maintenanceman

You're less than 2 weeks out from major surgery. You're eating almost nothing. Be gentle with yourself and patient with your new stomach. You're healing. You'll be fine.

You started at a relatively low BMI. Many low BMI folks, including me, lose all or almost all of their excess weight. You're going to do great. Just stay focused and follow the plan.

Yes. I love how my sleeve won't let me cheat. I occasionally give in to temptation and try to eat too much, and my sleeve be like "What we're not going to do today..." LOL

I'm one year post-op. I lost 46 lbs. at 3 months and 83 lbs. at 12 months. A little bit less than anticipated by the formula, but I lost all of my excess body weight, so I wouldn't have wanted to lose anymore.

If I could give one piece of advice/lesson learned, it's to push as hard as you can during the first 3 months post-op. That's the "honeymoon" period when weight drops off the fastest. Weight loss progressively slows down each post-op month, and by month 6 has typically slowed dramatically. Most people stop losing 9 to 12 months post-op. So, you have a short window in which to really take advantage of the "magic" of weight loss surgery. Research has shown that weight loss at 3 months post-op is a strong predictor of weight loss success. https://www.sages.org/meetings/annual-meeting/abstracts-archive/weight-loss-at-three-months-post-operatively-predicts-weight-loss-success-at-one-year-for-roux-en-y-gastric-bypass-and-sleeve-gastrectomy/

We're 1 year post-op! How's everybody doing?

You're swimming upstream fighting against a heavy current. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4539812/ "In simple obesity (body mass index = 30.0–34.9 kg/m2), the annual probability of attaining normal weight was 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women, increasing to 1 in 1290 for men and 1 in 677 for women with morbid obesity (body mass index = 40.0–44.9 kg/m2)" "At least 50% of patients who achieved 5% weight loss were shown to have regained this weight within 2 years. It has previously been reported that approximately 80% of people who intentionally achieve weight loss of 10% or more of their body weight will regain that weight within a year."

So, I'm at my 6 mo surgiversary. I have lost 60 pounds (down from 36 to 26 BMI), 72% EWL. I'm proud of my weight loss. I look a million times better, my diabetes and sleep apnea have resolved, I have lots more energy, and I have increased confidence to pursue my goals. My projected 12 mo weight per the online calculators is 173, and I'm currently at 167, so I'm certainly doing well. And... I would like to lose more weight, another 10-20 pounds, which would get me down to "healthy" BMI and closer to my ideal body weight. But... my weight loss has almost completely stalled. In the past month, I lost 2.6 pounds, and I haven't lost anything in the past 3 weeks. At this rate, losing another 10-20 pounds would be a loooooong haul. My daily calories have crept up to 1200 to 1400. If I go below 1200, I'm just too hungry. I will admit I could be more physically active. How should I think about all of this? Most friends and family are encouraging me to stop and be comfortable where I am... not to lose "too much." Should I just get comfortable with where I am and focus on maintenance? Or should I keep pushing against the odds?

Quest Bars are the best for me. 20 g of protein, almost half daily allowance of fiber, 180-190 calories, not a lot of crazy ingredients. And they taste great. I usually have one a day. Look at labels carefully because many/most protein bars are basically candy... not a lot of protein, loads of calories/fat.

How was your recovery? Cost? How long did you wait after reaching goal?

I got sleeved on my 50th birthday! I'm 11 months post-op and at goal. Everything worked well for me, no complications and the weight came off quickly. I have lost 99% of my excess weight... normal BMI, diabetes in remission, sleep apnea gone, tons of energy, and I look so much better. It's never too late!

I'm at goal now and reveling in the compliments, the stellar labs, the fashionable clothes, and all the benefits that come with dramatic weight loss. I know, of course, that will all die down as this "new me" becomes the "new normal." People will just expect that I'm no longer fat. I'll get used to being a smaller size. Life will be about maintenance with fewer "victories." Those of you who have been in maintenance for awhile, how did you handle the transition? What keeps you focused and motivated when you no longer have the external validation? Have you found it to be difficult?

This question is asked and answered so many times on this and other WLS forums. The upshot is that there is no "one size fits all" answer. There are pluses and minuses to each surgery, and the answer will depend on your context and priorities. Do a search. You will find literally hundreds of responses to this question. Good luck!

1) There is some disagreement about this, but I have used straws since 1 month post-op, and I haven't had the slightest problem. 2) I used the Bariatric Fusion multivitamin, and it worked for me. My vitamin levels are normal. 3) What do you mean when you say "tested"? 4) N/A 5) I can't imagine showering after surgery. Too sore, incisions still healing. I think I waited about a week. Bonus: do a search here. That question is asked often. No drain placed for sleeve.

I'm just 10 months post-op, and I feel the same way. I don't recognize that person. Others say the same thing. Even though I have been fat basically my whole life, this "new" me feels more like the "real" me.

Went to buy new clothes yesterday, and I needed a SMALL. My problem now is finding clothes that are small enough!

Has anyone used either of these non surgical techniques to deal with loose skin (or know someone who has)? Any insight / advice?

@Arabesque Keep us posted on your results!

For those of you who have entered maintenance, what was your final % EWL?

Circling back... I did, indeed, get down to 150!

To celebrate reaching my goal weight (95% excess weight loss), I had a DexaScan done to measure my body fat percentage. I'm at 20.6%, which is in the Ideal range for my age. The scan revealed that my weight loss was mostly fat and not muscle.

I would say that estimate is likely conservative. You're starting at low BMI, as I did. Your prognosis is very good. Many low BMI patients lose all (or almost all) of their excess weight. These are two great videos that talk about weight loss in low BMI patients:

No extender needed!

You lose weight VERY rapidly during your first month. I lost 25% of my excess body weight in the first month. You continue to lose rapidly (although more slowly) during your second month. Things slow down after that. But enjoy these first couple of months. It's very exciting to see the pounds drop so quickly!

I lost about 96% of my excess weight (80 of 84 pounds). It took me about 9 months, but the pace slowed dramatically at 6 months… down to 3 or 4 pounds a month.