Tamika

I was at 275. I wanted to get down to 200. At 52, it was not easy. I got down to 185-190. I have maintained that loss. I am still hovering around 188.
I still take in a ton of Protein, a ton of Water and next to zero carbs.
And I walk 5 miles every day.
It CAN be done.......I am 54 and my medical lab work has me as healthy as I was at 30.
 

I've lost 124 lbs now. I'm in a size 12-14. I go to the BMI calculator. That's a kick in the face and worse than a scale! Mine is 32...still obese. Talk about a downer! Avoid the bmi calculator if you are sensitive to a beat down.

The scale can be grueling to say the least as we all know. During those times when the scale is not moving, I suggest breaking out the tape measure. Trust me when I say those inches are melting away! I am a VERY slow looser and yet I went from a size 22 down to a size 10 in less than 11 months.
By the way... Day of surgery 265, current day 180!

Yes it does, I'm almost at my 7 month anniversary and I am amazed to see myself go from 439lbs to now weighing 278lbs. This is the lightest I have weighted in 18 years.

I am exactly at 46 pounds as of today including pre op and my date was 3/17

OH i misunderstood what you were trying to do i have no support besides this page. i had a girl that had surgery around the same time as i did. i would send her encouragement but never really got anything out of the situation. When i stopped contacting her the relationship ended. Would be nice to have someone(s) who understands what im going thro

I felt like I wasn't really losing at the pace I expected in the beginning. I was sleeved 4/6, and I have lost 46 pounds (including the pre-op diet.) So 46 pounds in 3 months. I will take it. Don't stress, follow your plan, and the pounds will leave you.

Wow in going through the same thing I thought I was the only one! The whole month of June I don't think I lost any pounds at all! I struggled and I noticed the more I seem to eat especially Protein then I wake up boom s few pounds lost overnight its so crazy

Surgery was 1/9/15, I'm not certain if I have stalled and reached a plateau with my weight, or if my diet has been poor...? I'm noticing I've been eating slightly more carbs, my provider has not specified a certain number of calories per day I should be consuming. I'm very fearful after stepping on the scale and seeing guys gone up 2.5lb... I also feel that as of lately I can eat more, this too makes me nervous. I will be looking for healthy alternatives this week to get back on the wagon

I regularly experience plateaus any where from a couple of weeks to a month long. I start taking body measurements once a month which shows that even when I seem to stall I have lost body fat in inches. Here is a copy of my past 180 days weight loss Which shows the frequency and length of some of plateau. Once I recognized it as a pattern - I stopped worrying about it. Just stay on the program and trust the process.

Has anyone else experienced this? This is my second time plateauing for quite some time! I have an appointment on Friday for my 6 month follow up, but embarrassed I didn't meet the goal set for me...

@@rfriend82 I feel that comment was extremely inconsiderate and not a portrayal of a real friend. If my friend would've said that to me, I would probably have to put a little distance between us. You need nothing but positivity in your life at this time. anyone who does not respect that should be loved from a distance!

I am also a slow loser and stalled at 270, what can i do to jump start the weight loss again?

Sorry I didn't see all your comments until now. I've been stalled at 270 for a whole month. I know I should count my blessings, and I honestly do, I just feel like the slowest loser in the world. I keep being terrified that I'm done losing weight and that I'll never make it to "onederland". How are y'all doing?! Updates please!

My surgery was July 23. I have only lost 34 pounds. I'm slow at losing too. I am just doing my best to stay on track. Keep working on my Protein and Water. At least I am going down and not up. I do have a lot of problems with my Vitamins. I can't seem to get all of them in. The Calcium is so bad! We can do this we have come to far to give up now.! Plus you have to feel better, I do.

I am a very slow loser and it's making me so upset!! I started surgery (Jully 22nd) at 310. Now two months out I weigh 280. I'm beyond frustrated. A ton of people I know have already lost 50 pounds two months post op and I'm only at 30

I started out at 250 in December and am now at 138. It's been a wild ride! Hard to recognize myself
 

Hi everyone June 17th makes 3 months for me post op surgery I am down 53lbs, but I have hit a stall for like 2-3 wks, what can I do to get the weight to start back falling off, I have 83 more lbs I wants to loose

My hope for posting this, is that someone will share what works for them (diet wise). I need the guidance of how many calories should I be consuming (I am 273lb after going up the few pounds). I want suggestions on portions, suggestions on times I should be eating, etc. it sounds so crazy, just want to make sure I'm doing everything the right way, this makes me so nervous

Well said LMD, well said. Whether you know it or not you are a mentor to many of us. Just saying

WLS Do’s and Don’ts

DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!

DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:

DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.

DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.

DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.

DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…

DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:

DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!

DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.

DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.

DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!

DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.

DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!

DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.

DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…

DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!

DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

And finally…

DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.

DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.


DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.

DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.

DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.

DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!



Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.

Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:

DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and

"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever

DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.

DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM

DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

I am a daily weigher as well. I have been doing so for almost 8 months now and it works for me. I use it as one tool to help me gauge my progress. I have had to learn how to deal with weight fluctuations and I handle it extremely well.
I have been able to see trends from week to week and month to month and it keeps me on track.
You have to do whatever works for you personally. If you cannot handle the fluctuation, then choose to weigh in at your doctors office or weekly at home or whatever works for you.
This happens to work for me.

I weigh my self every morning.. I wish i could break this terrible obsession as it plays on my mind all day every day. In all honesty, i guess I'm so afraid to put all this weight back on, that i feel some strange comfort in being able to control it by weighing daily.

I don't weigh myself unless I go to my sisters house where's there's a scale and I'll write down but other than that I don't really think about it and when I least think I lost weight that when I loose the most. My pre op diet I didn't think I lost that much and I lost 21 lbs and I found that out the day of my surgery.

I weigh myself daily but only record my weight every Monday. I get to see the daily fluctuations and can adjust my eating and exercise accordingly. My weight loss is slow but that is perfectly fine with me. I have yet to gain any weight.