This is my story, I was banded by one doc and he left the practice so his paartner has been doing my aftercare. I like both docs so all is good there but doc # 2 asked me what my goal weight was and I didnt have an answer. My goal for having the surgery was to eliminat diabetes meds. How should I determine a realistic weight goal. Did you do it or did your doc do it??

Thanks for the input!

During the "preview" process they asked how much I'd like to weigh and I said as long as I lost I'd be happy. For my surgeon, I think the idea was more to see if we were ready for the band, realisitic etc. Since then, the focus hasn't been on weight so much as portion control, no snacking, exercise, etc.

I picked my goal weight based on the last time I felt healthy and at a good weight. My doctor agreed with me that I picked a healthy goal weight but he also told me that my body will let me know when I am at a healthy good weight.

I picked my goal weight based on the last time I felt healthy and at a good weight. My doctor agreed with me that I picked a healthy goal weight but he also told me that my body will let me know when I am at a healthy good weight.

Did your Insurance pay for the reband?

I think my doc calculated 70% of the amount of my excess weight. Stating that "most" people don't reach what the charts say is their "ideal" weight. Some docs say you will only lose 50% of the excess weight. And of course here you see some people reach and exceed their "ideal" weight. I think it depends on how long you have been overweight, age, I don't know. I, of course have my own goals beyond my docs. Anyway, hope that helps.

Just check and see what a healthy BMI would be for your height and that can help determine a goal weight. But I would check with your doc too. I determined my goal weight by how much I weighed when I thought I looked "normal", lol. But I'm gonna have to wait and see when I get closer to my goal, because I can't be for sure I'll be happy when I get there. I might want to lose more, just never know until I get there and see the results!

my doctor never really asked me my goal weight. but my goal weigh is 135-140 so i can join the reserves. that would put me at a normal BMI .

Ideal weight is pretty easily generalised by charts, i knew what range I should be in.

I also knew from prior experience that I am still fat at the top of that healthy weight range, I look and feel MUCH better in the lower half of it. So that's what I aimed for.

It never entered my head that I wouldnt lose 100% of my excess weight. I just dont think that way. I can be lazy and completely not tackle something that needs to be tackled (like my weight, or the housecleaning) but WHEN I do it, I do it absolutely thoroughly. 50 to 70% weight lost was not acceptable.

And when you think logically about it, its an average so of course that includes non compliant people and people who are physically disabled in some way. I figured neither applied to me so nor would that depressing statistic.

My doc never said anythign much at all about it.

Actually it was never my goal to only lose 60 or 70% of my excess weight either. I always intended to lose 100% of my excess weight.

My Dr set my goal weight. I wanted to be 65kgs (same as when I was 14 and where my BMI would have been 25) but my Dr said he thought I would ideally weigh around 70kgs to look and be a 'normal' weight.

So 70kgs was my 'official' goal weight, but I'm a little below that, and I actually think I'm at my ideal weight now. I will lose some more with my body lift, anyway, but I like what I look like now and would prefer to not lose anymore bar weight of the excess skin that's being removed.

Bobbie-

After my band initially slipped and we were waiting to see if it would go back on its own I went to the ER and ended up getting rushed in for emergency surgery where my doctor told me that the band was strangulating my stomache and I could have died if I did not come in right when I did. I have very good insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and it gave me no problem covering my first band even though I was borderline with my BMI at 39/40. My doctor assured me that they would cover it first because it was an emergency and second because he had another patient that had her band slip and she has the same insurance and they worked with the insurance company and made them aware that it was a problem with the band and they were just replacing the problem. My doctor is really good about working with insurance companies so I am not worried :thumbup:

50 to 70% weight lost was not acceptable.

And when you think logically about it, its an average so of course that includes non compliant people and people who are physically disabled in some way. I figured neither applied to me so nor would that depressing statistic.

My doc never said anythign much at all about it.

I agree. Hope you didn't think that I was sticking to what my doctor's goal was for me. I was just answering the question as to who and how my goal was made for the records. I do recall writing in my journal that night when I got his goal for me. I said something to the effect that I hope I don't play mind games with myself thinking that I have to stop at his goal. Mine is lower to a weight (or a look) like when I was 16. But I'm afraid the "look" will be a bit different 23 years later, after 4 kids, and flabby skin from 125 lbs of stretch and release. LOL

i have just started loosing b/c i'm on my pre-op diet..or i will be in a couple days. I am getting banded on april 4th. I have strugled with my weight my whole life, but I have only been overweight (and more recently obese) for about 3 years, I still know how great it feels to loose weight & i still know how great I felt at my lowest weight of 128...so I plan on going a little further this time and I set my goal @ 120-125lbs (I have a very small frame and I'm only 5'2"). I susspect that I will know when to stop loosing & start maintaining (or at least my body will). But I think that you should choose your "ideal" weight and use the "normal" BMI ranges to guide you, after all it's not really about the # on the scale it's about how you feel!

I weigh about 30 lb less than I did at 16 pre kids.

Yes, its a "different" look, lol. Not that the original pleased me all that much.

But I dont believe for an instant you can fill out your skin to look younger, you just look your age only fat. I have a little bit of the saggy baggies going on at 41 but that's 154 lb of me, what on earth would 254 have looked like by now?

I know which I'd take. But tooooo skinny, probably not a good idea when you're older. However, healthy weight isnt gaunt or emaciated, people only think it is because they're used to nearly everyone around them being decidedly chunky if not obese.

You can always stop where YOU'RE comfortable and where you feel good!