Thats only 50lbs and I need/want to lose more than that! My pre-op bmi was 40. Has oneone else been told that they should only lose 50% of their excess?

I go to support group with about 15 other people. except for 1 who has lost 54 pounds most have lost between 70-and 120 and are normal size. He is giving you a statistic. there is a percentage that don't follow the dr's advice and gain weight back. I think you can lose as much or close to as much over time.

Greg

How much you lose is ENTIRELY up to you. Follow the rules? You'll probably do well. Break the rules? Not so much with the success :biggrin:

Thats only 50lbs and I need/want to lose more than that! My pre-op bmi was 40. Has oneone else been told that they should only lose 50% of their excess?

My doctor told me that if you follow the lifestyle you should lose about 50% of your current weight in the first year. But as everyone said, it's up to you how much you lose.

They have to work on averages. To be considered a success you need to lose between 50% - 66% of your EXCESS weight and I think that is over a period of 2 years.

Everyone is different.Some people follow the rules , exercise lots and lose in excess of 100% of their excess weight. Others forget that the band is only a tool, expect it to work like a magic wand, don't stick to the rules and don't lose anywhere near as much weight.

So how much you lose is really upto you.

My doctor said to lose 1-2 pounds per week and I would be okay. He said it would take a little longer (2 yrs) but was much safer. He wants me to weight about 135 but I want about 150. We'll see what I am when I get there!

That's the standard stat... "the avg lap band patient loses 50% of their excess weight".... AVERAGE. It's up to you if you want to be abover average, but they have to give you the party line :biggrin:)

I mean think about it... I wonder how many people just stop going for fills and dont' follow the diet etc. It's like anything else, it's up to you to make it work.

I also started out at a 40 BMI

I am now 5 months out from surgery and almost ready to hit my 50 pound mark (hopefully this weekend)!

That puts me half way to my overall goal!!! I would honestly be thrilled just to loose another 30, but 50 would be amaizing and that is what I'm going for long term!

It is up to you - how committed you are, if you work out, follow the rules etc - I have no plans of stopping the loss anytime soon myself!

That is what the lapband system stats show if you do nothing but get fills and eat less due to restriction. But you are in control of how much you lose. I believe as I get more weight off I will have more energy to work out and contribute to my weight loss. So I plan on being in the over 100 pounds lost club! You can too!

That's what I was told too. My surgeon sat down with me and had a heart to heart talk with me and said that if I were the "average" lap band patient I would lose 50% of my unwanted weight. He showed me a chart and showed me that it would still put in the "obese" catagory and asked me if I was only an average bandster would I be happy with still being obese.

That is when I decided that Gastric Bypass was for me. I am 10 months out now, have lost 130 pounds and 10 more to go till goal.

I've heard those stats too -- but I've already lost 86.6% of my excess weight -- and I see tons of bandsters on here who are getting to -- or are already at -- goal. I think the stats get messed up by the select few bandsters who don't get proper fills, don't change their eating habits at all, and don't wind up losing.

You can absolutely lose it all with the band. It may take 2 years to get to goal, but you will get there if you try. :thumbup:

Best wishes,

Catherine

Good advice, all. My doctor did not tell me anything except that I needed to follow the "rules" and I'd lose weight. I guess I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing since I'm down 51 pounds in 4 1/2 months and am losing steadily. I eat small portions, I choose the foods I eat carefully, and I exercise 4-5 days a week. However, if I ate ice cream and mashed potatoes all day, I'd not have lost nearly as much. So, to me, it's how I work the rules.

Work the rules and you'll lose the weight.

If you have a good doctor-patient relationship, you'll do well. I went in today for what I expected to be a fill, but as we talked, reviewed my food diary, and discussed my plans over the next two weeks (much traveling), we together decided not to do a fill so that I would not chance getting stuck while I was out of town. With my ability to talk things out with him, with his nurse, and with the nutritionist, it's not hard to work the rules.

Focus on what YOU can and will do!

gatorgal

I've been banded a little under 5 months. In that time, I've lost about 76 pounds which is 50 percent of my excess weight. I'm not even sure if I have proper restriction yet. I'm just getting started. I have no intention of stopping until I reach my goal. I'm no one special - if I can do it, anyone can.

Just goes to show that doctors are academically clever and can learn from books and get into good universities. Also goes to show that like most of the general public, some of them are idiots.

those *are* the stats. But anyone with half a brain can understand that statistics are not givens. Why do people only lose that much? any reason at all from the fact that some obese people are sick and immobile and cant put in the sort of effort that another can, some are fat due to metabolic and disease issues, some are completely noncompliant and had surgery in the deluded belief that it would be a miracle fix, then throw their hands up in the air in horror that they actually have to WORK at this, some are suffering from things like PCOS and struggle mightily for every pound they lose, some are diabetic, or have lost a limb, or are actually genuinely elated with their 60% loss and dont really wish to lose more.

THAT'S what your doctor should have said - the statistics are a bit offputting for these reasons, but remember, what you can do and what you DO do is well within your control and its entirely possible to lose 100% or MORE of your excess weight. The band is a tool, etc etc.

To simply say that you'll probably only lose 60% of your excess weight, well, that's pretty stupid, inaccurate and wouldnt give me great confidence that the doctor really gave a stuff about his patient (or that he was deliberately steering you towards another surgery).

Unfortunately there's a lot of doctors out there who are on a great money spinner but really have zero understanding or care about the other role a weight loss surgeon should play - mentor, supporter and carer.

I was given the same talk and then told about how well people who have a bypass do. I figured that being that this is technically an elective surgery that the more surgery that the doc's do the more money they make. I would imagine that the self-pay clients have decreased in todays economy so they try to hardsell us insurance customers by down playing the less costly options. But, it you keep up with the boards there are many many people who are sucessful in meeting and exceeding their goals, and I intend to be one of them.

those *are* the stats. But anyone with half a brain can understand that statistics are not givens. Why do people only lose that much? any reason at all from the fact that some obese people are sick and immobile and cant put in the sort of effort that another can, some are fat due to metabolic and disease issues, some are completely noncompliant and had surgery in the deluded belief that it would be a miracle fix, then throw their hands up in the air in horror that they actually have to WORK at this, some are suffering from things like PCOS and struggle mightily for every pound they lose, some are diabetic, or have lost a limb, or are actually genuinely elated with their 60% loss and dont really wish to lose more.

THAT'S what your doctor should have said - the statistics are a bit offputting for these reasons, but remember, what you can do and what you DO do is well within your control and its entirely possible to lose 100% or MORE of your excess weight. The band is a tool, etc etc.

Jachut, you are awesome and I agree with your answer 100%.

Statistics are just numbers, you decide your own fate. I was told I would lose 50-60% on average . . . did I want to be average??? No, I wanted to lose it all until I got to a normal BMI.

I lost 100% of my excess by following the rules and remaining diligent. Anyone can do the same if they take responsibility for their actions and try to follow the rules the majority of the time (assuming that there are no other special factors beyond their control such as uncontrolled metabolic disorders).

So, do you want to be average or go all the way . . . well it is up to you, you can do it:thumbup:

Edited November 13, 200916 yr by HeatherO
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