Your goal

I went to my GP the other day and I liked what I saw on the scale.  Usually my scale weighs me a few lbs lighter than the GP's but actually it was pretty accurate.

My weight was 148.2.  I was pretty happy with that because I had been at a stall for awhile. 

The dr said all my blood work came back great and that I was very healthy.  I told her that I had some people say that I looked fragile or frail.  I think it is just because they are not used to seeing me thinner. 

Anyway, she asked what the center wanted me at for weight.  The surgeon told me that I wouldn't get below 180 ish...SURPRISE!!!!  I told her that my goal was 145 but I thought I should go down a little bit more to give leeway for the possibility of gain when I go to maintenance. 

I asked her what she wanted me at and she told me right now my BMI is around 27 and she thinks I could go down to a 24.  I have alot of loose skin as well so it will be hard to get down to a "normal" persons weight. 

My question is...did you choose your goal from a BMI aspect or just because the number sounded good.  For me it was the number that sounded good. 

Actually, I didn't choose a "goal weight". I had no preconceived notions of where I might end up, only that I wanted to be at a healthy weight (for me, whatever number that might turn out to be). I didn't hit my then lowest until into my third year - I just kept eating on plan and eventually my body stopped around 135 (I started at 290). I figured I was pretty much done, which I was for the most part, though I did drop another 5 pounds over that third year. Now, 9 years later, I weigh 120 pounds, so you just never know where you may end up. I loved my weight at 135, and at 130 and really love it now at 120.

I too have a lot of excess skin but I will say that it likely weighs less than you think. A healthy BMI (or as close to it as I could get) was the "goal", I guess.

K.

See I always dreamed of being small...like my sister.  I would have loved to be a size 2.

I also knew in the back of my mind that she wasn't healthy.  She skipped meals and when she did eat it was all the wrong stuff.  I still see her putting this little belt on and pulling it so tight around her waist that I thought it would cut her in half.  But she always got the praise for being so thin.

So when I was filling out the forms for the WLS, goal weight was on there and didn't know what to put but I thought 165 was realistic.  After I started at the clinic I changed it to 145.  I wanted to challenge myself.

But now that I am close to it and the dr mentioned I could go lower I thought...is this possible?

I can see from you that it is!!!! I will never be a size 2 but I tried on my sisters coat and it fit. (she gained some weight) lol

Fantastic!!!  You ladies are truly inspirations to all of us on this journey.  Well done 

the goal weight I choose was half my starting weight. 137 pounds. My lowest was 128. I currently sit at 134 pounds (today lol) and I would not be upset if I was 140 pounds. I wanted that regain buffer as well... my centre told me my original goal of 150 was unrealistic and I should expect to weigh around 170 pounds. At that weight I would be considered a success. I wasn't having it! I didn't do this to still be obese! 

Good for you!!!

Originally, I didn't get a "goal weight" from my surgeon at all. When they told me they would do this surgery, I set my own goal weight in my ticker based on a 'normal' BMI for my height, which is how doctors measure whether you are overweight.

Of course, well all know that using BMI is an antiquated system and doesn't hold true for bodybuilders, for example. But until docs come up with a better way to determine whether someone is overweight or obese, then BMI it is.

So I picked 150 as my goal weight (currently at 173, so I'm working on it). However, I had an appointment at my centre the other day and this is what they told me:

Because severely obese individuals who are active have dense bones and have excellent muscle quantity and tone (a recent body composition analysis told me that I do not need to gain any muscle at all, just retain what I have), my centre would be concerned about me if I got down to 150. The reason is they expect that by that time, I would likely be losing muscle or bone density. So I asked, "What goal weight is expected of me?" and they told me "Between 172 and 210 lbs." I blinked in shock.

They expect me to stay in the overweight or even obese category, after going through all this! I shook my head and laughed and said, "Nuh uh, that ain't gonna happen." I'm absolutely determined to get down to 150 (or maybe 140 to give me some leeway room for maintenance regain) but there ain't no way in hell I'm going to be satisfied yet.

My problem is, I have no number that sounds good. I am the smallest now that I have been since I was about 12 years old. No joke. I have no frame of reference for a healthy adult weight because I have never been at a healthy adult weight in my life. This is as close as I have ever come. So when I look at it from that point of view, my GP is thrilled, the surgeon is thrilled, even my dietitian sister says she would expect me to only get to about 160 and then call it quits, because she believes that would be quite good for someone with my history and starting where I did (297 lbs).

So essentially, it's all relative. I dream of being 130 or 120 like Karen (oh my, how wonderful that would be! Kudos to you Karen for such amazing success. I'm envious.) but I simply don't know if I'll ever get there or if that would be the best for me. For now, I just keep on following the plan and as long as my weight continues to drop, I figure I'm still needing to lose!

*Edited for a spelling error*

ridiculous isn't it!? That to be considered a success you are still in the BMI obese category!? I showed them! It can be done :) keep chugging along :) 

Because severely obese individuals who are active have dense bones and have excellent muscle quantity and tone (a recent body composition analysis told me that I do not need to gain any muscle at all, just retain what I have), my centre would be concerned about me if I got down to 150. The reason is they expect that by that time, I would likely be losing muscle or bone density. So I asked, "What goal weight is expected of me?" and they told me "Between 172 and 210 lbs." I blinked in shock.

Really???? I did not know that.