I'm 5'7" and weigh 242lbs.

I haven't been under 200lbs in about 7 years...even then, it only lasted a few months.

In high school, I was about 170 for the most part.

I've never been a "normal" weight (based on BMI).

When I first started planning for all of this, I thought 170 would be a good target weight...then I thought 165...maybe 160. Even at 160, though, I'd be "overweight." by BMI standards.

How did you decide on your target weight?

Granted, just getting under 200lbs is my primary goal, but I can't even fathom being 155lbs (and thus have a BMI under 25).

How did you decide on a target weight for yourself?

for me, i am setting mini-goals. For my overall end-goal, I would love to get to 160 which i think i could maintain...if I get to 150 that would be AMAZING...I ended up putting 135 as my goal...135 seems like a far-fetched dream to me, but it would get me right in the range for a normal BMI. So, after I hit 160, we'll see how I feel.

@eyeononederland - I really came up with a number that was realistic, although when I met with the psycologist he told me I would still be obese at 190 for what my bmi would be. Well, I will take 190 compared to what I weight now anyday. To me that is realistic, if I can get lower that would be awesome.

However, I will just take it one pound out a time

I originally set my goal to 160 because I thought that was what I realistically could get to. Once I got there I set my goal to 150, then to 140. Once I reach 140 I will see how I feel and will prob aim for 135 just to say I lost an even 100. But honestly, I am happy where I am at and to stay under 160.

At the first visit with my surgeon, he said, "I think we can get you to 140lbs", so I've just stuck with it but I'd be happy with 150-160ish

2 1/2 yrs ago when I first had my surgery, my doc gave me a goal of 150. Than when I started going to the gym about 6 mths later, my trainer gave me a goal of 165 (she wanted something more realistic). The closer I got to either of those goals, the more I wanted to lose. I'm now at less than 150 and trying to get to 135. That's my new goal. I wish we could take pounds off where we needed to lose them - as my legs are so skinny they barely hold me up. I look like a marshmallow being held up by 2 toothpicks! The last time I saw my dr was in Jan - and I weighed 155, so this next appt (Mon) he will finally see me at HIS goal.

GOOD LUCK!

Marci

I think it's funny that I have not actually discussed my goal weight with my doctor yet. My husband has had his band for almost 2 years - same doc - so I think I probably walked in there with a bit of a know-it-all attitude and some things might have been skipped over a bit.

Size-wise, I can't even imagine being a regular 14, but that's my goal at this point. The last time I was that small, I was in 9th grade.

A while back I had someone ask me what I "used to weigh" - she was asking what I weighed before I got heavier. I just laughed and said, "You mean in 8th grade??"

Thanks for the quick responses! I'm definitely making some mini/milestone goals for myself, but I just keep wondering how far I can go. It would be incredible to shop in any store and be able to find clothes that fit.

I look like a marshmallow being held up by 2 toothpicks!

OMG! I just laughed out loud at work... that's a pretty good description of me, too!

I started joking over the last couple of years that I knew I'd let myself go when my legs finally got fat.

I was thinking of when I weighed 169 pounds right before I had my daughter, although I was only 17 I remember being very firm and very athletic. I would deff describe my built as a large frame. I haven't been under 200 pounds in over 29 years so I have no clue what it even feels like. The closest I ever got down to was 259, I have to say I really felt good and comfortable even at that weight, even though it didn't last long before I would jump right back up to 300. This is my heaviest ever right now, i had gained 70 pounds in 9 months of 2011. I was soon diagnosed with having an underactive thyroid and I don't know if that amount of weight gain contributed to it.

I think out of everything I learned with my ups and downs with the weight is how tiring it becomes, the feeling of being so uncomfortable has to be the worse. Moving, simple things like bending and just getting around is complicated at this weight.

Patty, that was the awakeing moment for me...not being able to tie my shoes and feeling so uncomfortable doing everyday, normal things. Now I am running circles around my family and I love it!!

To answer your question of how I came up with a goal weight......I played with a BMI calculator and found what I had to weigh to hit the normal weight category and that's where I put it. I just saw my bariatric surgeon last week and he said if i didn't lose another pound I would be at a good weight for my frame. I just met with my plastic surgeon today, who will be doing BR and TT on me, and he also said I was at a pretty good weight for my frame and age. He also said I would probably lose between 6 and 8 pounds from the BR and TT. Woohoo!!!!!! Can't wait!!!!!

Those charts aren't for everyone, foremost, I got the band to get healthier, I'm 5'1 and 235 when I would get a cortisone shot for allergies (makes you gain weight, that's my excuse) so I looked like a brown oompa lumpa. My health was horrible. I had no choice but listen to my body , I would tell myself tomorrow I'll exercise, tomorrow, I'll go for a walk but I never did. ,

Now I'm down to 170 and probably less, (we put scale away). Looking at the chart I should weigh 130+ but that is too small. I'm more concerned about being healthy and I've started that road. It was never about looking good, looking sexy. I have co-workers that tell me I should be wearing tighter clothes. Why I didn't before. I'm wearing smaller clothes.

Healthy healthy, , wishing you good luck!

I let my Nintendo WII tell me what a healthy weight/BMI was (129 lbs for me) and added a pound just to make it an even 130. I have set smaller goals along the way and am happy every time I see another number ending in 5 or 0 - little goals help!

I'm 5'10 and my starting weight was 249 and my goal was 180. Well I'm at 179 and now I want to get down to 160. I've drop from a size 20 to a size 12 and trying to get to size 10 which the only time in my life I was a size 10 was for my wedding 16 years ago and with a good supply of phen phen pills. There have been people that tells me that I'm at a good weight and not to lose any more, but sometime your mind just wants more. Well see how I look at 160.

I don't think I have a weight in mind really. I have a size that I would like to be and if I get there, I'd be happy to either stay there or go below.

my initial goal was just to get under 300 pounds, something that I haven't been under for 20 years by the way. since that goal was met, the rest has been icing on the cake. I would like to be around a size 14/16. A 12 doesn't seem realistic to me, but neither did a size 18 a year ago, and that's where I am today....so I will just keep plugging away at it.

I don't really care so much on lbs but in sizes too. I would love to go down from a 22 To a 12 that would be awesome! but only God knows. I see people on this site keep changing their mind I might too. can't hurt to dream.

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