So I just had my 1st appointment with my PT where they do all your measurements, body comp etc. And according to that my "fat-free mass" is 124.4lbs, so they think my goal weight should be around 170.... The HELL you say?!? I have BEEN down to 148 before and I was STILL a little pudgy, hence my personal goal of 130 which is a reasonable BMI for my height. I'm wondering if I'm retaining a lot of water?? I'm having my 1st period in months rn so maybe that's it? I know I have a decent amount of muscle under all this, but still. I've been 170 and it's heavy for me. I guess it's too soon to tell/ worry about it, but it seems weird.

How did they do your body comp?

They put me on a special scale that sent an electrical current through my body.

3 hours ago, Suzi_the_Q said:

So I just had my 1st appointment with my PT where they do all your measurements, body comp etc. And according to that my "fat-free mass" is 124.4lbs, so they think my goal weight should be around 170.... The HELL you say?!? I have BEEN down to 148 before and I was STILL a little pudgy, hence my personal goal of 130 which is a reasonable BMI for my height. I'm wondering if I'm retaining a lot of Water? ? I'm having my 1st period in months rn so maybe that's it? I know I have a decent amount of muscle under all this, but still. I've been 170 and it's heavy for me. I guess it's too soon to tell/ worry about it, but it seems weird.

At 5'3" they want you at 170?! Okay at 5'4" there is NO WAY I would be happy settling at 170. Seems like they are setting a reasonable goal based on the statistics that the surgery doesn't get you 100% of the excess weight off. But I don't think you're unreasonable for shooting for a goal less than that.

Yeah, 170 lbs. is seriously a no-go for me. We shall see I s'pose. I think they seriously underestimate both my motivation and my ability. Just gotta get the inertia going in that direction.

44 minutes ago, Suzi_the_Q said:

They put me on a special scale that sent an electrical current through my body.

Aside from the fact that body fat analysers can be a off due to hydration levels plus some factors...your lean body mass will change as you lose weight. That said, it isn't up to your PT to determine what your goal weight should be that is something between you and your surgeon or doctor to agree on initially. Somewhere along the way you as you get closer to that initial goal weight you way want to reassess it.

Once you have lost some weight and are closer to a healthy BMI that may a good time to get an accurate scan (DEXA if possible) on body composition to help determine final goals, assuming, that is, that you want to use body composition for that purpose.

Edited June 19, 20206 yr by Hop_Scotch

That makes sense, thank you!

4 hours ago, Suzi_the_Q said:

So I just had my 1st appointment with my PT where they do all your measurements, body comp etc. And according to that my "fat-free mass" is 124.4lbs, so they think my goal weight should be around 170.... The HELL you say?!? I have BEEN down to 148 before and I was STILL a little pudgy, hence my personal goal of 130 which is a reasonable BMI for my height. I'm wondering if I'm retaining a lot of Water? ? I'm having my 1st period in months rn so maybe that's it? I know I have a decent amount of muscle under all this, but still. I've been 170 and it's heavy for me. I guess it's too soon to tell/ worry about it, but it seems weird.

the average weight loss is 70% of your excess weight, so that's probably where they're getting the 170 from. Most surgeons will quote you the average since statistically, that's where you'll supposedly end up. However, as with any average, there are always people who will lose more or less than that. I think they told me 170 as well, but I got down to a low of 138 (have gained a few pounds since then, but I've stabilized in the 150s and have been here for a few years). You can probably lose quite a bit more than that if you put your mind to it and stay hyper-committed.

The PT's goal weight gives a BMI of 30, which is my current BMI - believe me there is still plenty of body fat there.

You'd have to be really really muscular to have a BMI of 30 without any excess fat.

We’re the same height & I agree 170lbs seems too high. I do agree with @catwoman7 too that that would be the weight loss you should be able to get to based upon the stats. However, i’d look at it as a guide. It would be a great achievement if you reach it but if you want to get to an even more healthier weight range & want to set a lower final goal you can.

You just need to find your sweet spot weight wise. The weight you can maintain while living a happy & healthy life & sometimes that’s not ruled by a number on the scales.

Good luck.

That all sounds about right- thank you for all of your input- puts me more at ease about the whole thing.

Healthy BMI is max 25; my sister is healthy and 5ft4 and 140lbs

Edited June 20, 20206 yr by MIKEYY84

Yeah, 170 lbs. is seriously a no-go for me. We shall see I s'pose. I think they seriously underestimate both my motivation and my ability. Just gotta get the inertia going in that direction.

Think their machine is confused!

Maybe they meant you FIRST goal. Lol. Then after that you make another goal of 140. Seems suspicious to me though.

Most PT and dietitian always set a high weight goal to give people realistic expectations as most people don't lose all 100% EBW but that BMI of 30 they are giving you is irresponsible.

My surgeon and dietitian both gave me vague goals but I always had my own personal goals in mind and luckily with hard work I've flown passed every goal I set and have been maintaining well for 2 months with BMI of 22

They just calculated 60% excess weight as goal. I am only 5'1" and 160 pounds after surgery and months of weight loss is ridiculous to me. I think they just give you average excess weight for goal to keep expectations realistic for average person. But some of us aren't ever happy with average anything. We are motivated to do our best. Like, would you be happy graduating with 2.5 GPA? Or average income when you could do a lot better with job that paid more for same position.

Sent from my SM-T580 using BariatricPal mobile app