How was goal weight determined?

[Freckles70 25]

Hi,

I'm new here. This is my first post. I'll post a bio at some point but for now I'll say that I'm just beginning this journey. I had my NP consult earlier this week.

My question is, how was your goal weight decided upon and who sets it? Is this a discussion with the NUT or surgeon or what? My lowest set weight as an adult was in my 20s (about 25 years ago) when I weighed between 140-150 and wore a size 12 (I'm 5'6"). By the standards of the time, I was still at least 10-20 overweight. I think the formula I remember for women was 100 lbs for your first 5 feet in height +/- 5 lbs for every inch above or below that...putting my ideal weight at around 130. I'm just wondering the process for figuring out your goal weight nowadays.

[Kindle 8,667]

I was a raft guide and ski instructor in my mid 20's. Very fit and muscular. I used that weight as my goal weight. I ultimately stopped losing when my body found its new normal. I didn't force anything. Turned out to be 10 pounds less than my goal weight.

A lot of people choose a normal BMI for their goal. Which for you is 115-150. Very big range depending on your frame size and muscle mass.

[Babbs 14,680]

I was being realistic. I'm close to 50, so I didn't want to get too low. I just decided on the high end of BMI for my height. Then I wanted a buffer, so I kept going and lost another 9 or 10. My OCD kicked in, and I thought why not go for the even 100 pound loss and lose 5 or 6 more pounds to get to 135, and my body said NOPE.

I've been maintaining between 140-143 for about 3 months now without doing anything much differently. Apparently my body likes where I'm at, and that's okay. I like where I'm at, too

Keep in mind, as you can see, your goal weight may change the closer you get or even once you get there. You kind of start doing the proverbial "how low can I go?" game. But my body ended up telling me.

[BestDayEver 418]

Neither my surgeon or NUT ever stated a goal weight. I looked at the bmi chart and picked one for myself. I'm targeting a weight at the mid point of the range. I'm getting close and I will just have to see how low my body wants to go.

[suitechicguy 105]

They had asked me to set a goal for myself. The surgeon never set one for me and always said what is YOUR goal.

[DaisyAmy 561]

When I first started, they asked and I said I had no idea. I think I threw out 175. I really just wanted to be healthier. Now that I'm 6 weeks out, they asked again and I threw out 160. I really still don't know! I don't ever remember being 160! It must have been in junior high or so.

What's weird is I've already passed up the goal set by the Dexa body scan I had a year ago. Although I laughed when I saw what it said my goal was to significantly reduce my health risks (245!).

[shriner37 249]

Your surgeon should help you identify a goal weight specifically for you based on your body build, activity level and health status.

There are some general rules of thumb though, that you can use to create an estimate. One common standard for determining ideal body weight for a height has always been the MetLife height/weight tables (you can search the internet for them). They are horribly optimistic but are used as the "ideal". The height they list is with 1" heels, so add an inch to your height if measuring barefoot.

The amount of weight between your current weight and the "ideal" weight is considered your excess weight. In general, many resources indicate an expectation of 60% to 75% of that excess weight will be lost if the post-surgery program is followed correctly.

So, for example if you weigh 250 pounds and the "ideal" weight is 150, you would have 100 pounds of excess weight. Expectation would be to lose 60-75 of those pounds, to a realistic goal weight would be somewhere between 175 and 190.

Again, this is just one possible tool to help estimate expectations.

[Freckles70 25]

Thanks for sharing. I guess I'll see what happens during my upcoming appts. I kind of don't want the responsibility of picking a goal. I'm afraid of selling myself short and setting a goal too high. But I'm also afraid of making my goal so low that it's unachievable. It's good to hear that some of you revised your targets. Of course, this is something I can decide to change. So much to learn...

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Like many others above have posted, my surgical team didn't set my weight goal. I did -- 150 pounds, which is a nice round number and one pound above the normal BMI for me (I'm 5'5"). I hadn't weighed that little in 35 years. (I'm 70 years old.)

I started at 235 pounds, was 216 the day of surgery, then 8.5 months later hit my goal weight. Since then (in the last 9 months) I've slowly lost 1-2 pounds a month and now weigh 135 pounds, which seems to be an easy weight to maintain. Honestly, as long as I'm under 145 pounds I'll consider myself a wonderful WLS success.

I NEVER would have imagined I'd reach this low weight. So I'd suggest that if you work your sleeve, do what your medical team advises, learn how to eat nutritiously, and watch what your body's doing in response to what YOU are doing (what you eat and drink and how you exercise), you might be surprised where you wind up.

But as others have said, your ideal body weight and a weight that can be comfortably maintained will depend on so much that's unique to you and your body.

Very best to you!

[her1981 448]

My doctor uses a scale that identifies body fat, body Water, lean muscle/bone density and determined that I could be healthy at 230. My fat free weight was 180, and based on that, I could weigh 230 and have a healthy amount of body fat.

[wheezysmom 146]

I was 260lbs when I started the program. My surgeon set his goal for me and then I had a goal in mind. I am 5'5" and looking at the BMI chart I can see his goal is at the high end of a "healthy" weight range. That number is 150. I thought that was crazy talk when he set it and I thought I would never meet it so the goal I set for myself was 175, then 160. Right now I am about 154lbs and wearing between a size 6 and 8, my scrubs are smalls and mediums.