What is weigh-loss goal reality, sleeve & bypass?

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

The common wisdom and goal in the lapband world is an average of 1-2 lbs per week. Less means food choices need to be tweaked, more means flap your wings and dance a jig.

What are sleeve and bypass people told by the surgeons, NP's or RD's at the initial info seminars is the reasonable/acceptable/desirable goal for weight loss per week or month? (Not asking for the total percentage of overweight loss. Also not asking for your own experience )

I see so many whiny messages, "...only 16 lbs average, waaaah." If I were a southerner, I'd smack each one upside the head. There's no equivalent in the north, so to them I say, "Shut up and eat your spinach."

Edited November 9, 2015 by WLSResources/ClothingExch

[IncredibleShrinkingMan 437]

I heard 50-60% average excess weight loss for sleeve, and 65-75% for bypass. As to pace, I am not sure.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I wasn't given an expectation but its pretty common to gain weight from the surgery due to the IV fluids, lose weight really fast, stall, lose weight fast, then settle into some sort of pattern. So, what I think happens is people think that rapid weight loss phase is normql, when it is just a phase. Other thing that happens is a very high BMI person posts that they lose 100# in 3 months (but of course still have more to lose) so the person who only has 50# to lose cannot understand why they aren't to goal in a few months. My NUT talked in terms of percentage of excess body weight..I used to give that lecture pretty regularly, would work out the math for people to show that they really are doing well...but it does not seem to resonate with people.

However during the weight loss period with the sleeve I lost faster than 1-2# a week.

[Babbs 14,681]

I was told in my seminar to expect to lose 60% of my excess weight. I was also told after the initial first few weeks where weight loss is a bit faster, it will then slow to a more normal average of 1-3 pounds a week. I have lost at a rate of a little over 1 pound a week average.

I think there is a myth out there about the weight just falling off after weight loss surgery, causing agony and grief for people who are actually losing textbook amounts. I do believe because of the malabsorption issue with the bypass, weight loss can be quicker at first, but once again slows to more normal rates. I think many sleevers especially are under the impression that they will lose the same amounts as a bypass patient at first, and most of the time it won't be the case.

I really wish these surgeons or NUTS would explain to new patients about the realistic expectations of weight loss, instead of them counting on what their cousins mothers best frIend lost the first month, which isn't true anyway.

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

SW, CJ, Babbs,

My fault, wasn't specific.. I wasn't asking about the total weight loss or percentage of overweight amount is a reasonable expectation. I'm curious to know what the bariatric pros say is a reasonable/desirable/acceptable weekly or month weight loss. (I'll edit it in the 1st message.)

Edited November 9, 2015 by WLSResources/ClothingExch

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I kept a detailed record of my losses, average loss per week etc but this forum won't let me share it. Nobody told me what to expect and rate of loss varied a great deal. I guess I averaged 2-3 a week for the most part.

Now, at/near goal i consider losing 4-5a month to be amazing (like it took months to lose a 10# regain.

[Babbs 14,681]

SW, CJ, Babbs,

My fault, wasn't specific.. I wasn't asking about the total weight loss or percentage of overweight amount is a reasonable expectation. I'm curious to know what the bariatric pros say is a reasonable/desirable/acceptable weekly or month weight loss. (I'll edit it in the 1st message.)

There are entirely too many variables, so that is why they will quote 1-3 pounds a week.

[MimiBMe 94]

my surgeon said to expect to lose 50-60% of excess body weight. There is no specific amount of weight loss per week/ month because weight loss is dependent on too many factor including diet choices, exercise habits, comorbid conditions, etc

[dhrguru 1,238]

Was never given an expectation per week/month by my group. In fact they went out of there to to stress they could not even begin to estimate anticipated weight loss since they've seen to many variables.

[2goldengirl 2,076]

Remember this - "average" includes the results of those individuals who, for whatever reason, did NOT follow their program and hence didn't lose much weight - it also includes those individuals who decided to stop when they got "close enough" to their goal.

Who the heck wants to be "average" anyhow?

The point is - there is NO reason to say to yourself "I had a sleeve, so I can only expect to lose X percent of my excess weight". Horsefeathers. Lots of folks on this board go on to lose MORE than 100% of their excess weight. I think the better self-talk is to say to yourself "there is no reason I can't lose all my excess weight and meet my goal, I just have to take the right steps to get there".

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

Everyone, I hadn't thought of the variables. You're obviously correct about them.

All the laments from soon-after-surgery people made me wonder what they were expecting if 15 or more pounds a month isn't good enough for them. I guess it is their own expectations that are screwy, not that they may have been misled by the surgery practices. Nevertheless, the practices should be hammering realistic expectations into people's heads, figuratively, of course.

[Christine99 69]

I too never quoted weekly amounts...just a % end result of 65% (approx 148 lbs)

My average has been 2.5lbs per week

Edited November 9, 2015 by Christine99

[sprocket 104]

Same. I was given an overall average total percentage lost for each surgery type, but definitely not a weekly or monthly breakdown. Personally, I've averaged about 2.5 lbs. a week, but the actual weekly loss number has definitely varied depending on hormones, period, intake, phase of the moon, etc.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

No one in my bariatric surgery practice came close to telling me / us what average / expected weight losses were.

And no one in my bariatric surgery practice said: "You'll likely lose X% of your excess weight."

However, at my all-day educational seminar about the mechanics of the surgery (I was sleeved), what to eat post-op, etc., two patients who'd lost all their excess weight made an hour-long presentation about what their WLS journey had been like. I repeat, they'd both lost all their excess weight. So their experience spoke volumes to me.

They made a big deal out of emphasizing that (1) losing the weight wasn't so hard and (2) building a new lifestyle and maintaining your weight loss long-term was where the real "adventure" was. Again, their experiences spoke volumes to me.

At the time of this educational seminar I had already been lurking and posting in online forums nearly a year and had seen the range of what WLS success / failure looked like, which you also see here. I wasn't a babe in the woods. But I surely interpreted those two patients' experiences as my surgeon's expectations about what was possible and that losing all our excess weight and striving hard for maintenance was hoped for.

Finally, neither my surgeon nor anyone in his practice ever gave me a specific weight loss goal. Ultimately, that was my business. And certainly no one ever suggested what an acceptable rate of weight loss was. I think anyone who would do that is walking a dangerous line and runs the risk of unnecessarily discouraging some patients, since so many variables can affect one's weight loss rate.

FTR, I have lost all my excess weight and am maintaining easily at nearly 15 months post-op. If you want to know my own rate of weight loss, just ask.

[sharkgirl 251]

My binder given to me by the surgeon office indicates average is 1 pound a day which is why I have been disappointed in my weight loss simply by those standards. My average is 3 pounds a week which is much better than I had before; NOTHING.