Your opinions are needed:

I've been revising my thoughts on what a reasonable goal weight or goal weight range, would be. How did you decide?

For example, I've quite publicly struggled just to nudge my BMI under 30 so I'd no longer be 'obese'. OK, cool, got that one done, I'm at a BMI of 29 and some change, but I'm no where near being where I want to be. But how do we decide where that is?

I am still well, not obese, but still overweight. I look a lot better, but want to look GREAT.

From my original LapBand surgeon's goal - I would have been like 20# from what he considered to be a goal weight. Don't get me wrong, I would be delighted to lose 20 more pounds, but this man didn't think I'd even get near that weight. Granted I've been banded a zillion years (OK, five) and I've crawled to get toward goal.

So even back when I was 10# heavier than my current weight, he felt like I looked great, and would probably not lose any more weight with the band. We disagreed on that point.

Now, I have a new fill doctor who thinks I might be able to get closer to the Finish Line, and I'm losing again. But he's left it up to me to determine what that is. Help!:phanvan

A BMI of 25 would no longer be overweight, but just 'normal weight.' To get to a BMI of 25 I'd need to lose like 30# more pounds. Honestly I don't know if my body would let me peel off 30 more - but that would take me to my lightest weight as an adult. I'd be officially very thin - I don't even know what size but I'd be a serious single digit then. If I got to that weight, and was still healthy, oh goodness, I'd be in total shock.

:faint:

So I'd sure like to know if other people set their goal weights based on when they thought they looked good, their high school graduation weight or a number a doctor set. Does anyone use BMI charts to help them decide? Is anyone else aiming for a "normal weight range" or am I being ridiculous?

Weigh in (pun intended) with your thoughts: Did you pick a number, a clothes size, or a BMI or range - for your goal? Tell us.

Happy Band (And Life) Journeys To All...

I asked my primary care doc what I should try to get down to. She said between 130 and 140 because I am 5'4". Sounds good to me.

Well, I'm sort of a geek, so I got my fat free mass, my FFM, and added 25-35% additional weight, since those are the healthy ranges for a woman of my advanced age.

So, my fat free mass is 140 pounds, give or take a few. 25-35% would put me in the 170-190 range, and about a size 12. My dear sweet 93 year old grandmother who is practially skin and bones, weighs 145 pounds. Tiny little bird woman.

The head fill nurse at my clinic thinks I should weigh 125 pounds based on my height, but that doesn't take into account my muscle mass.

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/iwc

Thanks Jenna, but that calculator put me at 116 to 145 for my height. If my FFM is 140, that would mean 5 pounds of fat, and that isn't healthy or possible for that matter

I've got both long term goals and mini goals. My first long term goal was 140, but then it occurred to me that I was about 15 lbs overweight when I was 11 and my dad weight me on the scale EVERY DAY (I'm not bitter), and I was 165. Well, I was a bit shorter then than I am now, so I figure 160 might actually be pretty good for me. So, now it's 140~160. 155 would put me in the normal BMI range, and I'd love to get there, but I don't have anything hanging on it. I would also probably die if I ever got into an 8. I'd be really happy at a 10.

My mini goals look like this:

210 will be halfway to my 'original' final goal (left this mini goal alone)

199 (obviously)

180 will be 100 lbs lost

165 is what my dad always weighed me at, so it's kind of a mini goal

then whenever after that I feel like I am happy with, is where I'll stay. Of course, that'll also depend on how much skin is removed if I have PS, lol.

Of course it always feels good to knock down a BMI range. I just recently went from MO to just "Obese", which is neat.

As you lose weight though, its unavoidable that you will lose muscle tissue. YOu want to minimise it of course but it will happen. At goal weight your FFM will no longer be 140, it will be less. Unfortunately, there is no way to make the body lose just fat when losing weight. No matter how perfectly you do it you will lose other body tissue as well.

Right, I understand that Jacqui, that's why it's a range. I do appricate you pointing that out, however. I also know that when I was 190-ish pounds I looked hot, because I was working out hours every day. I know what I look like at 175 pounds as well, so that's why I'm shooting for my range of 190-175, give or take.

But this is just an academic excerisze for me, since unless and until I can get the Cushing's taken care of, I'll never lose weight.

Sigh Vines. I think about you nearly every day and hope it all works out.

Thanks Jacqui! I'm just gonna keep fighting until there's no fight left.

Anyway, I still think my method for picking a goal weight is a sound one Sure, it's a little geeky, okay, a lot geeky, but I think this way it can accomidate everyone. Not everyone has the bone structure like my son's GF, which is a good thing, because I think the world would be really boring if everyone was the same size, shape and color!

Im big boned. Thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Im big boned. Thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Exactly!

I am definitely big-boned, large-framed - all that!

Or as Cartman from "South Park" would say, "I'm festively plump!"

Happy Band (And Life) Journeys To All...<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->