When I talk with someone who is considering lap band surgery, I always ask “What are your goals in terms of health, weight- loss, and quality of life?” In many ways I know that that the specific weight is probably the least important goal, but like most people who struggle with weight, I have a hard time wrapping my head around “weight is just a number.” It’s a number I’ve spent much of my life battling with. For most of my life my days were defined as good or bad by that number.
When I made my decision to have lap band surgery, I thought long and hard about my goal weight. I knew I wanted to achieve a normal BMI (<25); at 5’5 a BMI of 25 is 150 lbs. But I also knew that getting below 150lbs was somewhat unrealistic. That meant I would have to achieve “results not typical.” I did not want to set myself up for failure again. I tried to think about the moments in my life when I felt comfortable in my skin – moments in my history of yo-yo dieting.
Reaching back into my memory I found myself with a vivid image. It was 1989 or 1990. I was single, living in an apartment in Forest Hills, NY. It was a brisk winter day; the sun was shining through the lobby of my apartment building. I clearly remember wearing a navy blue Jones NY straight skirt, a skirt that belonged to my favorite business suit. I paired that skirt with the softest v-neck, red angora sweater. My stomach was flat; the skirt didn’t strain at my thighs. I looked good. I felt good about myself. I felt good about how my clothes fit. I also probably hadn’t eaten all day but that’s another story for another day… I weighed 173 pounds on that day.
So when I set my goal weight I decided that if I could get to 173 pounds, stop yo-yoing, and stay there, I could be happy. For me having lap band surgery was more about losing weight and MAINTAINING it, than just about losing weight. I was a pro at losing weight. I was just never able to keep it off. Just as vividly as I remember how I felt in that navy skirt is the image I have of when Dr. Billy told me that a goal in the 170’s would be very realistic for me. He actually told me he thought it would be relatively easy for me to get to the 170’s. He warned me however that I would have to work really hard, if I wanted to get below the 170’s. That was a defining moment for me; it was also the moment I was 100% sure I was ready for lap band surgery and allowed me to set a realistic weight goal.
As my surgeon predicted, it was relatively easy for me to get into the 170’s using my lap band as a tool. I am so happy that I set that first realistic goal for myself. After successfully achieving that goal I worked on my next goal, getting into the 160’s. Those next ten pounds were hard work. Frankly after sailing into the 170’s I wasn’t prepared for how hard those next ten pound were going to be!
As you know I eventually did get to my ultimate goal of maintaining a normal weight (see My Lap Band Journey: Results Not Typical). This is how I set my goals throughout my transformation with lap band surgery:
Original weight goal:
- Starting weight: 232
- Original realistic goal weight: 173
Revised (stretch) weight goals:
- Second goal: <170
- Third goal: <160
- Ultimate goal: <150
- Weight range to maintain (set by my surgeon): 140 – 155
Boy that’s a lot of numbers! But breaking it down, one step at a time and setting incremental goals was really helpful for me.
What I learned is that it is really important to set realistic goals for lap band surgery. My realistic goal was based on a weight I knew I could actually be happy with because I had picture imprinted in my mind of me in my navy pencil skirt and red sweater , with a smile on my face and a good feeling in my heart. I believe that setting and believing in that realistic goal, allowed me to celebrate and gain confidence. After so many failed attempts at weight-loss, gaining that confidence was really important for me.
How do you set your goals for lap band surgery? Do you have realistic goals that you will be happy with? Do you have stretch goals?
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I added ten pounds (for age!) to what would have been a high weight for me as a formerly thin person. When thin, I used to weigh between 119 and 129. I thought 140 was a realistic, heavier weight for my height and age. My doctor agreed. I am in the high 160s now, and the weight is coming off more slowly, but I haven’t gained any and am beginning to feel confident that I am really at the end of yo-yo dieting! I think anything below 140 would be a stretch, not that I couldn’t necessarily do it, but I’m certain people would think I was too thin, and that it would be very hard to maintain.