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?

I used to be in excellent shape and loved my body. I want that again. So I want to get down to a size 4/5 again. I know that will be hard to maintain and a constant struggle/battle, so i will allow myself to go back up to a size 6 or 7 and no further and I will be very happy with my decision. Honestly, I will be happy at 145 lbs, but I just want to see how small I can get since I have seen the other end of the scale for so long...15 yrs... good luck everyone!!

I set my goal for low in my healthy weight range. Realistically at five foot ten id been 170 to 180 for years and knew that was still chunky although healthy enough. I wanted fadhionably thin, I did not ave WLS to get less than spectacular results. Somewhere betwee 135 and 145 is right for me, although the lower end of that is hard to maontain. Im at 145 right now and very aware that Im heavy at the moment.

Yes, Im a perfectionist. Makes life hard sometimes.

Those charts aren't for everyone' date=' 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![/quote']

I agree. I'm all about being a healthier me:) in 5' start (3-27-12) weight was 224.5 I'm 18 days post op, eating healthy & little excercise now- 193!!! 31 lbs gone!! I'm loving me!! I do have a 'goal' weight in mind of 150lbs BUT it's not the end all for me!!! good luck all!!

I set my goal weight at 176 although if possible I would like 165. I used the BMI as well. I haven't met with my doc yet but that is my goal. I was happy at 196 back in the day when I met my husband but I'd love to see a weight on my that I have never seen in my adult life.

You cannot decide on a goal weight as if this was a diet and you turn it on or off....yes, I set goals, met them, and yet continued loosing whether I wanted to or not........

It is a new lifestyle, a lifestyle of eating "Normally" again (small portions, less often, nutritous food choices) along with regular exercise, the same way as "Normal weight" people do everyday and have not needed weight loss surgery......

Your body will adjust on it's own, and will reach it's optimum weight and body fat% and stop when it wants to....

So yes, goals are nice to reach, but they should not bee the need in themselves...adap the new lifestyle and let your body reach that staate of equilibrium...

Also BMI's are not accurate...only good as a ballpark figure to get you in the general area....you can have different muscle mass % and different body fat%.....look at athletes....all muscle yet according to BMI's, they are overweight and possibly obese....

I would like to be in single digit clothes. My ideal wight is about 128 pounds, but I'm aiming for 125.

I just tried to remember the last time I really felt good! I had to reach way back into the memory vault! I was about 140-150 the last time I remember feeling like I could be physically active without feeling like I was going to pass out, so I felt like 140 was reasonable for my body type.

I pretty much did the same thing and imagined the last time that I felt really good about myself. In college I lost 125 lbs and was down to 180 I would really like to get back down to that again.

I decided on a goal weight by remembering my most reasonable and comfortable adult weight, which was back when I could wear skinny t shirts, my capris were a little loose, and weight watchers was working.

It was twenty lbs heavier than the thinnest adult weight I ever was (around 135), but that's not really reasonable since it was during basic training and such.

I just kept messing with the BMI calculator until it told me normal weight which for me is 150. I thought why have this surgery if I couldn't get to the normal weight for me- I want to be healthy. Tired of being obese!

The lowest I've ever been was 230. My surgeon said he'd like to see me get to 200, but to me, that STILL seems like too much. The BMI calculator said that 18.5–24.9 would be the BMI for my height (I'm 5'11") and that my ideal weight would be anywhere between 133-179. I have to understand that I'm a big girl, and I'll always be a big girl, but that doesn't mean that I have to be unhealthy.

I have looked at bmi charts as a general guideline, but at 5'7" ive set my ultimate goal to 175 as a realistic target. I am genuinely large boned (there are ways to measure your wrists and elbow joints to figure that out but I know some people dont agree that theres such a thing as a genuinely large boned person) and have always had a more muscular build that hides how heavy I really am by 30-40 pounds. Of course at my highest of 275 pounds my build and bone structure could only go so far in helping. So really I tend to think of my goal in terms of size and not weight. At 275 I was a 18-20 US, now at 230 Im a comfortable 16 and I'd like to be a fit 12. If I reach that at 175lbs great, if not I'll keep working on the weight until I fit the size 12 in a way Im happy with. Wish you all the best!

Forget all these tables. I too am 5'7. My top weight was 243. When I had the surgery I weighed 237. My waist was 44+.

I am 159 now. 33-34 waist. According to the charts I am overweight. That is ridiculous. Find a weight that you are comfortable with and go for it.

Don't know if this helps people

I'm 5'4 my weight is 185 and my goal is 135lbs can't wait I think is doable but if I look scrawny or sick I'll probably raise up the pounds . I had my surgery 8/6/14 at 194lbs