on the BMI scale? When I went in for my unfill this morning the nurse I saw didn't even recognize me. He suggested that I stay where I was but my BMI would still barely put me in the overweight category.

I planned to lose about 20 pounds, the nurse highly suggested that I stop(my BMI is now 27.4 from 38.6). Wanting others input. At the moment I am 5 foot 6 inches and I weigh 163 pounds, and between a size 8-10. Before banding I was 227 pounds, and squeezed into a16 though I should have been an 18.

Wanting to hear what others thought processes were.

Did the nurse give you a reason why s/he thought you should stop at the weight you are now? Or is she basing it just off how you look?

How toned are you? Meaning how much have you been working out? Sometimes, once you get to a certain point, you can start to shift your focus from losing the extra weight to toning up, which will help with losing some extra inches, as well as a bit more weight loss.

But I'd definitely ask why the nurse thinks you should stop where you currently are rather than pushing forward to a healthier BMI.

The nurse said he hated that so many people focus on the scale and not on the look and the feel. He mentioned another patient that worked so hard to get to 100 pounds and he said she almost looked gaunt. to be honest I wondered even before this nurse said anything. DH wants to see me at 135, I would be happier at 145, I don't want to have to struggle to maintain this tiny number.

As for working out I work out 5x a week doing weights and cardio, its amazing what exercise can do to your body!

I do not know what your bone structure is or your body type, so I can only compare you to myself.

I am 5'7". , 45 years old, fairly small wrists and feet, hourglass shape.

I have been very thin (130#) and very fat (264#), but I know I felt very good at 145-150 lbs. (that is in the normal BMI range)

At 5'6" I think you would not look gaunt between 135-145.

It really depends on you do not let someone else tell you how you should feel, if you think 20 more pounds would make you feel better than go for it. I had someone tell me not to lose any more weight that I looked great after losing 48lbs. I am 5'3 and 175lbs so I am still overweight and I do not like the way I look so I am still working on weight loss until I reach "my" goal. Good luck!

I've had people tell me I am "too thin." But they are used to seeing me "too heavy." So whatever!

5 more pounds would put me at a normal BMI. My surgeon said I could get to 130. I've been there years ago. Was a size 4 and had to work like a fiend to get there. So, I chose 140 as a goal. Now I have stabilized at 154, and am maintaining it with ease. I wear a size 10, and my blood tests are good.

My questions to you would be, how is your health where you are? Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and the like? Do you like the size you are wearing? Do you like what you see in the mirror?

In one of my pre-op classes the lecturer said that for many obese people, we will not get into the normal BMI category post-op. But we will be WAY more healthy that we were.

Good points!

I never had bp,or cholesterol issues but I did have borderline sugar that is now normal.

I think I plan to float between 145-150. Once I get there I can always change my mind!

Good question. My goal is 160 (I started at 280 and am 1 week post op) but to me that's a pretty extreme, ambitious goal. I used to work out a lot and looked great at 170 (I'm 5'7") And you're right. That 160 still puts me in the overweight category. How funny! I guarantee you that at about 180 people will start telling me to stop losing weight. Are the charts "off", or is that after you've been overweight for a long time, being thin thin doesn't look quite right?

Good points!

I never had bp,or cholesterol issues but I did have borderline sugar that is now normal.

I think I plan to float between 145-150. Once I get there I can always change my mind!

You betcha! I am debating if I want to work harder to lose more, or get another fill to knock out a few more calories.

The fact is, I feel great where I am. DH likes where I am. I am eating a reasonable amount of food. I rarely get stuck. I like the size 10. Would I like size 8 better? Of course! Am I motivated enought to work harder? Nah...

I have an appointment with my PCP next week to get blood work run to see how that is doing. Will re-evaluate then. :thumbup: It better still be good, it's been about a year since I had it run. :thumbup:

When I reach my goal, my BMI will be 24 point something... barely in the "normal" range but, it's the weight I've I felt the best at. I know anything less people would say I was "too skinny". BTW, I'm slightly more than 5'5.

Good luck and congrats on your success!

My Dr also said I was 'perfect' at a BMI of 27. But I lost more and got to a BMI of 23, and guess what, I did look too skinny and a bit gaunt. I'm up to a BMI of 24 now and it looks better, and it's a weight that both me and my Dr now agree is a good weight for me.

And yet I probably looked fine at a BMI of 27 too. I agree about sometimes getting too hung up on the whole BMI thing, because it doesn't take into account someone's build. I am in the high end of a healthy BMI now and yet I'm a Australian size 8 now (US size 4).

my goal would put me approximately at a 28..i started at 256, i want to get anywhere from 145-155. I'm 5'4"

I am the first to admit that I really DO focus on the scale. One single lb can make for a fat or thin day for me.

But then again, I really DO feel a million percent better at a BMI of 22 than i do at one of 26. My really ambitious ultimate goal that i'll probably never get to would put me at 20.

I think people should stop where they want to but I dont find a lower BMI at all difficult to maintain (being an avid exerciser) and I really do feel and look a lot better with those extra pounds gone. I think its such a shame to not see just where this can take you and achieve a truly normal body weight, but to stop at a higher one. Its like there's this fear of actually arriving and having nothing else to pine over, strive for or dare I say it, berate ourselves or hate ourselves over. Once you cant focus on the extra weight, what do you do with your negative self feelings then?

I'm really into hating my hair now, lol.

Then again, obesity is a disease with many facets and some of us are worse afflicted in some areas than others. I guess looking "socially acceptable" rather than just being healthy is very important to me. More power to anyone who doesnt care so much about that and stops at a healthy, easily maintainable weight that might give them a BMI of 26-30.

Its like there's this fear of actually arriving and having nothing else to pine over, strive for or dare I say it, berate ourselves or hate ourselves over. Once you cant focus on the extra weight, what do you do with your negative self feelings then?

I'm really into hating my hair now, lol.

Then again, obesity is a disease with many facets and some of us are worse afflicted in some areas than others.

I had not thought about it this way, but it does make sense.

Hmmm, something I personally need to keep in mind.

This is a topic that is near to my heart because I have stressed over it so much. I am 5 8 and everyone keeps telling me that if I lose any more I will look bad. I am 51 years old. I have three main doctors that I see now that are my bariatric surgeon, my cardiovascular surgeon and my PCP. They all changed my goal weight by 10 more pounds. I initially decided of a goal of 150 but they all said no way and insisited I only get to 160. But in reality, I think your body stops where it stops. I am to the point now where I feel pretty good and I work out heavily on a regular basis. I have found it very difficult to lose the last few pounds to get to my goal and it is going much slower but I am not obsessing any longer. I am currently in a size 12 and large tops sometimes medium depending on the design. If I get to a 10 I would be happy with that. I know that we have to have a reasonable goal to strive for but like I said I think you stop when you stop.

greytz, at 5'8" a size 12 looks very good. Everyone carries weight differently, so I can only go by what people I actually know look like. My mother looked very good, and trim at 5'8" and size 12.