Leaderboard

Just for a little perspective, a good rule of thumb is that on average people lose about 50% of their excess weight by 6 months, then it will take the following 6-12 months to lose the remaining weight because loss slows the closer you get to goal. Your 50% mark is 45 lbs, so you are technically ahead of schedule probably when it comes to your weight loss. Take a moment to let that sink in and celebrate it! That's a big deal! Yes, working out for some people slows their weight loss according to the scale because they are exchanging fat for muscle and their fluid balance changes. But, another issue is that some people don't eat enough to fuel their body and workouts when they are in a losing phase, which will also cause weight loss to slow down. You need a session with a bariatric trained nutritionist to help you work out what your target calories and macros are so you don't end up in starvation mode and ruin that nicely reset metabolism you got compliments of the surgery! Stalls are a normal part of it. I stalled one month out from surgery for 5 weeks. It was really lame and I have way more to lose than you do. But it is all part of the game! Putting too much stress on your body and emotions will definitely trigger slower weight loss too as was mentioned above. This is a marathon, not a sprint... ETA: Almost forgot---are you monitoring your measurements?? Most of us lose inches when we aren't losing pounds according to the scale. That's because even when the scale is at a halt, our body composition is changing! Take those measurements!!

I lost 57 lbs before surgery. I went on to lose about 180 more lbs after surgery. So no, losing weight before surgery won't keep you from losing after surgery. You may not see as big of a drop the first month as some people do, but that's because much of that is water weight, and you've already lost that (you'll still lose weight that first month, though) Stalls are normal and you're likely to experience several of them along the way. Most of us experience the first major one about the third week post-op - so don't freak if your weight loss stops for a couple of weeks around that time.

I can’t recall but I will say it’s exciting to see your jawline again. And cheekbones. And your neck gets thinner & looks longer. Even my hooded eyelids greatly reduced. A little warning though. You can start to look drawn & tired especially when you near your final weight. Your body needs time to resettle itself. Then you’ll be your gorgeous self. Think it took a month or two for me. You may have some saggy skin though too which doesn’t go - waaah! Oh, and there have been a few amusing stories here about people whose phone’s facial recognition didn’t recognize them anymore. A tip might be to keep updating it every month.

Stalls are perfectly normal & are an important part of your weight loss as the others have said. The first one usually begins around week 3but can be before or after this time like yours. They generally last 1-3 weeks & again they can last longer or even only for fewer days. The numbers are based on averages & so just give you an idea what might happen when. Yes they are frustrating but it’s best to let them ride out. The stall will break when your body is ready to move forward again. Don’t stress it out by making more changes other than those required by your plan so stick to it. Reduce how often you’re on the scales & try taking body measurements. Many notice that while the scale doesn’t move, their clothing fits differently. Also, if you would like more precise information about portion sizes, macros, etc, ask for them from your dietician. It’s about feeling comfortable & confident about what you’re doing, For example did they say when you should be up to a cup of food? I was told 6 months for a cup but that was what I was told for me.

I had my surgery in May ........... I looked in the mirror yesterday and noticed I HAD CHEEKBONES !!!! Holy cow - I don't remember ever seeing that !

Thank everyone for posting their experiences keep them coming it really does help to get it out there sometimes! Thank fully i only dealt with the headaches for days 1-2 then poof! I usually get migraines very easy so I thought initially i was going to be in hell for this diet but i guess because everything is balanced? My body is handling it well. I am officially 1 week away today and omg i am so tired of this lol. Ive been getting a sore throat since i started this thread ( may be totally unrelated but thought id mention it ). I miss food like i mean real food ( not processed things etc ) im actually looking forward to the moment im on mushed food after surgery lol i will treat that baby food like gold! The one thing that is saving me is the broth goodness just having that bit of flavor is a like saver, plus i was a soup person before this so seeing broth on the list was a gift. I made one of my sons ramen and another a grilled cheese yesterday let me tell you my stomach did flips i literally ran from the them after i sat their food on the table! Thankfully feeding my 1 year old is easier when shes eating baby food, i dont have to worry about the aromas etc. But when she eats food food her dad has to do it. Its one thing to make the food which is getting harder for me. But to sit there and handle it watching someone else eat it noooo buddy i cant do it at this stage.

I have the same fear! I am down 32lbs pre-op and I sit and wonder if the surgery will work LOL

Oh I didn’t realise you hadn’t had surgery yet. Your energy levels will drop & be low for a while after surgery so be ready for that. Once you lose some weight & have increased your general fitness (because you’re able to be more active), yes you will have more energy. Plus there’s a lot less of you to move about so it doesn’t take as much energy to do things. I’m a short burst of energy type of person. Still am but not lugging around that additional 40+kgs makes doing whatever I’m doing way easier. I sleep a lot better too. Before, if I got 6hrs it was wonderful. Now only getting 6hrs is pretty unusual. I can easily do 7, 8 or 9hrs. That gives me more energy, better concentration, etc. too.

Make sure we're all talking about being in the same phase of our eating. Someone 3 weeks out on phase two is going to have different needs than someone years out on solids. Just keep that in mind when giving suggestions.

I have spoken about it with him while I was recovering in my hospital bed but he wants to see how I do with the sleeve first. He said we can discuss gastric bypass long down the road if I still want it done. Not sure why I was on optifast for 5 weeks prior since my anesthesiologist told me they didn't really care to have me on it that long anyways. I slipped a few times to which I told them and they seemed rather unbothered by it. So I'm not really sure how my liver had not shrunk enough in all that time. I was 365 going into surgery. Yes heavy, but no health issues thankfully. They knew gastric bypass was all I wanted and not the sleeve due to my gerd. It is what it is, just I now can't have this reversed. My emotions are all over the place which I hear is normal, but I'm feeling really miserable and regretful. I hope this changes for me because I feel like my entire life is now ruined permanently. But I also know that I couldn't keep digging my grave with a fork and spoon either. Hopefully my mind will change as this new lifestyle becomes more second-hand nature. Not sure at this point if I'll go through another surgery at this point unless absolutely needed. The whole experience was traumatic in my opinion. The nurse was mean to me. I was in so much pain and I felt the nurse I was left with was very cold. She kept getting mad at me for asking for help to go to the bathroom. I kept apologizing for bothering her when she rushes in with an ultrasound to look at my bladder. She then says it was not possible I needed to go as my bladder only held so much liquid and she told me not to ask for help again unless my bladder was fuller. Not to mention when she took blood from me she used the same needle twice and dropped it all on the ground. I was so loopy but I saw it happen and was mortified after she left. Thankfully another nicer nurse took her place to help me after. Not saying this would happen again and all the other people were great and so kind to me, but she really made the whole scary and painful experience so much worse. Sorry venting a little.