Goal weights and realistic weights

[encore]

I recently spoke to a surgeon about weight losses and regains. He said that everyone is expected to have a regain after any operation unless they are superstrict and follow a diet to the letter. He didn't believe it was possible to keep it up. Another thing that worried me was when he said that he even tells his RNY patients that the 65% expected loss is real. He even expects DSers to regain! Patients may lose 100% but they will usually regain so that they end up 65% lower than their start weight. As you can imagine I was a bit upset as I have already had two bands and really don't want to gain stones. I have asked around and it seems many surgeons agree

 

[Mazza]

I think they are quoting the average losses. There are plenty of people on here that have lost over 100% of their excess weight. Some people wont and may only lose even 50%. The problem with statistics is that they are based on many peoples results.

Everyone is different, everyones journey will be different. Try not to worry too much.

 

[phatmomma]

Well to be honest every diet i've ever done in the past i've always lost and then put it all and more back on.. So if i can end up with a 65% weight loss i'll live with it happily

 

[encore]

Maybe is didn't explain it properly. The point he was making was that eventually you would end up with the 65% regardless of what you lost initially. I lost 100% and would be gutted if I regained 35%.

 

[Silversurfer]

A lot of regain comes down to complaicentcy and lack of education, to a degree a bypass will do a lot of the work for you in the first year post op, how you manage post 1 year when the weight lose has slowed or completely stopped will all come down to your re education around exercise and healthier eating choices you have learned in the first year.
I have read and digested some of the statistics for long term bypassers and a lot of these post op studies are done against US WLS paitents, where it seems there is a tendency to abuse the pouch and a distinct lack of post operative education around foods.

I guess its really up to us as individuals to use the tool we have been given to its full potential, understand exactly how it works and why we lose weight, embrace the feeling of restriction and learn to love it because that slightly painful feeling in our chest tells us we are full and wont need to eat for a given amount of hours and offers the re assurance that our pouch is still there and still working, constant abuse of slider foods and fizzy pop will eventually cause the pouch to stretch significantly and thus allow the paitent to consume more and inturn regain weight.

 

[cazbandy]

For me, I was told in no uncertain term the reality of weight loss surgery and the amounts I could possibly lose and I have kept this in mind the whole time.

Liz and I were talking about this on facebook last night, how so many people think these surgeries will do all the work for them or that they can rely on them to do a certain job.

I was told this:-

- The lap band is not a miracle cure to obesity.
- The lap band is a ball and chain, to let me know when I am going wrong. Either eating too much or eating too fast. It will let me know by causing a feeling of mild pain. IT IS THEN UP TO ME TO STOP.
- I will lose anywhere between 30-60 percent of my EXCESS weight not TOTAL weight in the first year.

Which I was about 24 stone to start, my excess was worked out to be about 13 stone and I have lost about 6, so that falls in that bracket.

- I would have to do 70 percent of the work and that will power and determination would play a big role in how well I did.
- That within 2-5 years I could with hard work reach my goal weight.
- That fills will need to be made, it's like fine tuning an FM radio.
- That is I eat slider foods then it will fail.

I have good days and bad days but overall they are good. If I can loose the same amount this year as I did last year I will have acheived what I set out to do.

And 6-7 stone to loose in a year does not sounds as daunting as 12-13!

You have to keep positive, stay focused and constantly update and take stock of where you are in your journey.

Take your eye of the ball and it can easily go tits up.

 

[32bme]

Great post Caz