No goal weight?!?!

Saw my Dr for my 6 month follow up (7.5 months after surgery!) today and said "We never discussed what mu goal weight should be".  His response?  "I don't believe in goal weights.  As long as your labs are good and any preexisting conditions are under control or gone,  I'm happy with that."   WTF?!?!?  I'm a type A personality!  I NEED that number to work towards!!!  When I pressed him, saying "So would a weight within a normal BMI be good to shoot for"?  He comes back with "Meh... those charts have so many variables - they don't really take into account muscle mass that you can gain."

So I'm picking my own number!  I'm 5'9" and will shoot for something under 190 and then go from there.

OHHH!!!!  if you ever want to prove a point and are in the position to walk out on an appointment, I highly suggest doing it!  The reason my 6 month follow up was at 7.5 months - my last appointment 2.5 weeks ago I sat in the exam room for an hour and a half waiting for him.  The really bad thing was I heard him in the rooms next to me talking to patients that came in AFTER me - Were seen by the nurse and NUT AFTER me!  Apparently me walking out made an impact on the whole office - the nurse was telling me about it today :)

169 is the highest you can go and still have normal BMI of 24.9

I've been giving myself interim goals, that way they don't seem so unachievable. I've mostly been working in 25 lb increments. 275, then 250, then 225... and my latest goal is... 199.9! :)

I do have a long-term goal of about 150, but that's not set in stone. I will see how I feel when I get there. According to my height, my BMI will be in the normal range at just under 150.

Sheryl

For me I am 5 9" as well, I'm was at 280 and choose 180 as a goal to evaluate where I am and how things are.  It's was an even 100lbs and I thought that to be well achievable.  I've not been that weight in so long I wouldn't have a clue how to project how I'll feel.  I'm not extremely interested in being "skinny" or fitting into any certain size.  So while 169 and a normal BMI sounds great I also think simply overweight sounds real good too right now :-) 

Your right, pick a darn number and drive to it.  Maybe you remember a certain thing you wore or a time when, you were apox 160-190 and that feeling or picture in your head will help drive you there. 

Right now I'm at 263 and haven't been this weight in over 35 years!  :)  I was thinking in the 80 range and then reevaluating too !!

I'm far from Type A, and I need the number too. And I really need someone else to give it to me. I've never ever had a normal weight. I started gaining weight when I was *three*. I've been heavy all my life. So I really have no idea what to strive for.

But numbers are highly motivating! In every other area of my life, I'm Loosey Goosey, but a solid weight number is a concrete goal I can work toward.

Maybe your PPO can give you a number if your surgeon isn't giving you what you need to make this work the best you can. Who cares what works for him? He gave you the tool, he's not the one running the marathon!

My Dr. never gave me one either!  So, I picked my own.  It'll give me a "normal" BMI.  I'd be VERY happy there!

I told my doc I wanted to get down to my starting weight. But apparently, 8 pounds 10 ounces is too low.

Now that's funny!