What is my goal weight??

I have my VSG scheduled for June 2 and yesterday I had my pre-admission clinic at the RAH. It was pretty much what others said... lots of waiting, a little film about what to expect during hospitalization and surgery, measure height and weight, review of all prescriptions, merdical history, consultation with anaesthetist, blood work, and whatever other tests your surgeon has ordered. For me that also included electrocardiogram and chest x-ray. Whew!!

BUT no-one has ever given me a goal weight! Or do you just choose your own target weight? I didn't start this process to get to a certain number on the scale or to fit into a certain size clothing. The whole idea has just been to get healthier without focusing on the finish line.

I was looking at how to make a weight tracker but I don't know how to do that cut and paste stuff. But that was what got me thinking that I don't really have a number as a goal. I'm more about the improvement than the result. But everyone on here seems to have a goal weight. Did your doctor give you that weight as a goal or did you choose it yourself?
So far since I started at WW clinic I have lost 42 pounds under their supervision. Hopefully once I do my 3 week pre-op liquid diet I may lose 8 more. Then I would be down 50 pounds before surgery. But I need to know how I should figure out what my goal weight should be. Or does that really matter??

Katie

When I started the clinic my dietitian and rn both talked to me about what I wanted to weigh once I was in the maintenance stage and what my BMI is stated to be, to be in the normal range. I have picked my goal and it was never something they really cared about. I was even told that 175 might be too much of a stretch for me.

I was told that with surgery, the goal for the year following is to lose 50% of your excess weight.
My excess weight was calculated at my current weight to the highest weight of the normal range for a heathly BMI- for me it's 138. So in my case , if I was to have surgery tomorrow weighting 240lbs and my excess weight was 102lbs ( 240-138) - then in one yr I am expected to lose 56lbs taking me to 184lbs.

I picked my goal weight of 175  as it seems really good and not really far off when I think about it. I can lose 65 lbs.....it's doable! It is a goal weight that I have picked and If I go below it-- fantastic, but if I only get to 185, I'm surely not going to lose sleep at night!!

Best wishes on your next chapter in this weightloss adventure. 42 lbs is awesome and I'm rooting for you to get to 50 pre-VSG!

When I talked to Dr. Birch about my goal or what I wanted to weigh he asked me how much I needed to weigh to be healthy. That is when it hit me that the clinic really doesn't care about a "number" but rather the co-morbidities and what you need in order to be healthy for the long run. He told me 175 lbs would be fine and at 5'3" I have to disagree. However that part is up to me. I remember being 175 and my GP saying she was concerned about my weight.

Short answer is, the clinic just wants you to be healthy and successful at weight loss in the long run.