NickelChip

I have a feeling if your body is happy and healthy at 190, you will eventually end up at 190. But you may need to go lower first before you bounce back up. Or you may go lower and change your mind about where you want to end up. Maybe just focus on eating healthy foods, doing your usual exercises, and how you feel physically with health and energy right now instead of worrying about the number on the scale for the next few months? A lot of this last stage is just temporary transition that you have to let yourself get through to reach the final stopping point, wherever that happens to be for you, and I'm not sure it's all that easy to control, like flipping a start or stop switch. You'll end up in a good place eventually!

With almost everyone I've encountered who lost a lot of weight rapidly and may have looked "too thin" for a while, it's a temporary thing, just until the body has the chance to shift fat around to different places and even everything out, which it doesn't necessarily do during the weight loss phase. Plus, it's an initial shock when you're used to seeing someone (including yourself in the mirror) look one way and now they are very different and it's jarring. I know within a year at the most after my brother had VSG and went from 300+ lbs to around 150 lbs (which was very skinny because he's 6ft tall), his appearance went from shockingly skinny to totally normal and healthy, even though his weight didn't go up during that time. Within another year after that, he'd gained several pounds and was at a weight he maintained for several years after that. It was all just part of the process.

i say just keep doing what you are doing, if it feels good and natural to you. i can almost guarantee you that you will NOT wither away and die. so long as you are not in any danger zones (based on labs and your doc's opinion), then you should be golden. just ride the ride and see where you end up. you will most likely gain a bit after you hit bottom, so a cushion is always good.
the fear of losing too much weight is a very, very common feeling in our demographic. very, very few actually prove that their worries were warranted long term. i've only known of exactly 1 person (if any!) on this forum for the almost 6 years i've been on here that had an almost-serious issue with ongoing weight loss..but i suspect it was mostly mental vs. physical.
i myself had a mini panic for a month or so after reaching goal. and like everyone else, it eventually became a non-issue. i weigh less now that at that time when i was panicking, and in no way do i think i am too skinny today...nor do the people who told me i was waaaaaay to skinny at 127 lbs. now they tell me i'm super hot at 118 lbs. 🤷🏻‍♀️
good luck!

I have a feeling if your body is happy and healthy at 190, you will eventually end up at 190. But you may need to go lower first before you bounce back up. Or you may go lower and change your mind about where you want to end up. Maybe just focus on eating healthy foods, doing your usual exercises, and how you feel physically with health and energy right now instead of worrying about the number on the scale for the next few months? A lot of this last stage is just temporary transition that you have to let yourself get through to reach the final stopping point, wherever that happens to be for you, and I'm not sure it's all that easy to control, like flipping a start or stop switch. You'll end up in a good place eventually!

I have to be honest about my experience so far with dietitians, and with post-bariatric advice and counseling in general. If you ask 100 dietitians what we are supposed to be doing, you will get 101 different responses. And if you ask them a second time, you will probably get even more. Too much Protein, not enough protein, carbs are the devil, carbs are fine, low fat, don't worry about fat, count calories, only count macros, work out more, don't exercise too much...
You've lost over 100 pounds. You are 12.8 pounds from your goal at only 5 months post-op, work out 6 days a week, and look and feel great. You seem really happy. I fail to see why you should change anything if you are happy with your results, unless you think the advice will benefit you. You know your body and what works for you, and unless your dietitian is a bariatric patient, she's never been through what you are doing first hand.
Take what she says with a grain of salt, except salt is bad, unless it isn't because electrolytes are good...who knows?

I have to be honest about my experience so far with dietitians, and with post-bariatric advice and counseling in general. If you ask 100 dietitians what we are supposed to be doing, you will get 101 different responses. And if you ask them a second time, you will probably get even more. Too much Protein, not enough protein, carbs are the devil, carbs are fine, low fat, don't worry about fat, count calories, only count macros, work out more, don't exercise too much...
You've lost over 100 pounds. You are 12.8 pounds from your goal at only 5 months post-op, work out 6 days a week, and look and feel great. You seem really happy. I fail to see why you should change anything if you are happy with your results, unless you think the advice will benefit you. You know your body and what works for you, and unless your dietitian is a bariatric patient, she's never been through what you are doing first hand.
Take what she says with a grain of salt, except salt is bad, unless it isn't because electrolytes are good...who knows?

One of my favorite resources is Dr. Weiner's videos (as well as his book The Pound of Cure and his weekly podcast). He talks about the type of food we eat being more important than the number of calories we eat. Here is one video that I watch probably once a month just to get it into my head. But he has hundreds of videos, so I encourage you to check out all of the playlists on his channel.
Having said that, there's a good chance you're in a stall as opposed to being done. Your BMI is low enough now that you're approaching "normal weight" and weight loss at that point gets really slow and difficult. But it doesn't mean you can't do it!

I have to be honest about my experience so far with dietitians, and with post-bariatric advice and counseling in general. If you ask 100 dietitians what we are supposed to be doing, you will get 101 different responses. And if you ask them a second time, you will probably get even more. Too much Protein, not enough protein, carbs are the devil, carbs are fine, low fat, don't worry about fat, count calories, only count macros, work out more, don't exercise too much...
You've lost over 100 pounds. You are 12.8 pounds from your goal at only 5 months post-op, work out 6 days a week, and look and feel great. You seem really happy. I fail to see why you should change anything if you are happy with your results, unless you think the advice will benefit you. You know your body and what works for you, and unless your dietitian is a bariatric patient, she's never been through what you are doing first hand.
Take what she says with a grain of salt, except salt is bad, unless it isn't because electrolytes are good...who knows?

Great job by both you and the hubby! It's so important to have that kind of support from the people closest to you. I think the hardest thing is when you have someone in your household who either doesn't get on board or is actively working against you to keep you from success. I look back on a time in my life when that was the case and know I would not have been able to do this like I am now with the support of my family and closest friends. Way to go!

4 months post-op I was really into cheese crisps. I would use all kinds of different cheese. One just has to put little piles (~2T) of shredded cheese on parchment paper, season them and air fry them 350°F until crispy. Then you could dip them in hummus or guacamole... Etc.

First time posting on these forums, so hello everyone. Glad to have found this space to talk about my experience as I find it very hard to communicate with everyone else in my regular day to day life.
I'm exactly 15 days post op (Gastric Sleeve) as I type this. And honestly, after reading many replies on here, I almost feel survivors guilt, but I do feel blessed as I thankfully did not experience many issues whatsoever. 24 hours after surgery I walked out of the hospital on my own, sore, but proud. I guess my biggest issue has been sleeping as I move around a lot while I sleep and at the beginning it would wake me up from pain for twisting and turning while I slept, and even then, that's no longer an issue. But, I never had nausea, or vomit, did not take any pain medication past the first 48 hours, I'm not trying to brag, just feeling fortunate after reading some stories on here.
Everyone has their own stories and journeys, for me I was obese my whole life. This was ok through my 20s as I felt invincible, and eventually those checks I was writing on my body came back to collect. Back pain and diabetes were first. But it wasn't until a week before the world shut down that things went really off the wall. A long term relationship ended, and as the world closed, it kept me from my support groups, and led me down a dark path of basically eating and drinking myself almost to death with nowhere to go. At my absolute heaviest I thought I would die at a staggering 407 pounds. Poetic as that's the area code for my city lol.
Knowing I had to make a change or I would not make it to 40 I went to a doctor, which led to a cancer scare. At that moment my life changed, and I knew change needed to happen now. I began diet and working out and made it down to about 375-380 where I had been hovering for over two years. Bariatric surgery is what I knew I needed to help me, and after fighting with insurance for two years, I finally got a new job last November, and the insurance there covered the surgery 100%! So I began the process in January. And on May 30th, 2024, at 10AM, I went in for surgery.
To say that life has changed, for the better, is an understatement. In two weeks I have dropped almost 30 pounds. I'm feeling amazing as far as my stomach (kinda weirds me out to say pouch lol) is concerned post surgery. Still in the liquid diet though looking forward to chewing something this weekend, as I'm absolutely sick of Jello. I am still not hungry, and almost feels like a miracle. My blood sugar is stabilizing without medication. My blood pressure is improving almost daily. Walking a mile a day does not leave me searching for oxygen, and I can't wait to start the gym on June 30th and really kick this into high gear.
TL/DR: This is a second change at life, and I will not waste it.
Look forward to learning more from others through this process. Onwards and upwards.

Thank you! And whoa... that sounds horrible with the poison ivy! I hope the steroids knock it out quickly, you poor thing!

@LisaCaryl Well done on reaching one-derland!!!
Ugh, I'm on a short dose of steroids right now, too. A little risky with bypass but I had no choice because I got poison ivy over 90% of my face over the weekend and it turned into a weepy, burning mess. Prednisone was my only hope as I literally couldn't leave the house looking the way I did and I was afraid it would lead to scarring.
From what I've read, taking the steroids for a short period of time has minimal lasting impact on weight. Just avoid salt and drink plenty of Water. Keep an eye on your tummy for any upset as it can cause irritation.

I have to be honest about my experience so far with dietitians, and with post-bariatric advice and counseling in general. If you ask 100 dietitians what we are supposed to be doing, you will get 101 different responses. And if you ask them a second time, you will probably get even more. Too much Protein, not enough protein, carbs are the devil, carbs are fine, low fat, don't worry about fat, count calories, only count macros, work out more, don't exercise too much...
You've lost over 100 pounds. You are 12.8 pounds from your goal at only 5 months post-op, work out 6 days a week, and look and feel great. You seem really happy. I fail to see why you should change anything if you are happy with your results, unless you think the advice will benefit you. You know your body and what works for you, and unless your dietitian is a bariatric patient, she's never been through what you are doing first hand.
Take what she says with a grain of salt, except salt is bad, unless it isn't because electrolytes are good...who knows?

@LisaCaryl Well done on reaching one-derland!!!
Ugh, I'm on a short dose of steroids right now, too. A little risky with bypass but I had no choice because I got poison ivy over 90% of my face over the weekend and it turned into a weepy, burning mess. Prednisone was my only hope as I literally couldn't leave the house looking the way I did and I was afraid it would lead to scarring.
From what I've read, taking the steroids for a short period of time has minimal lasting impact on weight. Just avoid salt and drink plenty of Water. Keep an eye on your tummy for any upset as it can cause irritation.

I have to be honest about my experience so far with dietitians, and with post-bariatric advice and counseling in general. If you ask 100 dietitians what we are supposed to be doing, you will get 101 different responses. And if you ask them a second time, you will probably get even more. Too much Protein, not enough protein, carbs are the devil, carbs are fine, low fat, don't worry about fat, count calories, only count macros, work out more, don't exercise too much...
You've lost over 100 pounds. You are 12.8 pounds from your goal at only 5 months post-op, work out 6 days a week, and look and feel great. You seem really happy. I fail to see why you should change anything if you are happy with your results, unless you think the advice will benefit you. You know your body and what works for you, and unless your dietitian is a bariatric patient, she's never been through what you are doing first hand.
Take what she says with a grain of salt, except salt is bad, unless it isn't because electrolytes are good...who knows?

love this spot on answer.
not totally proud of this, but i often treated my NUT like a child that needed to be placated. i let her say her peace and nod and say ok and then just left. she often had so much (unuseful) things to say that sometimes i just wanted to pat her on the head and say "good girl" for her (unuseful) efforts.
you totally figured out a winning strategy already (with zero help from NUT even), no need the fix what ain't broke. just pat her on the head next time.

Welp.... I did it... barely, but it was so nice to see this number! It's been over 20 years since I've been under 200 pounds. (my feet aren't as dirty as they look in the picture! lol)
As for the knee, the doctor said he's pretty sure it's sciatica. I would have never guessed that. I have had problems with my sciatic nerve before, but always in the lower back/buttocks area. He explained that the nerve goes down through the back knee, and that's where my pain and swelling are. He saw some arthritis in the x-rays, but not enough to be causing this pain. He's got me on a six-day steroid pack. I'm praying it works because this pain is horrible! Let's hope I can keep the weight down while on steroids!
Hope you are all doing well!

I have to be honest about my experience so far with dietitians, and with post-bariatric advice and counseling in general. If you ask 100 dietitians what we are supposed to be doing, you will get 101 different responses. And if you ask them a second time, you will probably get even more. Too much Protein, not enough protein, carbs are the devil, carbs are fine, low fat, don't worry about fat, count calories, only count macros, work out more, don't exercise too much...
You've lost over 100 pounds. You are 12.8 pounds from your goal at only 5 months post-op, work out 6 days a week, and look and feel great. You seem really happy. I fail to see why you should change anything if you are happy with your results, unless you think the advice will benefit you. You know your body and what works for you, and unless your dietitian is a bariatric patient, she's never been through what you are doing first hand.
Take what she says with a grain of salt, except salt is bad, unless it isn't because electrolytes are good...who knows?

I have to be honest about my experience so far with dietitians, and with post-bariatric advice and counseling in general. If you ask 100 dietitians what we are supposed to be doing, you will get 101 different responses. And if you ask them a second time, you will probably get even more. Too much Protein, not enough protein, carbs are the devil, carbs are fine, low fat, don't worry about fat, count calories, only count macros, work out more, don't exercise too much...
You've lost over 100 pounds. You are 12.8 pounds from your goal at only 5 months post-op, work out 6 days a week, and look and feel great. You seem really happy. I fail to see why you should change anything if you are happy with your results, unless you think the advice will benefit you. You know your body and what works for you, and unless your dietitian is a bariatric patient, she's never been through what you are doing first hand.
Take what she says with a grain of salt, except salt is bad, unless it isn't because electrolytes are good...who knows?

I have to be honest about my experience so far with dietitians, and with post-bariatric advice and counseling in general. If you ask 100 dietitians what we are supposed to be doing, you will get 101 different responses. And if you ask them a second time, you will probably get even more. Too much Protein, not enough protein, carbs are the devil, carbs are fine, low fat, don't worry about fat, count calories, only count macros, work out more, don't exercise too much...
You've lost over 100 pounds. You are 12.8 pounds from your goal at only 5 months post-op, work out 6 days a week, and look and feel great. You seem really happy. I fail to see why you should change anything if you are happy with your results, unless you think the advice will benefit you. You know your body and what works for you, and unless your dietitian is a bariatric patient, she's never been through what you are doing first hand.
Take what she says with a grain of salt, except salt is bad, unless it isn't because electrolytes are good...who knows?

Since I started my weight loss journey 2 years ago with my first surgery, he decided to change his eating and exercising habits. I lost 200 pounds in 2 years, he lost 66 pounds in 2 years. We're both absolutely thrilled
My A1c went from 7.9 to 5.0, no more more high bp or diabetes or high cholesterol (mine went from 249 to 170). His A1c went from 12.8 (yes you read that right) to 5.9, no more high bp, and his cholesterol went from 266 to 194.
I went from a size 30/5x to a size 14/XL. He went from a size 52 waist to 42. And from a size 3x shirt to XL.
And we go on 3+ mile walks together twice a week and he works out for an hour to an hour and a half twice a week with me (I work out above and beyond that). He's changed about 80% of his eating habits. He's more confident and happier, as am I .
It certainly helps when you have a supportive spouse that wants to better themselves because they see you doing well and get inspired. That's what he told me

Yeah, it's only slowly changing here so that we can find larger sizes in regular shops. I have been a bit bigger since my mid-20s, which is when I developed a thyroid issue. So when I was working in a finance office in downtown Boston years ago, I was always one of the biggest women at a size US 16/18. I was going to a wedding and went to all the department stores in downtown on my lunch breaks, but none of them had over a size 14 in the dress departments, and when I went to the (cramped, disorganized, shoved in the very back by the hot, smelly bathrooms) "plus size" department, they had no dresses! It was like oh no, fat girls don't go to parties and only need stretchy-waist track suits and sweatshirts with rhinestone-encrusted cats on them. I was prepared to spend a pretty penny on something new, and I ended up wearing the one dress I already had in my closet. And as I got larger, I stopped caring about what my clothing looked like as long as it wasn't tight. If I found one top I liked, I would just buy it in every color and be done.
Funny thing, though. Today, I put on a pair of US 16 trousers (which were tight a few weeks ago but perfect today!) and I realized I am back to the size I was in my mid-20s. But I am no longer the largest woman in the room, or even close. Our whole population is getting so much bigger. Now the department stores carry 16s, and even 18s sometimes, on the main floor, but even that tends to exclude a lot of customers. Portion sizes in restaurants are so large, and food ingredients and additives are not to be trusted even in the grocery stores. I think we have an environment that is destined to make most people overweight and unhealthy. And yet, we still discriminate against obese people.

@BlueParis I'm beginning to see why French women are known for being so thin. Your sizing compared to US sizing is designed to make you feel huge! Here it's like oh, you're a 2. You barely exist you are so tiny. If you get any smaller, we won't have any numbers for you. Well done! But in France, it's a 34! It's like well, 34 is a big number, so there's always room for "improvement". Or is it just so the shoppers from other EU countries try on the clothing in what they assume is their size and it's always tight? Because if that's the reason, I have to applaud that wicked sense of humor.
And it seems as arbitrary as ours is, as the number corresponds to absolutely nothing. Men have it easy (at least in the US). They measure their waist and inseam, or neck and arm, and lo and behold, that is their size! We take all of our measurements and then get assigned a random number, and half the time it doesn't fit some part of us, and is totally different if we go to a different shop.

For all my currently stalled folks, I want to offer some hope. I hopped on the scale this morning (like I do every morning) and I was down another 2 lbs. Since yesterday! That makes 6.4 lbs in a week, which is more weight than I've lost in one week since my very first week on my pre-op diet. I am in shock because I was so convinced deep down that the stall was going to be the beginning of even slower weight loss for me, especially now that the magical "first three months" was over. So don't lose hope!
In other news, I finally bought that air fryer I've been thinking about for a year, so hit me with your simple, go-to air fryer meals!