How long do I have to wait to see weight loss results from having a gastric sleeve?

 

GUEST POST: A small guide to help people understand the length of time it will take for them to see results after bariatric surgery.

Weight loss is individual

Weight loss following gastric sleeve surgery will vary from person to person. When you’re making the decision to have gastric sleeve surgery your bariatric surgeon will be able to calculate an estimate of the amount of weight you’re likely to lose altogether but your individual weekly or monthly weight loss will depend on many factors such as your starting weight and body mass index (BMI), age, gender, health and how well you follow diet and exercise recommendations.

Typically expect to lose up to 70 percent of your excess weight loss

The sleeve gastrectomy typically results in 25 to 35 percent body weight loss or 50 to 70 per cent excess weight loss from your base line starting point¹. Your excess body weight is the difference between your ideal weight and your current weight. Some people lose less, while others lose more,than 70 per cent of their excess weight.

You’ll start to lose weight immediately

The gastric sleeve procedure starts working straight away.You’ll start losing weight from day one as you follow the post-operative diet.

Your gastric sleeve diet

Initially you’ll take small sips of liquid throughout the day. Once you tolerate liquids, you will be able to start on pureed foods. At around four weeks after surgery you can start adding soft foods to your diet and after six weeks you should be able to resume a normal solid food diet but in a gradual fashion. The gastric sleeve will allow you to eat almost any type or texture of food. Obviously high-calorie and high-fat foods and drinks should be avoided. Many bariatric surgeons recommend eating five small, healthy meals a day with no snacking in-between meals.

During the first two years after gastric sleeve surgery,when most weight loss is expected to occur, the diet is limited to 600 to 800 calories a day. Once a patient achieves their goal weight they are usually able to eat about 1000 to 1200 calories a day.

Most weight loss in the first six months

You can expect most of your weight loss to occur in the first six months and this can be as much as 50 per cent of your excess weight. When you start your gastric sleeve diet you won’t eat much at all as your body needs to get used to the new stomach size and tolerate different foods again whilst you’re also moving through the different stages of food texture.

The weight loss then becomes less as you get closer to your target weight. By the end of the first year you could hope to have lost about 63 percent of your excess weight and up to 70 per cent after two years.

Benefits of rapid substantial weight loss

Rapid substantial weight loss can help obese patients to become more active more quickly. Carrying less weight around means it’s easier to be more energetic. Walking is a good starting point for many bariatric patients. Exercise and activity can be built up over time. The increase in physical activities will help with weight loss by burning calories whilst also improving a person’s the quality of life.

Fast weight loss should also provide you with plenty of motivation. As you drop inches off of your waist enjoy buying clothes that are smaller and be proud of your weight loss achievements. Find your way to keep enthusiastic about your weight loss plan following gastric sleeve surgery.

Substantial weight loss may also lead to dramatic improvement, and even complete remission, of many of the obesity-related co-morbidities, including type 2 diabetes.

The amount and speedof weight loss is up to you

The gastric sleeve procedure will help you to control yourhunger and limit the amount of food you can eat at any one time but the amountof weight you lose and the speed at which it comes off will depend on youradoption and commitment to a new lifestyle, healthy diet, and regular exercise.

You will need to keep to your limited calorie intake. Most people reach a weight plateau at some point and when this happens you’ll need to consider increasing your exercise in terms of length, type and pace. Keep motivated and celebrate your successes and you’ll enjoy realising your weigh loss and getting closer to your weight loss goal.

Maintaining your weight goal

Once you’ve achieved your weight loss target you need to maintain your gastric sleeve diet and exercise plans to ensure that the weight that you’ve tirelessly worked to shift stays off.

Your new diet guidelines need to be followed for the rest ofyour life. Avoid falling back into old habits as the weight will return. You must also ensure that you continue to exercise to increase your heart rate and ultimately to burn calories.

References

¹ http://www.ifso.com/patient-sleeve-gastrectomy