How does the team determine what your goal weight is? I get confused silence when I ask.

I ask because my surgeon, who had the most supportive conversation about BMI I've ever had with me, says I should be aiming for 250-275 lbs. I am six feet tall and currently weigh 370. But it was a Zoom call and he never even saw me other than from the chest up.

I know everyone says they're big-framed, but in my case it does seem to be true. I have had DXA scans done and, depending where I am in a training cycle (I was a strongman and now am trying to do more functional stuff), I may have anywhere from 205 to 218 lbs. of lean body mass. So 275 lbs. would be somewhere between 20-25% body fat, which seems a little bit high for a goal weight. 250 lbs. would be 13-18%, which seems about right. I know I will lose some muscle while I can't train, and hopefully will be able to get it back.

Or do they just use the bl00dy BMI chart? Just wondering, because to be "successful", you're supposed to lose 60-70% of your "excess weight".

Edited July 30, 20215 yr by vikingbeast

1 minute ago, Laurie C. said:

I am 5'6". I put my goal weight at 180. It says BMI would still be 29.1 and overweight. Normal should be 18.5 to 24.9. I don't want to be thin-thin. Just normal. This scale is almost fat-shaming. I'm not going by the BMI. I'll go by when I feel good about myself.

Absolutely. If your healthy and happy with the way you look that’s all that matters. Many WLS patients do not ever get down to a “normal” BMI. Some by choice (not sure how many try and can’t).

17 hours ago, Laurie C. said:

How tall?

almost 5'10

17 hours ago, Laurie C. said:

I am 5'6". I put my goal weight at 180. It says BMI would still be 29.1 and overweight. Normal should be 18.5 to 24.9. I don't want to be thin-thin. Just normal. This scale is almost fat-shaming. I'm not going by the BMI. I'll go by when I feel good about myself.

Funny how you call the scale fat shaming....it really is as well as the BMI system itself. I remember when I was a teenager weighing 180 pounds or so. I was by no means overweight, played sports addictively, could run 10 miles no problem, biked 30 miles. But...given today's BMI I would be overweight. The BMI doesn't really work for some people in my view. I have muscular calves and thighs, even with my heavier weight I stay pretty normal in the legs because I walk and bike so much. I do not see me ever getting into the "normal" BMI area given the charts and my body type.

6 minutes ago, Tony B - NJ said:

Funny how you call the scale fat shaming....it really is as well as the BMI system itself. I remember when I was a teenager weighing 180 pounds or so. I was by no means overweight, played sports addictively, could run 10 miles no problem, biked 30 miles. But...given today's BMI I would be overweight. The BMI doesn't really work for some people in my view. I have muscular calves and thighs, even with my heavier weight I stay pretty normal in the legs because I walk and bike so much. I do not see me ever getting into the "normal" BMI area given the charts and my body type.

I think BMI is even less accurate for men at times.

I agree 100%.

18 minutes ago, Tony B - NJ said:

Funny how you call the scale fat shaming....it really is as well as the BMI system itself. I remember when I was a teenager weighing 180 pounds or so. I was by no means overweight, played sports addictively, could run 10 miles no problem, biked 30 miles. But...given today's BMI I would be overweight. The BMI doesn't really work for some people in my view. I have muscular calves and thighs, even with my heavier weight I stay pretty normal in the legs because I walk and bike so much. I do not see me ever getting into the "normal" BMI area given the charts and my body type.

I didn't mean the weight scale. I meant the BMI scale/chart. Nice to know it's not just me that feels that way.

1 minute ago, Laurie C. said:

I didn't mean the weight scale. I meant the BMI scale/chart. Nice to know it's not just me that feels that way.

Definitely not just you!!! It does get frustrating and demotivating but I guess you just have to deal with the reality of it. I think it is an insurance company scam to charge more in health insurance for "overweight" and "obese" people. Just my cynicism but whatever. I will just get to where I am comfortable and happy with my health/appearance and move on.

I'm never going to be in the correct BMI band and, to borrow from my other mother tongue, j'm'en câlisse. I just want to be healthy. I just didn't know if there was some number the doctor or insurance chose out of thin air. If I had to pick my number, I'd say 240-250, though that could change if I lose a bunch of muscle mass during the dreaded six weeks I'm disallowed from touching a barbell (argh!). That would give me a BMI of 32.5, so still obese by that useless measuring stick. I'll be the obese guy with abs (obscured by loose skin, LOL).

I got my date today—September 14—and got a heaping helping of my anxious questions answered by my super-awesome scheduler. I'll meet with the surgeon F2F once, and have a few things to do (blood work, etc.) before the date. I'll have to have a Covid test even though I'm fully vaccinated, due to the spread of the Delta variant.

5 hours ago, vikingbeast said:

I'm never going to be in the correct BMI band and, to borrow from my other mother tongue, j'm'en câlisse. I just want to be healthy. I just didn't know if there was some number the doctor or insurance chose out of thin air. If I had to pick my number, I'd say 240-250, though that could change if I lose a bunch of muscle mass during the dreaded six weeks I'm disallowed from touching a barbell (argh!). That would give me a BMI of 32.5, so still obese by that useless measuring stick. I'll be the obese guy with abs (obscured by loose skin, LOL).

I got my date today—September 14—and got a heaping helping of my anxious questions answered by my super-awesome scheduler. I'll meet with the surgeon F2F once, and have a few things to do (blood work, etc.) before the date. I'll have to have a Covid test even though I'm fully vaccinated, due to the spread of the Delta variant.

How funny! That's my one year anniversary date! I agree, screw that BMI scale! I was shocked when my family doctor told me I was okay to get my knee replacement now. I said, don't I have to wait until I lose all the weight first? He said I was ready now. He kept telling me how good I was doing. Made me feel great! Best of luck with your surgery!

I picked a weight that was “healthy” aka not obese, that I had maintained before.

My surgeon said the average was 60% of excess weight and did a calculation to tell me what that was - but never set a goal weight. I had an idea of where I want to be but I also acknowledge that I’m not sure what my happiest weight will be. I just kind of picked 150 pounds but if I’m happy and comfortable and active at a higher weight, I’m good with that too.

I also heard that wherever you are around three months is likely half of what you’ll lose altogether.

32 minutes ago, WanderingHeart said:

My surgeon said the average was 60% of excess weight and did a calculation to tell me what that was - but never set a goal weight. I had an idea of where I want to be but I also acknowledge that I’m not sure what my happiest weight will be. I just kind of picked 150 pounds but if I’m happy and comfortable and active at a higher weight, I’m good with that too.

I also heard that wherever you are around three months is likely half of what you’ll lose altogether.

Never heard that. Interesting. Thx.

They asked me what my goal weight was and I picked a weight I’d been at once and had felt I looked good at. In a healthy weight range, etc. I’ve lost 158 lbs so far and I have 16 lbs left to go to get to that weight. I think my actual goal may end up being lower than that, just based on seeing myself at this weight.

So I wouldn’t get too caught up on it- hard for most of us to know what we want when we are so far off from it.

On 8/19/2021 at 4:28 AM, WanderingHeart said:

I also heard that wherever you are around three months is likely half of what you’ll lose altogether.

Well, that's nothing more than a myth. On my surgery day I was 321 and three months out I was 266 (that's 55 pounds lost in three months). I'm almost 19 months out and still not into maintenance yet and am at 178 pounds which is 143 pounds lost since surgery (I lost 68 prior to surgery) and half of that is 71.5 pounds which is more than I lost at three months out (by 16.5 pounds). If I would have only lost twice as much as I lost at three months out then I would be 211 pounds, but I'm 33 pounds less than that since I'm 178. And still losing, I might add.

Edited August 20, 20214 yr by NovaLuna
math error omg

My surgeon didn't give me a goal, but the psychologist said I'd likely lose a certain amount, and was I okay with that amount. I was NOT okay with that amount, which I told her, but I can't remember the amount. I remember she said it would get me to about 180lbs and that would still put me as obese. Yes, I know that BMI is dreadful, but I also got down to 180 at one point through diet and exercise, and I was still fatter than I was comfortable with. I've never been thin, at least since I was about 14, so I don't know what weight will be comfortable to me, but I also don't know how I can change what happens - I'm not sure how much is in my control.