Weight Loss After Gastric Bypass Surgery
If you are considering having gastric bypass surgery, I’m definite you want to know how mighty weight you can inquire of to lose and impartial how quickly you will lose it. It’s necessary to understand that each individual is different and will experience different results from the surgery. Some people will lose more than others, and some will lose more quickly than others.
There are a number of factors that influence how much weight we will lose, including our starting weight, our metabolism, how carefully we follow our doctor’s dietary guidelines after surgery, our activity level, whether or not we have any health conditions that can affect weight or metabolism (like diabetes or thyroid problems), certain medications we may be taking, the size of the stomach pouch our surgeon creates, and the amount of small intestine our surgeon bypasses. As you can see, some of these things are things we have some control over, like whether or not we follow our doctor’s dietary guidelines and how active we are. Other things, like whether or not we have thyroids problems and our metabolism, we can’t really control.
Studies have found that the average person loses about 60% of their excess body weight after a gastric bypass. That means if you are 100 pounds overweight, you could seek information from to lose about 60 pounds.
To calculate your excess body weight, first choose your ideal weight. You can obtain charts online that will give you the ideal weight for your height, or you can ask your doctor. Subtract that number from your current weight. That is the amount of weight you have to lose.
To calculate how considerable you might lose with gastric bypass surgery, get a calculator and multiply your excess weight by .6.
However, there are several things you should keep in mind while making your calculations. This is just an average, so that means some people lose significantly more than 60% while other lose significantly less. And there are plenty of things you can do to maximize your weight loss. Remember the factors I listed earlier? You have control over some of those things. You can settle to follow your doctor’s dietary guidelines. You can choose to exercise. If you take medications that affect your weight, ask your doctor if there are any alternative drugs you could try instead (there may or may not be).
Also talk to your surgeon about how big he or she will make your pouch and how that will affect your weight loss. One study found that a smaller pouch size was associated with greater weight loss. Ask your surgeon if he or she will be using a sizing balloon to size your pouch. Some surgeons use them and some don’t, but one study found that using a balloon helps get the pouch the right size and maximizes weight loss.
The same things that affect how much weight you will lose also affect how quickly you will lose. Most people lose most of their weight during the first 12 – 18 months after surgery. Those with the most to lose tend to lose the most quickly. Dr. Dirk Rodriguez of Cincinnati, Ohio, says that patients should expect to lose three to five pounds per week at first, and that weight loss will start to slow down after the first few months. However, some patients lose even more quickly than that at the beginning. You should also be aware that it is common to have a week or two (or longer) here and there when you don’t lose anything. It doesn’t mean you are done losing. Weight loss will start up again. Your body is just adjusting to the loss.
Sources:
Matthew Hoffman, MD. http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/what-is-gastric-bypass-surgery. What Is Gastric Bypass Surgery? Science Daily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915165816.htm. Factors Associated With Poor Weight Loss After Gastric Bypass Surgery Identified.
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