speed of weight loss?

marion · February 27, 2005

Hello. I am brand new, I went to my first seminar last night and originally went for Gastric Bypass and half of the discussion was lap band.

I now would rather do lap band than Gastric Bypass as I have 2 children and don't want the complications.

What I am concerned about is that the nurse said that they typical weight loss is 1 lb a week. Is this true? 4 lbs a month?

babsyintx · February 27, 2005

Marion,

The lapband is a slower, but consistent tool to lose weight. The average weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week. My first year I lost 120 lbs, which would be more than 2 pounds a week. But I had a lot to lose, so it went faster and I worked very hard to get the pounds off. My feeling about this topic is that it really isnt gonna matter whether you got to your goal in one year or two years. It would only matter if you had a really really high BMI with cormorbidities that required you lose the weight immediately or risk death. In my case, I had a high BMI but I did not have short term life threatening issues, so I am happy with the progess I have made in 20 months.

Babs in TX

334/180

-154 lbs and still losing!!!

New goal: 170 and size 12

Alexandra · February 27, 2005

Marion, to my mind the slower speed of weight loss is one of the best things about the band. Babs is right, the "average" speed of loss is 1-2 lbs a week, but obviously that is largely within your control. I lost 70 lbs in my first year, just over 5 lbs a month, and that was absolutely fine with me.

There are lots of ways to achieve rapid weight loss. Permanent weight loss is the holy grail, and that can't (shouldn't) be done quickly. It's necessary to learn and totally embrace different behaviors that will be with us the rest of our lives in order for this to work in the long run. The kinds of behaviors that result in rapid weight loss are not the kind I need to make mine.

marion · February 27, 2005

Thank you both so very much and congrats to you both. You look wonderful.

MY BMI is 39, so it's not life threatening to go at a slower pace. I guess the excitement of even changing and being normal again though, makes you just want it yesterday. I'm sure you know what I mean.

Alexandra · February 27, 2005

I guess the excitement of even changing and being normal again though, makes you just want it yesterday. I'm sure you know what I mean.

Marion, I so completely know what you mean! When I first started thinking about weight loss surgery, I would literally get shaky thinking about the possibility of living the rest of my life as a thinner person. I've been so fat for so long that even touching on the idea in my brain was enough to give me heart palpitations!

But that's why I knew I had to go slow. 15 years ago I lost 75 lbs in three months on Optifast, and it never seemed real. As it turned out, it wasn't real and all the weight plus more came back on over the next few years. Weight loss wouldn't be meaningful again unless there was a real, DIFFERENT, chance that I could keep it off this time.

RNY patients have a short window of opportunity for weight loss, and when that time ends it's just them against the enemy. I have a weapon in my arsenal that remains inside me, forever keeping me from overindulging. I have spent the last 18 months really learning how to eat less, and slower, and will spend the next 30-40-50 years continuing to hone those skills. When I fall off the program, which is BOUND to happen from time to time, I won't fall far thanks to my silicone friend. That's what's different about the band--I need a tool that won't quit on me!

Pippy · February 27, 2005

I had my op about 24 weeks ago and up to now have lost 39lbs which works out at 1.6lbs a week however I did stay the same for 12 weeks and some weeks I lose a lot and others a 1lb so its hard to say really, I guess everyone is different but I'll be quite happy with a 1lb a week weight loss 52lbs a year sounds good to me!!

Helenxx.

PamRN · February 27, 2005

I was banded in Sept and have lost 44 pounds. I'm sure if I exercised more, and monitored what I eat better that number would be noticeably higher. I too started out looking at RNY. I went for the band, and have NOT regretted it. I went from a 24 to an 18 and will be buying some 16's soon. If any person were banded but changed their mind, they could always do the RNY later. If a person fails with the RNY, I believe that only a few could have a revision surgery and get banded, the rest are SOL. I chose the band because I didn't want my intestines removed, and that window of weight loss opportunity sounded too risky for me. The band stops me from over doing it, if I didn't have one, what would?

Jammin & Losin · February 27, 2005

Marion~ I just wanted to say WELCOME to LBT and I'm always glad to have new people to talk to. Good luck with getting your band!

marion · February 28, 2005

Thank you all so very much. How lucky I am to have found these boards. There is a board for Reno Nevada, but it has cob webs on it. No one posts there.

I am very very (just being born) to all this and have a long road ahead. My mother went with me to the seminar on Friday and that's when we decided on banding. She stressed that she would not support me in the bypass decision and although I am 39, mother still knows best.

1-2 lbs a week is actually not as bad as first thought. I mean, in Weight Watchers, that's the rate for healthy weight loss.

I just have so much ahead of me, I wish it could happen now. I even have to wait for open enrollment at my work so I can switch insurance, as I have 'cigna' now and I have heard that it's a nightmare with them.

I am getting all the all the appts and what not out of the way, however. I need to go through the sleep test because I wake up 4-5 times a night choking. I figure if I get all this done, by the time I am ready, maybe I will only have to wait a month or so. :cool:

Again, I am so excited I found this board and Thank you.

(now I have my little tracker but can someone tell me how to put it on? Which code do I put in and on what box on my profile?