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Always remember, we all lose at our own rate. Some are slow losers while others lose more quickly. There’s no right or wrong rate of loss. Sure there are generalisations & averages but you should never use them to judge if you’re failing. It really is impossible to compare your loss in pounds or inches to anyone else. So many factors influence your loss. Body shape, skeletal frame, age, genetics, starting weight, where you carried your weight, general health, genetics, etc. As you lose more weight you’ll notice you’ll drop sizes more quickly. Sizes tend to differ by 2 inches. It takes a loss of more pounds to lose 2 inches around your body when you’re bigger than when you’re smaller. That lose ‘10lbs & drop a dress size’ only applies to people who are pretty much in a healthy body weight range to begin. Took me a good 10/15kg (30lbs) to drop a dress size & a bit when I first started losing. How much exercise you do is really personal. Yes, there are lots of benefits but, for most, exercise only contributes to about 10% of the weight you have to lose. Have 100lbs to lose, exercise will burn 10lbs. I didn’t really exercise at all & I lost all my weight & more. All I do now is some stretching, & use resistance bands. I wouldn’t burn 40 calories. Ha! But that’s me. You’ll get there but in your time.

You seem to have a really cynical outlook on all of this. I, too, am a scientist by profession, and I've always been a bit of a pessimist, but I think sometimes, it's worth giving people the benefit of the doubt. It looks like you don't think your bariatric team has your best interests at heart. I know you've been burned before, and I also know what it's like to be constantly judged as stupid, lazy, noncompliant, untrustworthy, unworthy, etc. because of my weight, so I can understand your feelings about this, but don't forget that these are people who have devoted their careers to providing weight loss surgery. I'm not saying that they all genuinely care about alleviating the plight of the obese, or that they're sympathetic toward those of us in a position of needing this surgery, but I doubt there are very many medical professionals in the bariatric surgery field who are out to punish and criticize fat patients just for fun (or out of personal dislike of fat people). If for no other reason than their own self-interest, chances are that they want patients to succeed with weight loss surgery, and they are probably doing what they believe will contribute to their patients' success. Another thing to keep in mind is that sometimes people can be right for the wrong reasons. I've run into this in my own job, where someone has told me something that didn't seem to make sense, and I (as someone like you with an inquisitive mind) have gone looking for the real story, only to find that what I was told was correct, even though the reasoning was not. In this case, your dietitian might be giving you good direction even if she doesn't actually understand what she's talking about. Just because that dietitian (or even the whole bariatric team) doesn't know or understand the reasoning behind the rules, it doesn't necessarily mean that the rules are incorrect or arbitrary. Finally, if you hang around this forum for long enough, you will see that many patients want and need a lot of hand-holding. Some people would rather be given strict but arbitrary rules than loose guidelines. People are constantly on here posting questions like, "I had surgery X days ago; can I eat Y?" And honestly, considering that, I can't blame surgeons at all for wanting to make things as black and white as possible so they don't have to spend all their time answering these incredibly specific questions, tailored to each individual patient. Most patients are not medical researchers, and many want definitive instructions from their doctors. Many people would be paralyzed with indecision if they were told, "Some studies say X and others say Y; you figure it out." Ultimately, it's up to you to decide how closely to follow your surgeon's directions, and if you do your own research and believe you have found a better way, you can make that decision. But I would venture to say that you will likely have a better experience if you have a mindset of working WITH your bariatric surgery team instead of taking an adversarial approach.

I'm 4.5 months out from my surgery and at 5'2" I've lost 65 pounds so far. I've gone down from a size 22/20 jeans to a size 14 or in some cases even size 12. To put in perspective, my older sister who had the same surgery (RNY) a few years ago, also 5'2, had lost 45 pounds at the point I'm at. This shows how different weight loss is individually. In my case a lot is probably from nutritional issues and losing weight too quickly. That's an ongoing issue my team is still trying to work out. It's hard to get enough nutrition when you are full for the day after literally one bite of something in the morning.

Re: does it really matter I mean, yes. There are other possible bad outcomes besides literally dying. If the effectiveness of bariatric surgery comes down in large part to microbiomic changes, for example, suggesting that I remove all fiber from my diet until over 6 months post surgery and introducing large amounts of artificial sweeteners into my diet could in fact work against positive changes to the gut microbiome. If my ability to lose weight pre-surgery comes down to emphasising foods that extend satiety (fiber, protein, fat), dramatically reducing my fat and fiber intake before surgery could cause me to overeat or binge eat and my weight loss to stall or reverse. If long term success comes from following one's hunger cues, teaching myself to eat according to the clock they've set, whether I'm hungry or not, in order to meet arbitrary goals could limit my weight loss long term or trigger binge eating again. They're not suggesting I take a spoonful of arsenic at bedtime, but that doesn't mean that their suggestions are neutral. They have no systematic evidence that their program creates success for the average patient or not. (The great part of this sort of program, from the practitioner perspective, is that you can almost always blame poor outcomes on non-compliance.) Some of the program requirements for the pre-surgery diet are literally impossible to follow at the same time. I can't take one or two bean-sized bites per minute, finish meals in less than 30 minutes, and eat 2200+ calories per day without a significant portion of those bites being high fat meats, full fat dairy, or, I dunno, peanut butter straight out of the jar, all of which are verboten. So regardless of what I'm doing now, I'm not compliant. It's not possible to comply fully. (The handwavy answer was "healthy fats". I have no idea how much avocado my dietitian expects me to be able to eat. I suppose technically if I ate just chicken breasts with avocado and nothing else...) I'm also not the average patient anyway (it's probably pretty clear at this point that I'm not neurotypical, for example, I understand that people with regular would either comply or lie without much difficulty either way), so even if their arbitrary program did create success for the average patient for whatever reason that means very little for whether it would work for me. The arbitrariness and the ultimatum annoy me. The fact that I'm being asked to disregard everything I know about how I personally deal with change to adopt a post-surgical style diet (low-fat, regimented, and frequent) half a year before any potential surgery date with an intact GI system, that I'm expected to throw away everything I know about what I need to lose weight, stop binge eating, and have the energy to do intense exercise frightens me. I'm terrified that I'm going to gain weight or relapse into binge eating (thus getting denied for surgery) and I feel like they're pushing me into that direction. All because Typical Tammy deals best with gradually introduced changes over a long time period and simple, unambiguous, authoritative instructions from medical professionals she sees as trustworthy experts? Nah. I mean, I'm sure there are, but this is the only one I have access to. And, ultimately, it doesn't really matter, as long as I can jump through their stupid little hoops, I can get what I need from them. It's just.... a long and irritating process of circus training. I'm not really looking for advice or anything, I understand the options and am resigned to them, this is a rant and rave.

Oh gosh I think it's human nature to compare ourselves to others in a similar boat! I do all the time, for good or bad. OP - 4.5 months after surgery I had lost 43lbs. I've gone on to lose 115 at just over 10 months so I think you're bang on target to reach goal. I wish you all the best on your journey. I have also noticed that weight loss and changes in clothing size are absolutely not linear - there are times when I have lost lots and not gone down a size like *forever*, and vice versa.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but if there's one thing you'll here on this site perhaps more than any other it's this: don't compare yourself to others. There's nothing good that can come of it. Even if you found someone that was your exact same starting weight, height, and even had surgery the same day, there are still way too many other variables that could impact your progression. Just some examples: age, physical fitness, %body fat, basal metabolism, diet, bougie size, surgical complications, etc. Honestly, it sounds like you're doing fine. If you're not happy with your loss so far, talk with your bariatric team. They may have suggestions for you such as increasing the amount and type of exercise and/or changes to your diet. Best of luck!

Hey Guys! I'm at the mid point in my weight loss journey. My starting weight was 241 and now I'm 181 (4.5 months out). I went from a size 22/24 to size 18. My old size 18 pants are slightly lose but nowhere near enough to go down a size. I figured at 65 lbs. down I'd be a smaller size. I've kept up on my protein but really skimmed on exercise, so maybe I should have lost more body fat by now. Can anyone with similar specs share about where they were halfway through the journey? Current Measurements: 5'2" As of 9/14 Waist 38.5 in Thighs 23 in Hips 46.25 in Arms 16 in Neck 15.75 in Size: XL; 18

I went to my final pre-op appointment yesterday. Was nervous about being delayed bc the weight was up a few pounds but I was approved at all stops (surgeon, labs, anesthesiologist) to move forward! I’ll be the first case of the day on my surgery date too which is nice, the only procedure that’ll be done on time that day as they said lol. Been on my liquid diet for a few days and I’ve been doing all right with it, hope to get in every last bit of weight loss I can.

Valid, very valid! My entire family is obese, immediate and extended. Literally every single person... I have fault it my entire life and never remember seeing the "100's" on the scale. I am 6ft tall so I don't know if I ever will but I would like to see 199 just once so I can say I officially weighed under 200 lbs. I just posted about this earlier today. haha Obviously I didn't go from toddler weight to over 200 lbs but I guess I was over 200 once I was at the age to weigh myself and remember. Regardless, I have struggled with loosing and gaining over 100 lbs multiple times through my life. That is what brought me to surgery. I hope it helps me maintain my weight loss this time.

Just keep drinking! Also there’s a short weight loss stall near you. Not to worry about, ignore the scale when it happens. Look up 3 week stall on here to see more. You’ve got this!

Looks like my last post was on July 27. Things have slowed down quite a bit. Still doing well though. I finally cracked into the two-sixties with a weigh in last Saturday of 269. That would be -134 overall. In the last 2 weeks, I've increased my walking and hitting the gym. Body comp definitely changing so I'm less concerned about the scale at the moment. I still see losses in my face and the way my clothes fit even if its a bit less off the scale. My goal is to crack the two-fifties before Nov 15... my 1 year anniversary. The last time I was that weight was high school... 30 years ago. Feeling good. Arrhythmia gone for a few months now. Getting stronger.

Good question! I don't have any answers but I think about this too. I picked a "goal" weight based on how I felt/looked after a large weight loss years ago. I got down to about 255 lbs and looked shockingly small in pictures. I felt great so I kind of picked 225 lbs as my goal weight to get just past that. My surgeon agreed with it as a healthy manageable goal weight. Really, I would like to see 199 on the scale ONE time but then bounce back to around 225. i only want to see 199 so I can say I did. haha. I literally NEVER remember a time I saw a "1" in the front of my weight. i think by the time I got to the age of caring or even knowing to weigh myself I was already over 200 lbs. I don't want to stay there because I am 6ft tall, and my personal preference is not to be "skinny" but to be healthy and comfortable. Honestly though, I am taking it day by day. If I get to 250 lbs and I am good with it then lucky me. If not, I will keep pushing until I am satisfied. I am already off all medications and healthy so I have already won in my book.

How much is it going up? The reality is weight loss is never a straight downward line. It zigs & zags & goes up & down. A gain could be fluid retention (as you said you have), constipation, hormonal fluctuations, your usual weight fluctuation, etc. as long as your general trend is downwards your doing fine. Do you weigh less today then you did three weeks ago? And yes stalls happen. The first often around week three ( yes, I did say first) & they can last 1-3 weeks. They are just your body shutting down (needing a break) in response to the stress of all the changes (to your diet, reduced calories, surgery, weight loss, etc.). They always break & you’ll start losing again when your body is ready.

I am one to say follow your program because there are differences as well as similarities. Though I often also say, if the program isn’t working for you, speak to your surgeon or dietician. I recognise there are weaknesses in the American health system & the ridiculous power of insurance companies: If you don’t do what they say & get all the right boxes ticked you can’t have your surgery power. Through reading posts here, there also seems to be many medical practitioners who do not look at each individual case & don’t make adjustments to their program to suit the individual patient’s needs. And dieticians often seem to promote their own ideologies & current fads. I saw a documentary a few years ago that spoke about the influence of large food production corporations on the curriculum in schools & in medical courses at colleges/universities - scary stuff. Things aren’t perfect in Australia, & I’m sad to say, we’re slowly going down the US path, but my experience was much different. I’m sorry yours has been so negative. My surgeon & dietician did consider me, my needs & circumstances. For example, my surgeon puts different patients on different pre surgical diets. A friend was on all shakes while I was put keto. He said I didn’t need to see a therapist (he gave me the name of one if I wanted or needed) but he sent her for several appointments before her surgery. My dietician, though not perfect, was at least open to my preferences & needs. She advised the keto diet only for the two weeks pre surgery saying it should only be followed for the short term to kick start weight loss (something I already believed). She didn’t give me specific macros to reach (apart from protein) but only recommended low fat, low carb (multi or whole grain low processed only), low sugar. I did a lot of my own reading & discussed my thoughts & what I wanted to do. I eventually devised my own way of eating & what foods I wanted (& needed) to eat, avoid, restrict or reduce. She’d make suggestions about alternatives & things I could add to make sure I was getting in my nutrients (she always checked my blood tests). I guess the big difference was my surgeon & dietician wanted to support me & help me achieve my goals. If yours aren’t supportive, don’t listen to your needs & are simply following a genetic ‘one program suits all’, find a new team (if you can). And especially in your case, if they don’t recognise you are an intelligent, well educated & are highly knowledgeable in the medical field, give them the boot. All the best.

Yes! I feel the same like surprised at how so many things heal after the weight loss. Now I feel it's all momentum that since I lost 💯 how much more better would I feel if I lost say 50 more! It is great to hear that you have victory over your asthma!

I live alone, my daughter picked me up from the hospital. I have friends that are supportive but no one to really talk to on a daily basis about weight loss. I was just fine. My biggest problem post op was my neck was so painful from being in the position they put your head in to intubate. Have bad arthritis in the neck, so I wasn't surprised. To be honest, my neck and the headache it gave me were worse than any abdominal discomfort. 4 days after I got home my German Sheppard was dropped off to me, his legs had gone from bad to worse. Poor guy was in so much pain and long story short was euthanized 3 weeks later. I was so busy caring for my baby that I just went into auto pilot mode. If it had been a difficult surgery, I don't know what I would have done. The abdominal pain was minimal. Had no problem walking or getting around. Good luck to you, you've got this!

Mine has finally started to level off, I knew I would be a "loser." My hair has always been very sensitive to major stress or changes. When I was going thru a divorce, I had a big bald spot near the back of my head. So this time, somewhere around 3-4th month I started losing like a handful of hair every time I brushed. There was always hair on my shoulder. I don't have an overabundance to start with! So now its really slowed down and ready to grow some back.

It’s a strange one, because I can now fit into some size US8/AU12 clothes which was always my “goal size”, yet I’m still 4kg from my goal weight. I could stop now and do maintenance and be perfectly happy. Weight loss is very slow at this point. But I personally still want to lose this final 4. If I can’t, however, I won’t be disappointed. My results have been better than I could have hoped.

Actually maybe the correct question is - how did you know when you were done? I am within a couple of pounds of my original (completely arbitrarily chosen) goal weight. Which by the way I never really believed I could reach. I was sleeved 10 months ago and am still losing around half a pound a week on 1200 calories (ish) a day - a bit more at weekends because I drink some alcohol then. I am hungry at times but I can keep that at bay by eating lots of protein snacks alongside my 3 meals a day, which are protein and veg for the main - still not much in the way of carbs. My question is - did you just select a goal weight and stick to that? Did you achieve/maintain this by intentionally increasing your calorie intake once you got there? I'm thinking I could easily go up to 1600/1800 calories a day and probably maintain at that or thereabouts. Or did you just keep going as long as you could, staying on the right side of hunger (AKA deprivation, LOL) and see how low you could go, and does the weight loss then fizzle out? If I did that would I ever be able to up my calories again without gaining? So many questions, LOL. I would really appreciate your thoughts and experiences.

Amazing amazing amazing. What a transformation. I really look forward to the rest of your weight loss journey @SleeveDiva2022

One of the more irritating side effects of WLS! Mine started shedding really heavily around the 5th month and kept going for a couple of months (and I lost a lot in the end). I'm seeing some regrowth at 10 months. Totally agree, a shorter length looks better with thinner hair.

I'm gonna repeat what the others have said - I hope that isn't too annoying! If you're eating 1000 - 1200 calories a day you will be losing fat. Whatever water shifts are happening are making it appear that you're not. This happens to everyone. You have lost 21lbs since your surgery - I lost 17lbs in my first 6 weeks so you're doing better than I did (not that it's a competition, LOL). If you stick to your plan you will see sustained fat loss - it's not possible not to. Keep the faith - I know how disheartening it is not to see a change on the scale but I promise you - if you stick with the programme in a year you'll be here posting how you're at your goal weight. Post here lots - everyone is so supportive and helpful - we are really rooting for you!!!

You're welcome! Both medications delay gastric emptying, so that can definitely bring back the restricted feeling. I haven't had any side effects with Mounjaro yet. I ended my Saxenda run at the highest dose, so the beginning dose of Mounjaro (2.5mg) probably won't be an issue. I move up to 5mg next month, so we'll see what happens then. My side effects with Saxenda happened early on and were very mild...fatigue and a little nausea during the first week. I was fine after that. I am grateful to have a bariatric doctor that is educated on GLP-1s and open to prescribing them when needed. I didn't want to go the revision route (and probably wasn't a candidate because even with the regain, I've maintained over 70% of my original weight loss). I just needed an additional tool. [emoji4]

That does feel really unfair. Is there no way it could be considered skin removal primarily to treat your medical condition and, if so, could the surgeon call it something else? I'm sorry I don't know anything about how insurance works. I'm so sorry you've been left with this after all your hard work. Absolutely amazing loss.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR LOSS! Sorry, insurance sucks! You mentioned a husband, are you on his insurance or him on yours? Is it possible to look into the other persons insurance and maybe switch over if it is covered under the other's plan? Just a suggestion.