I have been pondering this little diddy for awhile now.
What in the HELL does goal weight really mean? As you know, my doctor didn't pick my goal weight for me. So I chose 170. I guess I never gave much thought to what would happen when I actually reached 170...because that number lived in the land of unicorns, mermaids, and those creatures that are half horse, half man.
That number seemed imaginary.
But now, it is nineteen pounds away.
It is real. And attainable.
Sally Hamilton blogged once about maintaining her goal weight (which is...I dont remember exactly, but in the 140's). She had set parameters, and if she gained a certain amount above, or if she lost a certain amount BELOW, then she would take corrective measures.
This has always stuck in my mind because I had never thought about taking corrective measures to get back UP to goal weight.
So, is that what we are supposed to do? Or as long as you are eating healthy and working out, do you just enjoy the ride? We have seen several Bandsters get to their original "goal" weight and make an adjustment or decide to go farther. Catherine, Angie, Mary...to name a few.
Did I just pick 170 because it seemed impossible but also NOT impossible? Should I have picked a number off of the BMI chart? Should we not pick a damn goal number to begin with?
You see? It hurts my head.
I can tell you that I am not going to stop if my body doesnt want to, at 170. I can also tell you I have no desire to be a size 2. I like my curves. I can also
tell you that I will not be picking another goal weight. We will just weight and see what happens (oh man...I am like the Mayor of Pun City today). But I wanted you guys to weigh in (oh yeah...PUN again! ). Because I don't have the answers.
I know. Shocking.
Monday, April 19, 2010
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I don't know the answer to that either. The goal I chose for myself is sort of out in the land of unicorns too. I mean I was there, for like a week in 1989, but that was before children and I guess, I'm just gonna wait and see. I'm sure that when you get there, you will know. I have no worries that I will ever have to even consider a plan for if I go below my goal weight. Hmmmmm, interesting post.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, aren't you a busy lil blogger today! :)
ReplyDeleteMy doctor didn't give me a goal weight per say. My nutritionist thinks I can get to 155...which would put me in the normal zone of the BMI chart. Doctor dude said that sometimes nutrition dudes can be a lil over zealous and to not have that be my 'i have to be here' weight. He said to figure about 15 pounds above that...so that would be 170...and that would be do-able...no problem.
My doctor also doesn't think people with the band lose a lot of weight...he was the dude that tried to get me over to the GB dark side. HA! If he only saw ya'lls blogs! He would shut his face. :)
So I dunno...I am aiming for 155 (long run wise)...I figure shoot for the moon, if I don't make it...I still land among the stars...
But I would be thrilled at 170 too!
I know...Im not help...I too am all over the place...
Might sound totally unrealistic but I'm dying to hit 125. That's 104 lbs lost. Important to remember that I'm short so this is an ideal weight for my height. I recall being that weight in college for like a second and a half. If I hit and then go back up to like 140, I would be so psyched!
ReplyDeleteYes picking a goal weight is good. It is better than picking one's nose. Or picking panties out of your rear. Or getting picked last for a team. Picking a goal weight is easy peasy...getting there is a whole new kind of hard...but you'll get there!
ReplyDeleteThis made my head hurt. It's 2:30 and I can't do analytical thinking right now. But, I too was not given a goal weight but just picked some random number out of the air. 170-175 sounded good since it was a decent distance from 200 (too bad I can't even get my ass under 200 right now). I'm just trying really hard to keep the big picture in mind and realize how much I've lost already. And while, I'm by no means wanting to even be done with it, I'm just trying to enjoy the slow ride and take what comes off.
ReplyDeleteSo, I have not really picked a goal yet. Why? Because I feel the same way - I have no idea what these numbers mean or will mean to me. If I go by BMI standards they say like 130 - that sounds INSANE to me. My original doctor never even spoke to me about goals. I really don't know what to do at this point, I mean I am six months out. <3
ReplyDeleteLOL Drazil!
ReplyDeleteI think your goal weight should be whatever your comfortable with. What makes you feel good.
Im going to my consultation tomorrow, and I dont really have a goal weight id like to get down too. I know that I dont want to be like a size 2 either, although i dont know if i could even get to that? I just want to be healthy, happy and be able to wear clothes from anywhere!!
My doctor didn't give me a goal either. So I picked a happy BMI and a weight that went with that. My real goal is a size 8. Whatever puts me there will make me happy. I am 44lbs from goal right now and I can see that I still have that much to lose, so I think I chose pretty wisely for me and my body type.
ReplyDeleteNo goal weight for me, yet. The NP asked me if I had one on my first visit with her and the nutritionist asked me the same. I have no idea whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteI am only 5' 3" and have been overweight my entire adult life. I have no idea what 160, 150 or 140 look like so I can't envision how they will look on me when I get there.
I am guessing my surgeon will set some sort of goal # when I go for my pre-op appt. but for now, I just want to start losing and I'll worry about stopping later. :)
I wonder if I should have just left it at 170. I know I said everything else is bonus... and by some virtues I do believe that, but on the other hand, it is important to me to not be a) overweight anymore and b) feel good about my weight yet. I think the 140s will be the right place for me, but if I feel like I am ok higher, then great. And if I don't feel ok by 140, I know I need to work on my head more, not my body.
ReplyDeleteI just want to be able to shop in normal stores for the rest of my life, and wear cute clothes. That's it. If I HAD to put a weight on it, it could be right where I'm at 181. But, it will be less tomorrow because of the TT. Anyway, point being, if I lost more, fine, if not fine. It's just about the clothes! Not the number.
ReplyDeleteI looked at my lowest adult weight and then added 10 lbs since my lowest weight was in my late 20s after my first child. I've had another child and am over 40 so wanted to be realistic. However, my goal weight BMI is still considered overweight by a hair so I may reevaluate once I reach it to get in that "normal" range.
ReplyDeleteGoal weight: Weigh less than my boyfriend.
ReplyDeleteSilly? Sure. But it's just what sticks out to me.
Your goal weight is the weight at which you celebrate and buy yourself things to mark your amazing accomplishment. It is also the weight at which you allow others to buy you things and to worship you in honour of your amazing accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteAnything after that is gravy, baby (always with the food references, I know...)!
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ReplyDeleteWell, dang...my post disappeared! I chose my weight, because it was the weight I was when I got married. At the time, I was a size 12-14 and was curvy but not fat (or at least I don't think so now). The BMI charts will still say I am overweight at the goal weight I have chosen, but lucky for me, I don't give a rat's butt what those charts say!!!
ReplyDeleteMy surgeon gave me a goal weight of 195 lbs. At 5'3" and 344 lbs at my heaviest, I feel he thought that gastric bypass would be the better solution for me--being that I had so much excess weight to lose. I'm gonna show him!
ReplyDeleteThe goal weight I have set for myself is not about the clothes or the number, but for me personally about health. I have set my goals based on BMI. I started on surgery day in the "Super Morbidly Obese" category with a BMI of 56. (At my heaviest my BMI was 60.9 which equates to the "Super Super Morbidly Obese" category. I am now down to the category of "Morbidly Obese" with a BMI of 45. My goal is to get out of the "Obese" category altogether. I think I'll be satisfied with being "Overweight" and a BMI of 29. I will be at a weight of 169 lbs, and will have lost more than half of my body weight (at my heaviest). UNREAL!!!
Goals are important no matter what you're trying to accomplish. I think it's Dr. Phil who says without a timeline and an endpoint, a goal is nothing more than a pipe dream. Yes it's the journey that is most important, but without those goals, how else would we see how far we have come???
ReplyDeletethis has been bouncing around my head as I am slowly approaching my goal..13 lbs EEK! My Dr did not give me a goal weight, the nutritionist slipped and said oh I see that "normal" weight would have you at 144. I picked 155 because that's the smallest I remember ever being after. But I just want to be happy so I get to 155 and feel good I will stay there, if I feel I could lose more I would love to. Sweet JESUS the 140's I will throw a party lol
ReplyDeleteI think it's a good idea to get to 170 and see how you feel.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy for you that you are so close to the land of unicorns, mermaids, and centaurs! Send me a postcard and/or tele-portation device! :)
I set mine according to what was a healthy BMI. But I honestly can't remember ever being that small, so I don't even know if it's attainable. In fact, I don't even know why I used what the charts say because honestly, I think their bogus.
ReplyDeleteI remember being a size 9 at 140lbs at 5'1". That was in high school so that's probably a size 4 or 6 today thanks to vanity sizing. Can I make it down to 129? I don't know but that was 90 pounds below my surgery date weight and my insurance required at least 100lbs overweight (I was at my initial appt that qualified me). But again, that number goes back to the charts...so I don't know!
My doctor stressed that the surgery was to make us healthier not to get to a certain clothing size or to get to an arbitrary weight. He showed us research that shows how exponentially your health risks go up around a 30 BMI and how between 25 and 30 it was higher, but not anywhere near same degree. Because of that his goal is to get us to a 30 BMI and for some people it might be slightly over. However, he states that at that point you and your doctors can better assess what is the best weight for you and your circumstances.
ReplyDeleteThis is important to him because BMI does not include body frame, sex, or age. What may be acceptable for a 5 foot 5 inch, 30 yo, with a slight frame might be much lower than what would be healthy for a 5 foot 5 inch male with a large frame. My NUT and NP were very upset with me when I mentioned that 150 is the high end of what is considered normal. They said I may never get to that point. I have a rather large frame (and according to them muscular ha!) and what it might take to get to 150 might be unhealthy. Not that I can’t get there, but that I maybe I shouldn’t. However, they said as I get close to my goal (currently 5lbs under a 30 BMI) we can reassess what would be healthy.
It's a tough one. My Dr. didn't suggest one either. It's so hard to imagine being near goal when we started. I picked 160, that's really small for me, but still overweight on the BMI charts. I think I'll just know when I get there.
ReplyDeleteI picked my 'goal weight' to be 72kgs (158) as it's the top of my BMI range. My Dr suggested 85kg (187). Personally I'd like to be under 70kg (154) at some stage but I'm not in any hurry. I wanted to hit 75kg before the wedding which I managed so I'm happy! Ideally it's not even about the weight, I'd be stoked if I was a size 10-12 (Aust).
ReplyDeleteEm
very interesting post, my doc didn't give me a "goal" either. from the beginning i've been saying i want to lose 100 lbs. def not from my consult weight because i want to be under 200, so maybe from my surgery day weight of 281. i've ALWAYS been fat and i've NEVER weighed myself or have a real recollection of what size i was at certain parts of my life so i have no comparison.
ReplyDeleteI'm just three months out (today actually, its my anniversary!). I wasn't given a goal weight either. I'm 5'4 3/4" (LOL, am I like a little kid or what?)...and big framed. In my mind, my ultimate goal is about 150-155. I've never discussed this with the doc, but the hospital dietician did say she thought it was do-able.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I haven't been below 199 in about 20 years, so I'm going to be happy climbing down that direction!
I don't know either Ames (that's what I call my cuz, hope you don't mind).
ReplyDeleteJarrett and I are going to start trying to get PG in May. I am 191 lbs. Like you, 190 lbs or thereabouts was a fantasy number. Like 112. I figure I am healthy enough and 191 is in the normal range.
But I have never picked a real goal. On the day of surgery I told my surgeon 130 because that seemed like the kind of thing you SHOULD say. It seemed fat fetched but it made HIM happy. Now though I would be happy at 150 if it's was east to maintain.
I guess that's my criteria. Maintainability. If it's natural and easy to maintain `50 then why not. But if my body gravitates more toward 165 then that's good, too.
Still though, I don't know what I should even try to aim for.....
I Picked my "GOAL WEIGHT" of 150 because I 1. havent been that small since 5th or 6th grade, 2. it is exactly HALF of what I started, and 3. my Doctors Ideal/Goal weight was Crazy insaneness... I Will not stop if my body wants to keep losing though! the more the better! and p.s I havent made mine yet...still 8lbs to go even though Ive been working out like a maniac. I feel how slow these last 8lbs are going to be!!!
ReplyDelete