Goal...to make or not to make.....then Ramblings....

I have seen several post lately regarding people that are meeting their goals....

Questions that I have:
1. Are these you very own goals?
2. Are these goals that were set by your Dr.?
3. Are they realistic goals for you and your body?

The reason I am mentioning this is sometimes I think people here are focusing too much on making a goal that may not be suitable for them.  It is a goal that seems like if you are not a certain size then you have failed.  So NOT true!  I myself am not at goal...I am missing it by less than 10 pounds.  However, I am not worried about it.  I just listened to my body and took notice of what it tells me...Let me tell you it talks a lot...wait that is probably gas...LOL Anyway  I know 10 pounds less for me is not a great look...I tend to look like a crackhead...how sexy of a look is that.....I feel great where I am.  My biggest thing is to maintain and not regain...which to me is harder than losing the weight to begin with.

Let me tell you guys something...which is my opinion ( there is a saying for that too)  .....If God intended us to weigh/look the same then we would all look like carbon copy robots...what fun is that?!  I love being different.....I don't want to look like anyone but myself.  Granted based on my post yesterday asking if I was going through a midlife crisis based on how I dress questions the statement that I am making today.  ( I am like an onion...I have many layers and some can be stinky.)  I am for the most part comfortable with who I am and how I look.....Now I am learning who I am and trying to be more healthy and fit along the way.  Which is what we all should be shooting for...Happy and Healthy!!!

Deb 

 The problem is that after RNY you lose weight, your body finds a great place to stop and stays there.  Until malabsorption wears off and then you gain back 20 pounds. So it is sometimes better to look too skinny for awhile and have that cushion for bounceback that is guaranted to come at about 30 months out.

My surgeon did not specify a gaol for me, but told me what I could expect to get to based on the statistics of my surgery, RNY.  He also told me that more than likely my body would settle where it felt comfortable and at that point maintaining should be fairly easy.  Right now I am 10 pounds below the statistic weight and my body has settled there now for 6 months of mindless maintenance.  I had a lower goal, but I have to admit that I have been feeling really good and confortable and friends and family tell me I look good and healthy as well.  That said, I have been seeing a hepatologist because of elevated liver enzymes.  It appears that this issue is not uncommon amongst WLS patients.  All the tests I have had are normal and without doing anything drastic we are jus****ching them.  But, the hepatologist wants me to loose anoth 15 - 20 pounds.  My triglycerides are still really low so I know the mal-absorbtion is still working for me so I will try to loose the rest of the weight I had planned to loose to begin with anyway.  She seems to think that will help the liver enzymes, but I am very skeptical.  Personnally, I think it's a metabolic side affect of the surgery and it will be what it is.  I think elevated liver enzymes in wls patients would make for a good research study for some med student.

Deborah...............SO TRUE! LIKE! LIKE! LIKE!

I never set a "goal" weight because my surgeon said "your body will stop losing when you get there".  And it did.  I stopped at 155, and now stay between that up to 165.  I do not stress over it-although when I get on the higher end I tend to naturally cut back and go back down.

Maintenance is trickier than the loss phase, that is for sure. 

I'm not so sure I believe in the guaranteed bounce back theory.  I know a lot of people have it, but the regular exercisers on the exercise forum never mention this.  I think the bounce comes when you keep doing what you've been doing when malabsorption would "cover indiscretions". 

If you truly live in a range of calories that is offset by what you burn, you should be okay-at least it has worked for me for the past 2 years I've been in maintenance.  Now, that being said, as I approach the 3 year mark I do notice that I cannot get away with as much "mindless" eating.  Over the holidays I gained 4 lbs-and I didn't overdo it so much as I ate/drank whatever I wanted to....but as soon as I got serious about being mindful of what was going in my mouth, they came right back off....and I never slowed down on my exercise either so that probably helped.

Kim

 At my 2 year checkup I told the surgeon I did not want to hear anymore about bounceback and did not agree that it was going to happen. At my three year checkup, I knew that bounceback had come and agreed that I could gain everything back if I did no****ch for the rest of my life.

I weigh every single morning.  I understand about fluctuations in weight, but also am aware of exactly what I weigh at all times.  Today I am five pounds over goal.  My personal plan is to lose that five pounds during the next two months. That is a big challenge for me.  

My surgeon's "goal" for me was a normal BMI with an acceptable body fat %.  I have achieved that.   My  personal goal is a BMI of 22 with a body fat % within the "Athletic" category.  I chose that range because there's a body of evidence that suggests the 'ideal' BMI for a woman is between 22-23.5, i.e., that's the lowest risk range for cancer and other disorders, along with being considered the 'optimal' size for a female runner.  Running is a real passion for me, again. 

I'm not shooting for 'heroin chic' by any stretch, but I don't mind being lean particularly since I'm pear shaped.  Being both short and of the 'boobless' tribe, the leaner I get the taller and  more balanced I look. 

I tend to agree.

If you want to deal with goal weight issues, try having a goal weight above 25 BMI (horrors). My body fat percentage is currently 22.5 which is well within the normal range for a fit woman, but at 5'8" my goal weight has a BMI of 26.6 (overweight).

So my docs (surgeon and PCP) are ecstatic but any time I start talking about maintenance on OH I find myself defending my goal weight.

Sigh.

BMI is only a guideline and a poor one at that.  It's your body and you know what you are comfortable with and what looks right to you.

Goals are personal, my surgeon said 178 was a success I said I was still fat and started lowering until I found "MY" goal and there is where I keep myself, doing whatever it takes to make that happen, whi*****ludes dieting and sacrifice at times.  You are correct everyone is different and everyone can look however they wish if they choose.  I hate when formerly fat people get all high and mighty about how some people are too thin and how disgusting it is, really then don't be so shocked when someone is mocking your MO body as disgusting.  We have no tolerance in our society, we are really barbarians in my opinion, I tell my boyfriend this all the time, hopefully our race will die off and a much more civilized human race will take its place.  Because "IMHO" we suck!

I agree...Like some of the other ladies said, my surgeon did not give me a goal.  My goal for myself was honestly to be able to run with out feeling like I was gonna pass out.  Of course I wanted to look better but really I wanted to be as active as my mind was.  Now I can run and bike ride with out my knees knocking my belly, so for me my RNY was a huge success.  My healthy weight for my height is about 140 but lets face it, that is never gonna happen and I wouldn't even want it to happen, my face is too thin for my liking now.  I wish people were less concerned about my weight than I am.  Sooo many people are like how much have u lost now...really??? when did it become okay to ask about someones weight?  Ugh, anyways as for you, I think you are the perfect size...good job!!!