This is something that has been on my mind as well. I'm 5'3" and currently 178. My goal weight has always been 130 because it's right in the middle of normal BMI range. However, I just had my year follow-up with the surgeon and nutritionist and both were very skeptical of that number (not because they doubt I can get there but because they don't think that I really have that much left to lose). It's still somewhat important to me to be "normal," but my new plan is to let my body get to its natural set point, whatever that may be. Ultimately, I want to be at a weight that is both healthy and not impossible to maintain.

It's funny my surgery was 4/7, I'm 5' 2" my heaviest weight ever was 387 when I started my program I was 272 my presurgery weight was 249...last Sunday I was 238. I think I would be happy at 160 which is no where near normal for my height. To even think about approaching the 130 actually sorta scares me to be honest, I don't know if I would recognize myself or be curvy enough...I guess as I progress I will pick a number.

First off, it's great to have goals. But keep in mind once you hit your goal that does mean now all of the sudden you're "happy". My doctors and dietician have been stressing this. Create healthy habits and enjoy life. No matter what number the scale says. That being said, of course I want to lose more weight. I'd love to get below 300 lbs someday (I'm 325 right now). And after I get there I'll probably set a new short term goal.

One thing I won't do is EVER set goals based on BMI. It was developed my a mathematician (NOT a physician) in the 1800's and it was supposed to be used to measure large populations, NOT individual weight. It does not take into account gender, age, bone density, muscle mass, body fat %, etc. In other words, it's a terrible measure of overall health. For instance, almost every football player is "overweight" (except for maybe the kickers) and my guess is they are healthier than most of the population. In the United States, the public didn't even know about BMI (even though it had been around for over a century) until the government launched an initiative to encourage healthy eating and exercise in the late 1990's. I never heard of BMI growing up and I'm sure you all didn't either. They also changed the BMI definition of overweight from 27.8 down to 25 in 1998.

10 Reasons BMI is bogus:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439

If you're still convinced you want to be a "healthy" BMI I would suggest just shooting for the Overweight category first. That's <30. Then try to get in the "normal" range <25. And if you make it there, just maintain. You're probably pretty fit by that point! It's rare that someone extremely obese gets to the normal range and maintains for the long term (Laura being an exception, congrats btw!). Think about it, a successful weight loss surgery is considered if you can lose 50+% of your excess weight. Everyone here is talking about losing 100% (or more) of their excess weight. The average for weight loss surgery is 60-85%.

One last thing, I'm assuming everyone has or will have bariatric surgery. So, we all will have excess skin as we shrink. If you get down close to the "normal" range you probably have 5-25lbs of excess skin on you. So, keep that in mind. That's impossible to lose unless you get it surgically removed.

To everyone, I would just say, eat right, exercise and be happy. That's the goal for me.

I am in my late 50's and am 5'7". Normal range for me is about 145. My surgeon told me my "ideal" weight for age, bone structure and height is 160. On the BMI scale that's still in the overweight category. But again, per my surgeon my goal is 160. However, he told me he expected that I would get to 200, bounce up to 220 and stay there. This is not acceptable to me. I want to weigh less than 200. I don't really care if I go all the way to 160, that's not my personal goal. My personal goal is to get and stay somewhere below 200 pounds. Yes that's still overweight, but after starting at 386 and being beyond morbidly obese, overweight is fantastic.

I set my initial goal at 140 as that is the top of normal BMI for my height. To Aztec's point, BMI is not an ideal measure but it gave me somewhere to shoot for when I was starting. I am about 17 pounds from that now and I feel like I probably have more than that to go to be where I want to be. So I am going to just keep doing what I am doing until I feel like I am at a good place for myself and my weight.

Aztec4Life wrote: »

One thing I won't do is EVER set goals based on BMI. It was developed my a mathematician (NOT a physician) in the 1800's and it was supposed to be used to measure large populations, NOT individual weight. It does not take into account gender, age, bone density, muscle mass, body fat %, etc. In other words, it's a terrible measure of overall health. For instance, almost every football player is "overweight" (except for maybe the kickers) and my guess is they are healthier than most of the population. In the United States, the public didn't even know about BMI (even though it had been around for over a century) until the government launched an initiative to encourage healthy eating and exercise in the late 1990's. I never heard of BMI growing up and I'm sure you all didn't either. They also changed the BMI definition of overweight from 27.8 down to 25 in 1998.

This! At surgery, my BMI was not 40. But, looking at my BMI would not tell you about my elevated BP (even on meds) or blood sugar or that I had sleep apnea for 10 yrs. It's one thing to use BMI as just suggestion for a range of weight to shoot for, but I'm not going to consider myself a failure if I don't get to where the BMI table says I should be. The greater measure of success for me will be when I am completely off BP meds (I'm already only on 1/2 the dosage I was), my blood sugar is normal (and it is already) and I can lose the CPAP machine. If I'm doing enough exercise that my body and bones are strong, I will consider that a success. When I can accept that I am a work in progress at all times and not get down on myself for not being perfect or eating perfect 100% of the time, I will consider that a success.

benagek wrote: »

Thanks for all your input. I think, because I'm getting a lot of "your getting too skinny" comments that it's just been weighing (no pun intended) on my mind. I don't feel "too skinny". I know that their comments are coming from the viewpoint that they've only every seen me as a 240lb women so they don't know any different. It just got me thinking.

I feel so incredibly healthy right now. My diet is good. I'm learning to love exercise. I look forward to active work and play. I feel awesome.

I think I will just plan on eating healthy and letting my body figure out a healthy weight for me. Who knows what that might look like.

I get the same comments as well as you aren't going to loose any more are you? Well I'm 5' 9" currently at 183 +/- 3 pounds feel great and working out at the gym every day M W F strength Tu Th cardio deep water aerobics. my goal is to be between 175 and 185 my BMI chart would have me at 160. I don't think 160 would look healthy for me, I like where I am and exchange fat for muscle.

My doctor sets a body fat percentage as a goal and not a weight. People ask me all the time what my goal weight is and I don't have one. I just want to feel great and be healthy. If I had to pick a weight, I would say between 140 and 150. My goal is to feel great and get down to a size 8-10....whatever that weight may be.

Congrats on your success! You have done great! My WLS program didn't give me a set goal or weight, just as long as I was at a healthy BMI. I am 5"4' and got as low as 124 from 280. I lost 49 pounds pre op, the rest post op from WLS Sleeve. I made my personal goal of 135 and then 130 that I reached in April 2013 I had the sleeve surgery in June 2012. Once I decided to not loose more at 124 I was told to add more cals to my diet which I did. I went up to around 135 which is normal as most WLS people gain 10-15% weight as the go into maintence and add more regular food back into their diet. At this point I am more than 135. I am not happy but ok with it for now, trying to get back to 140. I gained over the Fall and Winter. Having problems with exercise right now due to bad knees so can't really even power walk or bike right now. I have lost a few pounds in the last 2 weeks which is funny cause I haven't done any walking/biking or working out and have lost weight?!?!?! I just want to be able to fit my butt into last years summer clothes!

I decided that the lowest weight for me would be 200lbs. I also decided that I would be ok with being at 225 or around that weight. I decided that because of me being 6'1" that it would be a good range for me.

my NUT is one of those who swears that the BMI chart is the end all / be all. when I ask him about a weight goal last Friday, the first day of my phase 4 diet. he insisted that i set my goal of a BMI of less than 25, i disagreed due to that making my weight at no more than about 164; I've been that weight before (one of my lose/gain periods) and i don't feel or look healthy. we agreed to a goal of 170-175 with a body fat (more realistic measurement) of less than 20%. so right now my goal is 170 and with any luck (and exercise) the body fat will be in line

BMI is a joke. I'm sorry for everyone who "swears by it" it has no basis in science or health. Body fat % is more accurate although no measure gives a 100% picture of overall health.

Do what you feel is best but try not to measure health based on a number on the scale.

Here is the BMI chart that I used. I've never seen another one that takes body frame into consideration, so I thought it was a much more healthy alternative than someone telling me I'm supposed to weigh 106 lbs (which I haven't weighed since middle school).
http://blonz.com/bmi.htm