How do you know what weight you should be?

[alwtg 199]

Apologies if this is an odd question - I'm coming up to one year post sleeve and have seen significant weight loss, I currently weigh 154lb and am about 5ft 4, personally I feel that the absolute most I should consider losing is 35lb but am not precious about that number. I have never been set a goal weight or even considered it at the beginning of this journey as it was so far from where I started and it would have had a negative effect on me emotionally if I did not achieve smaller more sensible targets, but anyhow how do you know what's right is it obvious?

Any input gratefully received as this seems to be a more difficult decision than originally making the choice to have the sleeve. ????

Thanks

[Djmohr 6,965]

Honestly your goal is a personal choice and so many surgeons wont even consider setting your goal. For me, I used the BMI chart because it is what ever doctor looks at. (Right or Wrong)

I chose the high end of that BMI chart knowing I did not want to be too skinny. Believe it or not, I was once underweight for my height as a teenager. So I chose 165 as my goal and I have been between 158 and 162 for the last 6 months. I am comfortable with where I am and have invested in a whole new wardrobe so I am hoping and working hard to remain there.

[alwtg 199]

Thank you, your comment has given me some confidence that I'm not going nuts - I lurk around this forum and was very conscious that the vast majority of people could tell you exactly what weight they want to be so I guess that's why I begun to question it some more. I'll be at the top of the healthy BMI range for my height in 7lb, that'll be a whole new experience. I guess my current plan is to carry on and see what my body wants to do and not get too hung up on the number.

Thanks again

[jess9395 5,450]

Neither my doctor nor I set a goal. I wanted to be healthy. I had some intermediate goals set... Under 200, loose 100 lbs (put me at 171) get down to my wedding weight (165) my lowest adult weight (155). I figured I would always know if when I got there. I lost down to 135. It's a struggle to stay there. My body likes 140-145 and I'm good with that!

[mi75 1,241]

My doctor asked me initially, and actually let me dictate where I wanted to be, as long as the BMI was below the 'overweight' category. I picked a weight that was way too low and not really realistic for me.

After about a year out, I picked a weight that I felt was WAY more attainable AND sustainable. Sadly, I've had some regain so now I have about 30 lbs to lose to get to that goal...

[nickisleeve 127]

My dietician asked me what my personal goal was and then told me what the clinics goal was. Only off by 10 lbs. I said I'd love to be 135 they want me at 125. For my height I think it's doable, but I haven't been 125 since 10th grade

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[Josey Quinn 187]

I'm struggling a bit with my true goal weight. My original goal was 165, and I'm now a hair over 162. I would be happy staying at this weight (and not having to buy more clothes for a while), but my body seems to have other ideas. I'm eating as much as I can each day, but I'm still losing. So, I don't know if I should let my body decide my ultimate goal for me or try harder to stop the weight loss.

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[James Marusek 5,244]

Goal weight is an artificial number. After some thought I set mine at the high side of Normal BMI. This point corresponds to the lowest mortality rate. It is important to have a little extra fat because when the human body encounters a serious illness or injury, we tend to rely on this for recovery.

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@Josey Quinn - I am having the same issue re still losing. I was stable at 166-168 for 2 months and all of sudden last week I lost 5 pounds. I am trying to up my calories to see if I can stop losing. My concern is that I have my first round of plastics in a month and I was supposed to be "stable" for 3 months which I thought I was doing. It worries me as I already feel like I look too thin. BUT I think mostly I am just getting hung up on what the scale says and just like we can't do that during stalls, I have got to stop doing it now. Never thought this would be an issue for me. My good friend @@Djmohr assures me it will stop and stabilize. I hope she's right!

@@alwtg - I never had a real goal weight either. I knew I wanted to be under 200. Then I wanted to be just at the "normal" BMI range. Then I went for my first plastics consult just about 1 year post-op at about 180 and he suggested I lose no more than 5 or 10 pounds (which would have put me right at top of BMI range though that is not the reason he chose that - he just chose that based on how I looked). Anyway, I lost that 10 pounds within about 2 weeks of that first appointment and then basically stopped and I was very happy with that. Then as I said above, all of a sudden, I am losing again. So all to say, I think your body is in control just as it has always been. Don't worry too much about a goal. I truly had more of a goal for a clothing size (US 12). Now I am in 10's in somethings and today bought Mediums in quite a few new articles of clothing which just seems unreal to me. ANd as I said, I feel like I look too thin. I am trusting it will stabilize and meanwhile trying to make smart choices though I don't seem to be succeeding at that as I just keep focusing on that darn number on the scale falling! I have got to stay off the scale I suppose for a while.

Good luck!!

PS - in case you cannot see my info, I am 5'10" and as of today at 161.

Edited September 18, 2016 by Daisee68

[Babbs 14,681]

I suggest letting your body go as low as it will let you (and you're comfortable with) to compensate for the 10-20 pound "bounce" that seems to happen to a lot of people a couple to a few years out. That way like @@jess9395, you're still in a comfortable weight range for yourself and it doesn't feel catastrophic if it does happen.

My two cents.

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@Babbs - Thanks! I am curious about clothes. Doesn't that 10 to 20 pound bounce make a big difference in clothing? Just trying to decide if I should stop investing in clothing for a while. Of course with my plastics coming up, I suppose I have no idea what to expect clothing-wise anyway. Did you ever feel you looked too thin? I feel like my wrists and legs look ridiculously thin....

@ OP - apologies for hijacking your post!

Edited September 18, 2016 by Daisee68

[Babbs 14,681]

@@Daisee68

I got rid of all my other clothes except one size up, just in case

I'm not one that feels "too thin". At 5'5", 145-150 is a pretty healthy weight, but right on the border of "overweight" according to BMI. I sometimes wish I could have gotten down to 135, but my body said NOPE and in the 140's I stayed. It's just kind of a bummer, because if I do end up bouncing that 10 or 20, I will technically be overweight again. That's why I always advise people to go as low as they can (within comfort level of course).

But I'm happy as a pig in mud, so no complaints here

[111 118]

Goal weight is an artificial number. After some thought I set mine at the high side of Normal BMI. This point corresponds to the lowest mortality rate. It is important to have a little extra fat because when the human body encounters a serious illness or injury, we tend to rely on this for recovery.

I heard about that theory too! It makes a lot of sense.

[MaryCatherine 173]

The top of normal BMI at 5'4" is 151 pounds. At about two years out, there is a rebound of about 20 pounds. So to stay at normal BMI you would want to lose another 20 pounds and be too skinny for the next year.

Many people are too skinny during the second year after weight loss surgery. It is almost impossible to find someone who is still too skinny in their third year.

[MaryCatherine 173]

@@Daisee68

I got rid of all my other clothes except one size up, just in case

I'm not one that feels "too thin". At 5'5", 145-150 is a pretty healthy weight, but right on the border of "overweight" according to BMI. I sometimes wish I could have gotten down to 135, but my body said NOPE and in the 140's I stayed. It's just kind of a bummer, because if I do end up bouncing that 10 or 20, I will technically be overweight again. That's why I always advise people to go as low as they can (within comfort level of course).

But I'm happy as a pig in mud, so no complaints here

I got down to size zero jeans and bounced back to size 4. I did not invest a lot in clothes until year three.