Leak update and a bit of a surprise..

I went to the doc today.. leak still not fully resolved, but still looking better each time.. says it'll close on it's own and doesn't require I do another upper GI for 2 months. Been feeling good, so I guess that's ok with me... On to the stuff I found odd..

He asked me today what my goal was. I said I didn't know.. have been 220 or higher since I was 12... don't really know what I'll look like at 200 or 175.. or anything less... He tells me he thinks 180 is a good place for me.. now, I'm only 5'3, so I found that disturbing to a degree. That would have be at an unhealthy BMI, and of course that was my response. He told me that I am a curvey person, and that for what I weigh now, I sure don't look like it. He thinks I'd be unhappy weighing much less..He said I'd look sick if I were to weigh 140 based on what I look like now and 220...

Anyone else have that experience? Where doc gives you a goal that seems unreasonable because your BMI is still too high? Now, granted, I realize that chart has flaws.. doesn't account for muscular people or dense people or whatever... but I'm just kind of unsure what to think of what he said..

I also learned that people's bones can be more dense and even some individuals can have heavier internal organs which can set you off a few pounds from someone. When I was 145 in High School the Dr. told me I was anorexic. I am slightly over 5'6 and 145 (which I weighed at that time) is the mid range for a healthy BMI at that height. But truth be told, you could see all of my bones and I looked like I weighed 120 (even though I was still a size 9). I still think at 5'3 180 sounds a little high. Maybe like 160 or something. I did have Doctors tell me I was healthy at 170 lbs and that would be high for a BMI on someone 5'6" so....
 

I say you should just take it one step at a time and see what happens. We are all doing this to look good yes, but to be healthy. You will know as you lose more where you feel the best and where you look the best. GOOD LUCK with everything.

Glad to hear the leak is healing and you're feeling good.

As for the goal weight, I had the same thing. I'm 5'2" and my surgeon gave me the goal weight of 150lbs, I was content with it because I don't put a lot of stock into the BMI chart. I prefer to go by body fat percentage. Anyways, I hit goal in 6.5 months, and then slipped below goal by 20-25lbs in maintenance and my weight stabilized around 10.5 months out. It took that long for me to figure out how much to eat to get my losing to stop. I maintained that loss for a year until pregnancy weight, and now my surgeon,PCM and ob all want me to maintain around 140-145lbs instead of my normal 125lbs. But, it's not happening. I gained 35lbs in the pregnancy, delivered at 165lbs, and today at 16 days post-Tatum's arrival, I have already dropped 19lbs. 

I am considered "large framed" by the bone measurements on my ankles, knees and elbow joints. That's why my surgeon set my goal weight higher on the BMI chart.

I'm 5'11" and 166lbs right now and wearing a size 8-10 looking pretty good, I'm thinking of 150 as goal but my surgeon wants 135lbs. 180 seems a little high still.

I attended a seminar today and MD said 65-75% of excess weight to loose and maintain is considered "successful".  He also said BMI of around 25 is a good goal if you start out with BMI in 40's.  

well my surgeon did not give me a goal but my nut told me to be realistic and go for 150, so i set that as my goal when i got there i re set my goal and took it down to 140.. then 138 

my point is make it your starting goal so you have something to aim for once you get there you can always adjust it down til you feel good about you...

There is a lot that goes into it. My surgeon said that he takes into account your height, starting weight and BMI, how long you have been (obese, morbidly obese or super morbidly obese)Your age at surgery, bone structure and size; and the results of metabolism tests. He also considers other medical, physicaland emotional issues such as any history of anorexia, addictions, or cross addictions.

I am 55 years old. I am just over 5'2", I have degenerative arthritis. I have been at least obese for more than 25 years, and was super mobidly obese when I started this journey. My BMI was 53. My surgeon's goal for me was and is 170 which would put me at 30 BMI.

MY goal for myself was 170 totally independent of the doctor. It was a weight I recall being in graduate school, in my mid 20's. I remember feeling good about myself, I was active physically, and recall feeling really good physically.

I Would LOVE to hit 165 and only be overweight ! But You know, I AM a curvy gal, I like most of my curves (especially now !) 170 will put me a losing more than 77% of my excess weight from my 266 that I weighed at surgery....not from my origional weight of 300 !!!

My weight loss has slowed to an almost stop right now....but I know it will kick back in at some point, and I will slowly lose those last 11 pounds....and then....we shall see....