A few years back, I had a doctor that wanted me to have gastric bypass surgery. This did not seem like the right route for me (I don't currently have any weight related health problems per say, such as diabetes, high BP, etc- so it seemed that for me the risks outweighed the benefits).

Anyways, that doctor at that time told me that I would probably never weigh less than 200 lbs, even WITH surgery. Why would the doctor think that? Would it really be pretty near impossible for me to get under 200 lbs?!!!

I am 5'8" and have a sturdy build... I'm hippy and busty... But I don't see why I wouldn't be able to hit near the top of the normal weight range for my height!

that seems like an assanine thing for a Dr. to say.
I don't see why you can't either . . . . you've lost 13 lbs already according to your profile thingy . . . . AWESOME!
I think if you have the drive and the determination to do it the right way there is absolutely no reason you can't be under 200 . . . there are people here that have done it!
Keep doing what you're doing - you're on the right track I say

There are others on this board who have had the same experience as you and proved those doctors wrong! I don't know why doctors feel the need to challenge their patients in this way, but you could take it on as just that...a challenge. Prove them wrong!

Many find it best to focus on mini goals...5-10 pounds at a time realizing that every pound lost is a victory. It doesn't take much of a loss at all to start reaping the benefits. The body really, really likes weight loss and rewards you early with better BP, lower resting HR, and things like being able to bend over to tie your shoes. Every month, even if the scale gets stubborns, you will start collecting more and more NSV's (non-scale-victories) and it really does make it all worth while. Case in point, I'm still 35 pounds away from my goal but my life is just as if I was at goal. It's amazing how much of a different person I am having lost the weight I have.

You can do this! For me, picking a weight goal didn't work and I had ten years worth of failed attempts in my past to back me up on that. So this time instead of focusing on a "pounds lost" goal I decided to focus on a time goal. I committed to being on plan (calories and exercise) for one year without any excuses. That way, when the scale did not cooperate, and it often does not, it would not be cause to quit...and gain. No matter what, I wanted to know what I could accomplish if for one year I did not give in.

The most I had ever lost was 30 pounds before I'd give up and gain everything back plus 5. Now, I'm nearly 9 months in and have lost 65 pounds. For me, the key was a one year commitment.

You have to find what works for you, but visiting 3FC is a spectacular start!

My doctor said something similar to me. I asked him for guidance as I started the path to weight loss. He says to me, "I have been treating your entire family for over 20 years, and there is not a thin one among you beyond adulthood. Maybe you just need to accept that you are meant to be heavy." I told him weighing in excess of 300 pounds is NOT genetic, and I will not accept it. He tells me that I should try gastric bypass then. A strong, physically capable 30 year old woman, and he wants me to get surgery? I'm down 71 pounds since then, and when I get near 200, I plan on popping in to see him again and giving him an object lesson in not selling people short.

Remember, doctors are well trained, but they are just people, and prone to the same idiocy and prejudice as anyone else. You know what you are capable of. Nuts on him.

Good for you! You're absolutely right, there is no reason a physically capable person can't do it with out surgery.

Excuse my ignorance, but I'm noticing that WLS seems to be something that's 'suggested' pretty often by Dr's in the US . . . is that normal? Here it seems that it's suggested as a last resort not a begining option. By 'here' I mean Canada

Thank you for your replies

In the past, I have not set weight loss goals for myself... Never looked at a potential time line, or set shorter goals... So I am kind of the opposite... This time that is what I am doing, and I feel like something switched in my brain as well...

I figure I only need to lose 50 lbs... 4 times. I know 50 pounds sounds like a lot to most people, but to me, it doesn't... it sounds very manageable... considering I have fluctuated from 310-365 in the passed 5-7 yrs anyways.

When I asked about possible thyroid problems at my OB/GYN because I'd gained 70 pounds in a year and hadn't had a period in 9 months I was told A) Some women just gain weight after babies and B) I was in early menopause at age THIRTY!

I was later better diagnosed with PCOS. Early menopause my eye.

You can definitely get under 200 pounds without surgery. There is no medical reason why you wouldn't.

That's a pretty harsh thing for a doctor to say, and I have been there! I am very unsure of my goal weight - I told one dr. (who I really like) that I was really having a hard time grasping that my "ideal" BMI weight is 148.5 or something around there. Her advice, which I loved, was: BMI is limited - it only accounts for three things: sex, height, weight. It does not account for frame size, or even how much fat your body likes to have, which is different for each person, and very hard to fight what your body likes to have long term. Of course, she went on to explain, your body doesn't like to have an extreme amount of extra fat - but some people will just hold onto a higher percentage of fat for whatever reason.

I do wonder what my goal weight will be. I'm very large framed, just a big girl . My hands are the same size as my husbands! And we have the same length inseam. In college, I was 202-207 like clockwork. I was a size 12-14, and I walked ALL DAY. But ate like crap of course, and didn't really strength train, so I was very fat I am sure. In high school, I was slender at 180ish. I would love to get back down to 180ish I think, and I do think that would be an easy weight for me to maintain.

I did have a body fat test by a trainer, and she said for me to be under 200, I would have to be in the condition of an athlete. That did bum me out, but it's only an estimate, so I'm just plugging along. When I get to a place that's easy to maintain and I am happy with, I guess I'll stay there!

Why do these professionals give us these "tough love" conversations, as if to say we just can't do it. The reality is that many, many people have lost a hundred or two hundred pounds...long before weight loss surgery was invented or became the in vogue recommendation. I know multiple individuals who have had WLS and none have gotten to their "prescribed" goal weights and several are now gaining weight. Through these individuals' experiences, I've learned that WLS is not an easy solution. Losing weight and getting healthy is HARD work, no matter what path you take. I applaud all of you for the road you've taken and the goals you've achieved.

I wouldn't buy that. I started practically in your shoes, 5' 8" and 360 pounds. I've slowly worked my way down to my current weight through sensible eating and exercise (no surgery), and I vow to make it under 200 pounds one of these days.

The only thing I want to add is don't let anyone discourage you. You can do anything you set your mind to!!