Goal Weight?????

Good Day: I am pre-op (scheduled for lapband on August 20th) and I need some imput about how to set my goal weight. I have been obese for so long that I have absolutely no idea what weight I need to shoot for. I looked at several height/weight charts and I think that I fall outside of their figures because my bones are so big. I am 5'-11" (yep, an amazon) and when I wrap my thumb and index finger around the bony part of my wrist they lack 1 1/4" of touching. I also did the elbow test and that came up to 3 1/2" which is way over the large frame category also. In some of the charts they have a range of 155 to 175 for 5'-11" women with large bones. In one chart called "Average Ideal Weight" they had me at 199. I guess I am having a problem just picking a number out of the air and then working towards that nebulous number. You all seem to have a very concrete number that you have set for your goals. Can anyone help me figure out a number that I can have confidence in? I weigh 270 right now. Thanks so much, I love this board! Charla Cress

Hi, again! WOW! That was easier than I thought it would be! It was the first one up on Google. http://www.am-i-fat.com/body_frame_size.html Bette

Bette: Thanks, I just checked and my wrist is 6 3/4" so that also shows that I am in the large bone category. Charla

Charla, that "ideal" weight is so different for each of us. I am 5'10" 53 yrs old and have large bone structure as well...(my grandfather was 6'5" and almost 300lbs and not at all fat) I choose the largest number on the large scale, normal weight for my height (160) I have no mis-conceptions of ever being "skinny" again...I just want to go into a clothing store and put on a size 16 slacks...(I carry most of my weight in my legs and hips) I think 160 will get me that...Good Luck on your journey. Blessings, Debbi p.s. one thing they told me at doc's office, they want me to eat 80-100 grams of protein because my height and frame wound be more like a guys!!

Debbi: I think we must be twins except that I am 2 years older than you (55 years old today!). My great uncles that came from Denmark were 6'-5" to 6'-7" when they lived in Lincoln, KS in the dirty-thiritys. Everyone must have thought they were monsters during that time period. I also carry my weight in my legs and hips and I haven't seen a size 16 since I was in Junior High, many moon ago. Thanks for your help, Charla

Charla, my doc picked a goal weight for me based on health issues, not beauty standards. I dont think it is low enough but then what do I know. I havent even been within 50 lbs of that goal in years. I would say, focus on each day, and the rest will fall into place. Sharon

Sharon: I guess I'm getting antsy waiting for my lapband - I just keep thinking of all these questions. Thanks for the help, Charla

Hi Tina: I checked out the chart and it said 155# to 179# for me. Thanks for the info., Charla

Hi Charla, Remember that weight charts are made by actuaries in insurance companies to set rates for coverage (so they can make money, not lose it!). The BMI charts, while ostensibly made for health reasons, do not take into account health issues, percentage of muscle to fat and bone structure/weight. They are based on the bell shaped curve, so they are pretty accurate fot around 70% of the population, and the other 30% falls outside that accuracy zone. In other words, there are "light" people who are overfat and "heavy" people that are normal, but the BMI will not reflect that (almost 75% of the NFL is considered obese by the BMI tables!). The most important thing for you is not to worry about your weight. When you start to get close to 200, you should go and have your body fat tested. The most accurate way do to this is at an exercise physiology lab (most universities have them), where they dunk you in water. Then, you will find out your true body fat percentage, and only then can you make a realistic assessment of how much more weight (fat) you need to lose. Cheers and good luck! KarenK

Hi Karen: What is a good fat % to be healthy. I'll bet there is a chart somewhere for that. I'll do a search and check that out. Great idea about getting tested. We have a community college here and they probably have that test available because they have a large athletic department. Getting down to 200# sounds so good to me! Thanks, Charla