Fun with medical professionals

I was never given a goal weight until I inquired about it at my 6 month visit. I had picked 145 - as this was my "normal" BMI. The doctor said he doesnt want me to go past 160. That's in a few pounds, but Im not satisfied with that number...similar to your thoughts about the 180 (Im 5'5"). He went on to say that the BMI chart was invented in the 80s and that there is new research that the figures are not correct nor healthy. My question back to him was "then why is it still hanging in your rooms?". No answer to that one lol.

My ultimate goal is still 145. I know what I look like and can only anticipate what I am going to feel like at that number. I am sure you are destined to hit 180 and keep on going downward. The exercise does help. I have a plastics consult on 11/7 but I am thinking about postponing it just to see how far i can get on my own and to minimize the amount of procedures I may or may not need.

Definitely squash that voice. My first inclination was to change my goal weight here. And then reason set in..if I change it here im lying to myself and everyone around, and it will most likely detract me from the fight. I may never get to 145, but I am going ot continue to exercise and eat appropriately towards getting to that goal. As long as your labs are good (and ef that technician its none of her business..shut up and take the blood) and your doctor says your healthy..keep going! Let me tell you..as stated above, im 5'5", ive lost about 80 pounds, and im at about 164. I do not look to skinny -  I look healthy as what I have always needed to be. And, i can still stand to lose another 20 - in targeted areas. I dont dump, i dont eat in excess anymore, I dont put the pressue on myself, I have a few ****tails when I want - im living within my weight loss - if that makes sense too LOL.

You are doing great and we will all be here for you on your journey to goal! And, I think you should go for a mani/pedi too LOL.

At my first appointment, my surgeon told me that I could expect to get at least to overweight, but he never gave me a goal and I have no intention of asking for one!  I love your asking your doc about the BMI charts in his office.  That's great :D  

Part of my "problem" is that I have no idea what I'll look like.  Even now, at 215, I don't look anything like I've ever looked in the past.  Maybe this is because I was already 180 at age 18?  When I'm 180, I'll be 20 years older and my body will be that of an adult, not that of a child.  It's really complicated.  So I don't have any frame of reference for what I'll look like as adult-Gwen at 180, or 160, or 150.  It wigs me out if I think about it too much, I feel like every pound lost is completely new territory.  

I totally get what you're saying and feel similarly - I'm going to keep working and see where things take me!

(I got a mani/pedi 1.5 weeks ago to celebrate losing 100 pounds.  WOO!) 

I agree that your doctor is most likely just very happy you are at a healthier weight. I am 5.4 and now weigh 180 and my surgeon wants me to get below 140lbs. He didn't give me an exact weight, but he did say below 140lbs. This is my surgeon though. My PCP is much happier because my blood pressure and other things are better, but he hasn't mentioned a certain number to me.

She's totally happy.  Isn't that a cool thing?  To go to a doctor and have them be happy with us?!  It's amazing.  :D  

Here's hoping that when I get to 180 she'll say, "Yeah, you can still lose more."  Since I'm going to whether she agrees or not ;)

I know exactly what you are saying about that little nagging voice!  My surgeon has never given me a goal and I'm ok with that fact.  I have a goal in my head and I like to do things my way (of course, still following my surgeon's eating/supplement plan).  My PCP, however, told me at my last visit that 225 was a good goal for me.  Um, what?!?!  I want to be AT LEAST 50lbs lighter than that doc!  I told her I was going to blow right past that 225 and she said she'd rather give me a goal she feels I can obtain without much trouble.  I told her that I lost 60lbs in the 3 months before surgery and that I felt highly motivated to get well below 225.  She looked at my chart again and agreed that I will most likely get well below her goal but she's leaving it at 225.     So, now I have this fear that I will get complacent when I get to 225....

The nagging voice is an asshole :(  I should talk with my therapist about it tomorrow.  I wish us both luck at learning how to ignore it and not getting complacent!

I totally know what you mean. I'm 5'4 just like you and my goal is 145. My surgeon said you will be considered a success weighing anywhere between 130-160. Please Lord don't let me stop at 160. I'm going to have to be extra vigilant when I get there. We got this!!

We definitely got this :)  I definitely want to meet Gwen at 160 pounds, but I really want to meet Gwen at less than that too!

My surgeon did not give me a goal weight either.  When I asked the other day what a reasonable goal, they said 220.  At 5'8 and male, that is not horrible, but I think 190 is a better goal and then I will see how things go from there.  I was 170 as a sophomore in HS and that is when I quit growing.  I have actually shrunk an inch since high school. (thinking about getting the Teeter board out to start stretching myself back out. 

My surgeon just told me that I could expect to get to overweight, which is 174 for me.  He didn't actually set a goal, just told me that this was the expectation I could have if I had surgery.  We'll see what he says at my year post-op appointment.  If I stay on track, I might be 160 by then!