Answer this question first, then read my response below.

What do I mean by Ideal BMI? What do I mean by “Happy Weight?” How are they different?

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What do I mean by Ideal BMI? What do I mean by “Happy Weight?” How are they different?

It is not meaningful to say “I am overweight because I weigh 250 pounds,” because there is a difference between a woman who is 5 feet tall and 250 pounds and a man who is 6 feet 2 inches tall and 250 pounds who also happens to be a linebacker. BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a medical term to approximate a person’s ideal body weight that factors in height. An ideal BMI is considered to be between 19 and 25; anything higher is considered to indicate being overweight. It is not a perfect measure, but a good starting point. Most of you know your BMI already, but in case you don’t, there are many BMI calculators on the internet that are free to use. You can find one on my website at Texas City Surgical.

Your Happy Weight, on the other hand, is the weight at which you are not struggling with your relationship with food. You look good, you feel good, and you have a fun social life. You’re confident, you’re active, and you’re out there participating in life. This might be a BMI of less than 25, but it could also be a BMI of higher than 25. It just depends on YOU and YOUR particular journey, and where YOU are at this point in YOUR life. That means that your Happy Weight could change, depending on what you want from your life and your health, but more importantly, what you want to DO with your life. So think about your Happy Weight often.

The preceeding was an excerpt from my new book, Ultimate Lap-Band Success: The Support Surgeon's Guide to Getting More From Your Gastric Band. The book will be available in April. It is a synopsis of the very important perioperative support groups that I personally lead for my patients in order for them to be happy, successful patients! If you found the excerpt helpful, you can preorder the book by sending me an email at morefrommyband@gmail.com.

Best regards,

Dr. Vuong, the Support Surgeon

How much is your book?

Dr. Vuong,

Thank you for all your positive posts. Each one is filled with lots of food for thought.

This post was extremely interesting to me as I am nearing my weight loss goals. My problem is knowing what my "happy weight" should be.

You stated: "Your Happy Weight, on the other hand, is the weight at which you are not struggling with your relationship with food. You look good, you feel good, and you have a fun social life." I have struggled with my weight my entire life and I can't imagine not struggling with it after I reach goal. I have been obese since I was 10 years old... I have no idea what a proper weight feels like. Even being grossly obese, I have always had a fun social life - one does what one can do... so that meant no marathons, mountain climbing or other very strenuous activities. After losing 108 pounds, my social life has not changed all that much... I am still me albeit a much more flexible and active me. I do enjoy being able to climb stairs without huffing and puffing!

I guess my question to you is this.. How will I know when enough is enough? It's been far too many years since I was smaller, and even then it was always too much. I am 53 years old. My entire family is overweight. The charts say I should weigh about 142 pounds for a BMI of 25. I already know I will not reach that. My immediate goal is 180. I'd love to reach 170, but as you know, that still leaves me at a BMI of 30. I will try to get to 160, I think that might be my "happy weight". But at what cost? Will I 'torture' myself to get there? Will I be happy - or better said - happier at that weight?

The Lapband is a wonderful and powerful tool for us to use to lose the weight. I am so happy and grateful that I had it done.

I also want to thank LBT and all the 'experts' we have here. The support has been wonderful.

I have been doing Adkins sinnce Thursday and haven't lost a pound what's up whit that. No cheating either.

For me, I would like to be back at the 170-175 range. A year ago, I was at this level with 16% BMI. Today, I am 204 lbs and about 26% BMI. I am a 35 year old male at 6'0". I want to be in good shape and not "skinny fat".

I have another month before I can go back to the gym, so in the meantime I am just walking for my fitness.

Good luck to all in your journey!

For me it is 240 lbs, I am currently 370. I am only 5'8", but that was the weight that I wrestled at during High School and College. I had a 36" waist and was very happy with my body in that form.

Katja,

Thank you for your kind words.

I don't really understand why being a normal weight would be considered "torture." I bet you were even more "tortured" when you weighed 300 lbs. I think it is a frame of mind, which you are right, is the hardest part to conquer.

I have a whole section in my book on social-eating with the lap-band that i think is soooo important. I bet you would really benefit from it, and I think you would learn so much that weight loss would no longer be viewed as "torture."

email me at morefrommyband@gmail.com if you would like more info.

Best of luck,

Dr. Vuong

NCsQueen,

email me at morefrommyband@gmail.com and I will send you a more complete overview of the book, including its cost.

ok?

Best regards,

Dr. Vuong

This is a great excerpt. im 5'3 ( almost) and my goal weight is 145. That is above 25 but yet where i was in hs and was happy. i was pretty solid so hoping to have muscle but i will get there and reaccess if i want to lose more or not. Thanks for the article.

Whatever way you cut it, I'd me most satisfied the skinniest I can get. I'd really like a BMI of 19. Whether I'm a victim of media pressure or not I dont know, but to me very slim looks elegant and beautiful. But I'm someone who can do that without losing my curves.

However, there's only so much eating control I'm willing to place on myself, so my weight has to be compromised. I'm quite willing to exercise like MAD by running an hour a day (and really running to) and doing weights because those things make me feel really good. But I cant take extreme eating methods like low carb and very low calories.

so "happy weight" is about here - fairly thin at a BMI of 22, maybe not as thin as I'd really like - but super easy to maintain.

This is something that has me in a major quandary. I have set a personal goal for myself at 159 lbs. That is a 200 pound weight loss for me. However that puts my bmi at 25.7, wich is technically still overweight. Today i am at 171, bmi 27.6 ...im so close i can taste it. Do i say just be happy and aim for that 200 lb loss or do i trudge forward towards that "normal" bmi. Without an intervention in the form of plastic surgery to remove excess skin im not sure if its even possible. LOL

Katja,

Thank you for your kind words.

I don't really understand why being a normal weight would be considered "torture." I bet you were even more "tortured" when you weighed 300 lbs. I think it is a frame of mind, which you are right, is the hardest part to conquer.

I have a whole section in my book on social-eating with the lap-band that i think is soooo important. I bet you would really benefit from it, and I think you would learn so much that weight loss would no longer be viewed as "torture."

email me at morefrommyband@gmail.com if you would like more info.

Best of luck,

Dr. Vuong

Thank you for your reply, but I think you misunderstood me. Let me explain.

I don't think being at my 'happy weight' would be 'torture'. It is getting there that might be torturous. It goes back to the question "When is enough?" and how do you know when it is? I know I'll be happier to have a smaller, trimmer, leaner and of course, healthier body. But when do I know when to stop trying to lose? We are bombarded with info saying to reach that healthy BMI of 25... maybe 30 is better for me? How will I know when my body sends signals saying that I don't need to lose anymore, when I've never experienced signals like that in my life?

Losing the weight has been very difficult and slow even with the band. All my life I have been obese. It is torturous to me - always thinking of what to eat, how to eat it, when to eat it, what not to eat, what exercise to do, how to do it, when to do it. Then there are all the pressures of the media of what the 'perfect' body is... so that even if we do feel comfortable in our new bodies, it is still not good enough.

"Normal" people do not spend a 10th of the time thinking about all this... why must I? I guess it comes down to a feeling of "why me"? The head games are the worst in losing the weight. I know. I am wishing for the day where I can start saying "I don't need to lose any more weight, I am maintaining!"

Obesity is a sickness like diabetes, it can be treated, but will be there the rest of my life and will need to be 'managed'. I would love to be able to forget all about it, but we know that will not ever happen.

Dr. Vuong, thank you for such a great post.

I think "being" happy and "happy" weight are two different things. I see a slim attractive person and think that person is at a "happy" weight, but that person could be miserable or even have an eating disorder or could even be sick.

It's all about the individual and a very personal thing.

Also, those darn BMI's! If I reached my BMI I would looked like I just got released from a concentration camp at my age of 54.

I can't wait to read your new book!

Dr. Vuong, thank you for such a great post.

I think "being" happy and "happy" weight are two different things. I see a slim attractive person and think that person is at a "happy" weight, but that person could be miserable or even have an eating disorder or could even be sick.

It's all about the individual and a very personal thing.

Also, those darn BMI's! If I reached my BMI I would looked like I just got released from a concentration camp at my age of 54.

I can't wait to read your new book!

I would agree and say that a thin person who is miserable or have an eating disorder, is clearly not at their "happy weight."

I also think that if you've lost a lot of weight and your BMI is, say, still 28, but you really want to be BMI under 25, then this person is also not at their happy weight. It is great that someone has been able to achieve such stellar weight loss, but why stop there? As a general rule, a normal BMI=a healthy BMI, so why not be healthier?

Regards,

Dr V.