How did you come up with your goal weight?

When I think back, my doctor never really gave me a target weight so I'm just going by my experience of what I feel my ideal weight was (you know... back when I weighed that much).  I entered it into the calculator and it would put my BMI at 22.5.  Is that still too high?

My nutritionist and Doctor!

I went for the healthiest weight that I was in my adult life. My doctor said that sounded good and that's the extent of the discussion on it. As you go down the scale the weight loss will usually slooooooow down so I have made it a priority to not fixate on that number. I might get there in a year or it might take a year and a half. As long as I stay on track, doing what I should be doing and taking care of myself it will happen. Or maybe not. I'm 46 so my body may say "Midlife - not going to get the last 10 pounds off".

 

I chose 198 for myself because I'm tall and big-boned AND because that would put me below 200, a dream of mine for decades now.  I asked my surgeon about goal weight at my follow-up on Monday, and he said a realistic goal weight for me would be 200.  He said a BMI of 30 would be okay, which is right around 197-198 for me.  In that case I'll stick with my chosen goal and will be pleased to go under that if it happens.  :)

BMI charts do not work for everyone.  I am a large frame (5'9" or so, and a wrist 7in around), and so BMI charts always seem like my "healthy" weight at a point I consider way too low to maintain.  In addition, the BMI charts tend to not take muscle mass into consideration. 

I am starting with a goal of 175-180, figuring that puts me far enough below 200 I will be happy and likely at that weight (if I recall from high school) I will be a size 10.  I am MORE than OK with that... but its basically a SWAG (Some Wild A** Guess).  Right now it seems impossible at times.  So I have been setting smaller goals along the way.  First was get to 30lbs lost, then get to 250, both of which I achieved.  Next I want to get below 220 by my Birthday in March.  Seems like a long way away, but my average is about 2lbs per week, so I know its doable.  My goal after that... get to Onderland!  As I get to each small goal, the next one seems so much more doable, and I am setting myself up for success. 

I have been very successful at achieving my life goals, but I have always failed at the weight loss goals.  So I want so badly to be successful I am not focusing on the end as much as the journey. 

My goal weight I set for myself is the top end of "normal" on the BMI for my height. My doc didn't have a "goal". He is more concerned with health and progress. I've already lost over 60% so statistically I'm a success. My goal was to wear a size 14 pants and I hit that a long time ago. I didn't realize until recently how truly small of a person I am because I still have a long way to go. I used to wear larger bracelets because of my large wrist(thinking large body frame)...nope, I was just fat because I can now overlap my finger and thumb when I  grab my wrist. I'm basically winging it. If my final weight after bounce back turns out anywhere near normal, I will be happy. I have a niece who is 5' even and wears a size 5 pants. She's a cheerleader and curvy. By BMI standards she is overweight by 10 pounds. She can easily slide into a size 5 pair of Miss Me jeans with rock tight abs, so I know "overweight" can be beautiful too.

Ok so my goal weight is probably 150lbs. However, to be a normal BMI - I should be 130lbs (24.2 BMI). My surgeon told me that his goal for me is to lose 55% of my excess weight which he calculates as my starting weight (263lbs - 106lbs (19.7BMI) to an excess body weight of 157lbs). By that calculation, his goal for me is to lose about 87lbs which is 176lbs.

 

 

Don't be surprised if you overshoot your goal.  I set a goal of 160 for myself and today I weigh 131.  I have been trying to maintain since I got to 140 and still keep losing.  I am 5.5" and my BMI is currently 21.8 which is in the middle of the normal range.  I have been working on maintenance for about 2 months now only to have lost 10 lbs. during that time!  I am finding maintenance a lot harder than losing the weight! 

God bless you. I know it is a problem for you, but I'll take that problem when I get there. I am sure you will maintain successfully.

I set my goal just inside of a normal BMI....at 180.... 6'0" tall. My surgeon wants me at 155 but i don't intend to go there. That would put me at a BMI of 21. I'm in a 12-14 now and at 62 I think that's just fine. My current weight is 173 and if I can hold between 170-175 I will be a happy woman!