Fig. 1
Gastric sleeve
Home the same day, for most
After weight-loss surgery
How Much Weight Can I Lose?
After a gastric sleeve, most people lose weight fastest in the first 6 to 12 months. On average, people lose about 60% to 70% of their excess weight within 12 to 18 months.
Here is what that could mean for you, and what changes it.
A typical range for you
Set your height and weight and pick a procedure. You see the range people often fall within over 18 months, based on study averages. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
The weight loss timeline, month by month
What is typical after a gastric sleeve, and what your care team does at each point. Every body follows its own pace.
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First weeksHealing, on fluids
Weight often drops quickly at first, partly from water, while you move through the fluid stages. Small sips, protein shakes and rest.
Your nurse checks in, and your dietitian tells you when to move to the next stage.
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3 monthsAbout 20% to 30% of excess weight
You are on regular, small meals by now. Weight keeps coming off steadily, and many people notice more energy.
Follow-ups with your surgeon, nurse and dietitian.
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6 monthsAbout 40% to 55% of excess weight
Weight loss usually settles into a steadier pace, often about 1 to 2 lb a week. Short stalls of a few weeks are normal.
Bloodwork at 6 months checks vitamins, iron and protein.
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12 monthsAbout 55% to 70% of excess weight
Many people are close to their lowest weight around the end of the first year. Loss slows down as the body adjusts.
A yearly check with bloodwork, then every year after.
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18 monthsAbout 60% to 75% of excess weight
Weight usually levels off between 12 and 18 months. Some people lose more, some less. From here, the work is keeping the habits that help.
360 Complete Care continues to year six.
The first weeks matter for healing more than for the scale. Follow the eating stages your dietitian sets: eating, stage by stage.
What changes your result
A sleeve is a tool. How much weight you lose, and keep off, depends on where you start and on the habits you build with your care team.
AYour starting point
- Your starting weightPeople who start with more excess weight often lose more pounds, even when the share is similar.
- Your healthType 2 diabetes, thyroid problems and some medicines can slow weight loss.
- Age and sexWeight often comes off a little more slowly with age, and differs between men and women.
- The procedureOn average, SADI-S leads to more weight loss than a sleeve, and ESG to less.
BWhat you can work on
- Protein first, small mealsAbout 60 to 80 g of protein a day, or as your dietitian advises, eaten slowly.
- Water, not calories, to drinkSugary drinks, alcohol and grazing between meals add up quickly.
- Moving every dayWalking, built up week by week, then strength work your team suggests.
- Sleep and stressPoor sleep and stress make hunger harder to manage.
- Staying in touchFollow-ups with your nurse and dietitian, especially in the first two years.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Your surgeon and dietitian set targets that fit your health.
Sleeve, SADI-S or ESG
Typical excess weight lost at 12 and 18 months, on the same scale. The right procedure depends on your health, not only on these numbers.
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Gastric sleeve
About itAbout 80% of the stomach is removed. Most weight comes off in the first year.
- 12 months
- 55-70%
- 18 months
- 60-75%
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SADI-S
About itA sleeve plus one intestinal connection. On average, more weight loss than a sleeve alone.
- 12 months
- 60-80%
- 18 months
- 70-85%
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ESG
About itStitches from the inside, no incisions. On average, less weight loss than a sleeve.
- 12 months
- 35-55%
- 18 months
- 35-55%
Sleeve, SADI-S and ESG: rounded from published studies. Not sure which fits? See if you qualify.
After 18 months: keeping it off
Weight usually levels off by 18 months, and some regain over the years is common. Long-term studies show what tends to last.
That is why aftercare matters as much as surgery. Every sleeve at 360 Sleeve comes with six years of 360 Complete Care: follow-ups, yearly bloodwork, the 360 SmartTrack scale and app, and 360 Community.
- 49%of excess weight, on average, still off five years after a sleeveSLEEVEPASS trial, Finland
- 61%of excess BMI, on average, still off five years after a sleeveSM-BOSS trial, Switzerland
If weight comes back, ask your team early. Sometimes a second procedure is discussed. About revision
How the estimate works
Three steps, the same ones a dietitian would use for a first rough number. Here with 5 ft 6 in and 240 lb.
- 1Weight at a BMI of 25
25 times your height in metres, squared.
about 155 lb - 2Excess weight
Your weight today, minus that reference weight.
240 - 155 = about 85 lb - 3Typical share lost
At 12 months after a sleeve, about 55% to 70% of it.
about 45 to 60 lb
Where these numbers come from
- 360 Sleeve. Expected weight loss after gastric sleeve surgery, patient chart, 2024. Ranges on this page are rounded down from it.
- Salminen P, et al. Effect of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy vs laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on weight loss at 5 years among patients with morbid obesity: the SLEEVEPASS randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2018;319(3):241-254. doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.20313
- Peterli R, et al. Effect of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy vs laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on weight loss in patients with morbid obesity: the SM-BOSS randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2018;319(3):255-265. doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.20897
- Abu Dayyeh BK, et al. Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty for treatment of class 1 and 2 obesity (MERIT): a prospective, multicentre, randomised trial. Lancet. 2022;400:441-451. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01280-6
- Palmieri L, Pennestrì F, Raffaelli M. SADI-S, state of the art. Indications and results in 2024: a systematic review of literature. Updates in Surgery. 2024. doi.org/10.1007/s13304-024-02041-9
Some sources use a different reference weight than a BMI of 25, so their numbers can differ a little. For more detail, read How much weight can I lose with a gastric sleeve? on our blog.
Questions about weight loss after surgery
What people ask most before a gastric sleeve. Your surgeon goes through your own situation at your free consultation.
Still wondering? , or ask the assistant in the corner.
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01How much weight do people usually lose after a gastric sleeve?
On average, people lose about 60% to 70% of their excess weight within the first 12 to 18 months after a gastric sleeve. Excess weight is the weight above a BMI of 25. These are averages: some people lose more and some lose less.
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02How fast will I lose weight after surgery?
Weight usually comes off fastest in the first 3 to 6 months. By about 6 months it often settles at around 1 to 2 lb a week, and it slows further toward the end of the first year. Most people reach their lowest weight between 12 and 18 months.
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03What does "excess weight" mean?
It is the difference between your current weight and the weight that would give you a BMI of 25 at your height. If you weigh 240 lb at 5 ft 6 in, that reference weight is about 155 lb, so your excess weight is about 85 lb.
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04Why has my weight loss slowed down?
Stalls of a few weeks are common, especially after the first months, as the body adjusts. Keep to your protein, water and activity goals, and talk to your dietitian if a stall lasts longer or you are unsure what to change.
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05Can weight come back after a sleeve?
Some regain over the years is common. In two large trials, people still had about half to two thirds of their excess weight off five years after a sleeve, on average. Keeping your habits and your follow-ups helps, and your team can talk about options if weight comes back.
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06Will I lose more weight with SADI-S or ESG?
On average in studies, SADI-S leads to more weight loss than a sleeve, and ESG to less. Each procedure also has different risks and long-term needs, so the right choice depends on your health, not only on the numbers. Your surgeon goes through this with you.
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07How accurate is the estimator on this page?
It applies typical ranges from studies and from our own patient chart to your height and weight. It cannot account for your health, medicines or habits, so it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prediction.
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08Will I have loose skin?
Many people have some loose skin after losing a lot of weight. How much depends on how much you lose, your age, your skin and genetics. Your care team can talk about what helps and what options exist later.
Your first step is a conversation
A free consultation, in person in North York or online. Meet the team, ask anything and leave with a clear plan and price.
(416) 360-7360 sleeve@clinic360.com 1131A Leslie St #300, Toronto, ON M3C 3L8