African American Women, slower losers???

That's what my pcp said when I went for my physical Fri afternoon.  She said that she was very pleased with my 45 lb weight loss in a little under 3 months, especially since African American  and latino women statistically are slower losers when it comes to WLS.  So to my women of color that have had wls, do you find that you are losing at a slower rate?

Well, I think you have to take in a lot of factors when it comes to weight loss. First did you do a lot of dieting? Age? Weight? I am almost six months out and down about 74 pounds from my revision surgery. I started out at 455 then had the RNY and got down to 282 and then started gaining weight. I am now at 277 which passes right by the RNY weight stall that happened.

Try not to worry to much about the weight loss at this phase you will do fine and will get to were you want to be. Since starting my journey I had a weightloss goal of 180 pounds and I changed it to 200. I changed it because I feel like I can make it to 200 but 180 is just out of my reach and so losing another 77 pounds is doable and who knows I might like were I end up. I am almost half way to goal.

Keep your head up the weight will come off your doing a great job!!!!!

Thanks soso, I appreciate it.  Mind you, my pcp isn't a woman of color herself, so I'd like to see the statistics that she was quoting from myself.  But that was her comment to me nonetheless.  Either way, I do see that everyones MMV when it comes to WL.

Hello my Elena....

I found this online - just a quick search, but I think its interesting.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20060511/weight-loss-black-wo men

That is interesting indeed my Dana! Thanks.  So they found that african american women had more fat in the adenosine receptors than caucasin women.  Hmmm, I gotta find out more about these adenosine receptors.

 You've still lost more than me, sister - my wl since surgery is 32.5 lbs and I was a couple weeks ahead of you....

 I've always heard that yes, they do, but I have not personally read any data on it.   Most of my African American friends that have had WLS have lost more slowly.    

Hi Elena,

I had the DS about 3.5 months ago and am down 44lbs with ZERO complications...ZERO food intolerances and (TMI) my bowel movements are "lovely" compared to before.

I'm not sure if my weight loss has been slower than "others" however, I do know that, so far, it's just right for me. SoSo is right about there being so many additional factors to take into consideration.

I too gave a lot of, in my opinion, uneccesary and self-defeating thought to that "slower losers/smaller honeymoon window" but now have dismissed it all together. 
What will be..will be...I'll either be statistical proof or blazing refute.

44lbs in 3.5 months as a 35 year old "light-weight" with PCOS...hmmm I dunno, it sounds good to me.


-Tabitha

I'm mixed race African American/Jewish. I had my surgery 12/14, my surgery weight was 317ish, and I'm currently sitting at 247 right now. I think my loss has been a teeny bit slow, and I've been a bit stalled for the past few weeks. But I'm nearly at 6 months out and almost at 50% EWL, which is what I'm told is pretty much where I should be.

Funny that you pointed out mixed race. I wanted to share this but wasn't sure how to introduce it...and this kind of gives me the perfect opportunity. My mom, who is Sicilian, in response to me (prior to surgery) griping about how there were reports that say Black women lose less and yadda yadda said, with a totally straight face, "How do they know which parts are Black?" Frustrated and totally confused I purposefully gave her the most contorted face I could. She follows with, matter of factly and with attitude, "Your guts are probably Sicilian". It was really funny to me but she is right....I really believe these things are all over the board especially since I completely look, identify, and classify myself as a Black woman and seem to be doing just fine. Not to mention that one of my best buds, who happens to be Latina, had gastric bypass and is kicking ass still over a year later.

(ok, maybe this was just super funny to me)