Losing weight can be hard. Agree?
However, you’ve heard that bariatric surgery such as gastric sleeve results in rapid weight loss. How much weight are we talking about here?
We’ll get to that. In this article, we’ll have a real discussion about how you can achieve rapid and sustainable weight loss after gastric sleeve surgery.
What Is Gastric Sleeve Again?
Gastric sleeve surgery is an effective weight-loss procedure that works by making your stomach approximately 15% smaller than its original size.
With a reduced stomach size, you will feel fuller much sooner as your stomach can only hold 2-3 ounces of food. Hunger pangs and food cravings will also be lessened.
And with a reduced food intake, you will experience a dramatic drop in your weight.
In fact, within two years after surgery, you can expect to lose at least
50 percent of your excess weight. It can even go as high as 70% of excess weight loss for some people!
Keep in mind though that this dramatic weight loss will only happen if you are fully committed and invested. This entails strict compliance with the recommended changes to your diet and daily engagement in physical activity to sustain your weight loss until you reach your ideal weight.
What’s The Usual Weight-Loss Timeline After Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
The timeline below gives you a general idea of the expected reduction in weight after you undergo the procedure.
Right Before And A Month After Surgery
One of the major come-ons with gastric sleeve surgery is that patients see a rapid and dramatic drop in their weight within a month or two after surgery. Keep in mind, though, that this is the only period after surgery where you will see your weight drop off quickly. This can be attributed to a reduction in calorie intake which began even before surgery based on your doctor’s recommendation, and 30 days after surgery.
The dramatic weight loss does not come easy though. This stretch may be the toughest period for you as major lifestyle changes have to be made along with the physical changes that your stomach goes through. It entails rock-solid commitment, determination, and perseverance on your part to get through this with your sights firmly set on your weight reduction goal.
Stick with it and see all your hard work pay off. You are expected to lose up to 15% of your excess weight a month after surgery. Any weight lost, even if it’s just a pound or a kilo, is certainly most welcome.
On top of that, you will also experience an improvement in any weight-related health issues that you may have.
Given that dramatic weight loss occurs a month after surgery, what would the next few months and even years look like?
3 Months After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
A month after surgery, better stick with your recommended nutrition plan and get plenty of physical activity to go along with it. Because if you do, chances are that 90 days after surgery, you can be looking at a 35% reduction in your excess weight.
That means you are a third on your way to achieving your ideal weight only after three months!
How About Half A Year After The Procedure?
Once again, if you stick to your nutritional and exercise plan as recommended and monitored by your bariatric medical team, you could be looking at getting rid of about half or up to 55% of your excess weight.
Things are getting better for you!
And if you strictly adhere to the lifestyle changes that you have made post-surgery, there is no reason why you can’t inch your way closer to your weight loss goal.
One Year To 18 Months After Surgery
Now that the weight loss momentum is on your side, you are looking at the possibility of up to 70% to 85% reduction in your excess weight a year to a year and a half after surgery. That is nothing short of incredible. So give yourself a pat on the back!
While the rate of weight loss is not as rapid as the first month, just being 15% to 20% within striking distance of your ideal weight is pretty dramatic. That is something that would have been very difficult to imagine before bariatric surgery. But here you are, lighter, healthier, and likely happier too.
Putting The Brakes On Unhealthy Rapid Weight Loss
While you would like to lose as much weight as quickly as possible, you also mustn’t lose too much weight too quickly over a prolonged period. Commitment, perseverance, determination, and patience is the key here.
Just as being overweight has health consequences, so too does rapid weight loss. It can increase your risk of gallstones, dehydration, and malnutrition. Other side effects include bouts of headache, irritability, exhaustion, hair fall, muscle loss, and menstrual irregularities for women.
The first month after surgery is more than enough of a window for that dramatic weight loss that you would like to see occur. Beyond that, a reduction of up to 3 pounds per week is ideal based on the recommendations by experts. Don’t fret that the number seems small – they will add up over time.
Do keep in mind that weight loss is not predictable and will not conform to a linear pattern of weight loss. The percentage of weight loss mentioned here is the average across patients.
Therefore, some of you may lose less than the average, while others may lose more than the average as well. In some weeks or months, you may lose more weight than in other periods.
The point is, if you stick to lifestyle changes in your eating habits and physical mobility after surgery, you will lose weight. And if the rate of weight loss slows or hits a plateau, don’t be discouraged. Ask for help from your medical team or support group if this happens for a prolonged period.
Work Towards Healthy Weight Loss After Gastric Sleeve Surgery With Dr. David Davtyan
Stay on track with healthy weight loss after gastric sleeve surgery by keeping a food, exercise, and weight diary. Include nutrient-dense foods and protein in your diet. Stay physically active, and even learn to chew your food thoroughly.
Keeping tabs on your lifestyle changes and eating habits makes a difference in a successful weight loss journey. And if you would like to find out more about your sustainable weight loss options, you can consult with any weight loss surgeon in Los Angeles.
Better yet, schedule an appointment with Dr. David Davtyan in Glendale, CA if you are considering gastric sleeve surgery in your weight loss journey. Dr. Davtyan and his team offer a variety of bariatric surgery in the California area.
If you need proof of his expertise, just look at Dr. Davtyan’s patients and their gastric sleeve before and after surgery photos. You’ll surely be amazed at their success at the skilled and experienced hands of Dr. Davtyan and his team at The Weight Loss Surgery Center of Los Angeles.
Reach out today to Dr. David to learn more. He is looking forward to hearing from you and helping you become healthier!
Posted on behalf of Dr. David G. Davtyan MD, FACS, FICS
