question about goal weight

I would ask your nutritionist what percentage of excess weight her clients usually lose. SHE may be the problem.

Honestly, after weight loss surgery, it is pretty easy to lose 100 pounds without much effort on our part. Keeping it off and losing the rest takes real work.

AMEN to that!!!

Sounds to me like we have a "normie" nutritionist *****commends things like mashed potatoes, oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc after WLS...

and pushes the USDA food pyramid and an 1800 calorie diet pre-op.

Sounds like SHE is the problem...

I agree!! And if she predicts her client will lose 100 and she does lose 100, she claims a victory.

I know I would not have been happy if I had only lost 100. Mentally, I needed to lose it all and get to my goal weight (and stay here).

I believe in being realistic, but surgeons and nuts need to word things better.

However, I do want to clarify that success/victory is individual. Not everyone has the same goals and not losing 100% of excess weight or not reaching a "normal" BMI doesn't mean someone has failed.

Indeed, being successful is measured by reaching one's own personal goal ... and I question any nutritionist that minimizes that.

I had a very similar conversation before surgery. I was told at 347 pounds (5'5" tall) and a 57 BMI --- my weight goal was 207 pounds to be considered "successful" -- still at an obese BMI!! I knew right then and there, that was never going to be acceptable to me.

I have been completely dedicated since my surgery -- have weighed, measured and logged every. single. bite -- and more, listened to successful vets who had achieved and maintained what I wanted to do --

I currently run between 128 and 135 pounds.

Like others have said, it's up to you! Many doctors, PAs, nutritionists use averages. I chose not to be average. My surgeon doesn't set goal weights, but told me I should be able to get down to about 200 lbs (I am 5'8" and was 333 at the time). I decided that I would shoot for 185 with a stretch goal of 165. I currently weigh around 152. Once I started to reach these goals, I got DEXA scans to see my body composition. At 185 my BF% was much higher than I wanted, so I kept losing. Once I got down to the low 160s I started transitioning to maintenance. I got as low as about 145, but really felt 152 was a good place to be. I now stay within a few lbs of 152.

I'm another one who has beat the percentages. I'm not even 9 months out and went from 260 to 146...more importantly my body fat according to my Dexa scan is well into the healthy range, though I'm a couple of pounds overweight from a BMI standpoint. My goal now is to hang on to my muscle. Il be honest. I thought I was done at 160 and again at 150... you will end up where your body wants you if you are following a healthy eating plan.

I just set my surgeon's and dietitians goals as "first" goals and my goal as a later goal.

Averages are just math, just numbers. They look at a range of weight losses and average them out and then tell us that number, but remember, it's just a number. You can do anything you set your mind to, with enough determination.

I actually have no idea what I"ll look like or feel like at any of the goals various people have set for me, including myself, so I have a weight and see attitude .

You guys are totally awesome! I will not be discouraged and I hope between diet, exercise and therapy, I can beat the average!

I feel like you're probably 5'4" like I am? Because all of those weight numbers are almost identical to conversations I had. Well.. I never voiced my goal to my doctor, but it was in my head! And 145 is "normal" for my height. My surgeon said that 180 was a realistic goal so he was happy at my year follow up.

Maybe they set low bars so they'll feel more successful? Or so that we won't get our hopes up? I don't know. I do know that it sucked when I reached 180 because there was part of my brain that said, well your surgeon thinks you're a success, so maybe you don't need to lose more weight. Don't fall into this trap!