So the talk of 'excess weight' has me thinking... (Dangerous, I know)

Well I am just using those numbers as a general reference that other people can understand. My weight is "high" but my body is compact. I'm already the physical size I would be if I lost to my normal BMI.

My measurements are small and my body fat is low but I have 10 to 20 excess pounds in skin on my upper body.

So just going by weight on the scale is not the only metric that counts. Measurements and inches matter too.

My neck and and collar bone area are starting to look like Skeletor already.

sorry for this late response, but I should add that I was able to pay for my DEXA scan with my flexible spending account, even though it was one of those commercial ones rather than doctor sanctioned. So that saved me a little money...

I think that sounds spot on. Thanks for sharing!!

When I did my Dexa scan the body fat recommendation scaled by age so for someone at my age group the top end is 35% ..if you are in your 20's it is 25%

I used an ideal weight calculator when I was figuring out mine. This site is the one I used - it's obnoxious, but lets you try out a bunch of different ideal weight calculators. http://halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

I also have an unusual number of friends who are my height (5'4") and they've told me how much they weigh when I've expressed my conundrum at trying to decide on an ideal weight. So that's been helpful because I can see what a 5'4" body looks like at varying weights.

I opted for an aggressive ideal weight of 120 based on all of this. My surgeon's goal for me? 180. According to him, I've lost 20 pounds more than my "excess weight" but I don't like that math because, to me, excess weight means "the weight you can lose and still be healthy." Clearly I am not underweight at 160!

And, since I'm sure people will chime in with "body fat is really what matters," I've got to agree. I also have a body fat percentage goal and a "don't let my lean mass get below this number" goal.

Interesting! I've gotten used to my weight in a range which I thought was too low initially. The "ideal" weight on that site is just at the top of where I have become comfortable (based on my age).

If you read the comments on the page even from the owner of it...no matter what weight you put in it will always give you a lower weight as ideal. So in my mind not very accurate...

Many of the comorbidities for obesity are resolved with diet. I weigh 289ish and my cholesterol is 106 and my A1C is 4.8%. Metabolically, I am very healthy. However, the weight takes its toll structurally, on organs and bones and joints. So, it depends?

I'd argue you can be very healthy overweight, but once you start getting 50-100 pounds obese, there is pressure and damage from physics regardless of genetics, as well as potential hormonal issues, as the more fat you have, the more hormones you store, whi*****ludes hormone-like substances (xenoestrogens).

As for BMI, BMI is skewed and unuseful in some respects. It doesn't account for lean body mass, for instance. A much better way to determine unhealthy excess adipose tissue (fat) is to get a DEXA scan and ask for muscle composition to be done. That provides one of the more accurate percentages of fat.

Yes to all this.

One of my pet peeves are morbidly obese people who insist they are otherwise super healthy, athletic, or something along those lines.

They aren't. They may be able to do physical things, or their cholesterol, BP, or other numbers may look great. But they are doing damage to their bodies and all it's systems every day. After a while the damage is permanent. Staying morbidly obese is not healthy.

You and I both did damage to ourselves. Our joints are a mess, and we may very well have shaved some years off our lives. We're miles healthier than we were. But it wasn't healthy.

It's like the guy who jumps off a 20 story building and thinks he's flying. It's great for a while. But the end is never pretty.

5'4" Goal is 120

I used a few things. I used my weight from decades ago, at 20 I looked GREAT at 115, but I was flabby so if I'm fit probably 120 is more realistic on my frame. Also I referenced the BMI charts, and because I have very small bones I picked a number near the bottom of the range. In my 20s 135 was my "fat" range, below that I felt comfortable so I factored that into it too... I'm going to be fifty, so my bone mass is likely lighter so I figure I need to adjust down for that too.

I'm mostly motivated by feeling fit and strong but the scale is so easy to SEE it's useful as a tool.

WHEN I get the weight off, I'll take in other factors, like excess skin, to fine tune my goals. The fitness guru at my bariatric center suggested I plan to get ten to fifteen pounds below my goal weight and hold it for a few months, then ease up to a maintenance diet. She said this will help control the 15 lb regain after meeting your goal weight.

The biggest challenge I've had goal wise is for my measurements! I have no idea what size is a healthy size for my neck, let alone my waist or chest!