How did you decide your goal weight?

[pik 262]

As I look through the forums and see peoples goal weights, I often wonder who people chose them.

According to this website : http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html

My ideal weight is around 130 for my age and height but according to the US BMI formulation, it can be anywhere from 114 to 154.

My goal weight is 150. A few years ago I got down to 159 and I liked the size I was. I actually felt that if I was much smaller I would just be too thin for my taste.

I do not being so overweight as I am now but I also do not want to be rail thin. I am hoping that the surgery doesn't take me to that place.

How about you. How did you decide on your goal weight? Was it your idea, your doctors?

[Chelly 364]

Well I have gone beyond my first goal and my surgeon would like me to have a normal BMI.

To have that I need to lose just a few more pounds and hopefully I can do that by my one year anniversary of surgery. I think I can do that.

I really haven't picked an exact number yet.

Good luck with getting to your goal.

[terry1118 1,274]

I didn't have a goal weight and no one set one for me. I told my doctor my main goal was to be healthy and feel good. He was okay w/that. That happened after about three months when I reached a size 16. I could've been 'content' with that but I was still losing so I dared to hope for a 14. Then a 12. Then a 10. The rest has been pretty unbelievable for me. An 8?!!!! And now a 6?!!!!!!! Somebody pinch me, I have to be dreaming!! I've spent the last few months walking around in a constant state of happy disbelief, constantly looking into mirrors to see if it's real. :-)

[DaronB 103]

I'm preop still but I know that the normal weight for my age and height is 122-164. My ideal weight according to your website is 148. I set a goal of 160 because it's about 100lbs less than where I am (265) and 100lbs is a nice round number. I want to be thinner but also look healthy, so 160 being on the higher end of a healthy BMI seems reasonable.

[James Marusek 5,244]

I also did not have a goal weight. I lost weight until my nutritionist told me that if I lose any more weight, I should contact her immediately. This I took as reaching my bottom weight.

On a slightly different subject. I contracted a 7-day stomach flu. All food, any food tasted terrible. So it was hard to eat enough. I lost a pound a day for 7 days. This is probably another reason why one should not set their goal weight too low. One needs to be able to lose a little weight and still function.

[lulabelle607 24]

I'm still preop but I want to aim somewhere in the 115-120 range. I'm a little over 5'1" and 22 years old. I haven't been that weight since I was about5 5 years old so I'm wondering if it's possible but I sure am going to try!

[LilBoo007 491]

My surgeon decided my goal weight at 130lbs. I am 4'10" tall... My body on the other hand likes 110lbs.

[winning_by_losing 107]

As far as the goal I input here on this site - I picked a very aggressive number that I would be more than happy with.

As for my true life goal - honestly, I'll be happy anywhere within 30 pounds of that.

I used that site linked above and there is absolutely no way I'll ever even get close to any of those numbers. To reach even the number from the Hamwi method, I'd have to get my body fat down to under 3% which just isn't realistic.

[jomamacita7 51]

I'm still 1-2 months pre-op RNY. My healthy weight range is supposed to be 117-146. So, I added a few pounds to that top number because I know I'm going to have a lot of loose skin. I chose 150 as my goal, just because it seemed like a reasonable number.

[DLCoggin 1,788]

Neither my surgeon or any of her team ever suggested a goal weight. And I never asked. I believe that goal weights and time goals (I want to be at X pounds by Y date) are counter productive at best and self-defeating at worst. I went into the surgery confident that my body would tell me when it was where it wanted to be. I had no preconceived ideas about what that weight could/should/would be. And no preconceived ideas about how long my weight loss could/should/would take. I lost 130 lbs in just under 14 months. Then it just leveled out. There was no change in my diet. No change in my exercise. It just stopped. My body was where it wanted to be.

The weight loss journey is much less stressful, and much more fun, if you simply follow your plan and go where it takes you. Trust the process. Trust your body. Allow your body to find its own way in its own time. When your body is where it wants to be, you're gonna love the new you!

[pik 262]

Neither my surgeon or any of her team ever suggested a goal weight. And I never asked. I believe that goal weights and time goals (I want to be at X pounds by Y date) are counter productive at best and self-defeating at worst. I went into the surgery confident that my body would tell me when it was where it wanted to be. I had no preconceived ideas about what that weight could/should/would be. And no preconceived ideas about how long my weight loss could/should/would take. I lost 130 lbs in just under 14 months. Then it just leveled out. There was no change in my diet. No change in my exercise. It just stopped. My body was where it wanted to be.

The weight loss journey is much less stressful, and much more fun, if you simply follow your plan and go where it takes you. Trust the process. Trust your body. Allow your body to find its own way in its own time. When your body is where it wants to be, you're gonna love the new you!

I like this post, but I will say that a concern of mine is losing too much weight. I want to really be not much less than 150. I like my body at that size. It would not be the end of the world, I suppose, if I lost 20 more pounds than that but that would be pushing it.

I do not have any type of deadline or goal date what so ever, I just want to be at a healthy weight.

[justmel2003 10]

I'm very heavy right now, but tall - my starting weight is (currently) 373; my surgeon asked me what I wanted for my goal weight (possibly to feel me out about how realistic I am), I said 160. His reply was "let's shoot for 180 and negotiate from there," which I thought was a great answer. Given my age (46), height (5'8") and size I might have a hard time with the extra skin, etc.

I visited Dr. Wolkodoff here in Denver, he's a PhD in exercise physiology and is very involved with pro sports medicine. He did an in-body scan to get an accurate picture of intracellular/extracellular Water, where my muscle is located, where I need to gain muscle, etc. It was actually surprising to hear that my lean body mass is currently 167, and he suggested a goal weight of 210 (adding the average 24%-ish body fat most women should have). He gave me a BMR (basal metabolic rate), and told me to gain 2lb muscle in each leg but that I had plenty of muscle in the upper body; he gave me some basic information and suggestions as to an exercise regimen. It was a great consult, and I'll be following up with him post-surgery at 1mo. 3mo. and 6mo. This is something i would suggest everyone do, not just bariatric patients, and I'll be bringing my 24-yr old daughter with me next time - she's not heavy but doesn't really exercise and I'd love for her to have an outside perspective on her body composition so she doesn't land in the same boat as me.

My surgery is 7/21 - good luck to everyone on here, both pre- and post-surgery.

Mel