Why we shouldn't compare ourselves to others

I was cleaning up my files and decided to get rid of some of my pre-surgery paperwork.  In my pre-surgery class, one of the other women went on and on about different people she knew and how quickly/slowly they lost weight (she was obsessed - it was so annoying!).  So the surgeon and nutritionist noted some reason why we should not compare our weight loss to others.  These are all generalizations, of course.

- Age - younger = faster weight loss
- Amount above ideal weight - heavier = faster
- Other health issues -  can impact your weight loss significantly
- Gender - men usually lose faster than women
- Weight history - if you've been obese for 20+ years, you'll take longer than those who have been obese for only a few years
- Weight distribution - apples shapes usually lose quicker than those who carry weight in hips and thighs
- Stress - the way each person handles stress will impact weight loss

There must be more reasons ... what can you add?

These are all good reasons.

I cringe when people post asking for comparisons. 

THERE IS NO NORMAL!  Really -- NO NORMAL EXISTS.

... and if there was a normal, you probably wouldn't be it.

Once you have surgery, all you have is you.  You have your own journey, your own commitment, your own pain tolerance, your own eating plan, your own motivation, your own metabolism, your own genetics, your own struggles and your own path to follow. 

What other people do or do not do, what other people lose and when they lose it ceases to matter.  You have what you have, so make peace with it and do your best with what you're given.

 also if you are working out and building muscle then the number on the scale is slower, however inches may be melting off in this process.  I stayed about the same weight for 6 weeks however dropped sizes! 2 in fact.  Everyone is different and as long as you are working your sleeve I believe that success is inevitable!

I loved your post but for entirely personal reasons....I am a slow loser....85 pounds in 10 months post op, 34 pounds pre-op over 5 months....
I fit just about every one of your descriptions....I'm a 55 year old woman; have been obese all my life and over 200 lbs for more than 25 years; am hour-glass figured; have major arthritis that limits my ability to exercise (but I try anyway.... 4 x a week !) and we just won't talk about the stressors....because....yeah....

BUT -- I am down 119 pounds from my highest weight. I lost super morbid obesity, and morbid obesity, and am heading slowly to just plain overweight.

I don't care how fast or how slow it goes. I am so healthy that I can't quite believe it !!! I have gone from a size 26/28 to a regular ladies size 16 petite !!! I can walk for a mile or even more, if it's flat -- something I couldn't do a year ago.

Yes, sometimes I get down about how slowly weight is coming off now. And that the past couple months it's been half a pound a week on good weeks!!! But I figure that as long as the scale keeps moving down at the end of a month -- even if it's only a pound in a month even....it's another victory to be celebrated

And there ARE perks to slower weight loss !

~~~~ fitting into the same clothes for a month or two saves money !!! ~~~~

I am determined to lose these last 11 pounds to get to my initial goal. And get there, I will.

thank you for posting this post, i am 52 been over weight for 35 years and have several long term medical issues including diabetus and arthritus, i am four months post op and have lost 60lb i am down from a dress size 26 last may to a size 18 on bottoms and 16 on tops i am so happy my mobility has got alot better people are noticing that i am standing up straight now and not bending over all the time but i was getting so dispondent with reading other posts where they have lost loads in a short time it made me feel that i was doing things wrong i even asked my diatitian , who told me that everyone starts at diffrent weights and sizes and diffrent problems so you are so right. xxxxxxx