What should I aim for in terms of healthy goal weight?

[ThanaK 15]

I’m about 8 weeks post op with slow steady weight loss. Now that I’m relatively healed and I’m almost eating normal foods again it’s time to thinking ahead to goal weight. I’d like to get to a healthy goal weight. I’ve been overweight most of my adult life so I don’t really know what that is having never really experienced it. Should I be thinking of BMI? Healthy BMI for my age looks like a very low weight for my height and body frame. For those of you who have lost the weight already, how did you know that you had reached your goal? Was it how you felt? How you looked? Looking for some guidance as I navigate my weight loss journey! Thanks.

Edited May 27, 2021 by ThanaK

[catwoman7 11,213]

I kept changing mine. When I started, I weighed 373 lbs. When they asked me at the bariatric clinic during one of my first appts what my goal was, I blurted out 200 lbs, realizing that was probably a pipe dream and there was little chance of me getting down that low. So I was shocked when they said that was a reasonable goal (!). When I got down to 220-ish, I revised my goal to 180. The dietitian said I'd have to work hard, but it'd be attainable if I really worked at it. So then when I got there, I told her I wanted to shoot for 150 now, since for me that is within a normal BMI range She told me that that was probably unrealistic, that only about 10% of their patients make it that far, so not to get my hopes up - but I made it. Then I wanted to go lower. I just wasn't sure how low. So I had a DEXA scan at 146 lbs (the kind they do in sports labs or those commercial places, since those include fat percentage. The ones you get at doctor's offices don't include that). I told the scan technician I'd had WLS and wondered how much more weight I could lose. I was shocked when she said I was done losing weight - my body fat was 22%, which is lean for a woman. I couldn't believe it! Anyway, my weight kept dropping into the 130s (I was obviously too thin at that point - I looked pretty awful), but then, like most people, I put on 10-15 lbs during year 3 (the infamous "bounce back") But I looked much better than I did in the 130s. Mid-140s to low-150s is where I looked and felt my best (I've since put on about 10 lbs (depending on the day) thanks to COVID, which I'm trying to get off at the moment - but I won't go down in the mid-130s again...too low)

anyway, suffice it to say, pick something that sounds attainable for you at the moment, knowing you can always revise it later.

[lizonaplane 1,613]

I'm wondering this too. I haven't had surgery yet, and the surgeon just said I might lose about 70lbs. Well, he said this when I was at 280, and I've lost 35 since then. So, I'm hoping I'll lose more than another 35 with surgery. While in theory I'd LOVE to be in a healthy BMI range, I don't think that's likely. I'd be thrilled to be a size Medium, but I have no idea what weight that is. Yesterday I came up with "Mini Goals," to get under a BMI of 40, to get under 200lbs, to get under a BMI of 30, and to wear normal sizes. I put 150 as a goal for this website, but I don't know that it's realistic.

[james2021 160]

This is how my surgeon's team does it ---

1. Find your 'ideal' body weight. For males, start at 100 pounds and add 6 pounds for every inch over 5'0. For females, start at 100 pounds and add 5 pounds for every inch over 5'0. For example, I am female & 5'6.5. My ideal body weight is 132.5.

2. Take your starting weight and subtract your ideal body weight from it to find your excess weight. For example, my starting weight was 355. 355 minus 132.5 is 222.5. 222.5 is my excess weight.

3. Take 70% of your excess weight (.7 times the number). 70% of my excess weight is 155.75. Between sleeve and bypass, about 70% excess weight loss is what they told me to expect.

4. Subtract the 70%, or in my case, the 155 from the starting weight of 355. This gives me a realistic goal weight of 200.

[lizonaplane 1,613]

4 minutes ago, muala94 said:

This is how my surgeon's team does it ---

1. Find your 'ideal' body weight. For males, start at 100 pounds and add 6 pounds for every inch over 5'0. For females, start at 100 pounds and add 5 pounds for every inch over 5'0. For example, I am female & 5'6.5. My ideal body weight is 132.5.

2. Take your starting weight and subtract your ideal body weight from it to find your excess weight. For example, my starting weight was 355. 355 minus 132.5 is 222.5. 222.5 is my excess weight.

3. Take 70% of your excess weight (.7 times the number). 70% of my excess weight is 155.75. Between sleeve and bypass, about 70% excess weight loss is what they told me to expect.

4. Subtract the 70%, or in my case, the 155 from the starting weight of 355. This gives me a realistic goal weight of 200.

This formula would have me at 154, but I think you lose more like 60% with sleeve, so that would have me at 167, which I'd be fine with. I think. My fear is that I'll never be happy with my weight.

[Wahinebythesea 49]

"A patient's best weight is therefore whatever weight they can achieve while living the healthiest lifestyle they can truly enjoy. There comes a point when a person cannot eat less or exercise more and still like their life." (emphasis mine)
- Drs. Freedhoff and Sharma, 2010 https://obesitycanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Best-Weight-Book.pdf

What I've been told is that most people don't make it to that number they have in their head, and where you want to land is where you're happy with how you feel.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Wahinebythesea

[GreenTealael 25,372]

3 hours ago, ThanaK said:

I’m about 8 weeks post op with slow steady weight loss. Now that I’m relatively healed and I’m almost eating normal foods again it’s time to thinking ahead to goal weight. I’d like to get to a healthy goal weight. I’ve been overweight most of my adult life so I don’t really know what that is having never really experienced it. Should I be thinking of BMI? Healthy BMI for my age looks like a very low weight for my height and body frame. For those of you who have lost the weight already, how did you know that you had reached your goal? Was it how you felt? How you looked? Looking for some guidance as I navigate my weight loss journey! Thanks.

Purely opinion but I think a good place is somewhere between what your team approves and what make you happy/stress free long term

Good Luck ❤️

[NovaLuna 710]

When I chose 180 pounds as my goal weight it sounded incredibly unrealistic to me, but that was the weight I knew I would be happy with so that's why I chose it. I was actually surprised when the surgeons office said it was a realistic goal weight and told me I should be able to get there. I'm 16 months post-op now and in a two week stall that has my weight bouncing around 186-189 so once my weight loss picks back up I'm still only less than 10 pounds from my own personal goal weight.

In my own opinion, your goal weight should be where you think you'll be happy at. Where you'll be happy with your body and your weight.

I chose my goal weight because that was the weight I saw myself happy at. I was 13 the last time I was in the 180's (I'm 33 now). I'm currently in the 'overweight' BMI at 29 with my goal only being 1 point lower at 28, but I'm no longer obese or morbidly obese or super morbidly obese like I used to be. I used to be 389 pounds and I've lost more than 200 of that which still blows my mind! I used to be a 32-34 in womens jeans (depending on brand and cut) and now I'm a 12. I used to be a 6xl (34-36) in womens tops and now I'm either a medium (8-10) or large (12-14) depending on the shirt. I'm far happier in my body now then I ever was. Yes, I still want to lose those extra few pounds to get to goal and it'd be amazing if I could even lose a couple pounds past that and get into the 170's, but I'm happy with my weight now for the first time in more than 20 years.

[kristieshannon 1,648]

My initial goal, set by my surgeon and I, was 150-155. I made it there a few months ago and decided to shoot for “normal” BMI. Today I hit 142.8 which at 5’3.5” gives me a BMI of exactly 24.9. I think my plan for long term is to drop to 140, and then attempt maintenance in the window of 140-145.

[ShoppGirl 4,815]

7 hours ago, lizonaplane said:

This formula would have me at 154, but I think you lose more like 60% with sleeve, so that would have me at 167, which I'd be fine with. I think. My fear is that I'll never be happy with my weight.

You will still drop more weight on your pre op diet too. If they use surgery weight to calculate it will make that number smaller.

[ms.sss 15,651]

In the beginning, I set a goal of 120lbs because this would put me smack dab in the middle of a "normal" weight range for my height.

By the time I got down to 127lbs, I decided that was enough as I felt I was looking too thin.

Now fast forward 2 years after reaching modified goal of 127, and I now weigh 112 as of this morning. The funny thing is that I actually don't think I look as thin/gaunt now as i did at 127 lbs two years ago.

Soooo...I think that weight loss and/or maintenance goals in terms of total actual weight fluctuates over time because the distribution and composition of those pounds may look different at different times. I think.

These days so long as my clothes don't start feeling tight I'm good, lol.

[loridee11 519]

My surgeon wanted my goal weight to be mid-overweight range. They weren't worried about being in the normal range, but wanted me far enough away from Obese that if I had a little bounce back I wouldn't fall back into obese.

My personal goal moved around a lot, and actually ended up just above my original goal... From 150 to 187 (dr goal) to 167 (half my previous weight) to 160. I'm pretty happy where I am (although body dysmorphia is a *itch). I may try to hit 150 so that if I do have a little gain further out I end up right around 160.

[Cherie04 47]

My surgeon has set his goal for me around 170-175. My BMI would still be 30... which is obese. I didn't have a number goal to start off with. I just wanted to feel good and feel comfortable with how I look. Now I'm trying to figure out a number, because not setting a goal has made me lose my focus. I'm thinking around 140-150.

[STLoser 1,099]

Since I started out at 393, I've made my goal weight 200 or mess. I am currently 241. Ideally I'd like to be 150 or 160, which is the lowest I ever was as an adult. I am still in the overweight category even at that weight since I'm short. I can't believe I can ever get there again, so under 200 is my goal, which my surgeon says is very doable.
My weight loss has slowed down quite a bit recently, so I do worry I won't get there, but I won't give up.
Even this weight is such a huge difference from where I was before.
I'd just prefer to get out of the obese category!

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[STLoser 1,099]

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