Mine didn't set a goal for me. They did a lot of counseling that stressed that most VSG patients only lose up to 75% of excess weight. Of course, I have a goal in mind, but that goal might change. I never remember weighing less than 170 pounds as an adult (I'm 5"4'), so I have no idea where my ideal weight/size will actually be.

Mine wasn't set for me either but when I started the process my surgeon recommended getting somewhere in the 140s. I am 5'4" and my highest weight was 239.6, surgery weight 203, and my last official weigh in 3 weeks ago was 155.8. I missed the last 3 weeks of WW meetings/official weigh ins since the first two my husband worked and my daughter didn't wake up on time and last Saturday I was recovering from vertigo. My husband is working this Saturday but I told my daughter that she needs to get up early with me so I can go to my meeting! Need to get a grasp on where I am at, and own it. Been taking ketones for the past couple of weeks so hopefully that has helped me some.

I think for me, ideally I would end up between 145-150 but also so that it affords me a small cushion if I do have some regain which my surgeon said is normal and to be expected. That said, I would be fine if long term I stayed at my current weight, but do want to lose some more for that cushion.

Have any of you experienced hitting maintenance? Part of me wonders if that is why I have had some small gains as well - maybe my body is trying to determine its happy place?

After a long struggle starting in Sept 2013 to get approval through my HMO I finally met surgeon in January 2015. I weighed 394lbs that day (I topped out at 403 in Feb 2014 and was 399 when I started using MFP). The surgeon said a good weight for me based on my body type and history would be 220lbs. My personal first goal was just to get under 300. I had been 300+ since 2008. And realistically I thought if I could get below 250lbs and stay there the rest of my life I'd be satisfied with that (I actually still think that)

I lost most of the weight in first year getting down to 230lbs in Jan 2016. Lost a few more and then developed shingles in Sept. That laid me up for a couple months. I gained a few pounds but once I got the OK from doctor to exercise again I started walking my 10,000 steps a day. Since Nov 17, 2016 I've hit my 10k step goal everyday but one. And by moving regularly and eating less refined carbs I've been losing about a pound a week for the past 7 months. I'm currently around 195. I haven't been this weight in 27 years. My main weight goal is what doctor recommended of 220lbs. I'm fairly confident that I'll be under 200 for a while. I'm finding the less I focus on weight the easier it is to lose/maintain it. I just try to keep up with good eating and exercise habits on a daily basis.

I track my weight on trendweight.com. It pulls the data from Fitbit and gives you a rolling average. I think this is more accurate because of all the weight fluctuations that can happen for all sorts of reasons. You can see a full history of my weight for the past two and half years through the link below.

https://trendweight.com/u/366d57a9670d41/

https://trendweight.com/u/366d57a9670d41/

I don't remember my surgeon ever talking about a goal weight. He is a vegan and his main goal in life is getting everyone to at least become a vegetarian...lol. I do appreciate his approach to healthy eating, active living, and focus on body composition instead of a single metric like weight/BMI.

You've probably heard this before, but BMI is not a great way of measuring an individual. It is best utilized as a metric to see trends in populations over time--you need a big set of data points to make it statistically relevant.

My lowest weight was 143 (and change) last September...for exactly one day. I was up to 147 in December; frustrated by the fact that I couldn't seem to make my goal of "half my starting weight" (285 pounds), I had a DEXA scan done to get a picture of my body composition. As it turns out, I was 16% percent body fat, getting below 145 would mean getting to an unreasonably low body fat level if I didn't also give up lean body mass (which isn't easy to do). It would also explain why I only had 4 periods in 2016...

At my two year check up last week, I was 157 pounds; at 5'4", that puts me right in the middle of the overweight range at a BMI of 27. BUT, I'm measuring 18% body fat which is still quite lean and considered in the athletic range. If I were to gain to the recommended amount of body fat (25-30%), I would weigh 180-185 pounds and would be obese according to the BMI index.

The reality is that, for many people who were "fat but fit" for many years, have excellent bone density (i.e. heavier bones...actually bigger boned in a way) and generally have a good reserve of lean body mass to work with. My bone density actually measured high outside of the normal range! If you actively work to eat right and stay active, you are more likely to maintain your lean body mass but that also means that you are less likely to reach a "normal" BMI weight.

That all being said, it is REALLY surprising to me that they've suggested you should stop losing. Assuming you're 5' 0" tall and have a starting weight of 387 pounds, 220 pounds would put you at losing 60% of your excess weight...so, technically, a "success" by most surgical standard. If you're continuing to lose without excessive calorie restriction, staying active, and are otherwise not experiencing any health problems...I say lose until you can't anymore. I definitely wouldn't move into maintenance at this point.

I have read that one of the reasons they have a hard time judging long term success rates is that those that lose the most weight and keep it off are more likely to stop going to follow-up appointments with their bariatric teams. They know what they need to do, take care of business, manage any medical conditions through their GP, and don't really have a reason to see their bariatric surgeons long term. Its is those with re-gain or failure to reach a goal that go back trying to sort out the reasons behind the perceived failure.

It could be that they know this is a very maintainable weight for you and it is much better that you have stability rather than risking yo-yoing in the future. I think it is worth some follow-up questions to better understand their logic.

@inkdm0m don't beat yourself up over a 10 lb gain. Focus on how much you have lost and kept off. Half the battle is being self aware which you clearly are. Maybe consider going back to basics?

I am right where you are..gained between 4-10 lbs. haven't weighed in 3 weeks so my last weight was a 4 lb gain. I also have had a rough 3 months or so personally as well and ate my emotions, so I get it. I think this week I have been the most focused I have been in a while. Really trying to focus on my protein being higher than carbs. While that isn't necessarily the case with every meal or snack, I do what I can to ensure my day overall reflects that. Maybe do something similar to what I am doing, and if you aren't active, consider moving more...even a walk helps.

@Ultima_Morpha THANK you for your post. I am 5'4" and around 155. For me to have a "normal" BMI I would need to get into the 140s or less. I am honestly not sure if that is doable for me, and if it were it would be short lived because I can't imagine that whatever I do to get to that normal BMI weight would be sustainable. My doctors said at my last appt that I am not due for a dexa scan yet but will consider getting one and paying out of pocket. I have been very active for years, so I do have a good amount of muscle mass. Would be good to find out my body fat % so that can give me a goal to focus on that isn't related to the scale.

@jcavanna2 Also, to add that clinical Dexa for evaluating bone density for osteoporosis and the like are often NOT full body.

I was told in my program that with surgery the average person loses 30% of their highest weight which would put me at 210lbs. My surgeon said for my size I would likely lose 100lbs from my surgery weight which would be 172lbs goal. My personal goal is 160lbs.

My surgeon took one look at me before my surgery and said I'll get to 60kgs. Currently I'm sitting at 64-65 kgs I'm 7 months post op. I have been this weight for bloody months and can't shift it lol

I have never set a goal with my surgeon. My last appointment I was 178 and he said - do you have a goal weight in mind? I said no - and he said good, I don't want you to focus on a number anymore I want you to focus on how you feel. So - while I still focus on the scale I don't necessarily have a number in mind.