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1.46lb/week, starting at 34.4 BMI at surgery. 11 months to reach 24.9 BMI.

I read somewhere that BMI correlation to healthy body fat percentage is almost always correct for overweight and obese categories. So something like 95% of people who are overweight or obese by BMI measure are also overfat by recommended body fat levels. But 30% of people who are normal weight by BMI measure are overfat by recommended body fat levels (i.e "skinny-fat"). So the real flaw in BMI is that it doesn't work super well as a health indicator for people in normal BMI range. So once you get close to normal range BMI (if not sooner), I would start also measuring your body fat percentage to see if you are in healthy range for that measurement.

SW 261. 6"1" male. 39yo. Surgery BMI 34.4. Surgery was 12-18-15. CW 203lbs. Have lost average of 1.43lbs/week (more in beginning, less now). At that overall rate, I'll reach "normal" BMI (24.9; 190lbs) beginning of December, so almost one year post-surgery. Could have lost more with stricter diet and more exercise, but losing all excess weight within a year is fine with me. I do think reasonable, attainable goals are important to have in order to avoid being derailed by disappointment. Goals will be different for everyone. My surgeon's goal for everyone is 70% EWL at 12 months, which would be 211lbs for me. I hit that at about 7.5 months post-surgery. For most people, it is marathon. Not a sprint. The key is steady progress, even if it feels slow. And remember that if you're starting with lower BMI, you're unlikely to see the kind of big monthly losses that higher BMI people see. But it's likely that your loss is fairly proportional to what higher BMI people have. Good luck to all!

Donald, I think that is a brave thing to express. I think for some people it does change a lot of things, or even everything. For me, I still have a lot of the same struggles in other parts of my life. But I do think tackling the other problems is easier when the weight issue isn't such a dominating factor.

I think it's also a good option for other situations. My dad needs hip replacement surgery, but surgeon won't do it unless he loses weight. Dad is scared of WLS but I could see him doing ballon in order to lose enough to get hip surgery.

I can't think of anything unique. I would say it's helpful to write down all the questions you have and take list with you. He will answer all your questions, but I feel like you have to ask.

I was sleeved by Hamilton last December. You're in good hands.

I can't access the full article, but the summary seems to state that the proportion of fat-free mass to fat increased for both ops. It increased more for bypass than sleeve. I'd want to read the full article, but keep in mind "proportion" is different from an actual loss or gain. Typically, patients lose both muscle and fat, it's just that they lose way more fat than muscle. Also "fat free mass" is usually defined as everything except fat, so it includes bone as well. (And lot of patients have some bone loss, either due to nutrient deficiencies but also because being at a lower weight reduces force on bones and body stops "beefing up" the bone density to compensate.) My layman's understanding of the proportion issue is this: for example, if you are a 6 foot tall sedentary man who is at a 40 BMI, you typically have more lbs of muscle than a 6 foot tall sedentary man at a 25 BMI. You have more muscle because you're lugging around a lot more weight 24/7 than the low BMI guy. Your muscles have to work harder, so they get bigger. After operation, as you lose weight, your body doesn't need as much muscle (you're not getting the same 24/7 workout), and you usually lose some muscle unless you start working out and upping Protein. In other words, unless you fight it, your body is heading in the direction of the fat/muscle ratio of the normal BMI guy. Make sense? I'm not a doc or medical expert. I could be wrong, but this is my understanding from reading various articles.

I actually don't think the original post is detrimental to information seekers. The point of the forum is to hear multiple viewpoints. If reading this one post makes someone decide against surgery, they're probably not ready, otherwise they'd continue seeking. I also think it is just these kinds of posts that can stir the most interesting conversations. For me, it's made me think about: 1) What this process is like for a teenager or young adult. I've always thought "I wish I'd had this when I was 18." Now, I'm not so sure. As others have said, I'm not sure I would have been equipped then to be successful. 2) The downside of having surgery done far away from your home. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the Mexico option is out there. But I now think the ideal is insurance covers everyone, so you don't have to go out of country. I gotta think having your care team and support group nearby is a good thing. 3) I don't think even the best US providers are doing as good a job on follow-up psych care as they should. 4) Even though WLS has been around a while, patients and doctors are still "figuring things out." For example, there are new studies that suggest combining WLS with obesity drugs to improve results. Or a study suggesting treatment with growth hormone for six months post-op to prevent muscle loss. Or studies that indicate WLS does not impact depression. Conflicting studies about whether surgery leads to longer life for severely obese and/or those over 65. Or medical opinions that the BMI cutoff should be lowered to 30. There's just a lot we don't know about why this does and doesn't work. My point is, these bigger issue questions are interesting (to me) and are usually only stirred up by raw posts. I'm glad we can also get advice from each other on cheapest Vitamins and share NSVs. But I'm also glad people feel free to share real fear and pain and anger. And I hope that doesn't change.

I don't understand why the response to the original post is so vitriolic. I for one can't agree or disagree with much of the post because it's her personal experience. She thinks she rushed into this? Maybe she did. That's for her to decide and own and seems like she is. What I do disagree with is the factual assertions. I don't think they are supported by any medical evidence. I'm not aware of any studies, for example, that support the idea of extreme muscle loss caused by WLS. There may be a time in the future when WLS is not needed. There may be a time when the food industry is reined in. There may be a time when children aren't set on the path of obesity by sugar, sugar everywhere. Maybe the magic pill will be developed next year that melts fat. For now, the outcome-based evidence is clear that for severe and morbid obesity, WLS is the only long-term successful treatment. This doesn't mean a minority won't have complications or inadequate weight loss. But for most people it works, and it's the only thing that works.

I'd researched a while. I saw an older mentor of mine that I hadn't seen in a couple years. With true fear and concern in his eyes, he commented on how much weight I'd gained in two years. It made a big impact. Also, my dad was retiring, and I realized if I didn't change, that I was on a path of ended up as big and unhealthy as he is.

I was sleeved there last December by Hamilton. Great place.

Talk to a doc as well. Zyban/Wellbutrin can help a lot and typically does not cause weight gain.

I had similar doubts the days after surgery. Very typical. It gets tons better.

I used it for add. Wasn't diagnosed with BED but I definitely was a binger. On vyvanse, my appetite was greatly reduced and binging was more controllable.

Dizziness and low BP can also be related to low iron and/or low B-12. I'd make sure you're following your vitamin regimen and get labs checked.

I was 35 bmi, no diabetes and 49yrs old. I had sleeve at doc's recommendation. If I'd had diabetes, he would have recommended bypass. I'm 7months out and no regrets.

Sleeved 12/18/14. SW 261. CW 211. Some ups and down but feel pretty good.

I was 39 when sleeved last year. My doc was happy that I was tackling this issue now rather than waiting years later - when I'd be heavier and sicker.

I paid $13k in Kansas City.

I found pre-op a lot more difficult.

Agree that everyone is different. Comparing can be negative, but sometimes you just really want to know if your experience is typical or not. I think the best place to get objective comparison is from your surgeon's office. They should be able to tell you how your loss tracks with the typical results they see based on your starting weight, age, gender, type of operation, etc. I can tell you that my surgeon would be happy with your loss. My surgeon usually likes to see 70% excess weight loss after 12 months. By that standard, you're more than on track. BUT AGAIN, most important thing is how you're feeling in terms of your health and changing lifestyle.

Do you know if the meta studies break out the different types of WLS? I'd expect, for example, band to have lower success rate than GB or GS.

Here's my chart.

I started at 35 Bmi. Surgery was 12/18/14. My loss from then to present has been 1.6lbs/week. Fast first couple months. Slower in middle. Faster again lately. But at that overall rate, I'll be at 25bmi, 10 months after surgery. Which for me, is a reasonable weight loss rate. I think for anyone, if you can make it to normal weight within a year, that's a great result. Sounds like you are certainly on that path. It's not a sprint.