Question:
Did any post-ops start at 5'6
I'm trying to get a realistic idea what my goal weight should be. I have always been overweight, so there is no memorable 'comfortable' weight for me. I've seen others with my height and starting weight get down as low as 115-120. But that seems so small! And I have a big frame (size 10 shoes, size 11 ring finger, and a large (not all fatty) wrist). I'm wondering what others of a similar frame/weight/height has set for goals...if you've reached your goals...and where you are happy. Thanks, April — April G. (posted on June 6, 2003)
June 6, 2003
For some reason the second half of my subject line got cut off...It was
" Did anyone start out at 5'6" and 265 with a large
frame???"
April
— April G.
June 6, 2003
Hi April, I am 5'6 but was 296. I am 5 months out and down 88 lbs. I
started in size 32 jeans and am now down to size 18. I started with an 11
shoe and down to 10 so far and my ring finger was 10 but they all fall off
now, not sure what size my fingers are now. My doc says I may get to be
between 140 and 160 lbs. Everyones bodies are different and will find
where it is comfortable at. Good luck to you.
— Charmaine R.
June 6, 2003
I am 5'5 was 267 and now am 146, only 12# until goal if I ever get off this
plateau. I had open rny and im almost 9mo post-op. I am not a small girl
even if im not overweight, my frame is medium and even after all this
weight loss I went from a size 10 shoe to a size 9.5(I have the nice fat
flinstone feet lol)and I have large hands. I have been told all my life
that I will never be a tiny girl, it just cant happen. My doctors for years
have all told me I should weigh between 130-150 to be normal weight for my
height and body structure. I would say most likely the same would go for
you, maybe even 140's would be perfect! I am getting pretty thin and I
still look at the scale and think I need to weigh 110# or something lol,
but it just wont happen unless I want to look very Ill. Good luck to you:o)
— Sandy M.
June 6, 2003
Hi April! I am a little over 13 months post-op and started out at
5'6" & a weight of 267 with a medium to large build...I am
currently 162 lbs. When I saw my surgeon at my 1 year check up I was 170
& I asked her how much more she thought I should lose & she said
probably between 10-15 lbs, which would put me around 155...My personal
goal is 154 because then according to my BMI I will be "normal"
hehe! I'm very content with where I am at now because I am super healthy
and I look like I weigh less than 162, but personally 154 is the number I
am looking for on the scale! :-) Good luck to you with your journey!!!
— Binxalways
June 6, 2003
Hi April.....I started out at 259 and 5'6". I always considered
myself a large framed person...you know, big boned. Well, I am now 120 and
have found out that I am a small framed person.....Go figure!!! LOL Good
luck to you
— hawk4life
June 6, 2003
Hi April,
Good question. Many people started asking me that one as the weight lose
really started to show. I'm 5'6". and at 8 months post-op now, I'm
down to 149 lbs. I wear a size 8 1/2 shoe, and larger rings... so I'm not
sure of my "bone-size." My doctor said that based on height
alone, that the ideal weight would be 137 lbs. So I'm close to that. I
think whats more important is how each of us feels, and if we're too thin
and feel weak/sick, then we should add. I'm not going for the number, I'm
going for what feels good. You'll find what feels right/good for you!
Congrats on your journey!
Sharon W.
— Sharon W.
June 6, 2003
Hi,
I started out at your height at 255 lbs. I am definitely large framed---
size 10 shoes, large rings, etc.. I have lost 64 pounds so far in 3 1/2
months. Kinda slow, but not too bad. I have gone from a tight 24 to a 14
- 16, so far. I still wear an XL on top. The last time I lost a large
amount of weight, I went from 246 to 135. I wore a size 10. My shoes went
down a half a size, and my tops never went smaller than a large. My bra
only went down 1 size. I am now approx. 15 years older, and hope to get
down to 149. THEN I hope to get all this gross skin on my stomach
removed next summer (2004), and lose a few more. If you e-mail me I'll try
to find you and old picture of me in the 130's at 5'6". Good luck!
— Fixnmyself
June 6, 2003
Hi April. I'm 5'5.5" and started at 267, wearing size 26. I have a
medium frame. I had the DS on 6/18/02 and now weigh 152 and wear size 10.
At 152 pounds, I just barely have a "normal" BMI of 24.9, and I
do feel as if I'd like to lose a little more. My ideal weight according to
the 1983 Metropolitan Life Insurance Company standard weight chart (the
tool that most WLS surgeons use to determine your "ideal weight"
and your "excess body weight") is about 137 pounds, weighed with
clothes. That sounds about right to me, because I have about 110 pounds of
lean body mass right now (as calculated by a personal trainer at my gym,
from measurements taken with calipers), and if I got down to an ideal
percentage of body fat (about 20%), that would put my weight at exactly
137! I won't know until I get there (I'm still losing a few pounds a month
now, and I'm working on building extra muscle), but I do think that will be
a good weight for me. It should put me in size 6 or so, and that sounds
great. If you're 5'6" and have a large frame (measured by elbow
breadth), then your "ideal weight" according to the Met chart is
about 153 (that includes 3 pounds of clothing). Of course, it's all going
to depend on how much muscle you have and what ends up feeling comfortable
for you. I think it's best just to have a range in mind (say 140-165) and
just don't worry too much about it until you get close and see how you
feel. Good luck!
— Tally
June 6, 2003
I started at 5'6, 324. Today (at 2 years post) I'm still 5'6, 155 pounds.
I had thick wrists and they were the first to go. They are so thin now.
Shoe size went from 11 to 9 1/2, Bra size from 42 DD to 36C, Pants size
from 28 to 10, top size from 28 to 8/10 (Mediums or smalls), ring size
highest was 10 (I think). I'm not sure what ring size I am now. Maybe a
5. I set a goal of 160 and got to 155. Good luck, God bless and remember
to exercise!
— Kimberly L.
June 6, 2003
Hey April...I am 5' 6" and 292 right now (still pre op). I too have
been trying to find a goal weight. I was thinking like 140 but that seems
so impossible. And the weird thing is, difference BMI calculators will
tell me my goal weight is 142 (highest) or 130 (lowest) so I don't know. I
remember being 200 and still having back problems. I was like 180 by the
time I was 11 so I don't really remember that. So I know I have to get at
least 50 below 200 to slove or at least improve my back issues and
breathing problems. I wish you luck. KIT [email protected]
— Renee B.
June 7, 2003
Hi, I am 7 months post op and started at 5'6 and 259. Today I am at 162 and
17 lbs from my goal of 145. People tell me I look thin enough but I want to
reach my goal. I went from a size 24 to a slowly gettin gloose 14. My size
goal is a 12. I am stuck on this silly plateau and hope to get to goal by
my year anniversary. Good luck! Oh my wrists went from almost 9 inches down
to 6 1/2 and my neck from 19 to 14! I too thought my frame was large too,
seems just well padded!
Wendy
— Wendy H.
June 7, 2003
I say forget what your ideal weight should be. I started out at 290 and
(after 1 yr) now I'm at 175. I feel like if I stayed at this current
weight I'd be perfectly fine with it. After weighing nearly 300lbs this is
a dream. I can't imagine myself any smaller and I don't try too. What I
try and do now is look my best at my current size. Something that has
taken a year to figure out. I see people our size trying to get to 130 and
I think wow I can't even imagine. I really only had 160 as my goal. Once
I've done that the rest is cake!
— Vickie G.
June 7, 2003
Hi, April. I'm pre-op, but I'm 5'5" (I SWEAR I used to be 5'6"!)
and I also have a large frame. I'm very muscular as well. I used to be
thin in high school, even up until I was 20, and in high school I weighed
about 125. Let me tell you, I practically killed myself to stay at that
weight. I was obsessive about exercise and had horrible eating habits. I
am hoping to get to 140-150, and for my frame I feel like that's a
realistic goal, one where I won't always be stressing about it. At this
point, I just want to feel better and not hurt all the time, no matter what
the scales say! Good Luck!
— Moysa B.
June 7, 2003
April,
My pre-op stats were 5'6'', 263lbs. I had a distal, open, RNY on 05/07/02.
I'm 13 months post-op and now weigh 144lbs. I have gone from a size 24
top/pants, size 11 shoe, size 9 ring to a size 10/12 pants/tops, size
9.5/10 shoe and a size 6 ring. I decided before surgery I'd like to get to
142lbs so I'm only two pounds away from my personal goal. I think I
probably have about 7lbs or so of excess skin on my abdomen though. It
would be fine with me if I don't lose anymore weight because my arms and
upper body seem quite thin. My ribs and collar bones definitly show and my
arms are quite thin as well. Good luck on your journey.
— Kelly S.
June 7, 2003
Hi April,
Don't know if this has been researched thoroughly and documented, but I had
read somewhere in my WLS research that for the person predisposed to
obesity, it might be difficult to reach and maintain their
"ideal" weight. So, a realistic goal that might be set to reach
and maintain would be your ideal weight plus 30%.
I am 5'6" small-medium frame and was 408 pre-op. My ideal weight is
137. If I add 30% to that it would set a goal for me of around 178.
Possibly your determined goal weight would be affected by what your pre-op
weight is. What I mean is, for someone like me who is super obese, my
realistic goal weight at 5'6" might be higher than someone who is
5'6" and starting out at 250.
Personally, I have set a goal of 150, but my main goal is to remove the
limitations in my day to day living, and eliminate the health risks
associated with my obesity. Also to ride a roller coaster with my grandson!
;o)
Blessings & Best Wishes!
Lisa
Post-op
Lap RNY/Proximal - 4-9-03
71lbs gone so far!
— victoriandove
June 10, 2003
I'm 5'6", medium framed and at my goal of 160lbs after my PS (I was
170 before PS and size 10). I used to be 300lbs. I'm in a size 8 and some
6's. I was also a size 10 shoe but now I'm a 9 1/2. My original goal was to
be 150lbs but I decided I'd look too sick and gaunt, so I raised it. Check
out my pics on my profile.
— Kris T.
June 13, 2003
Hi - 5'7" here, pre-op 265. Large frame, 9 shoe, 8 ring, 7 1/2 wrist,
bust 42D. 6 months post-op 177, size 12, 8 1/2 shoe, ring 7, wrist 6.5,
bust 38C. 30 pounds to go until goal. Rethinking the 140s - thinking 150
now. I feel great. Now I don't want to lose too much. Does that make any
sense? No cush on the old tush - my butt hurts when I sit too long! lol
People have always told me (no matter what I weighed) that I looked smaller
than what I weighed. They try to guess (and that always made me feel worse
because they'd inevitably guess less). Someone guessed 145 last night and I
had to laugh. People start telling you to not lose anymore weight that you
look good now. That's a rough feeling to go through for me. Trust in how
you feel and not by what the scale says. That's what I'm going to
concentrate on. Good luck!
— Debra L. H.
Click Here to Return