Final %EWL

[maintenanceman 280]

4 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

I think the “ideal weight” that they use is different depending on who you ask also. Which means it not 100% accurate when you plug it into the formula but I’m sure it’s close.

There are multiple ideal body weight formulas, but the results are within +-5 pounds of each other.

[catwoman7 10,845]

32 minutes ago, losinglosinglosing said:

How did you feel you looked at ideal body weight? Much of what I read indicates that ideal body weight for a formerly obese person is too small… results in you looking sick. True or false for you?

I loved it at the time, but looking at pictures of me at my lowest weight now (which was right smack in the middle of a normal BMI for my height), I looked pretty drawn. I look better now at this higher weight. The PA in my clinic said people who've lost massive amounts of weight look thinner that never-been-obese people who are the same weight because your bones and muscles are heavier. You needed a lot of bone and muscle to hold up all that weight. Granted, you do lose bone and muscle as you lose fat, but not all of it. And then there's excess skin - but that doesn't weigh very much. Maybe five lbs or so.

[SpartanMaker 676]

33 minutes ago, losinglosinglosing said:

I don’t disagree. It’s just helpful to have some reference point for goal setting. And for better or worse, most data on weight loss surgery outcomes is based on ideal body weight and BMI.

I understand, but the problem is that for most obese people, the number these simplistic calculators spit out is way too low. None of them take into consideration that obese people have things like enlarged hearts, denser bones, more blood volume, extra skin, etc. in addition to the fat. While some of those things will eventually change over time, it's not nearly as quick as the fat loss, especially for bariatric surgery patients.

I've seen way too many people shoot for weights that are unrealistic and frankly would be unhealthy for them. That's why I said pick a higher number and reassess there.

[Arabesque 6,440]

My goal weight put me at a BMI of about 23. I’m at about 19.6 now but was a little less. I’m an outlier & initially lost about 137% of the weight I had to lose. I maintained that for about a year. At the end of last year, my HRT dose was increased & I had to increase my Protein intake (absorption issue) & I put on a good 2 kgs in the same month. I’ve lost a little of that but have maintained that new weight for about 6 months now making my loss about 132%.

I look at BMI as a guide only. I chose my goal weight based on a weight I was always able to get down to in the past - I used to bounce between 60 & 75kg until menopause.
Too many factors can influence what is the ideal weight for you. Age, skeletal frame, gender, level of activity & muscle mass, health considerations, etc. Plus, & most importantly, you have to be happy & able to enjoy your life. If the dietary restrictions or exercise regime you have to follow to maintain a lower weight are too restrictive & limit how you want to live your life it won’t be sustainable.

[NovaLuna 709]

So a 'normal' BMI (24.9) would be 159 pounds for me. I was 392 pounds which means I had 233 pounds of excess weight. My lowest weight was 175, but my maintenance weight was 178-182 pounds (though due to anti-convulsant medication for my Trigeminal Neuralgia I gained 18 pounds and got up to 196, but am now weaning myself off of the med that made me gain weight and hopefully the other one I'm on won't do the same thing as I've gotten myself down to 186-191 and am struggling to lose back to my maintenance weight, but I'm also two and half years out so maybe that's the couple pounds they say you gain back... IDK). So today I'm 187 which means I've lost 205 pounds of the 233 excess weight as of right now which I think is roughly 88% of excess weight loss (if I can lose that extra 10 pounds again then it'd be about 92%). My BMI right now is 29 so I'm 'overweight' rather than a normal weight, but I'm just glad that I'm not in the obese category. I cried when my weight went up to 196 because it was 1. too close to 200 hundred and 2. I was briefly obese again and I couldn't get off the med without the approval of my neurologist because I needed a different med regimen due to the flare and he was the only one who could change the meds. So yeah. 88-92% depending on how you count it. I was in the 92% weight loss for 10 months before I was put on the med that made me gain weight and I'm in thee 88% right now.

Edited August 23, 2022 by NovaLuna
spelling

[summerset 5,261]

The calculator in the link spits out an ideal body weight that sits at BMI 21. I'm at a bit more than 90% EWL according to this calculator at BMI 23 (which is an absolutely normal weight). I guess the second round of plastics will remove a bit more weight but not two BMI points.

I'm like errr... no.

Pretty triggering, this "ideal weight" stuff? Patients are driving themselves crazy anyway and EWL is another potential thing to obsess about. Bonus points if not reaching a normal BMI is used as a reference but this ideal-weight-thing.

Edited August 23, 2022 by summerset

[kcuster83 1,502]

14 hours ago, SpartanMaker said:

To put it simply, Ideal Bodyweight is a crock. These are all based on one of 3 things: BMI, population studies like the NHANES survey, or body fat %. None of these can tell you what YOUR ideal bodyweight should be, only what an average range of weights might be. Why? Let's look at these individually:

• BMI: Frankly the fact that this psuedo-science is so widely used is downright scary. This is all based on a formula created almost 200 years ago by a mathematician (not a physician), trying to determine what an "average" man would look like. It does not take into consideration muscle mass, frame size, or any thing other than height and weight. As an example of just how messed up this is, consider that some professional bodybuilders fit into the morbidly obese category even though they may only have 5-8% body fat.
• Population Studies: Studies that look at large populations have the same flaws in that they only look at averages. They are good for understanding population groups, but are not instructive to know what YOU should weigh.
• Body fat: In general, these formulas are going to be better than the above (as an example, see Gallagher et al., "Healthy percentage body fat ranges: an approach for developing guidelines based on body mass index." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 72 (3): 694.), because they are at least based on your stats (% Body Fat), but they have 2 fatal flaws: First, they rely on BIA (Bioelectrical impedance analysis), but BIA is not that accurate overall. Second, Lean mass is also is lost as someone loses weight, but if the estimate is based on body fat alone, it will be wrong.

My point is the best way to know what your ideal weight should be is based on how you feel and look once you get there. If you need a goal to shoot for, aim high when looking at ideal weight charts. If you're not happy once you get to that weight, you can always adjust downward.

THIS!!! ALL OF THIS!!! YES!! 💯💯💯

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

I think what you look like at ideal body weight may depend in some part on what your highest weight was. I think those at a lower BMI to start may be okay but if those who’s bodies carried much higher weights adapt to that weight (with larger bones and more muscle which both weigh more) of course they won’t look the same if they reach that same skinny weight they once were post obesity.

I didn’t reach my “ideal” weight but I came close and feel I would have looked great had I got there BUT, I was lower BMI to start and that was my highest ever weight so my body didn’t have to change as much to carry my weight as some people who are getting WLS. If that makes any sense.

I also think age has some to do with it (at least for some people). As we get older I believe our age shows more on some of us if we are real thin. That’s just based on my observations of a few people in my life though. Not sure if it’s the same for every body or that others would agree??

[catwoman7 10,845]

1 hour ago, ShoppGirl said:

I also think age has some to do with it (at least for some people). As we get older I believe our age shows more on some of us if we are real thin. That’s just based on my observations of a few people in my life though. Not sure if it’s the same for every body or that others would agree??

I think that's true. Plus some doctors these days seem to be more comfortable with older adults being overweight (not obese - but overweight) than they are with younger adults. My last PCP said older adults in the 23-27 BMI range tend to be the healthiest, and my current PCP said she's fine with her older patients being 10-15 lbs overweight as long as they're otherwise healthy. From what I've read, they're not alone in thinking this.

I weigh the same now as I did in high school, and I think I look thinner now than I did then (I'm in my 60s)

[Starwarsandcupcakes 1,892]

Ok so according to this I’ve currently lost roughly 79.44% of excesses weight. The IBW for me is 136lbs. My ABW from my highest weight is around 155lbs. At my lowest weight I was 153lbs and I’m now around 180 depending on the day. Here’s a picture of me at my lowest weight (left) and now (right) in the same size scrubs. I have a TON of excess skin (plastics said it’ll take 2 separate surgeries to get it all) but I feel happier and healthier now than I did at my lowest weight.

[Tomo 1,135]

63% EWL after vsg.
122% EWL after revision to RNY.

[Tomo 1,135]

I think that's true. Plus some doctors these days seem to be more comfortable with older adults being overweight (not obese - but overweight) than they are with younger adults. My last PCP said older adults in the 23-27 BMI range tend to be the healthiest, and my current PCP said she's fine with her older patients being 10-15 lbs overweight as long as they're otherwise healthy. From what I've read, they're not alone in thinking this.
I weigh the same now as I did in high school, and I think I look thinner now than I did then (I'm in my 60s)

The most recent research also supports this, especially for those over 65 years old. I think in the end, I will settle at about BMI 27 since I am in my 60s too.

[SpartanMaker 676]

6 minutes ago, Tomo said:

The most recent research also supports this, especially for those over 65 years old. I think in the end, I will settle at about BMI 27 since I am in my 60s too.

Agreed. The study I referenced above is older, but even that one suggested this:

Healthy Body Fat Guidelines*: Age Women Men 20 - 39 21% - 32% 8% - 19% 40 - 59 23% - 33% 11% - 21% 60 - 79 24% - 35% 13% - 24%

Those BMI based calculators also don't take age into account.

[Quesodip251 125]

According to the ideal weight calculator posted, I’m at 107% EWL. I wasn’t very big to begin with though, so I’m not surprised I was able to lose all of it.

[maintenanceman 280]

On 8/22/2022 at 1:38 PM, losinglosinglosing said:

You and I have essentially the same stats. I also have bipolar disorder. I’m currently at 167, and I would love to get to 159… ideally 150. I’m ahead of the curve, but my loss is definitely slowing down. And I’m needing more calories to be satiated. Just wondering how realistic it is to get to 150.

Circling back... I did, indeed, get down to 150!