Goal Weight

[Bypass2Freedom 999]

So I am about 0.2lbs away from my goal weight, which I have always had in mind as my "1st goal weight". Kind of like, if I get there then that is amazing...I didn't 100% believe I could ever get here if that makes sense 🤣

My question to others is: did you have a "secret/second goal weight" in mind? And if so, did it vary much from your 1st one?

I want (for some inexplicable reason) my BMI to be in a 'healthy' range, which requires another loss of about 2 stone, which I think part of me wants to go for.

Overall though, I am feeling happy - not just because of a number on the scale!

[AmberFL 1,062]

My initial goal was to be 199lbs, that would've gotten me to 30bmi, then once I got there and I kept loosing I figured okay....I want to get new boobs and a Tummy Tuck what BMI would be the best and weight would allow me to get the best and safest results. So I dropped my goal to 180 then 170 and I kept it there. I now teeter between 163-170 and have been for a few months. Now that I got boobs I'm looking more at 168-172 but I super happy with how I look and feel, although I cannot wait to get back into the gym and loose just a couple more pounds to give me that wiggle room. scale is just one factor that shows success but its not THE factor. (I have to tell myself that all the time lol)

[SleeveToBypass2023 2,680]

8 hours ago, Bypass2Freedom said:

So I am about 0.2lbs away from my goal weight, which I have always had in mind as my "1st goal weight". Kind of like, if I get there then that is amazing...I didn't 100% believe I could ever get here if that makes sense 🤣

My question to others is: did you have a "secret/second goal weight" in mind? And if so, did it vary much from your 1st one?

I want (for some inexplicable reason) my BMI to be in a 'healthy' range, which requires another loss of about 2 stone, which I think part of me wants to go for.

Overall though, I am feeling happy - not just because of a number on the scale!

My initial goal weight was 200 pounds. I hit that and thought "I'd like to be in ONEderland so I'm gonna keep going" and I got to my new goal weight of 190. Then I dropped well below that, gained the excess back, and I'm at 190 again. I need to lose about 7 or 8 pounds to get back into "wiggle room territory" and maintain it. But yes, I definitely had a secret goal that i never thought I would see lol

[FifiLux 564]

I never set a goal weight but my surgeon said he felt 70 to 75 kg (165/155 lbs) would be what he would like to see me reach. Once he said that and I got close I decided I would try to get into the 'healthy' BMI range which is 65kg / 143lbs.

I reached there and a little bit more (or less I guess) so depending on movement (bowel and exercise wise ) and if I have a bit more of a carb focused dish I bounce between 62.5 and 64kg / 137 and 141 lbs and I find I am happy with that. NEVER would have thought that was possible to achieve a couple of years ago.

I think see if you can get to the 'healthy' range if it gives you something to continue working towards and then maintaining BUT do not put pressure on yourself, the BMI is out dated and the most important things are to be physically & mentally healthy and happy in yourself, that can be whatever figure you want it to be on the scale.

[BigSue 1,428]

I discourage people from getting hung up on the number on the scale, because the non-scale victories are so much more important. The number on the scale is meaningless compared to things like your health metrics (blood pressure, glucose, lipids, etc.), fitness, and mobility. I am also curious how you can say you are 0.2 pounds from your goal weight because my weight can fluctuate by 5 pounds in a single day, so 0.2 pounds is far more precise than you can realistically measure your weight. Drink half a cup of Water and your weight goes up by more than that.

Somebody posted a video on this site a while back (maybe someone can repost it if you remember) with a doctor explaining why your "best weight" is not necessarily going to be in the "ideal weight" range based on BMI, especially for bariatric surgery patients -- and in fact, for many bariatric surgery patients, a "normal" BMI may be too low. BMI has limited use in determining a healthy weight for any specific individual. It is kind of a primitive measure of body composition; a much better measure of that would be getting a Dexa scan, which can determine your actual body fat percentage and visceral fat (which is what has the highest impact on health).

I never really had a goal weight. I was required to state a goal weight for my psych evaluation, and I think I put 180 pounds based on the average weight loss from my starting weight. I never thought I would get to a "normal" BMI, but I am actually hovering right around a BMI of 25 (I'm maintaining between 135 and 140) with a body fat percentage of 21%. My goal now is to stay within that range because I think that's about the lowest I can realistically go without plastic surgery (nothing against that if it's what you want, but I have no plans to do so) or extreme measures.

[Arabesque 7,590]

Congratulations on reaching your goal (& yes being 0.2lbs off is still goal in my book).

My goal weight was the lowest weight I always get to before slowly but surely bouncing back from over the years (well until the last few years when I could barely lose 5kgs let alone the weight I needed to lose to get to that goal). It was the weight I enjoyed being at and felt good at being. I just couldn’t maintain it.

When I exceeded my goal weight I was actually trying to work out my maintenance but just kept losing though very slowly for another 11 months. I decided, I’ll just see where I stop while still trying to work out maintenance. Of course I know now I got to a weight that was my new set point (thank you surgery). It was the weight my body wanted to be at & had nothing to do with a weight I wanted to be at. It’s also a weight that doesn’t require me to restrict my calorie intake or exercise more than I want to or enjoy doing to maintain so yay!

Instead of setting a new goal weight why not just see where your body settles. You could lose those two stone or you could lose more or less. Regardless it will be the best weight for you. You’ll naturally be slowly increasing your calorie intake and discovering the activity levels you’re comfortable with anyway & wait till you see where you end up. People can continue to lose for 18 months or more so you have time. Remember, if you force yourself to lose more than your body wants, you’ll continue to battle to maintain that lower weight.

Edited February 13 by Arabesque

[NeonRaven8919 584]

I set my goal at "healthy" BMI. (60kg or 132lbs) I realise BMI isn't really the best indicator of overall health or even healthy weight, but it's a good starting point. But to be honest, I never even really believed that I would lose any weight at all, it was just a Hail Mary pass that I thought I would talk to my GP about and to my amazement, it's working!

I was a size 24UK (US 20) 7 months ago and just thought I was going to keep getting bigger.

7 months later, I'm a size 16UK (US 12) and went from 122 kg (270lbs) to 87kg (193 lbs) I never though this would be possible.

I've hit so many goals I never even set!

I still have that arbitrary number goal because my GP seems to have BMI tattooed on his brain and the number matters to him, but I'm just going to go along for the ride and see where I end up and where my body is comfortable maintaining!

[Moxie Pratt 4]

I started at 316 and lost 60 pounds before surgery WHICH I count. So I started losing in June of 2023 and had surgery gastric bypass March 5 2014. I am down to 197. I have a goal of 150, but I havent been that low since I was in my 20s. I'm 69 now.

Well, there is a wedding coming up at the end of April and I love the clothes I can wear now. If I were to lose 20 pounds now I feel like I'd be entering the twilight zone. What would I wear? I modified my favorite clothes from 250 to 316( they must have really been tight then) for the wedding. I no longer drive. I'm afraid i guess of weighing what i did 40 years ago. Help.

[SpartanMaker 1,307]

I strongly believe there is no perfect goal weight.

I think the goal should rather be how you feel and how you feel you look. If you feel good and are happy with how you look, then you're at your goal. If you think you'd like to shed a few more pounds, then do so. If you feel like you look underweight, then it might be time to gain a bit.

I would never recommend BMI as a guideline. A much better guideline would be % body fat, but accurate testing is expensive and not readily available. Keep in mind if you were obese for any length of time, your organs are likely bigger and your bones denser. This means you might look identical at 170 to someone that was never obese that weighs 150. Also, as most folks know, since muscle is denser than fat, the scale just does not tell the full story. There are people with a "normal" BMI that are carrying too much fat because they have so little muscle mass.

I get it, especially for very goal-oriented people, they want something exact to shoot for, but when you think about all the above factors, picking a goal weight is just so random and almost certainly to be wrong for you.

Edited February 15 by SpartanMaker

[Lilia_90 612]

I wanted to go back to the weight I maintained through adulthood and motherhood (between 64-67 Kilos/141-147.7 lbs) Where I felt - and looked - my best and was active and in shape.

My surgeon told me that he'll be very pleased if I lose 20 kgs (70 kgs), I was aiming for 65 kgs, and that in my opinion would have been a great success.

I got down to 65 kilos in 3 months and kept losing for another 6 months until I stabilized (52.5-54 kgs is my fluctuation) and that is around 11/12 kgs less than what I would have considered an absolute success.

It is easy to be hung up on a specific number, however it is how you feel and how you fit into your clothes that matters. I would've never imagined myself at 52 kilos (never been that weight except when I 13) and had you told me that I would've gasped out loud in horror. Now, I feel I look great and really healthy. I have a 15 kg wriggle room, and if I do gain a bit of weight it is no big deal.

I loved how I looked at 65 kgs and I love how I look now too.

[NickelChip 1,358]

I set my goal weight at 155 lbs to reach a "healthy" BMI of 25, partially because I felt like it would be nice to experience going to the doctor and not having my weight come up as a red flag (although my doctor is really great about things like that), and partially because it was the weight I was when I graduated high school and I was curious to see if I could get back there. My "secret" goal would be to reach 151 lbs, which would mean I lost 100 lbs from my highest weight. I'm currently a week from my 1-year surgiversary and 8 lbs above my goal, so I'm pretty happy.

[Bypass2Freedom 999]

Hey all ❤️

Thank you for all of the responses - I am definitely seeing a trend that it is best to go with how you feel, rather than by the BMI (which is something I keep telling myself anyway).

I am quite a goal-focused person, so I feel that having a goalpost will help me to achieve what I think I need to achieve. Either way, I am moderately happy with where I am at now - I think I'd like to lose a little more though!

[Spinoza 1,515]

I suspect that, given your loss to date, you still have a good way to go @Bypass2Freedom

My original (totally guesstimated) 'goal' weight was based on the average loss after a gastric sleeve for someone with my starting weight. I would have been thrilled to get there and no further - I honestly mean that. But it was way out.

I sailed through that and beyond. Kept sticking to the plan and finally landed well below. I know other people who stick to their plan land well above.

The moral of the story is - stick to your plan and (within reason) you will land where you will land. Unless you actually end up underweight or unwell you don't need to add calories on purpose (that's my experience anyway) - your expanding capacity for food and your increasing hunger will eventually meet you in the middle. Whilst you are in the honeymoon post op period I say milk it for all it's worth. Meet your goals, take your supplements and enjoy the ride.

Then begins the lifelong journey of maintenance. That's another story, LOL.

[Spinoza 1,515]

Also - to actually answer your points.

Huge congratulations on meeting your first goal. Yes I had multiple goals that I went through - usually BMI related or round numbers of pounds related. I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with that unless you decide that your happiness or fulfillment depends on reaching them. It definitely shouldn't. BMI is a construct, and a flawed one at that. But we're human and we (well some of us) like metrics to measure ourselves against and defined goals to al least aim for!

Edited February 18 by Spinoza

[Bypass2Freedom 999]

@Spinoza I think that is one thing I was definitely thinking about - at 9 months post-op, is my body done losing? Probably not! (I hope not anyway!)

BMI is definitely a crappy way of measuring people, but I think in my head to have gone from literally my BMI being off the chart 🤣to then showing 'healthy', that is a massive win! I am happy where I am at currently, I don't dislike myself which is also a win haha.

Also would be nice to go to my GP for a headache or a tummy ache, or something unrelated, and for them not to be like "oh have you tried losing weight" 🤣