Repost: Do Lightweights lose slower? OR It's not POUNDS, it's PERCENTAGES!

I've seen several people wondering this...some might, don't get me wrong but in general we lose as fast or faster than our heavyweight brethren.

We need to stop comparing ourselves to the heavyweights...which is really hard on the surgery boards when they say they've lost 100 lbs in 6 months and we are "slowly"  down just 50/60 lbs.

Remember tho, we ARE lightweights...we simply do not have as much to lose.

When thinking you aren't losing fast enough, read this...and if necessary, read it again and again.

It's not POUNDS, it's PERCENTAGES!

by Carolyn M.

Two people, both 6 months post-op. One has lost only 63 pounds and feels bad about her "slow" weight loss. The other has lost 96 pounds and thinks she's doing great.

They are both wrong.

Person A had only 105 excess pounds, so she has already lost 60% of her excess weight. She is actually ahead of the game at 6 months out and is on track to lose it ALL.

Person B had 265 excess pounds. At 6 months out she has only lost 36% of her excess weight. At this rate, she will end up retaining 28% of her excess weight, enough to keep her in the obese category.

See what I mean? Don't compare pounds to pounds, that's like apples and oranges.

Percent of excess weight lost: pounds lost divided by total excess pounds
Use a BMI of 25 as a goal weight

On track to lose it all is 25% lost after 2 months, 50% after 6 months, and 80% at one year.

Please note: These are averages. Your mileage may vary.

Then I am ecstatic because I am exactly at two months out and have lost 42% of my excess weight.   Thanks for this great post! 

Glad to help. Liz

I love everytime you post this.  Question though, is the months out (as in 2 months out, 6 months) etc. from date of surgery?  Or does it count like the pre-op diet loss?  This maybe silly, but I'm right in the post-op diet (1 week out) - have lost 10lbs and am wondering if that will be part of my 25% in 7 weeks?

Christine

Counting from day of surgery. Example, my surgery date was Jan 24, 2011. So one month was 24 Feb, two months was 24 March, etc.

Oy vey . 

I hav to say I as a third or fourth generation whatever ( consumer  if U hav any common sense left lol)...*****ally honestly COMPARES  their weight loss to  giant  people's ?! 

by giant I mean GIRTH wise ..not  strength wise .. really you're gonna compare Urself to the bed-bound ( half -dead  and I truly DO hate to say that ..but look at the statistics for coming OUT ) people in NURSING HOMES ? ! 

to ME a lightweight is someone who has reasonable chance at great abs , a cute hott upstanding butt ...nonfat nonscrarred arms ..basically bikini- ready  after lifesaving WLS .

My HUSBAND   teaches me that  the lifelong MO are a TOTALLY different class .. far more unhappy , far more sociallyl and emotionally immature ...

I am not even certain we can communicate in the same language .....

I guess by your definition, I am not a lightweight even tho I was ONLY a 35.2 BMI pre-op. My abs don't exist, my ass (what is left of it) is flabby as hell, my arms have stretch marks from my batwings. And I wouldn't wear a bikini if my life depended on it.!

REALLY ?!! No bikini  EVER ?  OMG !   I won't even ASK  how  U must deal with Hubs asking to leave the lights on lol ...

Hey , gorgeous Southern Lady ... guess what .. U're perfectly  OK and totally  Perfect just the way U are . I'm SURE  Ur beloved hottie youngster hubby says Exactly the same thing  .

ALL these things U find SO AWFUL Can be modified .. for  practically Nothing ... making  the most out of our lives is what matters to ME .  Being HAPPY   growing , achieving , reaching our potential and giving back to society at large ... 

Batwings ?  Please give me some ... Ill be SO grateful to fly all night .. wow ! 

My husband married me when I was MUCH bigger than I am now. BUT what he sees is NOT for public display at a pool or beach. At almost 60, a bikini is just NOT comfortable. I'll stick to one pieces or tankini's.

Hi southernlady I asked you a question in the last post but i am still confused I had revision surgery so the weight i said before was the revision weight but let me give you my full facts

Height 4'11 HW-241 Lap band SW-226 Revision SW 219 CW 200 BMI of 25 target weight 124

I had my revision from band to RNY 6.25.13 I have lost -19 lbs whats my percentage or would you take my HW of 241 in that case I have -41 lbs so whats really my percentage?