Average Weekly Weight Lose

[Momento Mori 1]

During the seminar, my doctor indicated the average weekly weight loss for lap band patients was 1 lb./week.

You can imagine the shock from everyone in the room. Many questions followed.

To clarify: He said if a patient has 100 lbs. to lose, for example, then it will typically take them 100 weeks (almost 2 years) to do it.

He said if you look at the total amount any person has to lose and the amount of time it takes them to lose that amount, it averages to 1 lb./week for most people.

He did say in the beginning most people lose 3-4 lbs./week but that as they get closer to goal, and weight loss slows. He said it can takes weeks or even months for some folks to lose the last 10, 20, or 30 pounds.

Any thoughts on this from the group?

[Carrie_C 9]

I have been losing about 1.5 pounds a week, on average. But that is ok with me. You are supposed to lose slow. I didn't expect to lose it all really fast.

[Momento Mori 1]

Thanks Carrie.

[Carrie_C 9]

No problem. I know a pound doesn't sound like much to lose, but it feels good to get on the scale each week and actually see it go down insead of up, even if it is a small amount. And 1.5 pounds does add up fast.

[littlefroggy 0]

I've been losing an average of 3.5 a week, and it's been nine weeks. I expect that to slow. I have also had weeks where I lost MORE than that (in the beginning) and weeks where I didn't lose at all.

I think by the end of my journey I will have lost about a pound a week.

[JonathanLA 0]

During the seminar, my doctor indicated the average weekly weight loss for lap band patients was 1 lb./week.

You can imagine the shock from everyone in the room. Many questions followed.

To clarify: He said if a patient has 100 lbs. to lose, for example, then it will typically take them 100 weeks (almost 2 years) to do it.

He said if you look at the total amount any person has to lose and the amount of time it takes them to lose that amount, it averages to 1 lb./week for most people.

He did say in the beginning most people lose 3-4 lbs./week but that as they get closer to goal, and weight loss slows. He said it can takes weeks or even months for some folks to lose the last 10, 20, or 30 pounds.

Any thoughts on this from the group?

Understand that the 1lb/wk is an average of every patient. YMMV. I have averaged 2.19/wk in one year so we would expect there to be one person who has averaged .5/wk just to keep both of our averages at 1/wk. That's just another way of saying that averages are only good for looking at large populations. They are statistically meaningless for an individual.

[*slim* 2]

Understand that the 1lb/wk is an average of every patient. YMMV. I have averaged 2.19/wk in one year so we would expect there to be one person who has averaged .5/wk just to keep both of our averages at 1/wk. That's just another way of saying that averages are only good for looking at large populations. They are statistically meaningless for an individual.

I must be the .5/wk person from you equation. lol

[Donna113 2]

Then there are those who play yo yo with the same 2-3 lbs for weeks before finally getting rid of it only to play yo yo with the next 2-3 lbs. That's how my weight loss goes.

[Momento Mori 1]

Donna113,

I see that you've lost almost 20 pounds. When were you banded, if you don't mind me asking? And what has your doctor said about your rate of weight loss?

[Donna113 2]

I got banded 3 months ago. I lost 10 lbs the first 2 weeks after banding; then nothing for a couple of weeks; then 2-3 lbs lost and regained for a couple of weeks until they finally dropped for good; then nothing for a couple of weeks; then 2-3 lbs yo yo again.... It's frustrating but at least I am losing and even though it's been only 20 lbs, it's made a HUGE difference in the way I feel physically.

My doctor doesn't seem very concerned about how slow it's coming off. He said it's because my fill isn't quite where it needs to be. He feels confident that once I get the right amount of restriction, the lbs will come off more steadily. I got my 4th fill last Tuesday and it has dramatically cut back the amount of food I can eat at one sitting. I can only handle 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup maximum.

Edited October 22, 2008 by Donna113

[Momento Mori 1]

I think your weight loss is amazing! Good for you!

I was telling me husband about a guy who had WLS in August of this year and had lost 40 lbs so far. My husband said, "Is that a lot?" I said, "You tell me. If I told you two months from today you'd weigh less than 200 lbs would you think that was a lot of weight?" He said, "You're right. That is a lot of weight."

It's easy to lose perspective when it comes to amounts lost via WLS.

Whether it's .5 lbs./wk. or 2 lbs./wk., it's a lot more than I can lose on my own.

Thanks for the perspective guys.

[Carrie_C 9]

Yes, it is a lot more than I could lose on my own too. If I hadn't had the surgery, there's no way I would have lost anything. I would have gained.

[Lovebugs 0]

I have a random question for everyone....How much do you weigh yourself? I think I am becoming obsessed with the scale. I weigh myself at least twice a day. I am thinking of either...

A. only weighing myself once a week

or

B. waiting until I go see my doctor again for another fill in three weeks and either be surprised or disappointed by my weight.

ANY SUGGESTIONS:rolleyes:

[Donna113 2]

I KNOW I'm obsessed with the scale. I weigh myself 2 to 3 times in the morning and at least once every evening. Prior to being banded, I did put my scale away for a few months and ballooned up to my heaviest 213 lbs which is when I hit bottom. I did not realize I had passed the 200 mark and belive if I had been weighing myself more regularly I would never have allowed myself to get above 200. Anyway, I'm banded now and hope to reach goal by my bandiversary 9 months from now.

I think people who say scale obsession is self-destructive are over simplifying. I don't go into a depressive spiral if I weigh a few lbs more than the previous day because with Water retention my weight can vary 3-5 lbs in either direction. So I keep that in mind. Now if I have more than a 5 lb gain, then I know I better get cracking.

[Momento Mori 1]

Knowing that some folks can stop losing weight and can even gain weight after having WLS, I don't think it's at all obsessive to watch the scale regularly; however, I think once a week is too infrequent and five times a day is too often.

I think weighing twice or even three times a week is often enough to feel I'm in touch with my weight, but spaced enough apart so that any minor fluctuations won't freak me out.