Question:
What will the weight loss be like after surgery?

I'm looking at an 8 month wait for WLS. If I have can lose 50lbs. before the surgery will the weight still come off fairly quick after WLS? I need to lose a total of 200lbs. Has anyone lost a lot of weight before the surgery and still did well after WLS?    — [Anonymous] (posted on October 23, 2000)

October 23, 2000
I am so close to the stats that you gave we could be twins. My all time high was 322 and I am 5'5". I want to weigh 135 so that is 187 pounds right? Anyway, I started walking and working on eating less and lost 50 pounds during the year before surgery. I had surgery at 272 and am now 157!!! My surgery was 9 months ago and in the time I have lost 115 pounds. I have 22# to go before I get to my goal. I have not had any plateaus to speak of and I have lost 7 pounds in this month alone. (to all you WLS babies, that may seem like a small amount...LOL...it sure slows down as you get this close to goal and this far out). You will be successful if you want to be. Just focus on the goal and take it one step at a time.
   — S S.

October 23, 2000
I lost 25 # before my surgery. My highest weight (that I know of!) was 374; I weighed 350# when I had surgery. I am 5'9 & am trying to reach 165# so that means a total of 185#. I lost 40# in the first 2 to 21/2 weeks after surgery & I have been very consistent since then with a loss each month of no less than 14# & no more than 16#. I had surgery April 13th, so it's just over 6 months for me. I've lost a total of 123# & right now weigh 227#. I know the weight loss does vary quite a bit among all of us, but I wanted to share my results. I am so thrilled & excited about the changes I am going thru, not just physically, but emotionally, too. I feel like I am uncovering the person I had buried in so many ways.....BOTH physically & emotionally. I am having a WONDERFUL time. I have about 60# left to go & can't imagine how it could get better than it already is! Good luck to you!!
   — Kathy W.

October 23, 2000
I think anything you can do to make yourself healthier before the surgery helps. You should still loose becasue you wont be able to eat enough to sustain the heavier weight.
   — Lisa W.

October 24, 2000
I wondered about this too as my surgeon required weight loss before surgery. I lost 32 lbs in the couple months before surgery and figured I would lose slower because of it. It did not happen that way at all, much to my surprise. I had a lap RNY on June 21 and have lost 66 lbs since surgery plus the 32 lb pre-surgery loss for a total of 96 lbs of fat gone forever so far!!!!
   — Denise K.