The myth that high BMIers lose more quickly

[TES 858]

I read on here a LOT that if someone has a higher BMI to start, that he or she will almost automatically lose more quickly than someone with a lower BMI. This has actually made me feel a little bit worse about my relatively low rate of loss because I started (and am still at) a higher BMI. Anyhow, I am wondering if anyone who has made this observation can point to any scientific studies showing that this is the case?

I asked my RD about it, and she said with her patients, the ONLY time she has sometimes seen this theory hold true is in a bigger guy who has lots of muscle mass (in addition to fat). She said it's not even always true in this type of patient.

I'm not being critical of anyone who has made this statement about high BMIers automatically losing more quickly, but usually it seems like those who are referencing it have lower BMIs and are talking about their own weight loss being slower than they would like. Obviously my heart goes out to anyone, high or low BMI, who is losing more slowly than we would like or more slowly than others seem to be.

On a completely different topic, another thing that I've wondered about with people who lose really quickly--sometimes it seems like that happens at times in people who didn't have a really healthy diet before surgery--like those who drank a 1,000 or more calories/day in sugar soda alone or ate lots of processed stuff. Obviously no one here, including me, had a perfect diet before surgery, or we wouldn't have needed surgery--but I think some of us just tend to gain more easily (especially if hypothyroid) even on a fairly healthful diet, and that's part of how we ended up being overweight or obese. So those who had a super-unhealthy diets who cut out sugar, processed carbs, increase Water and Protein dramatically due to surgery--they may see a more dramatic fast weight loss, especially right after surgery. They are shocking their bodies more than someone who comes from a baseline that is somewhat closer to a healthy eating plan, if that makes sense. No science behind this btw--just anecdotal in having read a lot of posts and blogs.

I would love to hear from low BMIers who have had fairly rapid weight loss and high BMIers who feel their weight loss has been slower than average. My surgery was on Feb 5, so about 7 weeks out. I have lost about 20 lbs post op and 18-20 lbs in a 6-month medically supervised diet before that. Though my loss is slower than others, I am going in the right direction! And 7 weeks vs 6 months to lose 20 lbs is a vast improvement. Even if I go at my own pace, I know that I am headed in the right direction and my goals are attainable.

Again, I want to emphasize that I'm not trying to start a low vs high BMI war here or something--I think we all have the same types of struggles and successes. I want everyone to succeed and be happy! The goal here is to increase a sharing of information so that if there are some myths floating about we can understand others' situations better and not necessarily make assumptions/generlizations. Or maybe the assumptions are true and I'm the exception. Would love to hear others' perspectives and observations on this topic. Thanks!

[SleeveandRNYchica 1,155]

I must admit I was never a soda drinker and my diet was not perfect but not horrible leading up to my VSG. I was not a fast food junkie. Matter of fact, the year prior to VSG I was on a supervised diet and it took me 6 months to lose 17 lbs.; that is what prompted me to have surgery. I started with a BMI of 43 and have lost 46 lbs in 6 months. It has been painfully slow and I work out at least 5 days a week. I don't know why I am such a slow loser or what it is attributed too. What I do know is that it is still easy for me to gain and hard to lose. I wish I had an answer to my dilemma. Because I often question myself. My husband agreed to the surgery because he saw how hard I was working and not losing. I have my days when I am frustrated because I see people upset they they are in a stall at month six and have dropped 80 lbs. Hell if I had dropped the wanted 10 lbs a month I would be ecstatic, but I am not even there.

[TES 858]

I must admit I was never a soda drinker and my diet was not perfect but not horrible leading up to my VSG. I was not a fast food junkie. Matter of fact, the year prior to VSG I was on a supervised diet and it took me 6 months to lose 17 lbs. that is what prompted me to have surgery. I started with. BMI of 43 and have lost 46 lbs in 6 months. It has been painfully slow and I work out at least 5 days a week. I don't know why I am such a slow loser or what it is attributed too. What I do know is that it is still easy for me to gain and hard to lose. I wish I had an answer to my dilemma. Because I often question myself. My husband agreed to the surgery because he saw how hard I was working and not losing. I have my days when I am frustrated still. Because I see people upset they they are in a stall at month six and dropped 80 lbs. Hell if I had dropped the wanted 10 lbs a month I would be ecstatic, but I am not even there.

I feel like I could have written so much of your post! It helps to know we are not alone. And congratulations on your 46 pounds, gone forever! Hopefully it helps to think about how that is 30lbs more than pre-surgery in the same time frame, and you will keep it off forever! But I feel you on the slow rate of loss and how it's so difficult to lose and easy to gain. Sometimes when others say that they lose really easily but gain really easily, I think--I would take that! lol. It's better than losing slowly and gaining easily!

[SpaceDust 585]

I don't think it's a myth. All other things being equal including exactly matching diets, someone with high BMI would lose faster than someone with low BMI.

However, it's only one factor - all other things are not equal. There are variations in each person's metabolic rate,. There are variations in diet, both in calories and in the balance of Proteins, fats, complex and simple carbs. Activity levels can vary greatly, as well as types of activity (cardio vs strength training, for example). Are there health problems in play? Gender plays a role in how quickly weight is lost.

So, while I don't think it's a myth, I do think it's over-emphasized as the driving factor.

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[TES 858]

I don't think it's a myth. All other things being equal including exactly matching diets, someone with high BMI would lose faster than someone with low BMI.

SpaceDust, thanks for sharing. Curious: what are you basing that statement on--your own experience, clinical studies that you have read, something your surgeon or PCP said, etc.? I do hear it said so much, but was surprised when my RD said that it is not true in the patients she sees (except for the men with lots of muscle mass who have a higher BMR). I am just wondering if it's one of those things that is repeated so often that we start to believe that it's true when the data aren't necessarily there to back it up....

[SleeveandRNYchica 1,155]

I feel like I could have written so much of your post! It helps to know we are not alone. And congratulations on your 46 pounds, gone forever! Hopefully it helps to think about how that is 30lbs more than pre-surgery in the same time frame, and you will keep it off forever! But I feel you on the slow rate of loss and how it's so difficult to lose and easy to gain. Sometimes when others say that they lose really easily but gain really easily, I think--I would take that! lol. It's better than losing slowly and gaining easily!

Thank you! It has been a struggle. The only month that was "easy" and the weight just came off was month 1. 22lbs. The rest has been a fight. I really didn't want to live my life on a "diet" but just be normal. I still obese over what I eat and if I worked out. If I am eating enough. Did I eat too much. Should I eat carbs or shouldn't I eat carbs with the level of working out. I still have not found my exact science. I know the sleeve was the healthier option, but considering my history of working out and dieting RNY may have been a better option. In 2007-2008 was working out with a trainer 3 x a week, watching intake, working out on my own. I went from 223 to 203 from October to June. 20lbs! Looking back I was fit but the weight loss was so slow. It is not normal. I am not like others so I try hard not to compare. I know some people would say she is lying she had to be eating twinkies or late night stops to McDonalds. I know what I have done and how I have tried and today it is still a fight.

Okay heading out for a walk!

[Nicolanz 1,484]

I think those with higher bmi have a higher resting metabolic rate. With more extra weight, they burn more calories. Of course this isn't the case with every single person. Our bodies are all different. I had a bmi of 46 but never drank soda or juice, rarely ate out, and tried to eat somewhat healthy but man, I could eat A LOT! I'm a somewhat slow loser now.

[PrincessMiranda 17]

I read on here a LOT that if someone has a higher BMI to start' date=' that he or she will almost automatically lose more quickly than someone with a lower BMI. This has actually made me feel a little bit worse about my relatively low rate of loss because I started (and am still at) a higher BMI. Anyhow, I am wondering if anyone who has made this observation can point to any scientific studies showing that this is the case?

I asked my RD about it, and she said with her patients, the ONLY time she has sometimes seen this theory hold true is in a bigger guy who has lots of muscle mass (in addition to fat). She said it's not even always true in this type of patient.

I'm not being critical of anyone who has made this statement about high BMIers automatically losing more quickly, but usually it seems like those who are referencing it have lower BMIs and are talking about their own weight loss being slower than they would like. Obviously my heart goes out to anyone, high or low BMI, who is losing more slowly than we would like or more slowly than others seem to be.

On a completely different topic, another thing that I've wondered about with people who lose really quickly--sometimes it seems like that happens at times in people who didn't have a really healthy diet before surgery--like those who drank a 1,000 or more calories/day in sugar soda alone or ate lots of processed stuff. Obviously no one here, including me, had a perfect diet before surgery, or we wouldn't have needed surgery--but I think some of us just tend to gain more easily (especially if hypothyroid) even on a fairly healthful diet, and that's part of how we ended up being overweight or obese. So those who had a super-unhealthy diets who cut out sugar, processed carbs, increase Water and Protein dramatically due to surgery--they may see a more dramatic fast weight loss, especially right after surgery. They are shocking their bodies more than someone who comes from a baseline that is somewhat closer to a healthy eating plan, if that makes sense. No science behind this btw--just anecdotal in having read a lot of posts and blogs.

I would love to hear from low BMIers who have had fairly rapid weight loss and high BMIers who feel their weight loss has been slower than average. My surgery was on Feb 5, so about 7 weeks out. I have lost about 20 lbs post op and 18-20 lbs in a 6-month medically supervised diet before that. Though my loss is slower than others, I am going in the right direction! And 7 weeks vs 6 months to lose 20 lbs is a vast improvement. Even if I go at my own pace, I know that I am headed in the right direction and my goals are attainable.

Again, I want to emphasize that I'm not trying to start a low vs high BMI war here or something--I think we all have the same types of struggles and successes. I want everyone to succeed and be happy! The goal here is to increase a sharing of information so that if there are some myths floating about we can understand others' situations better and not necessarily make assumptions/generlizations. Or maybe the assumptions are true and I'm the exception. Would love to hear others' perspectives and observations on this topic. Thanks![/quote']

I have found for myself, that when I first started on the treadmill about fifty puns ago, I'd burn at least 920 calories an hour, but now it's only about 650 an hour. That's just walking at 4.5 mph. I can still burn the 900 cal-hr if I keep it at a steady run. The less I weigh, the harder I have to work to get this butt off!!

[TES 858]

I think those with higher bmi have a higher resting metabolic rate. With more extra weight, they burn more calories. Of course this isn't the case with every single person. Our bodies are all different. I had a bmi of 46 but never drank soda or juice,rarely ate out, and tried to eat somewhat healthy but man, I could eat A LOT! I'm a somewhat slow loser now.

I believe that is true about the BMR if the extra weight is due to lean muscle mass. Not sure about having more weight due to adipose tissue (aka fat). It's bc muscle burns more calories even when at rest, so when a muscular person exercises, they burn even more than someone with less lean muscle mass.

[SpaceDust 585]

SpaceDust' date=' thanks for sharing. Curious: what are you basing that statement on--your own experience, clinical studies that you have read, something your surgeon or PCP said, etc.? I do hear it said so much, but was surprised when my RD said that it is not true in the patients she sees (except for the men with lots of muscle mass who have a higher BMR). I am just wondering if it's one of those things that is repeated so often that we start to believe that it's true when the data aren't necessarily there to back it up....[/quote']

It's based on what I was told by my PCP a few years ago, as well as other medical professionals along the way. However, I do believe its significance compared to some of the other factors I mentioned is very overstated. Of course, I think the concept of BMI is somewhat flawed, anyhow, but that's another discussion

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[nanaspez 58]

I was sleeved on Oct 30th, 2012 and started out at 34.21BMI. I am now 21.95 bmi. I'm actually below the weight the doctor wanted me to be, he wanted me at 150. I did have problems though, had drug withdrawals, (stopped cold turkey on 27 pills a day), Lupus flare-up then pneumonia! I think everybody is different and everyone's

metabolic rate is different. I think it is a myth

[TES 858]

I was sleeved on Oct 30th, 2012 and started out at 34.21BMI. I am now 21.95 bmi. I'm actually below the weight the doctor wanted me to be, he wanted me at 150. I did have problems though, had drug withdrawals, (stopped cold turkey on 27 pills a day), Lupus flare-up then pneumonia! I think everybody is different and everyone's

metabolic rate is different. I think it is a myth

Nanaspez, congratulations on your wonderful weight loss--and on getting off 27 pills! Talk about an NSV!!!

[TES 858]

Thanks SpaceDust!

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

TES.. I'm going to agree with you on this. From what I've read on the forum a lot of higher BMI's do tend to lose quickly, but not all. Just like most, but not all lower BMI'ers lose slowly. I think it has to do with prior diet/intake/health compared to sleeved diet/intake/health. Sometimes with high BMI'ers and some lower, there's a HUGE dramatic cease of caloric intake from what their norm was and therefore there's going to be a quick and vast weight loss.

[pottergirl 261]

interesting question Tes.....