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.

You need someone who really knows body composition for Bariatric surgery patients. If you live in Colorado, try Dr. Wolkodoff, www.cochss.com. He was at Rose Hospital, and left to go back to private practice. He is the best expert on this and how you use this information to set goal weight. It's not about BMI, it's about how much muscle you have and that should determine your workout plan, and more importantly where that muscle is comparing the arms, trunk and legs. He told me about the research that just showed how flawed BMI was at predicting your ending weight.

You need someone who really knows body composition for Bariatric surgery patients. If you live in Colorado' date=' try Dr. Wolkodoff, www.cochss.com. He was at Rose Hospital, and left to go back to private practice. He is the best expert on this and how you use this information to set goal weight. It's not about BMI, it's about how much muscle you have and that should determine your workout plan, and more importantly where that muscle is comparing the arms, trunk and legs. He told me about the research that just showed how flawed BMI was at predicting your ending weight.

Thanks for this resource. I am North of Denver and I do much in FTC but I am interested in a more accurate assessment of weight vs bmi.

I have a "goal" number but I have never fully been set on it. My surgeon set two goals for me. The top of my BMI and their expected goal, which is 70% of my excess weight, however going into this I have always said if I hit 170 and I am healthy and active and feeling good I am not going to beat myself up. However I am not going to be ok hitting 170 if I'm sitting on the couch at home not even trying. I want to be comfortable in my own skin, where that lands on the scale is to be seen. My surgeons goal is high enough that I am not worried about making their goal.