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It’s so hard! I have gained five pounds since getting the band removed 3 weeks ago…. :( feeling very anxious. My program says they won’t do surgery if your weight on surgery day is more than when you started! I’m within 4 pounds of that and have 3 weeks to go :(

Same! Had band since 2007. Removal in November 22. Bypass schedule for June. I gained 22 pound after band removed. Super depressing.

You can’t break a stall. I know some will say I did by doing this or that but what happened was their body was ready to break the stall. Stalls are an important part of your weight loss. It’s the time the body takes to readjust to the stress of the changes you’ve made & making. It’s also the time your body uses to reassess your needs & adjust things like digestive hormones & enzymes, metabolic rate, etc. Even though the scales don’t move, many find their clothes get a little loser which I think is part of your body readjusting. My body kept settling & changing shape for a time even after I’d stopped losing & my weight had stabilised. How many stalls you’ll experience & how long they last (most tend to last 1-3weeks but can be more) will depend on your body & it’s needs. Stick to your plan, don’t make big changes to stress (or confuse) your body more than your plan advises & the stall will break when your body is ready.

A lot of factors come into play in regards to how much lose skin you’ll have. Age, genetics, gender, how much weight you lose, how long you carried your weight, weight loss & gain history, etc. The lose skin you end up with is skin that has been stretched out to a point that nothing can make it bounce back and the only way to get rid of it is through surgery. I always compare it to a well used hair band that has lost it’s stretch - can’t do anything with that. Collagen, while it has its benefits, won’t stop or get rid of the amount of lose skin most of us have. Some people will suggest exercising but this only works on the supporting muscles not on the skin itself. I have lose skin. Not a lot (not handfuls but good pinches over my body). I can still wear body conscious clothing without support garments. More from good genetics I think. I chose not to have surgery to remove it. I look at it has something I earned through my efforts to lose my weight. It’s a reminder to keep me on track. I’d rather have my lose skin than be 200lbs again.

Heyyy! I'm 5'2, my highest weight was 295 but I was 200lbs the day of surgery. I'm 8 months post-op & I'm now 133lbs (I surpassed my goal weight, I'm now aiming for 130lbs) At 2 months post-op I was also down 21lbs! Yeah it feels slow in comparison to others but sticking with it & being STRICT is what helped me get to my goal weight in under a year. Seriously, take advantage of this honeymoon stage. You may think your journey is slow but every little ounce ads up FAST

We were advised to take collagen as well, I don't take it mainly because I forget to add to my coffee. I try to put lotion on more often and stay hydrated but a lot has to do with genetics and age. I know I'm going to have some since I'm still 50 lbs from goal, but honestly is not as bad as I thought, I do weight lifting so at least it looks slimmer and more put together.

Hello everyone, I'm Stephanie and I've been on this journey for a little bit over a year I had my surgery April 24, 2023 weighing in at 291. I started this journey March 7, 2022 at my heaviest weight ever 382 lbs. All my life I had always been overweight but never had I ever been given the diagnosis of morbidly obese. September of 2019 I had the biggest scare of my life, I almost died. My heart was in Congested heart failure, I was going septic, and was put into a ketamine trip so they could shock my heart. After that I ended up having atrial flutters on the right side of my heart. I was put on Lasix and while I was still in the hospital I lost 13 lbs of water weight. I've had tachycardia for years, was a smoker and extremely overweight. The doctor didn't sugarcoat it for me at all he flat out told me my smoking and my weight was killing me. He said I qualified for bariatric surgery and that I should look into it. 2020 I had an ablation done to fry the nerves to the right side of my heart so it will beat normal and it worked I haven't had any issues with my heart since. I've been on a beta blocker; and I had to do a sleep study and I have sleep apnea. I stopped breathing 13 times in an hour. Which brought me to bariatric surgery. November 13, 2020 I quit smoking cigarettes, before my surgery I had lost 82 lbs had the duodenal switch surgery and as of May 5, 2023 I have lost a total of 100 pounds. The most weight I have ever lost in my life. I don't regret my decision at all about getting surgery cause I feel better and healthier and I want to get out of bed and I want to exercise and I just love the way I'm feeling everyday. Stephanie Ellis

Hey there I'm 2 weeks out post op and I had the DS surgery too. I'm still getting adjusted to all the fluids I have to get in, the 5-6 small meals the 60-80 grams of protein I have to have for now and then it goes up to 80-100 grams of protein in a day. I've gotten sick a couple times or a little dehydrated or I'm not resting enough. I'm still learning my new body and losing weight all at the same time. I understand the need to be able to talk to someone about what you're going through cause no one really understand stands what you going through. So my name is Stephanie Ellis and I'm willing to talk and be whatever else you need cause everyone needs someone. Stephanie Ellis

How long since your surgery? How long since you've lost any weight? Stalls are fairly standard, and if it isn't long since your surgery and you are eating as per your post op guidelines, your scale weight will catch up to your efforts before too long.

I’m sorry you’re feeling so isolated through this. Have you spoken to your husband about how you feel? Maybe he’s feeling uncertain about what your needs may be & how to support you? He may worry you’ll become a different person when you lose all your weight? Same with other family members & friends. It can be confusing for others because they don’t understand (they haven’t experienced this either) & they don’t want to upset you or appear to be too nosy. I only told one of my brothers & his wife (I knew the other would be critical). They rarely said anything to me except if we were eating together they’d just check I could eat what they were preparing or if I had special needs. My mother, who I spend weekends with every couple of weeks, got upset at one point saying she didn’t know what I ate or needed to eat & was worried she’d get the wrong food in when I stayed with her. Wonder if you speaking with a therapist will help you have conversations with your husband, etc. about your feelings & also give you the opportunity to talk things out in a non judgemental environment.

I didn’t exercise & still don’t. I do some stretches, use a resistance band & do some sit ups now but more to help with my back & to keep me a bit limber than for anything else. I wouldn’t burn 30 calories. (Ironically I would burn more calories if I weighed more LOL!) I really don’t enjoy structured exercise at all. It’s boring, I don’t like being forced to ‘perform’ & I hate being sweaty. I do my stretches, etc. in 5-10 minute blocks through out the day (it’s called exercise snacking & is just as beneficial as doing a single long block of exercise). I’m more willing to do it like this. Exercise only accounts for about 10% of any weight you have to lose. Want to lose 60lbs? Exercise will only contribute to you losing about 6lbs. Of course there are many other benefits to exercising but don’t rely on it for boosting your weight loss. I have never been this successful with sustained weight loss ever before & I’m almost 58 so have quite a few years of dieting experiences. 😉 I’ve changed so much about my relationship with food. I still enjoy food but know & accept I can’t just eat what I like, when I like & how much I like. I don’t consider I’m making sacrifices or missing out. It really is about changing your thinking about food & eating. It doesn’t happen over night but you’ll get there too. Day by day, week by week.

I’m almost 9 months post op vsg. I’m not loosing as much as fast as I had hoped, but I’m consistently loosing still. I had a high starting weight and lost a good bit before surgery. My highest weight was 382 … by my surgery (Aug 2022) I was down to 325. This week I’m down to 260. So post surgery I’m down 65 pounds - with an overall loss of 122. I still have a ways to go - and I’m a little disappointed in myself for not being further along by now … but I’m hoping that I can continue to steadily loose and keep my progress going until I hit “goal”. On the plus side I’m feeling good and happy with being able to loose after years of struggling with no results. Congrats on everyone’s progress!

Hi- im 5’2’’ and started at 195. I lost 12lbs in the three weeks I had to surgery, then went into surgery at 183.6. I am currently 8 weeks and 3 days, and weigh 155.6 today. I agree- it will come and I’d prefer to lose more slowly so my skin has some chance of recovering too- even though i know that is a bit of a pipe dream. I try to keep in mind this is not a magic wand, it comes down to my choices with this tool I’ve acquired. I am still only eating 2-3 oz at a time, 2-3 small “meals” a day and a protein shake to make sure i hit my protein goals. Im hitting fluid goals at about 68-70oz fluid, so still working on that too. Also, I think my body has some memory of these weights, and I tend to get “hung” around some that i stayed at before- ie, 165, current one 155, and coming up 145… so expecting some resistance on these numbers- and more slowly as i get closer to goal. I do FEEL tons better though- less joint pain and tiredness, so that is a WIN! For me, the numbers on the scale mean less that how I feel- so im enjoying it!

I certainly agree and hope this is easier to work with than the band! I couldn’t eat before midday and couldn’t even take medication (pills) in the morning as they would get stuck. I’d sometimes even get stuck on thick liquids! One would think this would have led to weight loss but I just found myself compensating with less healthy choices and eating at night because I still felt so hungry. This will be good for us, we can do it!

Hello All, I came to this site when I was doing research for my own surgery which was completed in December of 2021. I found it difficult to find numerous relatable stories from men who had weight loss surgery. Hence, I thought I would share my experience. I am a 56 year old male and I would consider myself just another guy. I started my own new business in 2015. If you have ever started a new business from zero, then you know it is a very stressful experience. Consequently, I gained 20 pounds a year for, roughly, six consecutive years. My weight ballooned to an all time high of 353 pounds. If it wasn't nailed to the floor, I ate it. If it was cold, I drank it. I take full responsibility for my actions. I freely made the decision to consume all of the food and drink. I also found ways to justify eliminating my regular exercise routine during this time period. Towards the end of 2021, from a health perspective, I was miserable. I had trouble walking any sort of distance. My poor dogs felt neglected because I could not walk with them. I had a difficult time standing for any length of time because my lower back would begin to ache. I was beginning to have problems with my joints, especially my knees and ankles. From an emotional perspective, I also had issues. I had to search for restaurants with tables instead of sitting at a cozy booth because I could longer fit in any booth. It is an awful feeling to ask, "Can I have that table over there instead of this booth?" It seemed to me they knew I asked because I couldn't fit in the space. I was forced to buy bigger clothes. Soon, those clothes didn't fit and I had to buy even bigger clothes. My clothes needed to be purchased in the "fashion forward" Big & Tall section of stores and websites. I began to hate to have my photo taken because I did not like the way in which I appeared in the photos. To me, the person who looked back at me in the mirror looked nothing like the person who appeared in those photos. Who was that guy in those photos? Was that really me? I began to feel self conscious about eating in front of other people. I just had this feeling they were saying, "look at how much food that fat guy is eating." while I was eating a slice of pizza. I found myself buying food to eat in the car while I was driving so no one would see me. I justified the binge eating by telling myself I was hungry and didn't have enough calories at such and such a place. I grew tired of family members asking me if I was "okay" each time they saw me. I grew tired of friends asking me if I was able to "manage" going somewhere with them. Consequently, people started to avoid me. It was my own fault. I was grouchy all the time. If you are reading this, perhaps you have had similar feelings to my own. I made the decision I needed a little help. I began to look for a surgical procedure to assist me in my weight loss journey. I decided to have gastric sleeve surgery. As previously stated, my surgery was completed in December of 2021. I followed my surgeon's instructions explicitly. I ate what they told me to eat. I drank what they told me to drink. I used an app on my phone to track every calorie. When permitted, I began a regular exercise routine. The routine began with cardio and, over time, I added weight training too. Day after day and week after week, I developed better habits. I ate better foods and less calories. My cardio improved and my strength improved. Oh, I also lost weight...a lot of weight. My weight went from 353 pounds to 199 pounds. Yes, that's right. Today, I weigh less than 200 pounds. My total weight loss has been a whopping 154 pounds in 17 months. My waist size shrunk from 48 inches to 34 inches. My shirt size went from XXX-Large to Large. Hell, even my shoes lost 1/2 of a size. The feeling has been incredible. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. Today, I continue to perform cardio four days per week and I lift weights every other day. Luckily I have had no ill side effects from the surgery. I feel great. I feel like others who have described losing a lot of weight...fantastic. Apologies to you if I have rambled on too long. Hopefully you find something here in which you can relate. Good luck in your journey. All the best.

I read an article that stated that revisions mainly work for those that the original sleeve was done incorrectly. Which is why many surgeons warn their patient that they will likely only lose about 40 lbs. While that may be true, you have a wonderful tool to help you continue to get healthy, and if you stay within the guidelines, for at least 80% of the time, your weight WILL come off. Keep hydrated, don't drink till at least 30 min later, protein first, eat healthy, keep in touch with your team during stalls.

Update- I had my revision from VSG to bypass on 2/7. As of today I’ve lost 33 pounds. I lost 13 prior to surgery so it is definitely coming off much slower this time. I seem to stall out for a couple of weeks at a time and then lose. This surgery was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I’m worried this is all I will lose. I have a torn meniscus in my knee and really need this weight off. Of course it is affecting me working out. Going for a gel shot for it today.

I too am having revision surgery on 05/30 because I regained 200 lbs. yes, 200! It worked for me until it didn't and it seemed I gained weight no matter what or how little I ate so its time to do something different. I've had an endoscopy so we know what went wrong where with the surgery as a tool and I have had 14 years (12 as weight gaining) to examine my role in the failure of myself and my tool. I am determined not to make the same mistakes that I can control this time around. I am 53 and don't want to go into old age as a fat woman with a bad knee limited in how i live my life.

I was sleeved on March 7th, with a 2 week Pre-Op Diet. I lost 20 lbs prior to surgery and since I’m down another 25 lbs and 4 inches off my waist. I get on the scale way too often! I can tolerate almost anything and I’m still on soft foods. I work out 6 days a week; a Pilates workout, 30 minutes on a stationary bike and an arm workout with a resistance band instead of weights. I’ve somehow made the mental switch to eating to live and I look at food completely different now. I’m rarely hungry and sometimes forget to eat. I have a huge sweet tooth and I’ve been worried about never having sugar again. I bought a Ninja Creami and problem solved!! The ice cream I can make tastes great !! So far the only regret I have is not doing this sooner. My team is happy with my progress so far and I’m looking forward to creating my new look. I am freaking out a little about the possibility of losing my hair. If it happens around 3 months, that’s next month for me. I have a lot more energy.

My hand is up. I’m 5’3” & weighed 200lbs when I started. I lost to my goal by 6 months (132lbs - so loss of 68lbs). I kept losing very slowly for another 10 or so months until I reached 108lbs - a total loss of 94lbs. I’ve been pretty much stable since then aside from little fluctuations & I’ll be 4 years out on the weekend. There is no right or wrong rate of your weight loss. There are averages but like all averages (statistics) some will lose more than the average others less. And some will lose at a faster rate & others will lose at a slower rate. Averages only give you an idea of what might happen not what will happen. And all of this is okay. Remember it’s not a race. There are some things you can pretty much rely on. If you weigh more at the beginning you tend to lose larger amounts at first (like you see on My 600lb Life). Your weight loss is always more in the beginning. Everyone’s rate of loss slows. If you follow your plan, you will lose at the rate that is right & best for you. Nothing wrong with 21lbs in 6 weeks. (I’d lost about 22lbs at 6 weeks.) That’s about 3lbs a week. Can’t complain about that. The only time you should be concerned is if your surgeon or team is. Celebrate every pound you lose.

I want to start by saying I know that "everyone is different," and "it's not a race, it's a journey", but I sometimes have a hard time relating because I had VSG at 199 lbs (I'm 5'2") and the weight loss just seems so much slower than most of what I see online. I'm 6 wks post-op and down 21 lbs since surgery and 33.5 lbs including pre-op diet. I've seen the charts saying how much I can expect to lose in what time-frames, but I would love to hear from others with similar starting stats. I get discouraged pretty easily and need some inspiration or similar stories. How long did it take to reach your goal? How much had you lost at about 6 wks (or 1-2 months?) When did you see the biggest loss? Thanks!! Sent from my SM-S918U using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh I feel you OP. I am almost 18 months post sleeve and had 3 periods of really noticeable hair loss along the way. I have always had thick hair that I have worn well below shoulder length. At around 3 months I lost loads and cut it to shoulder length. Twice more I have shed *A LOT* and done the same or higher cut again. Now sitting at a below ear bob, LOL. However - this far out I now have about 3 inches of really really thick regrowth (fuzz) that I think will meet my current bob in a few months. Nothing you put onto your hair will make any difference - honestly. Being well nourished from within and meeting all of your goals might. However for me it was just reaching the end of my weight loss and the concurrent major stress on my body that seemed to allow my hair to finally regrow properly. You're doing amazingly I'm sure. I wish you the very best of luck.

Your body is still in its healing process. The 3 week stall is normal and my doctor advised that weight loss isn't going to be a curve but more like stair steps; there will be moments it goes down and then periods of stalls. Much easier expectation set up in my opinion. Stick with your plan and trust the process. The weight is worth the wait!

I was told by my surgeon and his team that for some reason, everyone hits a plateau around 3-4 weeks post op. You should be fine after that I got worried too when I hit my plateau but my weight has been going down ever since.

Welcome everyone! Insurance and your current health will dictate how long before surgery. The Covid epidemic screwed up a lot of surgery dates too. I had to wait a while to get a hiatal hernia healed (acid injuries) before I was allowed to get surgery. All told, it was a solid year from first call to surgery date. I used that time to eat healthy and work out. I practiced drinking my full water load and quit caffeine. And yes, I practiced cooking and meal prep so that I would be successful after surgery. I told myself surgery would lock that pre surgery weight loss off my body, and it did! Long term weight loss is a head game. I could do all those things before surgery, but I also got a therapist in eating disorders because let’s face it, weighing 355lbs at 5’4” definitely shows disordered eating. So, it’s up to you, but this could be an exciting chance for you to spend time working on you!