Why can only 50-70% of excess weight be lost?

[BarnGirlWK 98]

I've been reading a lot of articles, as I'm sure most of you have. But I am a little concerned that most of the ones on gastric sleeve surgery say that it aids patients in losing 50-70% of excess weight. Why not 100%?

I have read the success stories, the goal weights reached, and it seems like it is possible to lose 100% of excess weight. But is it really possible for everyone? Even me?

I don't only want to lose 'some' weight. I want to be rid of the extra weight my body does not need or like.

[Skywalker 170]

According to my bariatric surgeon, it's possible. I asked them the same question, i.e. "If I have 80 lbs to lose, does that mean I'm going to lose only 40 to 50?" She just smiled and told me that most of their patients lost 80-100 lbs within a year (so 100% or more of excess weight), and the nutritionist who told me this was downright scrawny herself. I hope, like you, that they're correct.

[itsnaynay 6]

My co worker who was just sleeved had lost 85% in 9 months

[Kindle 8,667]

Its most definitely possible to lose 100% of your excess weight. So far I've lost 106%. Those numbers are just the average. For every person that loses 100%, there's someone else out there only losing 30-40% of their excess weight. Ever watch "my 600 pound life"? There was one episode with a 500+ pound woman who only lost like 30 pounds 10 months after bypass. She refused to follow her postop meal plan. Cases like her's definitely lowers the statistical average.

How much you lose and keep off is entirely up to you and how committed you are to sticking to a new, healthy lifestyle and making smart food choices for the rest of your life.

[missbrown30 148]

If you follow the plan and put in the work/effort needed, you can definitely lose 100% of the weight. I was sleeved 4 months ago and have already lost 58 lbs. I have 36 more pounds to lose which will make 100% of my excess weight. And believe me, if I can do it, anyone can do it (with the help of the sleeve of course). I wish you all the best of luck on your journey.

Edited August 17, 2014 by missbrown30

[JerzyTomato74 91]

It's not saying that's all you'll lose but I think they take what the average person loses after surgery. They also say the average weight loss per week is 2 lbs. I know people who've lost more than that each week. It really all depends on the person. Some people go back to eating all the foods that made them fat to begin with while those who are serious about getting healthy work at it and make the commitment. Just remember, every person's body reacts differently and all those numbers they kick out are averages.

[MissME 45]

If you put the effort into this you can lose 100%. I am 5 months post op and I am already down 60%. Just don't discourage yourself before you even begin. When I heard that I thought that is still an improvement over where I was and that I would never have gotten there on my own.

[Sherry73 94]

I'm a little over 9 months since surgery. I have lost 91% of the excess weight. I am hoping to be at 100% at the one year mark. I have had to work hard to get where I'm at. Not having any Thyroids has made the it a little harder. Doctors have been trying to get the right combination of meds to get thyroid counts were they should be. This has been an issue for over 14 years now. I only mentioned this to show that if I can get the weight off anyone that puts in the effort can do it.

[fezik23 240]

It's an average. I asked the same question to my surgeon. That number counts everyone, including those who never take the surgery seriously and who lose virtual nothing.

[tiredmama 137]

It also depends how you calculate "excess weight"- my surgeon's office listed my "ideal weight" as 122 pounds but immediately told me they don't want or expect me to actually lose that much. The lowest weight I was ever at as an adult was 134 pounds at age 19 and that was 20 years ago so it is unrealistic that I would ever be less than 145 or so.

[hhp29 26]

i agree with everyone else. when discussing with my surgeon the different surgeries to have the statistics claim the bypass will only help you lose 5-10% more than the sleeve. And we decided that i can make that up and some with leading a healthy lifestyle. so after weighing the pros an cons, the amount of weight loss really depends on ourselves and how dedicated we are.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

As everyone said, it's just an average. Some people do better, some worse. As individuals, we are not statistics, and we CAN control the outcome of our success. I've lost about 90-95% of my excess weight, depending on what you consider the final number. I'd like to be able say 100%, too, but honestly, I'm coming to the conclusion that it's just a number. Despite my overweight BMI, I don't look overweight. I have bones sticking out everywhere - and some loose skin. So, I agree, 50-60% is not what I'd consider to be an overwhelming success for myself, but I don't think I've failed at 95% lost, either. My real take away from those stats is that even for people who don't try, the sleeve would likely help get 20-30% of excess weight off (and that's my personal opinion - not a statistic or known fact). It reminds me that it's up to me to do the work, all day, every day, indefinitely.

[alwaysvegas 702]

I'm about 60% of the way to my goal and even if I didn't make the goal, my life has improved SO much with even this much weight loss.

I just got back my bloodwork from my PCP and my cholesterol, sugars, and blood pressure are all now within normal range.

Getting to 100% of my excess weight loss would be great, but there are SO many non-scale victories along the way. Not to mention the years you're adding to your life!

Peace be with you!

[moonlitestarbrite 902]

plenty of people lose 100% of their EW. but those stats refer to long term net loss. everyone is different. so they average it all out.

people with BP loose more faster, but it ends up (on average) being about the same long term loss as the sleeve.

its all about what is average. there are always people who lose more or less.

[BarnGirlWK 98]

Thank you, everyone. I have to admit that since my decision to do this (3 weeks ago), it has been a whirlwind, with surgery now only a week away in Tijuana. I'm stressing out a little today.

Can I ask another question? Is it just the fact that you have a smaller stomach and will consume less food that accounts for the weight loss, or is there more to it than that? I'm not trying to make it more complicated than that, but I feel like there's more to the story. Maybe I'm asking, what is it about gastric sleeve surgery that makes it work?

I'm a regular exerciser, and plan to continue with that, so I can't see that being an issue.