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Nineteen pounds in 6 weeks might feel frustrating, but is perfectly respectable. It averages out to just over 3 pounds a week. Your body is likely in shock, depending on how much weight you had to lose, and won't give up another pound until it adjusts. You're fine. We need to adjust our expectations sometimes, because if you think about it, at any other point, you'd probably be celebrating your loss, not being unhappy about it. There will be ups and downs, stops, starts and stalls on this journey. You're off to a great start. You're just ready to go and eager to see changes. Go easy on your body. In no time at all, you'll be down your first fifty, and buying new clothes. It's truly insane how fast this transformation goes, even with genuinely slow losers, like me. Your life is about to change. Hold on to your hat. I'm sure your doctor will be pleased with your progress. Cheri

Yeah, I was a really slow loser. Averaged about six pounds a month. I gained 11 in the hospital. My biggest, and only, double-digit month was my first month. Don't fret! Your sleeve works! It took me longer than some people, but I made plenty of friends on here that lost just as slowly as me. And I did lose, every pound I planned on, plus more. I'm under my initial goal weight, at 7 years out. My advice for slow losers? Don't weigh daily. It's painful. Do it weekly. Measurements. I lost sizes even when the scale didn't budge. Keep going. It took me 17 long months to reach my initial goal weight, but I got there. I firmly disbelieve that one year nonsense as I am proof, twice over, of later sleeve loss. Don't be disheartened. You didn't gain overnight. You have an amazing, lifelong tool to help you lose. Let me know if you have questions. Good luck!! Cheri

Thank you! I went through a period where I didn't lose a pound but dropped several sizes. I remember fighting with the scale the whole loss journey. It was a long, slow battle. Measurements might have eased my mind. But paying attention to my sizes helped. Not weighing every day, obsessively, helped. Weekly weighing gave me a more balanced, accurate perspective instead of daily heartbreak more due to sodium intake than reality. Good, solid advice. Thank you! Cheri

I'm not a nurse but I know it has something to do with the vagus nerve. I think we put pressure on it and stimulate it when our sleeve is overfilled, or something like that. I can only imagine having it damaged during surgery would be miserable. That feeling during those minutes of "overfull" is not one I'd want my body experiencing full-time, or part-time, even. Sorry I can't be scientific. Cheri

I'm a long term vet. I'd say I was around nine months before I'd have half a piece of toast or bread. Homemade, I'm a baker. I still avoid tortilla, mostly. It swells for me and it's hard to gauge how much is too much. I don't avoid bread or carbs. I'm easily maintaining and have for years. I just choose protein first and don't overdo it. I eat bread or toast when I want, or half a bagel, or an English muffin. I just do it in moderation. Everyone is different. Carbs aren't my addiction. I avoid fried foods; they're more likely to make me want more than bread ever would. Cheri

You don't have much to lose, so yeah, that's not bad. Meat can be tough. Beef took me months and months to tolerate. I'd push what protein you can and keep going. With a low BMI, you might go a little slower, but you're definitely making good progress. I wasn't cleared for any meat until five weeks post op, so you're ahead of the curve. I think your loss is higher than mine was at this point. You really are doing well. I gained 11 in hospital, and was a slow loser, despite having a higher BMI. Keep on, and good luck! Cheri

Do you mean grazing or overeating at meals? At meals, it can be tricky to learn our full signals. I stop before I think I'm done. Signs I've overdone it are a runny nose or a heavy feeling. I never drink when I eat. We shouldn't do both. We have room for one or the other. Grazing is our downfall, and the single biggest cause of regain you'll see. Ask yourself why you're eating. If you're bored, occupy yourself. If you need to eat, make it a protein snack like raw nuts, hardboiled eggs, or cheese. Not a slider food that's calorie laden and carb heavy. Mindless eating is an old habit we have to break. It's the hardest one, I know. Every single time you reach for food you have to ask yourself why you're doing it, until you become a mindful eater. Trust me. Once this becomes practice, loss, and later, maintenance, become so much easier. I do not think about it anymore. The habit is now ingrained as a good one. It took a long time, but it happened. Good luck, Cheri

I also vape. I buy online. I've gone from 0 all the way up to 24 back down to 18. I'm currently on 18, but usage way down. I found if I use higher nicotine, I use it way less often. That's me. But I'm way farther out. And I'm glad I'm vaping, as I started smoking at 12, only quitting sporadically during pregnancies and nursing over the years, never quite keeping off long term, or more than two years. My tank holds the equivalent of a pack, it takes me two and a half days to use it. I used to smoke a pack and a half a day. It's an improvement. Cheri ETA: I would give yourself a little time to heal, but I recently had surgery and vaped before and after with surgeon's ok. No issues.

I don't want to completely hijack this thread, but I'm so sorry. My dad was sudden, too. Not going back to old emotional eating habits was hard. I think stress alone put weight on me, plus simply grazing and not caring what I ate. I'm glad you've done well with your surgery. Being mindful is the battle with all of our operations, isn't it? We do that, we're half there. Cheri

Have you had an barium swallow? Zero restriction on solid protein? That's a sleeve issue. You should be feeling something. I get that not everyone has as much restriction as me, but 3-4 oz of beef should make anyone's sleeve feel something. I'm so sorry. I hope there's something that can be done for you. The one thing we want to count on is restriction. Cheri

I had a small regain after my dad passed away. I had a new baby, I was suffering PPD, life was just crazy. I gained seven pounds. I readjusted my goal down and took my excess plus that (and more, a total of 27 pounds) off. It took a long time, but I'm a notoriously slow loser. I kick started with a 10 day green smoothie thing. I did 2 smoothies with protein during the day and protein snacks like raw nuts, cheese and hardboiled eggs. I had lean protein and veg meal for dinner. After the 10 days I was down a couple pounds, but more importantly, my carb cravings and grazing were under control. I was fully ready to do protein heavy eating and stuck to a sleeve loss diet with no problem. The biggest issue with loss for us is grazing. Those foods are usually calorie heavy, carb-laden junk that will quickly make us gain, and keep us craving more. The sleeve made it easier to lose, not harder. There isn't a honeymoon once your sleeve has healed and is at capacity. It still works, even years out. I lost that weight years after my surgery. You can do this. It might be slow, but the weight will come off. Mine did, and I've maintained that loss for 2.5 years. Good luck, Cheri

I did at least 80 g protein a day, about 800-900 calories and I needed carbs, so 75-80 g carbs. I got them in a higher carb shake or in my snacks between meals or just with careful meal planning. This worked for me. I was a very slow loser. Six pounds a month on average, losing only two weeks a month, no matter what I did. A couple 3 week stalls, a 6 week and a 9 week. To get through stalls I just pushed forward, making sure not to graze. I was big on water, using flavor drops or fruit to flavor. It's important. I'm awful about exercise. I moved more, still do. I take stairs, I'm active. I had periods of strength training. But overall, I'm an awful role model when it comes to fitness. Good luck. Keep plugging away. Sometimes our bodies fight us on those last pounds, but they will come off if we're dedicated. Cheri

I'm so sorry - I just realized I didn't respond to the OP. Grazing is a hard habit to break and is one we have to be careful about. But the rest of your post sounds like you're beating yourself up a bit. Refocus. Sometimes meals are unappealing, even now for me. But we need to eat. Even if you don't want to count calories, focusing on mainly protein, then veg and getting carbs/starches last will lead to loss. Nip the grazing. Ask yourself why you do it. Boredom? Find something to do. Find a food you can eat if all else fails. Raw nuts, hardboiled eggs, cheese. I know, I know. But eventually, the habit will fade into something you control. It's our heads that need work. Your head is tired after a year of work. But everything I said earlier applies. You got this. Cheri

Sweetie, I'm seven years out and past shakes. But I mixed with water and was fine. Later, coffee - that was my favorite. Don't give up on protein, it's the key to success! Cheri

I assume you would have mentioned it, but have you started birth control or a new medication? Both have made me lose hair in huge quantities in the past. Otherwise, hormones are probably the culprit, as previously suggested. I'm so sorry for you. I've endured this three times in my life. No fun. I hope you figure it out. Cheri

Why would you be beating yourself up instead of celebrating your success? You're close to goal. Are you drinking Starbucks everyday and grazing on sweets uncontrollably? If so, address it as a problem. If not, be realistic. You're about to transition into maintenance in fifteen pounds. Eating normally, enjoying a treat occasionally, is normal. Moderation is key. Weight loss does slow down - as we get smaller - because we have less to lose. It still comes off, even many years post op. Our sleeves still work. I'm proof. I don't know why so many people panic over this one year fantasy magic number. It took me 17 months to reach my first goal. Had a baby 2 years post op, after a bit I lost 27 more pounds over 14 more months. Slow going? Oh yeah. But I'm tiny - 5'1" and 118 (actually 116 today) pounds. Weight loss was always slow for me and excruciatingly slow the closer I got to goal. But maintenance has been a breeze. I eat like a normal person. Protein focused, mostly, but I do my Starbucks on occasion. And dessert, small portions, if I want. If I'm doing this for life it can't feel like a diet. Congrats on your loss, and keep going. You've got plenty of time and will see goal soon, I'm sure. Cheri

Are you mixing with milk? Dairy causes a lot of us issues post op. My previous lactose intolerance became a serious issue for about two years post op, then gradually faded. I still don't drink milk or eat ice cream. All other dairy is okay now, in reasonable amounts. I did best on Nectar but four or five other brands tore me up. Otherwise, it could be sweeteners, additives, whatever. You'll have to find what works. It might be a lot of trial and error. I ordered samples online, and that helped. Good luck, Cheri

I let my PCM know what I was doing. She did labs afterward at a few months post op and a year, and followed up on my diabetes remission. She checked my incisions, but I was fine and had no complications. Had I, we're military. I'd have gone to our hospital, but been billed. You would have to find someone willing to operate on you, or if it were an emergency, seek emergency care. It would be expensive, depending on what was wrong. This is where a lot of the burden falls on you, the surgeon and circumstance. Honestly, I felt confident in my surgeon's solid reputation, and I had a ten day stay in Mexico. But complications would have been on me. I chose someone with a very low leak percentage, no fatalities and an enormous number of positive reviews. I watched and paid attention. Everyone had the same good things to say, even a year later, even those who experienced sleeve regret. Nobody complained about him. He's since passed away. But being cautious about him, and paying slightly more made me feel I was in better hands. Just my experience. You can't predict, even stateside, if you'll fall in the small percentage that has a complication. But being extremely cautious about choosing who operates on you, and what facility they use is the first step. Cheri

There are a lot of us that self paid here. I did it because at the time, insurance would only cover band or bypass and I was set on a sleeve. I researched for a year, joined here, lurked, joined discussions, etc. I was between 3 surgeons, 2 stateside and 1 in Mexico. Ultimately, I went to Mexico. We took out a loan through our bank, and it was simple and painless. It covered the surgery and my flights. The price of surgery has come down considerably in the last seven years. Whatever you decide, I've never regretted the money we spent. It bettered my life in so many ways. Good luck, Cheri

That's utter crap. I'm seven years out. It took me 17 months to reach goal. Two years post op, I had a sleeve baby. After her, I adjusted my goal down ten pounds and lost my baby weight plus 17 more, down to 118 - 3.5 years post op. Slowly, just as slowly as my initial loss, yes, but loss happened. In the year post op, I'd say my sleeve doubled in size. Before you panic, what does that mean? That I can eat three ounces, maybe, of protein (half that if it's beef), and a half cup of veg. A few tiny bites of starch or carb and I'm done. SEVEN years out, and this is my limit. Half a burger, done. One slice of pizza. A cup of chili. I could go on. I have ridiculous restriction, and my hunger never returned. The sleeve doesn't stop until you do. You can lose well beyond a year. Cheri

There are people with all of the surgeries that have lost weight and regained or that got to goal and bounced back a little bit. I'm seven years out in a few days. My initial goal was 135 and I started at 242 but I was heavier than that (286) when I started researching this surgery. My insurance only covered band or bypass and I researched a solid year before choosing to self pay instead, even though I easily would have been covered. I was a slow loser and it took me almost a year and a half to reach my first goal. Two years post op I had a baby. I readjusted my goal to 125 and it took me about 14 months to get to where my body wanted to be which was 118 pounds. I have very easily maintained that for the last 2.5 years. My sleeve still gives me ridiculous restriction. I could eat around it and graze all day, I'm sure. But I eat what I want, stick to sensible food choices most of the time and I easily maintain. In the loss phase, I did shakes for years and protein, protein, protein. Yes, I ate carbs, but watching what I ate was how I lost. Transitioning to normal eating slowly made me successful in maintenance. I do not have nausea, diarrhea, or any real complications. I have acid reflux, which I take a PPI (omeprazole) for, daily. I had lactose intolerance prior to my sleeve and it was initially worse. After a few years it got better. I still don't drink milk or eat ice cream, but I couldn't do that before surgery. I know this is long. I hope it helps. End story: the sleeve works amazingly well, long term, and doesn't stop until you do. Good luck, whatever you decide. Cheri

That's a long stall, and I'd be horribly frustrated, too. So, I lost, on average, six pounds a month. But my longest stall was nine weeks. I'd say going back full liquids might be good, but if that's too challenging, try two protein smoothies or shakes (not too high in calories), high protein snacks like cheese, raw nuts and hard boiled eggs, and a lean protein and veg meal for ten days to two weeks. Stay off the carbs, coffee and sugar for that time. Don't graze. It's our downfall. That should shock your body into giving up the first few pounds, and hopefully, more will follow once you go back to protein and solid eating afterward. Best, and stalls happen. They suck, but keep pushing forward. Cheri

I get meat - usually carnitas, as beef is hard on me. No rice. Salsa, beans, guac (but I ask for them to go easy), cheese, sour cream. Easily 2-3 meals, even 7 years out. Cheri

Congrats on your amazing success! I am 5'1" and had surgery weighing 242. My initial goal was 135. After I had a sleeve baby, I readjusted that goal to 125, but eventually my body chose my goal weight for me and settled between 116-118 pounds. I've been maintaining there for about 2.5 years now. I'd say go for the extra pounds, but if you're worried about skin, go more slowly. The skin can rebound a LOT in year one and two post goal, though, even without plastics, and strength training can help you look and feel better. I want plastics (keep putting it off) but don't NEED them, even with a 160+ pound loss from my weight when I started researching the sleeve. I'm 7 years out in a few days, and I keep telling people this: be the size you want to be, so long as it's healthy. Nobody gets to tell you you're too skinny. That's just as crappy as when they gave us a hard time about being obese. It's not okay. Good luck, you look amazing! Cheri

Yep, protein and strength training will take you there. They'll transform your body. I have a friend that's doing it and it's crazy how much her body has changed. Congrats on your loss so far! Cheri