Vive Bariatrics

What to Expect After Bariatric Surgery

How much weight is lost per month after the gastric sleeve? 
How much weight is lost after gastric sleeve surgery?
 


The approximate expectation in an average case with a body mass index between 40 and 50 is 2 
pounds or 1 kilogram per week, which gives us an approximate total of 8 pounds or 3.5 kg per month. 
‍It should be considered that this loss will not be at a fixed rate, it will be more accelerated during the 
first 3-5 months, and then the rate will slow down, and there will even be months in which you do not 
lose weight, but you do notice changes in the size of your body and clothing. 
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Good results take time 
Before delving into this topic, it is essential to remember that the topic of weight loss after surgery 
should be viewed as a marathon and not a sprint race. 
‍The important thing is not to lose weight as quickly as possible but to lose it gradually. In this way, 
your body and mind will adapt to this new lifestyle so that the changes are lasting and not only during 
the period in which the surgery achieves maximum weight loss. 
‍Remember that accelerated weight loss is not healthy for your body, and your skin will also thank you, 
as you will give it more time to adapt. 
‍Percentage of weight you can expect to lose 
The weight loss that will be achieved after gastric sleeve surgery is not easy to predict since each 
patient is unique. 
‍Based on statistics obtained from multiple bariatric centers around the world, it is estimated that it is 
possible to lose between 60 and 70% of excess body weight with the gastric sleeve. 
‍However, as we said, it is difficult to predict. This percentage could be considered a minimum since 
those patients who focus on changing all the aspects of their lives that have led to or conditioned them 
to develop obesity tend to lose a higher percentage. 
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Why do men tend to lose weight faster? 
Men tend to lose weight faster than women after bariatric surgery for two main reasons: 
‍1.- They are usually more overweight than women. 
‍2.- Their mass muscle percentage is usually considerably higher. 
‍It must be remembered that muscle plays a fundamental role in metabolism and contributes to weight 
loss, since it is a metabolically active organ that contributes to the consumption of calories. 
 
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How much weight can be lost during the first year after gastric sleeve surgery? 
It is not possible to predict this since each case is unique; you have to remember that the time frame of 
most significant weight loss is the first 18 months after the operation, and it is the time in which all the 
necessary adjustments must be made for a new lifestyle that allows you to maintain said weight loss. 
‍The amount of weight loss will depend directly on the patient’s initial weight: It is not the same to 
operate on someone weighing 160 kg as someone weighing 100 kg or less. The one that weighs more 
will go down faster since he has more weight to eliminate. 
 
What to expect after the first year of the gastric sleeve operation? 
Just continue to make the most of the fantastic tool that weight loss surgery represents. 
At this time, you have a third of the critical time left to achieve the goals set by your doctor or by 
yourself; 18 months is enough time to achieve them. If you are far away, you can still correct the 
course. And if you’re on your way to your goal, as is most of the time, then you have to keep up the 
pace. Even if you feel like you don’t want to lose much more weight, it’s always better to lose a little 
more than planned than to fall short of the objective. 
Regarding the number indicated by the scale, you should consider that if you follow your surgeon’s 
instructions and integrate physical activity into your daily life, you will eventually develop muscle, 
which will prevent the scale from showing continuous weight loss. Although this may cause you to 
think that you are not achieving the objective, you should see it as something expected and suitable for 
the final result since the muscle will help you maintain a healthy, stable weight with low body fat 
levels. 
You should also have realistic expectations since, as we mentioned before, the approximate loss is 60-
70% of excess weight, which will not take you to your ideal weight. Still, if you follow the instructions 
of your bariatric group, you will likely reach a number very close to the ideal; we have many patients 
who achieve much more than 60%!