Search the Community

@BlueParis I think the hardest part about this process is accepting that the weight loss happens over a full year, or sometimes even more! The stalls make it feel like it will never happen, even though it will. Just not as fast as we want. But you'll get where you want to be eventually if you keep doing the right things. I've been thinking about it and one of the things I think makes it hard for me right now is that part of my brain never really accepted or acknowledged the size I was when I reached my highest weight. I look at myself in the mirror now and even though I haven't been this weight in 25 years and the last time I was close to it was 7 years ago, in my head, this is what I looked like all along, so I don't see the difference. I'll admit, I saw a photo of myself from last summer and was shocked at my size. Did I really look like that? But I look at myself now and all I feel is the frustration I had in my mid-20s of "when will I lose this weight" because it feels like the last 50 lbs never even happened. I'm just back to a place where I recognize what I'm seeing in the mirror instead of pretending it's not there. @RonHall908 I'm also struggling with sleep. I started tracking with my Fitbit and I don't get what I thought I did. I go to bed around 10:30 and I don't have to be up until 7:00, so I always thought I was getting plenty, at least 7 hours and close to 8, but in reality, I wake up at 5:00 this time of year because of the sun coming up. In the past 3 weeks since I started tracking, I've averaged 6h7m and only hit 7h twice. For comparison, my tracker says I've had an average of 1h9m of REM and 1h13m deep sleep, with 45m awake and 3h44m light sleep. For the most part, I'm energetic. I get over an hour of walking in almost every day, with 38m in the moderate zone according to my tracker. I don't drink any caffeine. But I do have about 30 minutes between 2:30 and 3:00pm when I can barely keep my eyes open. After that, I tend to have a second wind and am wide awake by the time 9pm rolls around so going to bed earlier isn't a great option. I try to relax and read, but I still don't fall asleep until close to 11pm, and I can easily stay up until after midnight if I don't stop myself. Maybe this is just what my body wants?

agreed! i started shopping around for a surgeon the month i reached goal (7 months post in May 2019) with the intention of having it done immediately. i saw 4 surgeons. 3 of them had availabilities within 2-3 months. the 4th one (the one i wanted) had his first opening almost a year later in april 2020 ! i was disappointed but booked him anyway cuz i liked him best. but as luck would have it, he decided to open up a day over his xmas holidays to get me in. i'd like to think it was my sunny personality that moved him lol. so i ended up getting it all done in December 2019. looking back it was really good he did me a solid because the original date of April 2020 would've been the start of covid when all elective surgeries were suspended around here. i probably wouldn't have had my plastics until 2021 or later. phew! dodged a bullet there. anyway...long story short it hurts nothing to start looking around and getting an idea of whats out there and available to you. good luck! ❤️

I also didn't get any calorie guidelines -- even fat/etc. I got protein goals, and was just told to keep my sugars and carbs as low as I could for the first month. When I started on soft foods, they gave me a bit more advice for carb/sugar limits and fibre goals but it was a pretty broad range. My team basically said it was because every 'body' is different and will react/thrive/etc with different levels, but that while still technically in 'recovery' it's more important to focus on protein and nutrients that you need as opposed to the fats/carbs to limit. I mostly did my own research, put a limit in my food tracking app, and am making my own notes on what amounts I can have over a day and still be on track. Like for me personally, my targets are 80g+ protein, and under 45g carbs & 25g fats per day. I can go over one or the other by 5-10 grams without it seeming to affect my weight loss, as long as it's not both on the same day. (Most days it's not even an issue but I'm still only 2 months in myself. Early days!)

Thank you! It feels like it has been longer, but when I look at the July picture it just doesn't seem like it has only been 10 months. Scales wins are better, but inches are pretty good too. I see you just had gastric bypass in March. I hope all is well. Seems like I've had a lot of stalls. But losing 48 lbs. Since my surgery Feb 7th. Seems odd to say I had any stalls.

@BlueParis Still stalled I had my 3-month appointment yesterday. It seems I'm on track based on the numbers my doctor wants to see, which is losing at least 10% of your day-of-surgery weight at the 3-month mark. For me, that would be 22.3 lbs, and I've lost 22.4 lbs. So, I just have to trust the process, I guess. I have to go in Friday morning to have blood drawn for iron and B-12 check, and I need to redo my TSH (thyroid) from my physical earlier this week because Biotin messes up the results! So I have to stop my multivitamin and my biotin supplement for 72 hours before retesting. And @Noelle74it's so true that the weight does not just "fall off." Maybe the first few weeks, but after that? It's a struggle. Lots of ups and downs. Lots of frustration. I think a lot of trial and error, too, until you find what works for you. My plan is to just keep tracking protein and water, as directed by my dietician, for the next month. I have a vacation at the end of June. If I get back from that and don't like my progress, I will try limiting carbs to under 50g per day until my 6-month check-up at the end of August. If I'm worried at that point, I will talk to doctor about adding GLP-1. But hopefully there will be no cause for concern. My next thing is to learn how to use my resistance bands! That's my goal for the coming week.

It depends on the surgeon. I am in the midst of consultations with surgeons for tummy tuck and breast lift. Today one told me they wanted me within 10 pounds of goal weight, stable at that weight for three months. Two others are fine doing the surgery now, given that I do not intend on losing 20 or more pounds (goal is under 10 lbs).

Hi. I am using the Baritastic app which seems to set realistic goals for me to meet and they seem to be like 10-20 pound increments. I have spent the better part of 20 years above 280 pounds. My heighest weight was 412 in January of 2017. I was able to lose 100 pounds on my own over a 2 year span but I would yo-yo that 100 pounds for the past 5ish years. So my recent high weight was 393 in august of 2023, and first surgeon visit was 373, november 28th, and my surgery date of may 9th I was 334. So I do see the light but I think you are right on setting realistic goals. I think I need to make me a reward system for sticking to the plan, new clothes, new hair, new tattoo, etc. As I progress further on this journey.

As others noted, liquids typically pass through the stomach within 10 to 20 minutes and don’t risk stretching it. The stomach is designed to stretch temporarily to accommodate food without permanent change. However, consistently overeating after surgery can lead to permanent stretching. Repeatedly pushing the stomach’s limits with large meals may increase its capacity over time.

Thank you I just knew that, no matter how many surgeries I had to have, this is a once in a lifetime shot to fix what was broken and undo the damage I did for decades. Ironically, having 10 surgeries in 2 years actually forced me to slow down, think about everything I eat and drink, don't overdo it but still make sure I move my body. I worked with both my nutritionist and a bariatric therapist for a long time (still working on my body dysmorphia, but that takes a lot longer to work through) to finally get here.

I had the sleeve almost 10 years ago, and yes, it does get bigger. However, I still can’t eat near what I used to eat in a sitting. For example, I can eat 3 pieces of pizza now. I used to be able to 5-7. It happened over time, though. I second those who recommend therapy. I am about to have revision to RNY, and I have been in therapy for several months to help me be successful this time around. In my case, because I didn’t truly deal with the reasons I eat, I regained almost of the weight. Best wishes to you!!

Thank you so much! I have 4 kids. My oldest son is 30 and my youngest daughter is 10. Then 4 grandbabies. As much as I hated pictures I had to allow some in case something happened to me. Wish they would start them away in a vault somewhere though.

Ideally, maintenance is achieved when you are living the lifestyle (in terms of intake and movement) that you can foreseeably do for the "rest if your life"...even more ideally, is if you can adjust your lifestyle as your circumstances change... when u get to goal weight, you can start upping ur calories until weight loss stops. you may find you go under ur goal weight by a bit, but more likely than not, you will regain a few lbs until you stabilize (at, below, or over goal weight...u won't know until u know, unfortunately). lots of us on here worried about losing too much weight...unless u have medical conditions, this worry doesn't last long lol. i got to about 20 lbs below goal weight at my lowest. regained about 10 of those extra lbs within a year. and while i thought i was too small when i was at actual goal, i don't think that anymore, even weighing 10 lbs less. long story short, if u can leave the worry at the door, do it. Unless u are sick or your med team is worried, just enjoy the ride! you look awesome, you look like u must awesome. bask in your awesomeness!

unless you're the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life", most of us lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month, and then it's about 10 lbs +/- for a few months, then it'll drop down to 5 lbs +/- for a few more months, then about a pound or two a month until the loss finally stops. So yep - you are perfectly normal. and yep - stalls are also perfectly normal. The best way to handle them is to make doubly sure you are following your plan to a "T", and stay off the scale for a few days. As long as you're compliant, the stall will eventually break. EDITED to add: I see you're now under 200 lbs. Yep - things really slow down at that point. The last 20 or 30 lbs were a BEAR for me to lose - but I kept at it, and they eventually came off.

It took me 10 days to be able to compartmentalize everything to explain what happened. It was a lot, to be sure. I'm just so glad it's over.

Oh, and this was me yesterday after I got the incision restitched. No more preggo looking tummy!!! I still have a little swelling, but even that's gonna get better. And then the other pic is me about 10 minutes ago. I got my hair cut this morning because it's friggin too hot for long hair lol

I use my starting weight from before the pre-op diet. I was my highest when I started that, and my diet was only for 10 days, so I figured that was my beginning weight. I think my dietician uses that one, too. That puts me at 41 pounds lost as of today, and I'm thrilled. I'm with you on not having a particular weight I must reach. I don't even have a number in my head. (I did put a weight on my ticker here, but that was just for progress purposes) I think my goal is to see how much comes off and how I feel at that point. At my age, I'm looking to feel healthy, and that's my goal. I won't be a supermodel or wear a bikini! Lol. I think we are all doing wonderful, and I'm excited for each and every one of us!! ♥

I was never a breakfast eater and I've always done Intermittent Fasting and never ate my first meal before 12 PM (mind you I wake up at 5:30 AM). But since my VSG I get really hungry in the mornings, I have an oat milk coffee and wait to eat at 10/10.30 AM. My last meal of the day is at 6 PM so it explains the hunger especially with the tiny portions.

Thanks all for your support, it's seems silly to write to you all as relative strangers, but apart from my partner I haven't disclosed my surgery to anyone so you folks are "my people" right now!. I'm slightly less cold this evening and had a blood test at lunch time ... (I'm not a doctor but I do work in the healthcare field and I'm actually at an EU medical conference here so got a collègue to write me a script for one). the results are through and, I am as I thought very anemic, so much so that I have an iron infusion booked for tomorrow ( Amen to the pan european health insurance system!!) . And @LisaCaryl you also hit the spot - I have low blood pressure too - but thats not that unusual for me - doctor I spoke to said I should try and rest up a bit and take things easy. (Sort of made me laugh because after full days of conf here I have zooms late evening with my US teams because of the time difference and also found out yesterday that I get back to Paris and then after one night have to go straight to the UK for a week for more meetings ... in my 3 months (90 days) since surgery I've had a total of 23 nights at home .... C'est la vie ) I have tomorrow and Friday to get through and then my partner is flying out for the weekend and we'll go to the islands where I hope I'll have more sun! I'll layer up the best I can and will deffo see if when I'm in the US I can get some more thermal wear just in case I'm still feeling chilly , @RonHall908 @Noelle74 I'm sure I'll find a Parisian way to rock a hunting style! Or I could just go for a classic Elisabeth II look The issue I have at the moment is work attire - I have to sort of dress "smart" and because I've lost weight so quickly in the last three months ( My three month "surgerversary" is tomorrow) I've gone from a european size 44 (US size 14 / UK 16 / Aus 18) to a european size 38 ( US size 8/UK 10/ Aus 12) I'm relying on wrap dresses and cardigans with tights that just aren't cutting it warmth wize. I have to upgrade my sheer tights to woollen ones and get some thermal t-shirts to wear under my dresses as per @Briss72 suggestion ( congrats at getting under 100kg @Briss72 and I'll for sure stock up on some handwarmers for my pockets). I have a free morning tomorrow after my infusion and will see what I can buy without spending too much money as I'm still loosing weight pretty in a pretty linear way and hope it will continue for another few months so don't want to spend much on temporary clothes! Here is my weight chart (in Kg) since surgery which I'm very happy with so far... and even with all the being cold and a bit miserable, I know this was the best choice for me and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat and regret not booking surgery earlier! The first drop from 95-91 was my presurgery diet and just after surgery my weight went up ... but it's being going down steady since - I'm just on the brink of having a normal BMI - green zone! Now that was a very long post! Once again, thanks for everyones support, and sorry for being a bit of a negative nancy from time to time!

I had surgery on 3/6 of this year and am doing really well - losing steadily, no food issues, etc. I am still sleeping a ton though - feeling best getting 10 hours of sleep, which seems crazy to me. I used to go on 6-7 and never felt tired. I’m assuming it’s the extreme calorie deficit and will ask my doctor at my next appointment, but wondered if anyone else had the same experience?

You're the absolute poster girl (WOMAN actually!) for gastric sleeve surgery. So many of us here have benefited from your wisdom and willingness to share your experience. Thank you for that, huge kudos to you for getting where you are, and I hope the next 5, 10 and 20 years are just as successful and fulfilling for you.

Congratulations to you and the new improved person you have become over the years. I am 10 months post op and hope to be in the same great space you are in the years to come.

I had several stalls - but they all eventually broke and I kept going until I hit goal (actually, about 10 lbs under) 20 months later. When I tried to lose weight on my own, I'd lose at most about 50 lbs before I'd hit a brick wall and my weight would eventually start heading back up. WLS was the only thing that allowed me to break through those brick walls and lose all of my excess weight (100% of it - although I've gained about 20 lbs of it back over the years). I think it's just a coincidence that you're having a stall at your former "brick wall". Just keep plugging away at it. It does get harder the closer you get to goal, though. Those last 20 or 30 lbs were a bear to get off (and It could be that my new, post op "set point" IS where I am now - but this is way, way lower than any pre-WLS set points).

I'm going on 12 weeks post-op and for the past 2 weeks, I have been stalled. I know this is common, if frustrating. But what interests me is where I stalled. About 7 years ago, I had my most successful attempt at weight loss through nutrition counseling. I started at 251 lbs and I lost fairly rapidly and steadily for 6 months through calorie restriction and daily walking, reaching a low-point of 203.8 lbs. And then I stalled. I never got below 203.8. In fact, I steadily gained about 10 lbs over the next several months and then maintained that higher weight for maybe a year, and then gained more. When I started the surgical program last summer, I was right back at 251 lbs. Perhaps coincidentally, 203 lbs is a number I remember being fairly consistent for me in my mid to late 20s. When I weighed myself, not having dieted at all and just living my life, I was usually between 202 and 205 for several years. My question is, did anyone else stall when you reached a certain weight where you had either struggled to get lower in the past or where your body had been very comfortable for a long time at one point? I'm curious if this could be some sort of built-in set-point where my body is trying to settle itself just because it remembers being comfortable here for some reason. Like after the shock of the last several weeks it's saying "Oh, thank God, I recognize this street. I think I'll live here." I know the surgery is still doing its job and I will hopefully see this stall break soon. It's early days. But I'm just fascinated by how this particular number seems important to my body in some way. Did anyone else have a similar experience?

Only use a scale when cutting some large portions of meats into smaller portions before cooking. Generally I eyeball or use my hand as a comparison. Like palm size piece of meat is about 3 or 4ozs. A cupped palm is about 2/3 cup. Etc. Depends upon the size of your hand of course but it’s pretty accurate for me. Handy when dining out. And I count. 4 beans, 2 asparagus spears, 4 slices of zucchini, 10-12 blueberries, … Oh and olives. Yum. Salty balls of goodness (no South Park references). Especially in a martini. LOL!! Little sweet Ligurian, big fat salty green babies, mid sized oily babies. But never those in a jar. Shudder.

“I'm curious if you have gotten a bodyfat test that shows increased muscle mass 9 months after surgery coupled with weightlifting?” Great question! I do an InBody assessment once a month. One month I gained 7/10 lb in muscle but then this last month I lost both muscle and fat Very interesting video by Dr V This is helpful. Thank you!