I've been here since 2014 and one of the things I always find odd is how so many people chose goal weights that are still classified as overweight. It seems to be rather split among the sexes too. Not sure why people don't want to get down below a 25. Like they somehow think that they won't look good or something? I finally got to a normal BMI and even I want to go lower because I can still see things I need to improve.

My final weight isn't that important. My goal is to be under 10% body fat. I'd really love to have visible abs. The actor Idris Elba (Stringer Bell from The Wire) is my inspiration (I'm similar height and bone structure). May not get all the way there but I'll give it my best shot.

On 24/04/2017 at 12:51 PM, BigUtahMan said:

I just want to be healthy and fit

I still have a goal of 74.6 kg (BMI about 24) but I know that dropping four sevenths of my previous body mass to try to attain it will VERY PROBABLY leave me with 8kg-12kg of loose skin in an excess abdomen area.

But I take heart that:

(a) I am comfortably exercising 3.25 hours or more 29 days per month.

(b) I am three calendar months post surgery and I have lost 1.4kg (3.1 pounds) average per week since that red letter day.

(c) I am losing over 2kg of internal fat each two weeks according to my exercise physiologist.

- - -

Starting at a BMI in the 56+ zone, I can be very happy if, in a year or two, I am under 30 BMI. I will be in a much healthier, fitter place with a greater claim on life longevity.

So, I very much understand your sentiments and can agree.

On 11/03/2017 at 4:53 PM, Proud2BMe said:

I finally got to a normal BMI and even I want to go lower because I can still see things I need to improve.

Kudos to you. And you are very entitled to run with that.

On the other hand, there are people with manifold obesity issues who are coming from other perspectives. They may choose to get their BMI to a tad under 30 and be happy with that as a short-term or long-term "result".

Some may treat it as final as say 29 or 30 BMI is "shiploads" better than BMI 45 or BMI 55. (She/He might be thrilled that hypertension meds are gone OR sleep apnoea is ended OR they have beaten the affliction of Diabetes II.)

It depends on each individual's factors/issues.

(I just posted a response to another person. It's probably just "above" this one in the thread. Can I ask you to read it to judge where I an coming from, please? Feel free to respond to it or this one!)

Edited January 12, 20188 yr by Rainbow_Warrior

On 12/03/2017 at 12:57 AM, OutsideMatchInside said:

I don't think I have to lose to 25 though, if I lose to about 27/28 I can get to 25 with skin surgery.

Precisely. My weight target (74.6kg ... or 164.5 pounds ... equal to 24 BMI) is surely unattainable without excess skin removal ... given where I started.

To get there is two stages ... getting as close as I can ... then picking a timeline for the surgery when I am maintaining well.

In getting to today, I set 74.6kg as goal ... FROM 174.6kg (about 385 pounds) ... a 100 kg margin to beat.

Here I am 12th Jan 2018, three months exactly since surgery on 12th Oct 2017 ... and I was 140.3kg at the clinic ... 34.3 kg lost and over a third of the way to my stated goal.

At this point, I'm very happy with my progress.

On 12/03/2017 at 2:39 AM, IveGotThePower said:

I suspect you will get many different responses. Mine is that my goal is not a number, it is a healthy balance.

Your whole response was spot on. (Not for everyone. Certainly not for the OP.) A lot of users will be nodding in unison, through, I'm sure.

On 17/05/2017 at 9:34 PM, robin125 said:

My current BMI is 27 and my body fat percentage is 25.

Yeah ... hearing you.

Eight weeks or so ago, I was this:

13/Nov/2017

153.3kg

337.97lb

24.14stone

49.49BMI

My 153.3 kg was 48.3% body fat or 74.1kg of internal fat.

With 3.25hrs to 4.75 hours per day of breaststroke and deep-water 'wading' PLUS a 1200-1300 calorie daily intake, I have achieved:

12/Jan/2018

140.4kg

309.53lb

22.11stone

45.33BMI

Today my body fat percentage was 43.7% or 61.4kg.

So, of the 12.9kg (28.44 pounds) lost, 12.7kg of it was fat ... according to my exercise physiologist's machines and gauges.

I'm pleased that my high protein calorie control plus a huge quota of exercise is clearing up my 25 year problem with internal body fat.

On 22/09/2017 at 1:56 AM, sgc said:

I'm not sure what to make of BMI.

BMI is merely a great tool for those who sit in the middle two standard deviations of the standard Bell Curve. i.e. it is okay for 65% to 70% of the population around average.

Outliers (like me) and athletes (like weightlifters, ballet dancers) are another matter.

I don't know whether or not I am an outlier. In a strange way, I think I am because I have large collar bones that are still visible despite the excess meat that I have. I think 190lb might be ambitious. I was happiest at between 210-215. If I can go back to that person, then I will be successful. I will shoot for 190 though. But how do you really know if your underweight if you have excess skin?

Edited January 13, 20188 yr by Mattymatt

Since im not an athlete, yes I do intend to be in the healthy range. I have now dropped from obese to overweight since my op on the 7th this month.

My wife doesn't like skinny guys. My goal weight is about 40 pounds less than her goal for me. She's assured me that she'll be okay with wherever I land, but still her idea of hot me is about 240 lbs. Only one kid has expressed an opinion, she's never known me as anything but morbidly obese so "normal" to her would probably be 270 or so.

I'm mainly interested in feeling better and being healthy.

My wife doesn't like skinny guys. My goal weight is about 40 pounds less than her goal for me. She's assured me that she'll be okay with wherever I land, but still her idea of hot me is about 240 lbs. Only one kid has expressed an opinion, she's never known me as anything but morbidly obese so "normal" to her would probably be 270 or so.
I'm mainly interested in feeling better and being healthy.

I don't want to offend you, but my answer is based on personal experience. I've heard this from several women and they have all been larger women themselves. It had little to do with me or my health. It was based on their image of what THEY looked like. To put it plainly, they just didn't want to be the fatter one.

I'm 6-5 and I'm on a very large frame. Even at that size 270 (for me) would still be about 40-50 lbs overweight, unless you're doing some serious lifting and have but on some big muscle.

I know you love your wife, but don't let her personal issues interfere with your health.

I could also be totally wrong about the root cause, but the result is the same.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using BariatricPal mobile app

@DonRobbie I know that I don't walk in your shoes and that I don't understand the dynamic of your relationship, but your health must come before your wife's desires. If there is one thing that holds universally true it's that your body is the most important possession you'll ever own. It's taken me quite a bit of time to understand that one myself - which is what's bringing me to surgery to finally lose (and hopefully) keep the weight off.

I've been here since 2014 and one of the things I always find odd is how so many people chose goal weights that are still classified as overweight. It seems to be rather split among the sexes too. Not sure why people don't want to get down below a 25. Like they somehow think that they won't look good or something? I finally got to a normal BMI and even I want to go lower because I can still see things I need to improve.

I feel the same in my mind. But know everyone is different but I can't waste all this money to still be over weight. I saw someone say they don't want to get under 200 lbs and they are near my height of 5.2/5.3 I think each to their own as I imagine it's hard to picture your self smaller when you're bigger. But they say people gain 10/20lbs for various reasons after years at goal. So to do this surgery to hover at 220lbs at goal seems not good for me. But I can't say anything about anyone else's journey. I can't wait to get to a normal bmi. I also hear people say that they don't believe in bmi and go by how they look and feel. That makes perfect sense. It just means alot to me to be classed as less risk of health issues related to obesity we all know we can still get them normal weight too. But I'd prefer to be in the less risk category.

Sent from my Vivo 5R using Tapatalk

**** . Very sorry guys I'm on tapa talk and it came up in my list didn't think to check what forum it was in. Will exit. Don't jump on me lol.

I feel the same in my mind. But know everyone is different but I can't waste all this money to still be over weight. I saw someone say they don't want to get under 200 lbs and they are near my height of 5.2/5.3 I think each to their own as I imagine it's hard to picture your self smaller when you're bigger. But they say people gain 10/20lbs for various reasons after years at goal. So to do this surgery to hover at 220lbs at goal seems not good for me. But I can't say anything about anyone else's journey. I can't wait to get to a normal bmi. I also hear people say that they don't believe in bmi and go by how they look and feel. That makes perfect sense. It just means alot to me to be classed as less risk of health issues related to obesity we all know we can still get them normal weight too. But I'd prefer to be in the less risk category. Sent from my Vivo 5R using Tapatalk
**** . Very sorry guys I'm on tapa talk and it came up in my list didn't think to check what forum it was in. Will exit. Don't jump on me lol.

It's fine, the idea of healthy weight is universal. I feel the same. Smart BMI has me at about 220-230. If I hit 240 before plastics, I'd be happy, but that's with boxing 3 days a week, lifting 2 days and I'm starting yoga probably twice a week in March (before boxing). I want to win one amateur fight before I hang it up and go over to mostly lifting and yoga.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using BariatricPal mobile app

On February 20, 2018 at 7:30 AM, Mattymatt said:

@DonRobbie I know that I don't walk in your shoes and that I don't understand the dynamic of your relationship, but your health must come before your wife's desires. If there is one thing that holds universally true it's that your body is the most important possession you'll ever own. It's taken me quite a bit of time to understand that one myself - which is what's bringing me to surgery to finally lose (and hopefully) keep the weight off.

Yes, you have to take care of yourself to be able to take care of others. When I was taking classes to be a lifeguard when I was a teenager they taught us that if you drown no one gets saved.

Edited February 21, 20188 yr by CalGuy64