Question:
I don't have a goal weight how do I figure it out?

My Dr. never gave me a goal weight and I don't see him anymore. I started out at 392.5 and I'm down to 303 and I'll be out 6 mons Nov. 8th. I think it's going down at a good rate. I would just like to know where I should be shooting for weight wise. I have set small goals from the start and reached them one by one, but I would like to have a end goal. So if there is anyone out there that can help me please let me know. Thanks Lori    — Lori L. (posted on October 24, 2001)

October 24, 2001
I don't think surgeons give us our goal weights. We do that on our own. My surgeon told me that that current stats document that the average patient loses 70% of his/her excess weight. So, if your ideal weight is 140lbs. and you lose an average amount of weight (176lbs.), you should end up weighing 216lbs. So...215 seems like an achievable goal for you. That's how I figured out my goal weight. Which was 207. I still have 30lbs. to go.
   — [Anonymous]

October 24, 2001
I am not really into goal weight, I mean yes I would like to weigh 150 at the end of my journey, but I am more into what size I can fit into. I was happiest when I wore a size 8-10, so that's what I'm shooting for. If I weigh 160 or 170 and can fit into that size then I've reached my goal. But for specifics, I would look at a standard weight chart.
   — Carey N.

October 24, 2001
Personally, I hate "goal weights." I put my goal at a state of mind, and to a lesser degree, a physical size, rather than a weight. My reasoning is that I'm much heavier than I look, and always have been, so I didn't even have a clue what a good "weight" might be. I did, however, know that a size 10 or 12 would make me happy. I'm in anywhere from an 8 to a 12 now, depending on the maker, but at 156 pounds, I'm not at what my theoretical "goal" weight is (134). Sorry, but I'm not really interested in losing another 20 pounds just to fit my weight to what I "should" weigh. ;^) So maybe you should just concentrate on what size you'd like to be. You might be surprised that when you hit that size, you weigh a lot more than you thought you would...and that's not necessarily a bad thing! Barb Day is an awesome example of this sort of thing.
   — Suzanne B.

October 25, 2001
Okay, you started at 351 with a BMI of 49.2, so you must be about 5'11", right? I am 5'9 1/2, and started at 407. My doctor told me, since I had a large bone structure, that I should head for 190. (According to the charts, my "ideal weight" should be about 173, but the doctor said, realistically, I would get down to about 190.) Since you and I have similar builds and starting weights, I would assume you would get down to about 190-200 or so, at which point you would look AWESOME! Good luck.
   — Terissa R.

January 14, 2003
Don't quite agree with 'Anonymous' in that we figure our own goal weight...it depends on your particualr surgeon~mine told me where I should be and he is not the only one, there are some surgeons (as well as primary care providers) that will give you a "target range" or show you the BMI (body mass index) chart to let you know exactly where you should be in order to no longer be considered morbidly *obese*
   — yourdivaness