went to the doctors for another fill on tuesday and dropped a few more pounds. I am down to 227 from a high of 361 lbs. went from a tight 48 inch waist to a loose 36 inch waist... all since October 2nd 2009 only10 months ago...I was feeling pretty good about myself until the doc pulls out this little chart and tells me I am still obese... I have to loose 1 more pound and then I am just..OVERWEIGHT.:smile:... I am 6'1" tall broad shoulders ( played all sports in HS) there is no way I want to be "normal" weight which is 189 for my height.:smile2: I would look like a bag of bones.:ohmy:..... I thought I would be happy at 225 and I am but I dont want to go below 215 lbs....my High school days weight.....

Numbers are just numbers. You have done amazingly well and have so much to be up-beat about. "Obese", "Overweight"--those are just labels. Ignore them. If your doctor is trying to motivate you to lose more weight, and you don't want to go below 215, then don't. It's YOUR body...not your doctor's. You are not beholden to him, and you don't have to live up to anyone's expectations except your own. Congrats on getting your life back! Good luck!

We have such a warped perception of what weight is/isn't normal these days that we fear that we will look too skinny at normal weight. Regardless of how tall you are you will not look even close to a bag of bones at the top end of the normal weight range scale.

However if you are comfortable being overweight then that is your choice. Personally I would not go through the whole process of being banded just to get to overweight. Why aim for mediocrity?

Congrats on you progress so far.

It's your choice, of course. But getting indignant at the doctor for sharing what the BMI chart says ... well, going in to surgery, you knew you were obese. It really couldn't have been much of a shock to hear her recommend you aim to achieve a normal weight (that is well within your reach) rather than remain overweight.

You've lost a HUGE amount of weight. There is nothing wrong with taking a breather, getting used to the changes in your body, and reevaluating.

It's probably too soon to form concrete ideas of what normal weight will look like --- your mind needs to catch up with all of the changes in your body so that you can make a clear-eyed choice.

All too often we play the numbers game SAT's, IQ's, ERA's, wins & losses weight, height, etc. It never seems to end. You should be proud of yourself for coming as far as you have. Don't let another set of numbers ruin all of the work that you have accomplished. The numbers that they give for norms change every 5 to 10 years. We all realize going into this endeavor that we need to lose a substantial amount of weight. When we get to OUR goal, we shouldn't have to be hurt by someone else's expectations. If you're comfortable with 225, so be it. But you know something, I'll bet that you will continue to lose More weight, not to satisfy your doctor, but it has become a lifestyle that we have taken up. I congratulate you on your success and hope that one day I will be at MY goal too.

There is so much more to it than the numbers. Weight is only one approximation of health. Don't get too hung up on that.

Two people who weigh the same can be totally different based on muscle mass and fat/lean muscle composition. If you have enough muscle mass, you will not look like a bag of bones, even at a very low weight. If you lose all your fat and have no muscle mass, you will.

Get on the internet and look at some of the articles about muscle mass. I was looking at the the famous people who have low fat to lean muscle ratio like Bo Derrik at the height of her career. She had very low body fat, but no one would ever say she looked like a bag of bones, I don't think. She had high muscle mass and looked wonderful.

You have to find what looks and feels great to you. Tables and number are just averages and only guides.

Be proud of what you have accomplished and work toward good health, not a certain weight!

I can totally related! I am 6 2 and the 'normal' weight for me would be less than when I was in high school - when I was a tall skinny girl!

Don't let anyone tell you what is right for you. I didn't go into this to be skinny - just healthy. I think that I will know when I get there - but it will be my decision.

You are doing awesome - congrats!

In High School I was 6'1" 215 and not a ounce of fat on me......I realize now 25 years ;later 215 will not look the same as it did then...I still have a bit of a stomach on me and once i get the somewhat flat stomach back then I will be totally happy regaurdless of what I weigh...'''like I always said I dont care what I weigh.I care how I look...I mean If i have a flat stomach and broad shoulders I wouldnt care if i was 230 or 200.....:bolt:

Before surgery my doc said a "good weight" for me would be 125 pounds. I openly laughed...the skinniest I've been since high school is 145 pounds when I was 35 y.o., and I was SO painfully thin at that weight, ribs showing, it wasn't a good look. So, as I inch toward that 145 number again, we'll see...but 125?! C'mon, doctor!

Healthy weight ranges are just an average and there are variables. You might have much more muscle in which case you can weigh more and not be fatter than someone who weighs less with less muscle. However, most of those normal body variations are already taken into account by the fact that its a weight range, not a singular weight that you're aiming for with respect to health.

But its up to you, its your body, your life, you should weigh what YOU want to and look the way YOU feel comfortable looking and it would be wrong for anyone to disagree with that. But the other side of that coin is that you do have to realise that it may still be considered overweight, and that you may have increased risk of disease as a result. Also that what you call "a bag of bones" might be to someone else a normal and attractive body shape. Its actually normal for collarbones, elbows, knees and hipbones to show and fairly normal to be able to see some ribs as well. I find it a bit baffling why that alarms some people so much, but I guess its the same as the way people associate blatantly fat toddlers with being "healthy". Its just a perception some of us have.

the only person whose opinion really matters is your own.