Trying to Reach Ideal Body Weight?

[maintenanceman 285]

So, I've passed my initial 65% EWL goal, and I'm trying to figure out what my final goal should be. I know many doctors don't advise setting Ideal Body Weight (100% EWL) as the goal. Opinions? Have any of you achieved your IBW?

[Tomo 1,193]

I am below my ideal weight. Today I was 117.2 lbs and my ideal weight is 130.1 lbs. I used to have 140 lbs. my goal (for 5'3") but somewhere I lost an inch in height at my surgeon's office a couple of months ago lol. So I moved my IBW to 130 lbs. I figure, I'll rebound some weight sooner or later since the majority of WLS rebound 10 to 20 lbs. something like that. Up to now, I really don't know what my final goal is either.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Tomo

[ms.sss 15,662]

I set myself an arbitrary goal of 120 lbs, which was right in the middle of the “healthy bmi body weight range” for my height (5’2”). I was 235 lbs at the start of my 2-wk pre-op diet.

But by the time i got to 127, i decided to call it cuz i felt i was getting a little too thin for my liking, and started the process of upping calories to find my maintenance level.

I ended up losing more weight anyway over the following 5-6 months and eventually settled around 115lbs +\- a couple pounds (but did get as low as 109 at one point).

Surgery was almost 4 years ago and this morning i weighed in at 119.5

Whats interesting to note however, is that while I weigh less now than I did when I stopped with weight loss efforts, i don’t look as skeletal as I did back then….which is a roundabout way of saying the number on the scale is just a guide, and can change based on your body composition; perhaps go with how you feel/feel u look? If you feel great and are satisfied with what you see, then GOAL ACHIEVED!

Good Luck! ❤️

Edited July 22, 2022 by ms.sss

[catwoman7 11,214]

I didn't set a normal BMI as my goal because I was told only about 10-15% of patients make it that far (and the statistics I read bear that out), but I ended getting there anyway (although I had a rebound and am now a few lbs over).

my first goal was 199 and my second was 170, both of which I was told were attainable if I really worked at it.

[maintenanceman 285]

I reached what is statistically supposed to be my 12 month weight loss at 4.5 months. I’m losing more slowly now… about 1 to 1.5 pounds a week. So, i guess I can lose this final 25 pounds and get to IBW, but at this rate, it will take a few months. After losing so quickly, I’m impatient!

[STLoser 1,099]

My goal was to be under 200 pounds since I started at almost 400. I am at 187 now and while that is still about 40 pounds over ideal body weight for me, I feel great and all my labs are good. I'm happy with the way I look too, but I was never in this for a perfect body, just healthy. I just started maintenance and I don't know if I'll lose anymore. I'd like to weight 150 or 160 which is my lowest weight an adult, but I'm OK where I am too.
I have a ton of loose skin and I feel like that accounts for some of this weight too, but maybe but a lot. Either way, I'm very happy!

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[STLoser 1,099]

But maybe not a lot *

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[Arabesque 7,313]

First treat BMI as a suggestion. Same with any goal you may choose. Body type, your build, age, lifestyle, health, genetics, etc. all influence what is the best weight for you & you can’t put a number on a scale against them. The other factor which you can’t do much about is your body’s natural set point. This is the weight at which your body seems to naturally settle.

My surgeon did ask if I had a goal. I chose a weight which was the lowest I reached during my weight loss & gain cycles. It put me at about a 23 BMI. He thought it was sensible & achievable. I reached that in 6 months but continued to lose as I tried to find my maintenance balance. Initially my surgeon & doctor were concerned about my lower weight but it turns out I don’t have a larger frame as everyone thought! As one doctor said you’re actually quite a tiny person aren’t you & they all stopped worrying. Plus I don’t have bones protruding - I have plenty of flesh (fat ha!) on my bones. I’m about 2kgs heavier now than where I had initially stabilised for a year. (I believe an necessary increase in my HRT dosage & protein intake contributed to the sudden weight gain - all happened in the same month.) and I’ve been stable here for a good 7 months. My body seems happy at around this weight & so am I (except for those 2 kgs 😉).

You’ll settle at a weight that is healthy & works for you and it’s okay if it ends up being more or less than you initially thought. My food choices & the way I eat to maintain my weight doesn’t restrict me living my life as I want. It’s been a sustainable way of eating for 2.5yrs now. I might make slight changes in the future but for now it’s working. I guess that ‘s the real goal. Being at a weight you can maintain in a healthy, sustainable way that allows you to enjoy your life as you want.

PS - the slowing down of your weight loss is perfectly normal. It slows as you get closer to your body’s set point & your calorie intake is nearer to what your body needs to function effectively & healthily. Can you lose more if you want? Sure if you reduce your calories & intake your activity but can you maintain that without impacting your health or your life?

[Recidivist 1,141]

12 hours ago, ms.sss said:

I set myself an arbitrary goal of 120 lbs, which was right in the middle of the “healthy bmi body weight range” for my height (5’2”). I was 235 lbs at the start of my 2-wk pre-op diet.

But by the time i got to 127, i decided to call it cuz i felt i was getting a little too thin for my liking, and started the process of upping calories to find my maintenance level.

I ended up losing more weight anyway over the following 5-6 months and eventually settled around 115lbs +\- a couple pounds (but did get as low as 109 at one point).

Surgery was almost 4 years ago and this morning i weighed in at 119.5

Whats interesting to note however, is that while I weigh less now than I did when I stopped with weight loss efforts, i don’t look as skeletal as I did back then….which is a roundabout way of saying the number on the scale is just a guide, and can change based on your body composition; perhaps go with how you feel/feel u look? If you feel great and are satisfied with what you see, then GOAL ACHIEVED!

Good Luck! ❤️

All of this! I had no idea what my goal weight should be, and my surgeon told me that I should just focus on the plan and not worry about a goal weight. However, I did set an arbitrary goal of 150 when I joined this forum, which is how much I weighed the last time I remember being happy with my weight (decades ago). Then I passed 150 and kept losing, so I lowered my goal to 140. I got all the way down to my high school weight (about 130). and I looked skeletal (which I don't remember being the case in high school). I gained back about 20 pounds over the first year of maintenance and have more or less held steady there for the past year. I definitely have to watch what I eat much more carefully now than I did a year or so ago, but I'm happy with where I am.

[LookingForward22 320]

For those that set a goal weight with their dr/program… did that get done before or after your surgery?

I’m just curious because no one in my program asked me that question or set a specific goal.

We talked about the progress I’ve made so far and what I did to get there (lost 50 pounds so far, 15 of that was since starting with the program… surgery is in august). I’m hoping to loose (at least) another 15 pounds before the surgery.

I have no idea what weight I want to be - just healthy and feel better. Granted I’m a higher bmi to start (highest weight was 382 … down to 331, I’m 5’3” and 48).

Just for the sake of getting there I’d like to be under 200 - nice to see 1 in front of that number, but even when I played sports and was lifting weights I bounced between 145-160 so I’m not sure if it’s possible to see those numbers - let alone get below them to a “normal” bmi.

[catwoman7 11,214]

32 minutes ago, LookingForward22 said:

For those that set a goal weight with their dr/program… did that get done before or after your surgery?

I’m just curious because no one in my program asked me that question or set a specific goal.

We talked about the progress I’ve made so far and what I did to get there (lost 50 pounds so far, 15 of that was since starting with the program… surgery is in august). I’m hoping to loose (at least) another 15 pounds before the surgery.

I have no idea what weight I want to be - just healthy and feel better. Granted I’m a higher bmi to start (highest weight was 382 … down to 331, I’m 5’3” and 48).

Just for the sake of getting there I’d like to be under 200 - nice to see 1 in front of that number, but even when I played sports and was lifting weights I bounced between 145-160 so I’m not sure if it’s possible to see those numbers - let alone get below them to a “normal” bmi.

I started at 373. I was asked before surgery where I wanted to be, and I said "199" - which at the time sounded like a pipe dream - so I was shocked when I was told that was totally do-able. When I got to around 210 or 220, I said I wanted to shoot for 170-ish. They said it would be a challenge, but if it I really worked hard at it, I could get there (I eventually got down lower than that - although I've bounced up a bit in the last few years - but still OK..)

[ShoppGirl 4,844]

I am not sure what ideal body weight is but I hoped to reach a “normal” bmi but wasn’t able to. I was warned that I may not be able to with bipolar disorder. Statistically, people with bipolar disorder tend to lose a little less. I am close though. I think normal bmi was 164 and I got to 169 then bounced back to 179.

[ms.sss 15,662]

1 hour ago, LookingForward22 said:

For those that set a goal weight with their dr/program… did that get done before or after your surgery? 

My surgeon did not exactly set a “goal”, but before surgery he only said that based on my height/weight/age, i would highly likely get down to 175 within a year (translate to a 60lbs loss as I started at 235), and that anything beyond that was “bonus”.

Ended up losing those “expected” 60 lbs before my 3 month mark, and racked up a few more “bonus lbs loss” after that. At my one year mark i was maintaining a 120 lbs loss +\- a couple lbs (and still am today)

I saw my surgeon and nutritionist and nurse for many follow up visits the first 3 years and they didn’t bring up any talk about my target weights at all. My surgeon focused on recovery and possible medical issues (i had none); and my NUT was more concerned about how much i was eating (not enough in her opinion, but let me be mostly because my labs always came back satisfactorily).

[STLoser 1,099]

For those that set a goal weight with their dr/program… did that get done before or after your surgery?

I’m just curious because no one in my program asked me that question or set a specific goal.

We talked about the progress I’ve made so far and what I did to get there (lost 50 pounds so far, 15 of that was since starting with the program… surgery is in august). I’m hoping to loose (at least) another 15 pounds before the surgery.

I have no idea what weight I want to be - just healthy and feel better. Granted I’m a higher bmi to start (highest weight was 382 … down to 331, I’m 5’3” and 48).

Just for the sake of getting there I’d like to be under 200 - nice to see 1 in front of that number, but even when I played sports and was lifting weights I bounced between 145-160 so I’m not sure if it’s possible to see those numbers - let alone get below them to a “normal” bmi.

My surgeon never focused much on my final weight. I think he asked me at my first appt. What I hoped to get to, but I think it was more to see if I was realistic about the amount of weight I wanted to lose. Even though I'm not a "normal" weight, he considers me a great success and is very happy with my weight loss.

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[ClareLynn 153]

My goal is to lose enough fat under my loose skin so that plastic surgery goes well. People say that the less fat under the skin, the more likely that it heals well because there is a better blood supply.

I don’t even know what my ideal weight would be and my surgeon never mentioned a goal weight.

I have lost 145lbs and am down to 185 and while I am happy with my size, I think I have more to lose. At some point I need to see a plastic surgeon to confirm.