How many of you never got a goal weight number told or suggested to you by your doctor of the WLS center team? Did it bother you? Did you have to make something up, perhaps pulling something out of the BMI healthy normal section? Where did your number come from and what does it mean? Did you pick a different number even though your doctor gave you one? Perhaps because you had a different idea.

I know: no simple answer.

I am curious because I picked my number from the BMI chart, hit it, but am still wondering where should I end up? It is pretty easy to park at my current weight with my current lifestyle of nutrition and fitness. However, Is hypothetically gaining 10 lbs over my " ideal weight" ok if that places me in overweight instead of normal according to the BMI chart? I am not happy yet with my physique and more needs to be done. i just do not know if I can play the swap game forever with regards to body weight versus body composition. It is a lot of diligent work day after day. The 10 lb gain would be pure lean muscle gain and I have already been playing the fat for lean muscle weight swap game for 5-6 months now with some success. I would like to continue to bulk out with broad shoulders, large quads, well defined calves, powerful back and lean waist. And keep my weight parked on a good goal weight (currently, it is 180 - middle of normal range).

But I digress. The real question remains to be answered: how do you pick a goal weight?

Think about this topic question. How does it apply to you in your post op experience? What experiences have you had, are having or looking forward to having? I would like to hear from men and women, pre sleeve, newly sleeved and vet, different physical body composition goals, those that have it all figured out and those that are struggling, etc. no one is excluded from answering this topic question and I hope the threads serves as a resource for future VST members.

I am 9 1/2 months out and I originally had a number in mind that I would have been totally happy with. I made that number and have reevaluated it several times. What is funny is that at some point along the way I quit stressing over the scale number and as I became more active it became more about toning and tightening and endurance for me! I also decided instead of the scale number' date=' more about a size for me in clothes that nine months ago I would have thought was impossible! I have about 10 lbs and 1 more size to go, but I know it will happen in the next 2 months! My doctor did tell me for my frame he wouldn't want to see me in the low normal range for my bmi but that is all he said. But of course that is because when I go in I'm one of "those people" with spreadsheets, charts and my fitness pal printouts! LOL

Sent from my iPhone using VST[/quote']

Excellent perspective! Who needs that scale anyways? A good mirror and sense of how clothes should fit on your body is all you need. Know thyself! I think if you talked to a lot of sleevers out 6 months or more they will agree with you. It is a feeling when you wake up in the morning. You can feel that your body has tightened just a little more. It is a good time to take inventory of bones and muscles. Lol.

Excellent perspective! Who needs that scale anyways? A good mirror and sense of how clothes should fit on your body is all you need. Know thyself! I think if you talked to a lot of sleevers out 6 months or more they will agree with you. It is a feeling when you wake up in the morning. You can feel that your body has tightened just a little more. It is a good time to take inventory of bones and muscles. Lol.

Oh I NEED my scale!

Mirrors are fine and clothes are good. But some clothes stretch a bit (or shrink unexplainably ) and mirrors can lie.

That's always how the weight starts creeping back up for me.

I'm 5'9 and naturally muscular. I wasn't told a goal weight, but roght now I'm shooting for 165. I honestly have no idea what to shoot for. I've never been normal or even overweight. Right now I'm just trying to get under 200! 6 more pounds to go!

Oh I NEED my scale!

Mirrors are fine and clothes are good. But some clothes stretch a bit (or shrink unexplainably ) and mirrors can lie.

That's always how the weight starts creeping back up for me.

Oh not to mention every designer cuts their clothes e to a different size even though they all have the same number on their tags. Go figure!!

Speaking of scales, we just bought the WW body composition scale for my wife as she starts out the journey. It is cool in that it gives body fat %, bone density, BMI etc for several users. It is also very close in readings to what the fancy hospital scale tells us. Yay! I am going to get on it once a week just to keep up with where my stats are at. The only thing it does not do is make a Cappuccino . Lol.

Hi my doc never gave me a goal weight. We never really even discussed bmi or goals. I picked an ungodly number in my head because all through my 20's I was that weight and I looked awesome im 5ft 7 I had abs and ribs and I was in a great place so healthy, but I was a diffrent person back then, I was minus all my new responsabilities as a mother a wife full time job groceries soccer ect. you get the point. Back then I was exercising a good 3-4 hours a day . I taught aerobics at night and ran. Now I have morphed into this thing thing that I cant even tell you it kills me to look into a mirror. My goal is to take back some time for me no not 3 hours but at least an hour a day. It may sound cliche but my days start at 500am and Im doing for everyone till at least 10pm , but I am going to learn to pencil myself in. Nice post.

Oh not to mention every designer cuts their clothes e to a different size even though they all have the same number on their tags. Go figure!!

Yes vanity sizing! And let's not forget for woman they put spandex in everything these days.

I buy only 100% cotton jeans so none if that stretchy stuff. Trying to fool me

Yep I'm sticking to my number...

I'm 5'9 and naturally muscular. I wasn't told a goal weight' date=' but roght now I'm shooting for 165. I honestly have no idea what to shoot for. I've never been normal or even overweight. Right now I'm just trying to get under 200! 6 more pounds to go![/quote']

I am envious of you Nicole. I think I was naturally a blob. Like slimer in ghostbusters. Have you been losing muscle during your march towards goal? Everyone needs to be ultra careful about this. It is not just about eating Protein. Heck I ate 125 g all the way to goal but lost nearly all my upper body muscle. It is about using those muscles consistently and keeping them out of catabolic state and in anabolic state. Important everyone! Pay attention to this.

Wish I knew that during month 5-7 when I was running every day. The leg muscles stole mass from my upper body since I was hardly using those muscles. So the last 5 months have been about rebuilding and eating, eating and eating every day, working out hard during the week, resting on weekend and getting good sleep at night. Lots of small meals and high quality protein every day. Only a few more months and I will get this body composition goal of mine. As a WLS patient, I still am not able to eat enough to bulk up so it has been a slow process towards my goal. However, I love the power that comes with becoming more fit but scale weight staying the same. However, maybe it is not realistic to expect the scale to stay the same when swapping fat weight for muscle weight. Hence, the motivation behind my post as it pertains to me.

Hi my doc never gave me a goal weight. We never really even discussed bmi or goals. I picked an ungodly number in my head because all through my 20's I was that weight and I looked awesome im 5ft 7 I had abs and ribs and I was in a great place so healthy' date=' but I was a diffrent person back then, I was minus all my new responsabilities as a mother a wife full time job groceries soccer ect. you get the point. Back then I was exercising a good 3-4 hours a day . I taught aerobics at night and ran. Now I have morphed into this thing thing that I cant even tell you it kills me to look into a mirror. My goal is to take back some time for me no not 3 hours but at least an hour a day. It may sound cliche but my days start at 500am and Im doing for everyone till at least 10pm , but I am going to learn to pencil myself in. Nice post.[/quote']

My word! yes your goal number is low!! It makes me look like a slacker!

This may be against what society deems status quo but I'm looking, obviously, to be healthy but I really want soft round feminine curves and to be fit and healthy.

Think a la Marilyn Monroe. Only a brunette bombshell!

I am envious of you Nicole. I think I was naturally a blob. Like slimmer in ghostbusters. Have you been losing muscle during your march towards goal? Everyone needs to be ultra careful about this. It is not just about eating Protein. Heck I ate 125 g all the way to goal but lost nearly all my upper body muscle. It is about using those muscles consistently and keeping them out of catabolic state and in anabolic state. Important everyone! Pay attention to this.

Wish I knew that during month 5-7 when I was running every day. The leg muscles stole mass from my upper body since I was hardly using those muscles. So the last 5 months have been about rebuilding and eating' date=' eating and eating every day, working out hard during the week, resting on weekend and getting good sleep at night. Lots of small meals and high quality protein every day. Only a few more months and I will get this body composition goal of mine. As a WLS patient, I still am not able to eat enough to bulk up so it has been a slow process. However, I love the power that comes with becoming more fit but scale weight staying the same.[/quote']

Yes, the first 6 months I did not work out. It took the whole six months before I started feeling weak and extremely flabby! It didn't take me long to get it back though. My brothers are built the same way. We just a few strong folks, ya know? ;p

Thanks Belladone- I do sense your frustration to be living in a body that does not feel like your own. All those memories of being healthy and super fit. It is hard. Not having been in that position myself, I can offer sympathy but not empathy. However, I can say this : continue to use those images and experiences as a driving motivator, especially when it gets tough because of life circumstances, stalls, you name it. It sounds like you have your hands full day in and day out with responsibility and am glad you see the need to take some time out for yourself. Can you do 30 minutes a day? That might be manageable. When you have those Images and experiences in your mind, it is like a program for your subconscious to line up circumstances in your life to make it a reality. Keep referring back to them and perhaps identify with them in an affirmative way to help you move towards the goal. Block out the distractions in your mind (that little nagging voice) and focus on the images for that was a reality for you not too long ago. There is no reason it cannot be a reality again.

This may be against what society deems status quo but I'm looking' date=' obviously, to be healthy but I really want soft round feminine curves and to be fit and healthy.

Think a la Marilyn Monroe. Only a brunette bombshell! [/quote']

I get curious about this as i see more and mire woman here say that. You and I are friends so I will ask you !

When I read woman here say they want to retain their curves does that mean staying slightly above normal BMI numbers or not getting to the point of underweight?

Edit! Pretty new picture by the way

My dr did not discuss a goal weight. I wouldn't have cared anyway, I know my goal weight. As a teenager, I was steadily a certain weight and it was perfect, except that I had very few curves. My goal weight is 10 pounds over that teenage weight, with thoughts that those extra ten pounds will be in my hips and bewbs. We will see.

Fiddleman, a note about your 10 lbs. I was in the military and watched many incredibly fit men have to get taped (aka measuring the width of neck and stomach ratio) because their bmi suggested they were overweight. If their taped measurements met a certain criteria, they were considered at ideal weight, not overweight. It's really too much for me to get in depth about since I'm typing on my iPad, however it's something you may be interested in looking info up about. It's your exact situation. Great job and keep doing what you do.

I get curious about this as i see more and mire woman here say that. You and I are friends so I will ask you ! <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

When I read woman here say they want to retain their curves does that mean staying slightly above normal BMI numbers or not getting to the point of underweight?

I guess I look at bmi when its in a certain range as a guide. I totally want to avoid being underweight and I want to be healthy inside and out, not just on paper.

I don't want society to dictate how I should look. I want to reach a point where I'm satisfied and healthy. And womanly.

I want to take the "ass" out of mASSive and put the "oo" in bOOty.

I want curves, not rolls. But overall I want health.

Marilyn was a size 16! I'm a 14/16 and I still look obese! But you know Deborah from the show Dexter? I never want to look like that! I wouldn't mind having a body like Khloe (sp?) Kardashian. Lol! In other words I still want a womanly figure and not the body of a 12 year old boy!