Question:
Is it true the less weight you have to lose the longer it takes to lose it?

I am 7 weeks post-op and I have only lost 40 pounds. Is this normal? My pre-op weight was 230 and my goal weight is 120 so I only have 110 pounds to lose. Does that mean it will take me longer to lose weight than a person who has 200 or more pounds to lose? Please help, I am feeling very depressed because I feel as if I am not losing weight quick enough.    — Kristen C. (posted on July 10, 1999)

July 9, 1999
Hi, First of all 40lbs in 7 weeks is great!! I had open, proximal RNY Gastric Bypass 7 months ago. I needed to lose about 90-100lbs. I've gone from 236 on the day of surgery to 153 today and am trying to lose another 10lbs. My experience was that I lost 20lbs the first month and about 10-11 lbs a month after that. This last month the weight loss slowed down to around 5lbs.
   — Jennifer L.

July 9, 1999
I started at 220lbs at 5'7. I lost quickly (60 lbs. in 6 months) but I had been "stuck" at 165 for 8 months. My surgery was 16 months ago. I finally am down a few more (158) but I think we lose quickly, but don't lose as much. I know a girl that started at 370 at 5'10 and she is already down to 145! So for all of you that look at us "lower" weight starters, remember that the last laugh is on us!
   — JAN C.

July 10, 1999
I was only 107 lbs. over my goal of 135 and at the two month mark I had only lost 30 pounds i think. When I went back to work and became more active that is when the weight really started coming off. You are doing fine. It took me about a year to lose all the weight but the bulk of it was gone within 7 months. Good Luck and do not worry.... Lorinda
   — Lorinda M.

July 10, 1999
From what I've seen from folks on this and other sites, the larger the person the faster the loss, but the smaller folks seem to get to or a whole lot closer to their goal weight. You are losing very well and should be satisfied. We all want it gone today and it just doesn't work that way. I have been whining about the speed at which I lose and have noticed that I am fairly close to what I had plotted on a spreadsheet preoperatively. I am losing 10-12 pounds a month after the first month that was higher. OSSG300 at onelist.com has many folks that were smaller pre-op and you might find solace talking to them. It has helped me. Regards, Diane Price-Nizza - Brooksville, Florida Empire BCBS Lap RNY 4-9-99 Dr. Champion - Atlanta Beginning weight - 310 BMI 55.0 Pre-op weight - 5' 4" 263 BMI 46.7 13 Weeks Post-op 223 BMI 38.4 30.8% of Excess Weight Lost O :)
   — Diane N.

July 10, 1999
Hi, I had open rny on May 3 and have lost 45 lbs so far. I was exactly 100 lbs over weight when I went in for surgery. You are doing very well, and it is true the larger the person the faster it comes off AT FIRST, but then slows down like the rest of us. Keep your chin up, you will do great! Best of luck to you. Darlene
   — Darlene E.

July 10, 1999
Kristen, don't be depressed! 40 lbs in 7 wks is great!! That's over 5 lbs. a week. I had my VBG on 6/23 and weighed 236. I'm now at 222. My goal weight is 220. I've planned on it taking a year. I hope I'm lucky enough to lose 40 in 7 wks. I'd love to talk to you. Email me at [email protected]
   — vpierce

July 10, 1999
Hi Kristen As i understand the less you need to loose the less you will loose. The surgery only takes care of 60% to 80% of your excess weight, for example if you need to loose 200lbs then you will only loose 120-160 because of it, the rest you will have to work off yourself by watching your diet and exercise (which is a lot easier to do with all that weight gone). George
   — George A.

July 10, 1999
How did you lose so much so fast? I'm 10 weeks postop and I just made it to 39 pounds. I started at 235, now weigh 196. I am eating nothing but protein and keeping my calories below 600. I drink lots of water and exercise. Since Monday I've lost one pound. On Monday and Friday in addition to my regular exercise I hiked 1 1/2 miles through hilly brush, looking for some lost animals. The heat here was 93 degrees and I was sweating profusely. All this exercise, all the water I needed, and lots and lots of protein and I still only lost one pound since Monday. Believe me, you are doing very well.
   — Deborah L.

July 10, 1999
40 pounds in 7 weeks is very good, I am 3 months post-op and have lost 63 pounds. I started at 409 pounds. The depresion may be caused by other factors related to adjusting to a new eating style. Please be patient, it will come off with time. Try to enjoy the new freedom of being 40 pounds lighter and look forward to more weight coming off as time goes on. My doc warned me about becoming obsessed with the process of weight loss, just like I use to be obsessed with eating.
   — Ken C.

July 10, 1999
Finally someone who is also concerned. I'm at 7 weeks and have only lost 36 lbs. 21 of which was the first 2 weeks. I feel like I'm eating too much or something now. I started at 286 so I had more to loose than you but I too am frustrated. However, from reading all your answers, sounds like we are ok, especially you.!! Keep it up. Let me know how you are doing and we'll compare again in a couple of months.
   — jiggers

July 10, 1999
I don't think that is necessarily true. I started out wanting to lose 139 pounds. I am now 8 1/2 months post op and have lost 116 pounds. Only 23 left to my goal. I do exercise a lot and drink lots of water. I truly believe these two things make a big difference. I know of people who had their surgery very close to the same date as me who have not lost nearly that much, but they don't exercise.
   — dboat

July 11, 1999
I am only 2 1/2 weeks post-op and don't really know the answer to your question. However, I do know that 40 pounds in 7 weeks is awesome. You definately shouldn't be depressed. I went weighing close to you and haven't set my goal that high. I am just going to take it as it comes. Several people at NeWeigh that had the surgery in December have only lost 50 pounds and they're not depressed.
   — [Anonymous]

July 12, 1999
Everyone loses weight at a different speed. It is a known fact that the more you weigh, the faster you lose the weight. Don't compare yourself with other people after this surgery. It also makes a difference on what surgery you had. Some people also have a hard time losing weight unless they are on a special diet. I only eat Protein, NOTHING ELSE! I have lost 62 pounds in 11 weeks. My weight loss was slow to start, but then I changed to a Protein Only diet, and it is coming off a lot faster now. Always check with your doctor before you change your eating habits!
   — Paula D.

July 16, 1999
Yes this is true. The more you have to lose, the faster it will come off. The less you have the slower. Also, men lose faster than women.
   — Donna D.

September 22, 1999
Hi there. Although I am still pre-op, this is one of the things that I looked into. I have approximately 150 pounds to lose. My understanding is that if you have more weight to lose, then it does tend to come off faster. However, for those of us who have slightly less weight to lose, our increase in activity will greatly enhance the weight loss after surgery. Best of luck to you! God bless
   — debra S.

May 23, 2001
I think that it just depends on your body. I started out at 252 and I'm 5'6. My personal goal is 135, my doc say 145-150. I had surgery on Feb 28th 2001 and today is may 23rd 2001 and as of this morning I'm down to 191 that is a 61 pound loss in 12 weeks. Not to bad for a lightweight.
   — Heather C.

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