What is your ideal body weight? How did you determine what weight you wanted to be?

My dr and I discussed this somewhat. Basically he asked what I thought I wanted to be. He did not however set a goal for me or discuss that with me.

It just struck me that I haven't determined that and my surgery is in the morning!

The weight I want to be or decided was my goal, was my previous weight that i was happiest at. This is a personal goal you have to make yourself, your dr really cant do that for you. He can suggest a healthier weight for you...but you have to have your own personal goal. I would recommend setting small goals....if you have to lose 100 pounds set 10 or 20 lb goals and reward yourself. Because if you go into this saying I have a 100 pounds to lose it sounds like a mountain to climb...so start with a mole hill! Good Luck

Paula:

I never set a goal with my surgeon. Now I think I want to.

My starting weight was 324 pounds. This morning I weighed 179. I'm thinking that I want to set my goal at 170. I am wearing size 12's and 14's now. I think that if I weigh 170 I'll be very comfortable in all 12's and the 14's will be too big. I'm 48 years old. I hope to be a grandmother in the next ten years. Since I started my weight loss program I've been buying size 12's on sale because I thought I'd be happy with that being my size for the rest of my life.

I'm meeting with my doctor on Monday. I had originally thought that I would shoot for 159 pounds, or healthy bmi range for my height. However, I don't want to be "thin". I think that if I get down to 159 I'll be wearing size 10's. I just want to be "average". The top half of me is thin now, and I don't want to be gaunt looking. I'm waiting to see what the doctor says about my picking a goal that is 11 pounds higher than healthy bmi. If he has a good reason for me to reach healthy bmi, then I might. If being 11 pounds higher than healthy bmi is okay with him I'll use that as my goal.

Good luck with your surgery. I love my band, and you probably will too.

Take care.

Sue

Like everyone else has said, your personal weight goal really is a decision that you need to make on your own with your doctor. I do highly recommend that people get a Hydrostatic Dunk Test for body composition. This is the test where you climb into a tank of Water and sit on a swing that is submerged and then you dunk yourself completely under and expel as much air out of your lungs as you can. The swing is attached to a scale, so it most accurately weighs you, your muscle and bone mass vs. your fatty tissue and will give you the most accurate number based on a realistic body fat percentage. It gives hope to people like me who, according to the height weight charts, say that I should weight 178. My dunk test told me years ago that I should be at about 225 - 230 to be at about 8% bodyfat. (Yes, I'm a guy.) At that point, I was 212 and was trying everything I could do to get thinner. My friends began to be concerned and now when I look back at those pictures, I still can't believe that I got that thin. I was told after the test was done to go home and safely put about 10 lbs. back on to be right in the optimal zone.

We're all made differently, so please don't get stuck on a number. It's JUST a number. We're a whole of our parts. Not a number! Get the hydrostatic dunk test if you want to know the EXACT number you should generally be keeping things. You'll thank me for it! :Banane37:

Edited August 13, 200817 yr by Jonnycat1

My healthy weight range is 63 to 79kg. I'd been 78kg for a long time as an adult, and I knew I was still a bit too fat at that. I'd gotten down to 72 once or twice and knew that was better but that I could still afford to be leaner. So I set 70kg as a goal, and I got there, and a little bit below, but I always had a kind of secret desire to be about 65. I really have struggled to go below 68 to 69 though, I think I"m done.

It was never ever discussed with my doc, they just want to see you get out of the danger zone. The nutritionist told me I'd never be able to do that, that it wasnt a realistic goal.

So in short, I could remember being this weight or that and knew how I felt and that having felt fat all my life, lower down in my healthy weight range would be good for me.

Paula, don't worry about setting a final goal weight yet. In my opinion, your focus right now shouldn't be on the weight loss, but on doing what it takes to heal your body after your surgery. Then, your job is to focus on making the necessary behavior changes. When you have done that, set a short term goal. I still haven't really set an ultimate goal. I have a ways to go and I know generally where I want to be, but it will all depend on how I feel as I get there.

Good luck! I'm sure you will do great!

I set my goal weight based on a healthy bmi, which is heavier than I was 20 years ago, but I don't expect to get down to my pre-mom weight.

i asked my self the same thing and i asked my doctor for a personal opp' she said she feels 190 would be great she just wants me under 200 since my blood pressure became life threating after 220 i thought about it over and over and i came to this i will keep loosing til i feel very comfortable and happy if its 200 or under im the one got to live with me and as long as im happy with my self..hey what else is there to say

Thanks for all the replies. I will just take it one day at a time now and not think of the final goal but only what I can lose each day/week/month.

Well, in the morning is my surgery so I am off to bed. I'm sure I will be awake all night with excitement, but I'm going to try and get some sleep.

Thanks again.

Paula, I hope you don't mind, but I just said a prayer for you. Good luck with your surgery today! Let us know how you are doing.

Well, I made it through surgery. I ended up being there longer than I thought because the doctor was running behind. I didn't get taken back until about 12:30.

Today I am pretty sore! I've taken a couple of doses of the pain medication and then slept.

I hope the soreness doesn't last very long.

Thanks for all the prayers and support!

Paula, good luck with your recovery. You will likely be pretty sore for a few days, but it will get a little better each day. Try to get u and walk around as much as you can. It really will help.

Paula:

I never set a goal with my surgeon. Now I think I want to.

My starting weight was 324 pounds. This morning I weighed 179. I'm thinking that I want to set my goal at 170. I am wearing size 12's and 14's now. I think that if I weigh 170 I'll be very comfortable in all 12's and the 14's will be too big. I'm 48 years old. I hope to be a grandmother in the next ten years. Since I started my weight loss program I've been buying size 12's on sale because I thought I'd be happy with that being my size for the rest of my life.

I'm meeting with my doctor on Monday. I had originally thought that I would shoot for 159 pounds, or healthy bmi range for my height. However, I don't want to be "thin". I think that if I get down to 159 I'll be wearing size 10's. I just want to be "average". The top half of me is thin now, and I don't want to be gaunt looking. I'm waiting to see what the doctor says about my picking a goal that is 11 pounds higher than healthy bmi. If he has a good reason for me to reach healthy bmi, then I might. If being 11 pounds higher than healthy bmi is okay with him I'll use that as my goal.

Good luck with your surgery. I love my band, and you probably will too.

Take care.

Sue

Sue,

So you've lost 110lbs since August 2007??? I'm just wondering cuz I told my nurse my goal was about 100lbs in 1 yr and they said it's "VERY DOABLE". I would LOVE to be a 12/14 in a year (26/28 now). You're post was VERY inspiring! Dr's told me 155-160, but I'd be ECSTATIC at 170 as well!

Goodbyefat:

Best wishes to you. Yes, I have lost 110 pounds since my surgery on 7/26/07. 100 pounds in a year is very doable.

I think the most important part of it all is to have the right frame of mind. YOu need to be driven to succeed. Follow the bandster rules. Get alot of exercise, and you'll be wearing normal clothes next summer.

Congratulations.

Take care.

Sue

I went with size. I am almost 5'9 and wanted to be in a 16 with a stretch goal of 14 (that is what I was in high school). I started at a size 24. I am now a 16 with the exception of jeans. I have a goal of 200 (13

I went with size. I am almost 5'9' and my goal was size 16 with a stretch goal of 14 (that is what I was in high school). I started in a size 24 and I am in a 16 right. I have a goal of fitting looser 16s and jeans so that is what I am aiming for. I weight 213 so I am hoping for 185-200. My doctor said that 185 would be good but we agreed that 200 is fine. I go by size only.