Help with Goal weight

911Chrisy

I was asked by my mother what my goal weight is?
I have no idea. I have been overweight since I was 12 years old.
She asked what size clothing do I want to be.
I have no idea. I remember being a size 13 women's when I was 13 years old and hating my body because I was fat.

In all my appointments with doctors no one ever discussed goal weight.
When I look at the bmi charts it seems out of reach and unobtainable. 5'5" 117-155

My next appointment is not until September.
I want to be healthy that is my goal..what does that translate to on a scale, or in pant size.
I never thought about it before she asked me and now I feel silly not having a set in stone goal.

tedrapaige

Don't feel silly - it's a big deal. And something that you want to think long and hard about because it has to be achievable. Otherwise, you're going to be going around in circles forever and never feel a sense of accomplishment.

My surgeon suggested that I should think about how much I weighed around when I started menstruating (about 12 years old) and perhaps shoot for that. For me, that's 200 lbs. For my BMI (which is antiquated, by the way), that still puts me firmly into the overweight category. I "should" be 140 lbs to 160 lbs. Which seems like a pipe dream to me.

Presumably your body image has changed a bit since you were 13...and maybe you've gotten taller? As a fully grown woman, a size 12 or 14 is completely normal.

lmryoung

I didn't have a clue what my goal should be either, for similar reasons. The lightest I've been at my current weight was around 155 and I was still overweight. But I was 14 then and even though I'm the same height, hello puberty, you know?

At any rate, the nutritionist with my surgery practice analyzed my muscle mass and determined that 160 is a good goal for me. I was surprised because since I'm only 5'4" I thought that still made me overweight/obese. She says that because of my naturally muscular build that's not the case. I don't know if I believe her completely but I'm using it as a working goal for now and figure I can change my goal when I get closer and have a better handle on how I feel.

rpyle111

I picked a spot that seemed completely unattainable as well. I set my goal weight at 20 pounds less than I ever weighed as an adult and 50 pounds lighter than what I graduated High School. The goal I picked was in the middle of "Overweight", but as I looked at some others my height, it seemed good.

With 180 pounds to lose, I attacked the pre-surgery phase as hard as I could, and when I approached my goal, I liked where I was. I hit my goal in April and have been within 5 pounds of it since. I like how I look and do not think the 30 pounds lower to get to "healthy" makes sense for me to shoot for at this point. The best part, though, is that I may well feel like shedding more weight in the future, and the tools I have picked up through the process and on MFP will allow me to get there if that is what I decide to do!

BMI is certainly not the be all and end all stat, but it provides a useful way of discussing weight across multiple people and groups. When looking to drop a lot of weight, using a BMI based target worked fine for me.

Rob

cmchandler74

I'm shooting for 130 because that was my weight when I graduated high school. 115 is right smack in the middle of the BMI chart for someone my height, and 130 is on the upper end of normal weight. Given my frame size and bust size, I'm shooting for upper end. If I reach the middle, that will just be a bonus.

CEK0220

Yes, you can always change/modify your goals. Don't worry too much about it. Just maybe set a goal for now and see how things go. Make a short term goal. For instance, focus on losing a percentage of your current weight. And when you hit that, make a new goal.

joysie1970

My surgeon will consider me a success between 190 and 180, as of this morning I hit 206.1 just four months out of surgery - my personal goal is more like 170/165 - but honestly, the more I think about it the more I am coming to the realization that my body is going to tell me where the end road is....I feel better than I ever have, I am in smaller size than I was in 8th grade, and my health is the biggest gift I was given. So keeping on keeping on and let the road take me where it will, hopefully a little lower than 190, since I am only 5'1" but since my heaviest weight was 387 - I would say that is pretty kick *kitten*, those charts don't mean all that much to me personally. I like CEK's thought process.

anbrdr

I set my goal at 190 originally, mainly because I can not remember ever being less than that. My surgeon told me that he thinks 170-160 is totally attainable, depending on how much weight lifting I get into. So I was pleasantly surprised by that.

rpyle111

Another thing I meant to add: whatever your goal is, don't let that drive your feelings about yourself or your progress. Don't let that goal steal the positivity of succeeding throughout this process. Love yourself at every weight on the way down and especially during the stalls.

Rob

pawoodhull

I think it's less a number or a size and more what you are comfortable with as you get closer to goal. For instance, in HS I was 160 and that was 20 pounds overweight. At my biggest, just before surgery, I was 386. My surgeon said my "ideal" weight for my height and age is 160. Really? That's losing 226 pounds and still being overweight. He also said he expected me to get to 200, bounce up to 220 and stay there. I didn't like that idea four years ago and I still don't! I have decided that for me, getting to and staying somewhere 200 pounds is good. I'm in the 220's right now and wear a size 18 or XL. I may not get all the way down to 160, but that's OK. Truth is I'm mobile now and wasn't at 386. I am healthier now that I've been since my 20's. So landing somewhere below 200 is an improvement, actually a huge improvement. And in my mind that makes it OK to still be "overweight". You should ask your surgeon/team, but it's still your decision, what you are comfortable with and what you feel you can maintain.

UnoDrea3732

My surgeon never really gave me a goal but my personal goal is to be either 185lbs or a size 12-14 (I'm 5'8). According to the BMI charts, I should be anywhere between 135-165lbs to be in the "normal" range. To be honest anything under 200lbs would be awesome. The smallest I've ever been in my adult life is 217lbs (4yrs ago) and that was only for a minute (literally a couple months).

ki4eld

I set myself a range. My doctor says 106. BMI suggests 125. I remember feeling fine at 145. My goal is 106, but if I can get below 140, I'll be ok. My goal for size is to be able to walk into a store and buy pants off the rack.

911Chrisy

Thank you so much everyone. I thought about it a lot.
Starting this journey at 304lbs, I decided my goal will be to break into the 100's. I'm definitely going to celebrate being under 250lbs when that happens it has been a long time.
Tedrapaige - I do think my body image has improved as an adult, and maybe aiming for my age 13 weight will be a secondary goal.
I will be sure to ask my doctors about it at my next appointment.
I want health, mobility, and as 2poufs mentioned be able to walk into a store and buy pants off the rack.
I could mention everyone's name because you all make such excellent points, and shared your own personal story which really helped to put things into perspective. Thank you again for the support.