If you’re considering weight loss surgery then you should consider Lap Band surgery. There are three common weight loss procedures; Lap Band surgery, gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgery. The technique and method of weight loss is different for every procedure. However, the goal is the same, to lose weight, reduce co-morbidities, and live a healthier life.
The amount of weight you can expect to lose should not be the only factor considered when choosing your surgery. But it is important.
It’s Important To Know How Much Weight You Can Expect To Lose
Losing weight from Lap Band surgery is more than a physical change. It’s an extremely emotional process. At first it might seem like the weight just falls off. The very next month you might think you’ve hit a wall and the weight loss has stopped. Hormones are affected while you are losing weight. This can have dramatic affects on your mood. You should be prepared to battle depression after surgery. You may be elated at your weight loss and never look back. But be prepared for the worst. Mood swings are common while your body is losing weight at a rapid rate.
Losing weight from Lap Band surgery is also a mental challenge. To be successful with Lap Band surgery you will need to change your diet and lifestyle. You will have to incorporate a regular exercise routine and have a support system to prevent you from cheating. Yes, you can cheat with the Lap Band. You’ll have to forget old habits and learn new healthy habits. And you’ll have to have the self-awareness and determination to make these changes permanent.
Knowing how much you can expect to weigh after Lap Band surgery will provide you with a goal. The amount you can expect to weigh after surgery should be the first of many goals. After you reach this goal, you should have a secondary weight goal. You should also have lifestyle goals. These include things like walking 5 miles a week, tracking your nutrition daily with a nutrition tracker and hitting your nutritional goals (i.e. calories and protein).
Rate Of Weight Loss From The Lap Band
Lap Band surgery has the slowest rate of weight loss when compared to other surgeries. There is not a malabsorptive element with the Lap Band as there is with gastric bypass surgery. You will continue to absorb all of the nutrients that you eat. The successful Lap Band patient will continue to lose weight well into year two and, with the proper lifestyle changes, weight loss can continue into year three. Gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients see most of their weight loss in the first year.
Important Notes: You may have heard that you’ll lose 50% of your excess weight with Lap Band surgery. You might ask, ‘Then why does it not show my expected weight at 50% of what I currently weigh?’ That’s because the calculation is done with your excess weight. Your excess weight is calculated after your ideal weight is found. There are many formulas for calculating ideal weight. The Hamwi formula is common. To find your excess weight, you’d do the following calculation:
- Current Weight – Ideal Weight = Excess Weight
The expected weight loss percentages are taken from a peer reviewed meta-analysis done in 2004 (Bariatric Surgery – A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis).
Take Away: Remember to use this number as your first goal. 50% is an average and if you’re having Lap Band surgery with the expectation that you’ll be average, then you’ll fail. You must set your goals higher. You’ve decided to have surgery to lose weight. Other methods of losing weight have failed and this is your last chance. You are taking a real risk by having surgery. Write down the reasons that you want to have surgery and put them on your bathroom mirror. Use those reasons as motivators. Achieve more, lose more weight, and change your life. Don’t forget why you chose to have surgery. Stay motivated. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter if you want some blunt and honest motivation on a weekly basis.
New Data About The Lap Band
New data suggests higher than previously reported long-term complications and lower overall patient satisfaction with Lap Band surgery. While Lap Band surgery can be very successful for those patients that are committed to lifestyle change, because of the long-term complication rates less surgeons are offering the Lap Band. Be sure to review all of your bariatric surgery options and make sure your surgeon doesn’t only offer the Lap Band.
Use Our Calculator
Regardless of which weight loss surgery you choose, you can expect to lose a certain amount of weight from bariatric surgery. This calculator will tell you how much weight you can expect to lose from each bariatric procedure and what you can expect to weigh two years after surgery.
The calculations are based on average weight loss per procedure. To lose the average amount of weight, you’ll need to follow your surgeon’s pre-operative and post-operative guidelines.
Long term diet and exercise changes along with other habit changes can lead to weight loss that exceeds the averages used in these calculations.