How did you set your goal weight?

Aloha Melissa......You are going to have such a wonderful experience sliding DOWN the scale!!

There is a site that is good for checking BMI, goal weights, etc. Here it is:

http://www.thinnerself.com/files/calculator.htm

Also this site has a BMI checker when you sign on.....you can plug in numbers until you get to what weight would bring you to a normal BMI.

Good luck and enjoy every minute of this fabulous experience.

Aloha nui loa,

Maui Karen

I never had a goal weight. I do-- now-- have a stopping weight-- and that'd be 140. At 140 I would pile on peanut butter to maintain. But I suspect i won't see that happen-- I only eat about 300 calories under what I spend most days, I run a pretty tight ship.

All these website demand a goal number. That's all it is to me is a number. 35+ years since I was below a size 18 and the only reason I know that is that's what size my wedding dress was in '73...the old sizing, but I don't remember what weight I was. I know I want to be less than that. So to choose some arbitrary number I went through peoples profiles and found those with my same starting heigth, weight and body shape. I still can't believe some of the goal weights and sizes I found although I know they are absolutely true! So my 150 goal is still just a number to me because I can't fathom what size that really is.

However I do have physical and health goals that mean more to me than size and weight numbers. Although I DO have a pair of velvet hot pants I wore in high school that it would be cool to get into. I wonder if DH would remember those?!?!

Originally, i wanted a normal BMI and to be around 150. Now i'm hoping for 180 because that's what i was in high school...I'm stuck at 210. so whatcha going to do? I have to keep in mind that coming from such a high BMI that "normal" may never be me.

My surgeon wasn't really interested in setting a goal weight and I kind of agree with him so it's cool. 

I have a "goal weight" anyway because everyone expects it, but I chose it by trying to keep things real and I am not overly concerned about it.  I know that if I hit my "goal weight"  - 199 lbs - I will still be "overweight" (my bmi would = 29.4) still  almost obese by popular definition.

The surgery goal for me was/is to fit in "normal" size clothes and do "normal" people things.  If I can go to the amusement park, water park, and sports arena without worrying whether or not I'll fit in a seat or souvenier t-shirt or be too big for any posted weight limits, frankly I'll be too busy having fun to give rats ass whether I made it to some imaginary "goal" or not.

If I miss my goal by 10 to 20 percent (either higher or lower) I'd still be quite satisfied with my results because I'll still be able to do all those things.

.I just want to be ONE -something...ANYTHING!  Ha ha.  I set a fantasy goal of 187 (my highschool cheerleading weight, I was the biggest one)  But we'll see where  I settle at .  No worries.

Ultimately, one-something (ANYTHING) would be a blessing.  I put 250 lbs. as a realistic goal though.  If I get there (35 lbs. to go) I may try for 200.  We'll see...one day at a time.

My surgeon never had me set a goal weight.  When I weighed 386 pounds and 407 at my heaviest, anything under 200 would have been like asking me to walk to the moon if I were to think about it at the time of my consult.  I set out on this journey with the goal of obviously reducing my weight but getting rid of health issues as well and it was going to go the way it is meant to go.  You have to go into this knowing that you are going to have to work at it just like anything else and make the changes needed.   

During my 1 year follow up visit, I asked my surgeon what my goal should be since we never really talked about it.  80% of my excess weight loss would bring me to 193 about 30 pounds less than I was on July 9th.  I would like to be at 150 for my own goal but if I can get under 200 pounds I would be elated.   The rest will take a while to get to but I am so grateful that I lost what I have.  My surgeon even told me that at this point he would consider me successful but I don't want to weigh over 200 pounds.  I haven't been this weight since 1989 when my daughter was 3 years old.

I just weighed myself this morning and broke the stall that has been plaguing me since July 9th.  I am now down to 221 (8 weeks for 5 pounds) but this experience has taught me to look at the big picture.  I have been able to give back my CPAP machine, my chloresterol is great, my potassium is still borderline but that was an issue before WLS, my edema is greatly improved enough for my diuretic to be cut in half, I can walk without pain for the most part, I can exercise, I can fit behind the wheel of my car without pushing the seat all the way back and my clothing size has gone from a Roamans 5X (38-40) to a 18-20, maybe a small 22. 

Don't get hung up about a number.  I spent many years feeling like a failure if I couldn't get to a specific # and I would give up.  Your goal should be health--the rest will come.  Setting mini goals like the other posters have done help too.  I set going under 350, under 300, under 290, under 250, you get the idea.  My current goal is getting under 200 before Christmas.   

You are very fortunate to be young enough to have this opportunity to change your life.  The only regret I have about this is that I had to wait for the opportunity until I was 53.  My goal now is to make the last part of the years I have left enjoying perhaps grandchildren (my daughter got married in January but I'm not pushing her)

You will get there--it isn't a race.  Best of luck to you.

Sylvia

My surgeon set my goal weight and I am happy with the number he wants to get down to.
I started at 376 and now I am 276!!!!  We want me to get down to about 206!
Starting BMI was 68.8 and now it is 50.4 I believe.  WOOTTT
Find me on Facebook -
http://www.facebook.com/choirsparkle

Text: 814 823 7712