Where do I stop...goal weight related....

[lilbearzmom 584]

So I am 5 lbs from goal. Well, to clarify, an initial goal that, 100 lbs ago seemed like an incredible dream. It is still about 14-15 lbs above the top of a healthy BMI (I am 5'4 and the goal is 160). My thinking in picking this weight was 1) I thought I might be happy at that weight; 2) it seems like a higher goal weight might be easier to maintain and 3) my doctor was/is happy with this goal. What I figured I would do, ultimately, was get to 160 and then focus on reducing BF% rather than a number on the scale (which would probably result in a little more weight loss). Now that I am so close, I am wanting to revise that number down. Like maybe I want to go down to a "normal" BMI. I am also afraid that I might never be happy with my weight and always afraid of regain. It's like I am afraid of maintenance- it's got to be harder than this and I am already struggling from time to time (I am terrible about getting exercise in and am feeling hungry often now. You could say my sleeve is fully healed and happy.) I have always given the advice to others with the same question- you should make your goal weight where you feel most comfortable and where you are not afflicted with any co-morbidities. It makes a lot of sense, but what if you are never comfortable? I am free of my pre-surgery co-morbidities (DM & hypertension), so there's that. This probably should have been a blog post because at this point I'm rambling...LOL I need some insight- really tired of obsessing about my weight and food and and and...

[No game 14,437]

Where do you stop? Well that's a very personal choice.. And I know a hard one! BMI? A number on a chart.. Yet my "goal" is based on that flipping number.

I go back and forth too. Am I putting to much pressure on myself and my body to meet this number?? Am I aiming to high? For the stars?

Or worse than that...OMG am I getting LAZY or complacent and thinking eh this is good enough?? I'm good here at this number why try and go lower...

I'm healthy now I'm happy (not deliriously but it's life right ) and can move about life with ease...

So this flipping number??

**** as I'm writing this I realize I have nothing to add to help you so let's blog away!!

I'm 5'4 also..

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

Each person's goal is going to be different. i do notice that when people get to the goal they set, they set a new goal. This is what I did. I never asked my surgeon's office what my goal weight should be until the end and the doc just said, "you look really good and i don't recommend losing any more." Heck that was about 10 lbs a go. Now I am totally happy with my weight and working on maintenace. I do have to go back and do a reset and get back on track. I weigh myself daily and I do have days where I have a lot of head hunger. So I know that I have to be careful.

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

My oringinal goal was 125, but my PCP suggested 135 because I'm 5'3" and 56 years old. I gave into 130 give or take a few pounds. I'm comfortable where I am and feel very healthy because of my new eating habits.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I am very near 25 BMI. Surgeon said it is a healthy weight, exceeded his target for me. Friends say I look right...not fat, not thin. One friend says just right amount of curves.

Part of me wants to be in the low 20s BMI and drop another size or two but I think that is too hard for me to maintain. I also dont think I will look any better. They are just numbers and I am feeling pretty at peace with the 150-155 ballpark and I am 5'5". i was also obese for a lifetime so presumably still have heavier innards, bones etc then typical.

So I think many of us reconsider our goals...

[lsereno 2,525]

I set my goal weight at 135 and I'm 5'6". I am small chested and small boned. I am very happy at my goal weight. Goal weight is very personal. Once you hit overweight BMI, the health differences between normal BMI are minimal. For me, the last 10 lbs were vanity lbs. I like the way I look at this weight and I am able to maintain this weight and still have a few treats here and there.

Lynda

[Chimera 644]

I am one of those that gets pretty obsessive about numbers and statistics - I still have every graph, chart, booklet, and document from every weight loss attempt I have attempted (the Weight Watchers Collection is like the Smithsonian lol).

I originally had set 130 as my goal - then revised it to 140. That goal weight puts me in the healthy BMI range (we all know how inaccurate these are - yet still they are widely used.) I am 49 next month and I am 5'3".

Our bodies are all so vastly different - I now wear a size 8 in pants but also can wriggle my rump into a 2 if there is at least 1% spandex in the material (this is when my husband starts following me around the house leering at me and telling me how 'sexy" my pants are...this makes me think maybe I should not wear them in public rofl!) I have friends who I think look smaller than I do and they wear a bigger size from the same store - go figure. So I have decided that clothing number sizes are not something I am going to get in a tizzy about...heck I wore a 3-5X on top less than 2 years ago.

I want to get to 140 and see how I feel. I have heard bariatric surgeons say that a BMI of 22 is ideal for a woman (whatever that means) - I know I will want that 140 to be the top end of a bounce range - which means I will most likely want to drop below that number to maintain that healthy BMI.

My doctors and nutritionists never set a goal weight for me - the goal has always been to resolve co-morbidities - and that happened at 9 months post. At my year one checkup I was already considered a spectacular success with an 80% EWL...but I will not be happy unless I go all the way. I have never achieved goal weight in my life and I am going to do it this time, and maintain it.

I feel good - I don't feel obsessed, just determined and positive to do the things I need to do to achieve what I want. I can see how far I have come, which has taken a long time to be able to see (I never liked looking - it was too painful), I can see it now and I am almost there

[J.Diesel 220]

Stop when you feel you're happy with yourself...you can only answer what weight is best for you.

[Joe I 180]

I'm 7 months out and haven't given a lot of thought to goal weight, my surgeon never gave me a number. I started at 304 and my CW is 203.5, I guess around 170 would be good. I stopped counting and logging about 8 weeks ago I continue to loose a pound or two a week, I haven't had a stall. I eat clean and exercise 5 or 6 days a week. Am I in maintenance? I don't know I'll just continue fat, dumb and happy until I stop loosing then evaluate where I am and decide then what to do next...

[Nicolanz 1,484]

According to my kinesiology book....lol......if you know your body fat percentage .......

Multiply your weight with your percent body fat giving you your total fat weight.

Then body weight minus fat weight equals your lean mass in pounds.

Lean mass divided by (1-ideal fat percentage) equals ideal weight.

I'll use mine as an example

198 X .35=69.3

198-69.3=128.7

128.7 / (1-.13)= 148

Which I think is too skinny for me but it's another way of calculating "ideal body weight"

[Georgia 2,908]

I set my goal weight at 135 and I'm 5'6". I am small chested and small boned. I am very happy at my goal weight. Goal weight is very personal. Once you hit overweight BMI' date=' the health differences between normal BMI are minimal. For me, the last 10 lbs were vanity lbs. I like the way I look at this weight and I am able to maintain this weight and still have a few treats here and there. Lynda[/quote']

Oh to be small chested but the other day, out of the blue, the hubs said, "Your boobs are getting very small!" Hmm. I said, "Well, when you lose a 100 lbs hopefully, everything gets smaller!" Lol.

[Georgia 2,908]

According to my kinesiology book....lol......if you know your body fat percentage ....... Multiply your weight with your percent body fat giving you your total fat weight. Then body weight minus fat weight equals your lean mass in pounds. Lean mass divided by (1-ideal fat percentage) equals ideal weight. I'll use mine as an example 198 X .35=69.3 198-69.3=128.7 128.7 / (1-.13)= 148 Which I think is too skinny for me but it's another way of calculating "ideal body weight"

How do you know ideal fat %?

[gamergirl 4,610]

According to my kinesiology book....lol......if you know your body fat percentage .......

Multiply your weight with your percent body fat giving you your total fat weight.

Then body weight minus fat weight equals your lean mass in pounds.

Lean mass divided by (1-ideal fat percentage) equals ideal weight.

I'll use mine as an example

198 X .35=69.3

198-69.3=128.7

128.7 / (1-.13)= 148

Which I think is too skinny for me but it's another way of calculating "ideal body weight"

This wins my "most helpful post ever' award. i have long suspected I've set my goal weight too low for me, and this confirms it. I set it at 145, and I should set it at 165 so as to not completely lose my curves which I like. Thank you!!

[gamergirl 4,610]

How do you know ideal fat %?

If you are me, you look at these pics and pick one that looks good to you.

http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/

[Georgia 2,908]

Wow! Right on the money! I want to lose another 4-5 lbs. I weight 150. Says my goal weight is 148 based on my body fat choice (25%). Thanks for the pics. I don't have any aspirations to be most of those. I'll take 25%!