How did you determine your "goal weight"?

[Ariel 1]

Well my doctor told me my goal should be 180 but i would love to be 140. I want to be closer to the 100's than the 200's. But for me the scale is not the most important thing. I want to be able to shop at any store so i figure a size 8/10 would be perfect.

[Candle 11]

Perhaps when you get closer though, you may find you want to keep going? When you're at your heaviest, you just cant imagine it can you?

I'm not criticising it, but it just strikes me as interesting that 99% of people seem to say "my healthy weight is x but that's too skinny for me".

I'm all for people stopping where they feel comfortable, its just an interesting phenomenon. Perhaps it speaks about how fat really does serve a protective purpose to many people.

I'm not banded yet but ... I'm 5'5" and would be considered "big boned". I'm at about 310lbs right now and my goal is to be about 180-190lbs. (It's weird to see that as some people's STARTING weight!)

What you are saying may be true ... I guess I'll find out. Right now that's my goal for a few reasons: I just want to be healthy and feel better. I don't want to have too much loose skin. I find curves on a woman very appealing and I know my boyfriend does as well. I want to be able to live like a normal person and not be thinking about that extra pound or two ALL THE TIME.

[Fauxnaif 1]

First I chose a 27 BMI-halfway between healthy and obese (still overweight). Met that goal and now have chosen a BMI of less than 25. And this is HARD!!! I don't know if I'll ever make it.

But really, my goal is to CONSISTENTLY fit into 12s and Larges.

[Fauxnaif 1]

I think the closer I get, I may just shoot for a % body fat goal...

This is the smartest goal of all.

[Chickie 15]

Perhaps when you get closer though, you may find you want to keep going?

This is exactly what happened to me. I got to about 150 lbs / 68kg, and thought "This is pretty good, and better than I ever expected" and sort of gave up on the idea of ever being smaller.

For a whole week.

I realised just how far I had come, and how little I had left to go, and I went for it. I got down to 132lbs / 60kg.

I am now at 118.8lbs / 54kg because I am still trying to find the right fill to maintain (and I was too chicken to have too much fill taken out over Christmas).

With work, and determination, nothing is impossible.

[giveyouthemoon 4]

All my dr ever asked is that I get to the weight that is the border of "healthy" and "overweight"...a bmi of 25 but the high end, which is 160.

Jachut...I think a lot of us have never even approached their "healthy" weight so it's so outlandish to consider actually being there...that many don't.

For me, once upon a time I Jenny Craig'd my way down to 140, still five lbs above what my "healthy" weight should be at 135. I was able to maintain it for exactly two weeks. What it took to maintain 140 was not something I was willing to continue.

I went back up to 150ish and maintained it for many years.

It's all a personal choice.

As a recovering bulimic, I was really happy my dr gave me a realistic goal and if I want to (healthfully) continue from there, I will.

Shoot, if I could just get to 160, I'd be freaking over the moon!!!

[Jachut 487]

I just want to reiterate that I'm not criticising - more I'm commenting on what you've just said Karen - the its very hard to even imagine being of a normal weigh therefore people set high goals. I just find it interesting.

I really think an achievable goal is VERY important, but you may be surprised at what you can do when you get closer!

[Alicia521 0]

My goal weight was initially 130 and then I changed it to 140 because 130 just felt unattainable. I would love to have a healthy BMI which means the lowest I can weigh is 154. When I weighed in the 150s I felt chubby but I did not exercise and didn't have good muscle tone. I saw my surgeon yesterday and they feel 160 would be a good weight for me based on my build, etc. I have changed my goal to whenever I feel hot enough to stop! I didn't get this band to settle for anything less than what I deserve. I don't want my life to be a constant diet but I don't want to feel fat either. So, I am focusing on 10 lbs at a time and I will stop when I get there.

[vonnie150 0]

I set my goal at 150 due to the fact that several times I would lose down to 150 & always felt I looked great, so I wanted to get down to that again after the lap band. Luckily I am 135 & have maintained for 18mos.

[Jeni 85 0]

My ticker goal weight is 135.... i figured this would be a good goal weight but then again id be thrilled at 150...!!!! I'm only 22 so hopefully ill be able to get to that 135