight in my category? What weight did you end up at the 6 month mark and the 12 month mark?
According to my doctor, I have 70-75 pounds of excess weight. I don’t plan to start working out other than walks or bike riding until I am fully healed.
Thanks everyone! Hopefully this will help my nerves!

I'm also getting ready for my sleeve surgery on April 22. Start my diet tomorrow super nervous too. I think it's normal to feel this way. I'm focusing on the here and now because the next 3 weeks on 900 calorie daily is going to be my current struggle but it's preparing me for my new way of eating. Looking forward to loosing my weight and feeling better. I have hip & lower back chronic pain. I weigh 247lbs, height 5'3" BMI 42.5

Sent from my Lenovo TB-X606F using BariatricPal mobile app

[Jaelzion 1,123]

12 hours ago, Arabesque said:

It’s also the age I began menstruating & from when I started to put on weight - about 5kg a year & I was exercising more & eating less. Prior to that I was not overweight. Damn hormones!

Interesting, I began having a period at 9 and that is also when I started rapidly gaining weight.

[ShoppGirl 3,428]

10 minutes ago, Jaelzion said:

Interesting, I began having a period at 9 and that is also when I started rapidly gaining weight.

I’m guessing but it probably has to do with your body starting to hang onto weight more because of possible pregnancy at that point.

[WanderingHeart 140]

On 3/31/2021 at 9:07 PM, ms.sss said:

I didn't heed my nutritionist either on most things, not so much on goal weights (which she had none), but just food/lifestyle choices. I am finding that there are alot of nutritionists that go by a set manual and prescribe the same advice to everyone they deal with with little to no customization (i mean, your experience is just another example of this).

I hope that folks do their own research and make decisions on their own observations based on THEMSELVES (along with taking their team's advice into consideration) vs. accepting all that is told to them by a single source.

Clarification: I an not endorsing non-compliance to your surgical team. Merely a suggestion to educate yourselves as much as you are able, or can stand.

My nutritionist has no respect for the fact that I want to eat Whole Foods, not food with additives. She just recommends her crystal light and reduced fat ingredients and moves on with her day. She told me no more smoothies made with greens, yogurt, chia/hemp seeds and berries.

I honestly just nodded along by the end. I will follow the rules for safety reasons for pre-op and post-op, but I find the focus to be lacking health and nutrition in those sessions. There are hundreds of “diets” and some focus on losing weight and some on overall health and well-being, some on both. I think the key is finding what’s right for your body and eating what is in your value system, ie whether you’re vegan or whether you want to eat sustainable or whether you want convenience and affordability.

[Arabesque 6,594]

10 hours ago, Jaelzion said:

Interesting, I began having a period at 9 and that is also when I started rapidly gaining weight.

I put on a lot of weight when I hit menopause too so again when my hormones went haywire. In the intervening years I bounced between 60 & 75kg. Menopause begins & I’m suddenly 91.

[Daisyjayne 124]

I started at BMI 37 (104kg) and now I'm BMI 21 (59kg). My lowest adult weight ever. My surgeon expected my to get down to 70kg. Reached goal in 9 months and have maintained the loss (within +/- 1kg) for the last 9 months. I was a constant yoyo dieter and was so worried that the surgery wouldn't work for me. I made it work for me ☺️

[TimeToFeelFit 6]

I am 5’2”. I weighed 212 pounds at my pre-op weigh in early February. My surgery was in February 10th. On March 30th I was weighed at my doctors office; 165lbs.

[TheRealPennyD 12]

I was reading this old thread (searched for it) because I have surgery in less than a month and I have a BMI of 35 right now. All the people in this thread did so well with their weight loss, according to the bios they have, I just want to say congratulations to everyone!! Great work!!