How do you determine goal weight?

My goal weight was determined by taking my current weight (280 pounds) and subtracting my "ideal weight", which by some standards is 120 pounds. That equals 160 pounds to lose. Most people receiving Lap Band surgery end up losing about 50% of their excess weight, which for me would be 80 pounds. Works for me! I actually intend on losing more than 80 pounds - hopefully closer to 110 or 120. I'm beginning my liquid diet today - my surgery is June 19. Wish me luck! If anyone has any helpful hints, let me know. Visit my blog at Sarah's Squarespace Blog. I will be posting a blog there to chronicle my life as a Lap Band surgery patient. I'm really excited, and I hope that I can help future patients with my experiences. Yipee! (We'll see how chipper I am after I've been on this liquid diet for longer than 20 minutes ).

Hi Ghost,
I was just wondering who your Dr. was. I was banded in Overland Park October 9, 2007. So far I have lost 55lbs. I have slowed down and didn't lose anything for 6 weeks. Went for a fill last week and think i am doing a little better. I go to Wichita for my fills cause it is closer. My starting weight was 245 and my goal weight is 145. Not sure I will reach it tho cause it is just a number. I will know it when I get there.

It seems like most people are saying that their MDs usually say 1 of 2 things about setting goals. They either tell them to set their own goal weight or they tell them that studies say the average weight loss is 50% of ideal weight. I'm with the ones who say set your own goal weight. It make sense. It is true that the average person loses 50% of ideal weight in published studies. I’m a researcher and I'd like to point that this statement is not that useful for us setting our goal weight. In any study there is a means. The mean (average) weight loss is 50%. That means that half the people in the study lost less than 50% and half the people in the study lost more than 50%. If there were 1000 people in the study there were people who did very well (at or near ideal weight) and there were also people who did lousy (didn't lose much or maybe even gained weight). All of that is added together to come up with the mean. Just because there are people who don't lose or gain weight or don't much is no reason why we can't set our sites on being one of the people who does better than 50%. We can be one of the ones who does better than 75% or 90%. We CAN set our own goals!

I set my goal weight today for my ticker...lol

I picked mine based on a normal bmi. That's my ultimate goal. My "pie in the sky" goal is ten pounds less than that, and my "going for broke" goal is an additional 10 pounds less (aka my pre-preggers weight).

Hi everyone! I was banded 14months ago, I started at 234lbs and am now down to 178-79. I plataued for months at 189, had another fill and have lost another ten pounds in 21/2 months. My goal waz between 150-160lbs, Im not shure if that will be to small for my body structure, I am 5'5 and everyone askes how small i want to get that i look good where im at??? I don't get it lol, i have alot of loose skin in my stomak and some on my back, i suppose if i had a tummy tuck and some lipo i might just be at my goal at 170ish. How are u supposed to know an exact goal by health profesionals standards?

schampange--The Center for Disease Control (CDC), and all professional organizations use the BMI system. According to that -- your current BMI is 29.8. A healthy BMI is 20.9 - 25 (depending on body build---muscle ratio). So if you have a large frame or are big boned -- you can be more like 25 but if you are smalled boned--you will want to be closer to 21. So your healthy weight range is 130-150. Here is the CDC link that explains what BMI is and how to calculate it. You can also decided that you don't want to go as low as the CDC recommends but their BMI rates are based on measures that provide maximal reduction of weight related health care risks.

BMI - Body Mass Index: Adult BMI Calculator: English | DNPAO | CDC

Thank you very much, im checking out the link now. I have alot of muscle mass that i am trying to keep, but the protein shakes are horrid. Are there any you can recomend that don't leave a nasty after taste? Thanks:)