What to realistically expect?

[jackj 6]

Hi, after having the surgery what should I expect realistically in how much/fast weight should come off. And what is recommended for maximum results?

[Terry Poperszky 2,784]

Expect your journey to be extremely individual and don't compare your self with others. Maximum results? Follow your Dr.s instructions to the letter and don't cheat.

[Kime-lou 648]

I tend to agree with Terry. Everyone is different and every person's body reacts differently. Some lose a lot right after surgery, some continue loss, but slow after they start food again, some gain after they start food again. It so depends on where you are starting and you body, no one can tell you what your exact journey will be.

Listen to your doctor and nutritionist. When you hit bumps in your road call them and get advice. This site is great for getting different perspectives and support at time, but the doc is best for getting advice from.

Learn now that this will NOT be a quick journey. This will be a life long set of choices, eat day and each meal only you can make a choice what you put in your body. So if you are doing this, commit to it and do what the professionals say!

[Jim1967 3,569]

Learn now that this will NOT be a quick journey.

Hi Jack and welcome to LBT,

Terry and Kime-lou offer great advice but I would like to reiterate this part I quoted above. A lot of people have the surgery and shortly thereafter they expect the weight to fall off. It does not work that way. Regardless how much weight you have to lose it will still be a long road. I am not saying this to discourage you. It's just that many have the surgery and in a month they're all upset because they have lost no weight and some even put on a little. This is quite normal. First month post surgery is for healing so expect no real weight loss. They say on average you can expect 1-2 pounds a week but that may not happen until you have proper amount of fill in your band. Some people require no fill and feel the difference right away and others like myself it took 5 fills with a total of 9.5cc. Like Terry said everyone is different and you really cannot compare your journey to someone else.

Patience is an absolute key to success along with education on how the band works and following Doctors orders. If you can do those things then you should be fine. Just need to keep in mind it requires you to full embrace a lifestyle change.

Learn everything you can about the band and what life is like with one.

Good luck,

Jim

[Spaness2012 609]

I agree with all previous posts! Please know that everyone is different. If you are expecting rapid weight loss in a short period of time....you may be disappointed. We all work very hard to get the weight off. Just like anyone that is NOT banded. The band will help along the way but compliance is crucial!

For me, PATIENCE, has been an attribute that I constantly have to work on. Looking back, my expectations may have been unrealistic. Now that I know....I just follow the rules as best as I can, I call the doctor if I am concerned about things, and I keep on keeping on.

Best of luck to you!

[goalseeker 695]

I agree with all the posts above as well. BUT to answer your question: my surgeon told me that he believes 6-8 pounds a month to be GOOD weight loss. No different from any other diet plan 1.5-2 pounds a week is what to expect realistically IF you are doing everything right and even then you will have weeks that baffle you and you gain. The band is a great tool but you have to use it properly.

[morelgirl 177]

Everyone above gives good advice. The official guidelines state that banded individuals can expect to lose about 1-2 lbs per week. On average. But I will add a couple of caveats from my own experience. You will likely lose weight on the preop diet (if you do one) and In the first week or so following surgery because you will be drastically reducing your calorie levels. Be happy about it, but don't expect it to keep going at that rate. As soon as you heal, you will enter Bandster Hell.

During Bandster Hell, many people stop losing weight or gain back a few pounds. At this point in your journey, you are basically just on a diet, so whether or not you lose or gain depends on how well you stick to the diet recommended by your dr/nutritionist. Many people define Bandster Hell as the period between being banded and actually getting your first fill. It is more accurate to say it's the time between being banded and actually reaching your Green Zone. One fill may not do it. In fact, it often does not. I, personally, am only reaching my Green Zone a year after my surgery, but that is my fault. I expected things to be easier than they were and I stopped having fills before I reached the zone. Learn from my mistake, listen to all this great advice from everyone on here, and you will have a much smoother journey than someone who expected it all to be fast, smooth and easy.

It may not be, but if you follow the rules, have patience, and listen to your band, it WILL be successful. Good luck!

[2muchfun 8,927]

We can advise you better if you fill your profile.

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

i didnt focus on a number to lose when i started...i only wanted to lose enough to push my granddaughter around the block in her stroller....larger bmi people can lose more at the beginning, its just how it is....but as others so perfectly said, if you expect to lose weight, thats great, but it wont happen overnight...

how successful you are or how unsuccessful you are is based on you.