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where did you hear that the average is 5-15 lbs a week? NO ONE loses that fast. Maybe 5 lbs a week the first MONTH (and it wouldn't be five lbs each and every week - most of us experience the dreaded "three week stall" - but a 15-25 lb loss the first month seems to be pretty average, unless you're the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life". After that drop the first month, you'll settle to into a slower rate for a few months, maybe 10 lbs a month, give or take, for the next few months - and then it'll slow even further. so I don't know where you heard that figure, but it's not accurate. You need to adjust your expectations or you're going to be frustrated and disappointed. As long as you comply with your clinic's plan, the weight will come off. Don't stress over this and more importantly, don't burn yourself out - you don't want to crash and burn. Just follow the plan. Depending on your starting point, it can take a year or more to get to goal - it took me 20 months. You want to jeopardize your health.

My daughter and I became members of this community when she decided to have the sleeve surgery 5 years ago. It was a huge decision and a lot of promises were made. I was her support. She’s 27 now, but prior to COVID she showed signs of depression and was gaining weight slowly. During COVID, she got more depressed. In the fall of 2021 just as people were returning to the workforce she did not and it’s been that way since. She’s also gained more weight. I’ve tried to get her help but she’s refused. Now no job, no insurance which means she’s on Medicaid and is afraid of the quality of doctors available to her. She’s not easy and it’s tearing me apart. I believe there’s a correlation between her young age at that time (22yo), her mental state when she had the surgery and whether she was truly ready and prepared for the changes that many of you stated above would occur. She had me promise not to tell anyone of her surgery. She’s not ready to talk about it and appears embarrassed about the decision. I try to tell her that it’s a testament to her initial success and could be an inspiration for others but she refuses. I’m trapped and don’t know what more to say or do. I’m going to continue to help and support her. I just wanted to share a mother’s story during a moment in time with her daughter.

There’s no right or wrong way & there’s no one path everyone follows while they’re losing. Though it would be easier if we could say exactly what will happen on or by a specific day or time. Like week 6 day 4 I will have lost this much weight, I will meet my protein goal for the day, I will be 3ozs short on my fluids, I will poop, I will feel tired, & so on. You can depend upon certain things. You can expect your rate of weight loss to fluctuate day to day, week to week. You can expect to experience stalls at some times which will usually last 1-3 weeks but may be more. You can expect your rate of weight loss to slow as you get closer to your final weight. You can guarantee your weight loss experience may have similarities with someone else but won’t be exactly the same. There are averages (statistics) but they only can give you an idea of what might happen not will definitely happen. We’re all too different physically & psychologically, have different health issues & history, different demands on our lives, different genders, ages & heights, etc. I tracked my loss almost every day and yes there were ups & downs along the way but that’s just life - one day is never identical to the day before or the day after & there are always things that happen that you can’t control (hormonal fluctuations, pooping, peeing, energy levels, being unwell, etc.). The most important thing to me was I was losing & the general trend on my weight loss graph was downwards. Keep following your plan & getting in your protein & fluids as you’ve been doing & you will lose weight in your time. Don’t put pressure on yourself on how much you will lose by some arbitrary made up date. It will only stress & upset you if you don’t make it. All the best.

-My boyfriend picked me up (no guy has ever done that or attempted to) I proceeded to freak out and say don't do that again because I was so scared it was too much and he laughed and said it wasn't bad and I'm being crazy I've never liked being picked up. Before it was because I worried I'd break the person picking me up now I worry I'll get hurt. Being able to sit on fallen treen branches without snapping them (I spend a lot of time outside/hiking/by the Water and it's nice to sit on them now) Not necessarily Tree branches but there are some camping chairs I had to avoid in the past because I was so big and now I don't even weight check. Just fitting in any seat and not having to worry about it anymore I love this probably top 5 NSV of my surgery. Not worrying about fitting or breaking the seat. Having small boobs relative to the rest of my body (I hated having big boobs) My boobs are still big compared to the rest of me. Plan on fixing that surgically next summer.

Stalls are a natural & normal part of weight loss. They are the time your body takes to reassess the changes you’ve made: the change in calorie intake, weight loss, activity levels, etc. All things that put stress on your body. The body reassess your needs & makes changes to things like your digestive hormones & metabolism. You will start to lose weight again when your body is ready - in it’s time not necessarily your time. Don’t stress your body more. Get back on your plan & stick to it. But yes, check with your team regarding your weight lifting. May be not so much you’re doing it but how much your lifting. Better to be sure you’re doing the best thing for your body right now.

Hello, I haven’t gotten my surgery date yet but I am battling depression as well. I started talking to a therapist about a month ago and it has drastically helped me to see the distorted thinking than I’m doing to beat myself up all the time. When I do that it makes me feel sad or unworthy then I use food to cope with those feelings. I am learning when I’m faced with a difficult situation to slow my thoughts down and to think about why I’m REALLY feeling the way I’m feeling. My therapist described it as if we are pulling weeds from the garden, we usually figure out the surfuace problem and pull those weeds but it’s hard to figure out the root of the problems because they are so deeply embedded within you. Talking to my therapist has just helped me to shift my thinking from thinking I will be alone if I do t lose weight or no one will like me if I don’t lose weight, to someone will like me just the way I am however I’m on this weight loss journey for my health and family. I was against therapy at first but I am so glad that I took that plunge before surgery to sort out issues and can’t wait to continue it after.

Changing Chris, Hi. You re doing a huge amount of walking on a tiny amount of calories. You will crash and burn if you are not careful. Your body needs to keep the few nutrients you are giving it, hence no weight loss. Let your body heal and at least get on to real foods before you put the stress of any exercise on your body. You don't need to jump start the weight loss or cut corners, It will just happen while you rest and recover.

I can tell you that if you menstruate, your weight loss can stall/stop/start based on where you are in your cycle. I almost always gained 2-3 pounds in the days leading up to it and would drop 4-5 when it was over.

I'm in the middle of week 2 post op, and I'm not losing anything! All liquid diet, getting all my protein in and only taking in around 400 calories a day. Also walking at least 2 miles or more a day. I pictured it going a lot differently especially when I read the weight loss average is 5 to 15 pounds a week in the beginning stages. I'm hoping that my body adjusts and I start seeing some progress soon. I like this subject and look forward to following the discussion.

I KNOW stalls are inevitable, and weightloss isn't a smooth line. Just curious how typical patterns have been? I didn't hit a stall at 2-3 weeks, possibly because my plan was full liquids for 4 weeks PO. I had a decent loss the first month, then 5 pounds the second month. Hoping this was just because I was transitioning to regular foods. As far as food, I am following the plan, no cheating, but I really can eat a healthy amount, and am getting in all my protein and water. Just wondering if I will be a slow and (hopefully) steady loser, or if others have experienced a slow spot in the beginning then bigger losses later? Yes, I'll stick with the plan, but for those of you that have tracked monthly or weekly loss, what was your pattern? Were slow months related to anything specific like holiday's, vacation, stress, or sliding?

Oh i too was like that week 7 today. It was going nowhere weeks 4,5 &6. Surgeon told me not to worry that it will do it from time to time and this week it dropped 7lbs. Like my weight going up in half stones its coming down that way too by the looks of it. Frustrating though. Good luck. Sent from my SM-A515F using BariatricPal mobile app

I started walking pretty much as soon as I got home from the hospital. At a month out, I was cleared to do everything except for weights (had to wait eight weeks for that), so I was back doing water aerobics (at about four weeks out) the above poster is right, though - it's pretty important to get enough protein if you're going to start exercising (actually, it's pretty important even if you're NOT exercising!). Do you still do protein shakes? A lot of people give them up once they can get their protein requirements met by food, but if you're one who can't, there's that option. Also, six months is a long time to go without meeting your protein and fluid requirements - that's usually just an issue for people the first couple of months. You may want to let your clinic know about that....

I have to agree, seems like a lot of weight lifting so soon after surgery.I would think you are not eating enough and your body could be holding on to your weight. I would speak to your team to see if you should be doing something different with eating. Sent from my SM-S916U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

You said it all yourself - You are stressed, eating badly and not sleeping. Your body has to cope with all this on top of the massive surgery you have just had. Your body just can not cope with this and is holding on to every last calorie. Give yourself a pause, even if its only a half hour every day, your body will thank you. Shop for some good foods, begin to eat well. You are an athlete and know how to do this. Buy a good book and read it for a short while before sleep. { well it works for me} Has your team cleared you to be lifting weights ? To this non surgical person this activity seems very strenuous this early in your recovery. In other words - put yourself first for a while until you have the hang of this new stomach. Sleep Eat Drink repeat

I’m at a loss and not a good one. I’m 2 months post-op and the scale has not moved in 4 or 5 weeks. I’m back in the gym (competitive lifter) but not lifting heavy (130lb deadlift to start). I will admit that my diet can use some work. I’ve been under some extreme stress from work and a have not been sleeping well. I want to cry everytime I hop on the scale hoping for some movement only to be stuck in the same 2-3 lb range. My surgeon hopes for more weight loss during my 1 month appointment so I can’t even imagine what she will say when I go back in 4 weeks. I just don’t know what to do.

i wondered if it was a combination of a stall & the expected slow down of your weight loss too.. Those last pounds can seemingly take forever to go. Yep, exercise accounts for about 10% of your weight loss. So exercising will only contribute to the loss of about 3lbs of your last 35. I get not having the time or energy to exercise after work. I was the same plus I really detest it. I discovered exercise snacking. That is exercise in short bursts a few times a day. I do about four sessions a day lasting 5-10mins each & totalling about 20-25mins. (After lunch, before & after dinner & before bed.) They found that short bursts are just as effective as a single sustained exercise session. They’re much easier to fit around the demands of your day & much less an onerous task (which is how I saw exercise).

That’s correct, sleeve surgery removes around 75-80% of your tummy but gastric bypass creates a much smaller tummy from your tummy & attaches it to your rerouted intestines. Your remaining tummy is still there after bypass but no food can enter it. Further conversations with your surgeon may be needed to help you understand the differences in the surgeries, how they impact your body & which may be best for your needs. It may help ease some of your nerves too. (Nerves before surgery are very common - fear of the unknown, uncertainty, etc.) With both surgeries your ability to consume large portions is reduced. Initially after either surgery when you start consuming purées you will only be able to eat 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food. This slowly increases. (By 6 months I could eat about a cup of food & now I eat about the recommended serving size or a little less.) And it is possible for you to eventually eat around your smaller tummy which of course results in weight gain & something to be aware of. Changing your eating habits, your relationship with food, understanding the nutritional benefits of food, etc. are vital aspects of losing your weight & maintaining the loss. This is the work you have to do & has nothing to do with the surgery. Many find the temporary changes to our sense taste & sometimes smell after surgery is an opportunity to try different & healthier foods. I have some food sensitivities so I recognise you may as well but are they legitimate food sensitivities or just you don’t like to eat certain foods (taste, texture, etc.)? A dietician can help with this as well. Often working with a therapist is very helpful to work through your relationship ship with find & what is behind your eating habits., as well as your hunger (distinguishing between head hunger & real hunger). Focus on eating your protein first at every meal. Then eat your vegetables. Finally if you are able eat any carbs. This will be the same advice you will be given after surgery & when your able to eat solid foods. There were many meals I only ate my protein & couldn’t or didn’t want to eat anything else. ( I still have days like this almost 4 years out.) Start tracking your food (portion sizes, calories, protein & other macros). There are some great apps you can use. You can be successful with either surgery but after the honeymoon stage when things like your appetite returns, most of your success depends upon you. You have to be ready for the surgery & the changes it brings & the changes you have to make. Surgery was the best thing I ever did. All the best whatever you decide to do.

I am a 67 year old woman. I had surgery over a dozen years ago, and quite frankly... I have a lot of sagging, baggy, skin. And I am dammed proud of it. I have had to have enough surgeries in my lifetime that I am not going to put myself through any plastic surgery. I am lucky enough that my belly doesn't really hang, and I am not physically challenged from any hanging skin. Do I look like "saggy baggy the elephant" naked ? Yep. Do i still wear sleeveless shirts that show my hanging skin on my upper arms ? Yes I do. I wear shorts that cover the drooping skin on my thighs. But once, a long time ago, I was visiting a National Park and saw an older woman in hiking shorts, and a tank top. She was tanned and looked so healthy... and I realized that she had saggy skin, and had lost a LOT of weight. I was very obese. I looked at that woman and knew what I wanted to be when I was old (well.... at 30 something, 60 something looked really old !) and you know what ? I AM that woman. Whoever she was/is. She was a silent inspiration to my eventual weight loss. Now, when I am walking a trail in that same National Park, I recall her influence and thank her.

Those are pretty over whelming diagnoses. I would start with one of your doctors and ask for advice, and for an appointment with a nutritionist who is knowledgable about people who have had a gastric sleeve. Your nutritional needs have changed as your diagnoses have caused havoc on your body. The Hashimotos especially. You probably need to have a CBC and have levels taken for vitamins and minerals and keep track of your where your Thyroid levels are at. Then come up with a plan that you feel comfortable with. I am more than a dozen years out and had significant regain, and then have re-lost my gains and more. I too had some medical issues to overcome, and still do. But I made the re-losing at MY OWN pace. Which was comparatively SLOW to losing after surgery. I took a few years to lose the first 45 pounds I had put on, and then look another couple years to get where I am now. But I took long breaks after losing each 10 pounds at first to make sure I could maintain that loss. I purposely stopped losing and did maintenance for a few months. Then made a goal of losing another 10. Then did the same thing. The last year or so my goals were even smaller. Because it WAS harder. But I am at a healthy place and myself and my doctors are very pleased. I have to have blood work done every few months to make sure I am maintaining certain values, so there is that. But I work with my GP who has been wonderfully supportive.

Hello everyone! I had the gastric sleeve done in 2016. I lost a total of 140 lbs. I hit a stall and managed to keep myself at that amount. Fast forward to 2020. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Hashimotos Thyroiditis, and had to have my thyroid removed due to large nodules. With all that occurring and being prescribed new meds I started to gain the weight back. As of today I have gained most of the weight back-120 lbs. I am wanting to get back on track and try to lose it back and then some. Any tips or recommendations? Is it even possible to lose all of it back?

Absolutely, the lower your starting BMI the less pounds you are going to loose. In the end the percentage % should be similar but actual pounds/kilos and speed will all vary greatly. I am going through the same questioning and doubting myself and my approach at 7 was post op. I have been in the hospital 15 days total since surgery (2 readmittance with 5 days stays each time and 5 days at time of sleeve) and am still on IV fluids daily through a PICC line at home. Needless to say I have had a few complications due to a chronic, genetic disease I have which is slowing EVERYTHING down. I have only lost 10lbs according to the scale since surgery but have lost 14 inches. My Dr is not even concerned about my weight loss because how much fluids I am taking and says inches are always more telling than weight due to water retention or dehydration but also muscle gain as fat weighs less than muscle so if you are putting on muscle while loosing fat you could actually show an increase on the scale... don't worry. If you are doing everything you are supposed to and following your program, the weight WILL come off. This is a lifelong marathon not a sprint! 💞 Learn to love yourself by caring for your body. You will be transformed!

Please talk to your family doctor or a mental health professional (licensed therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist) After and during weight loss and after surgery our bodies can take a beating and we think we are doing ourselves such a great and healthy thing... and then we feel like crap. Have I had this ? Not depression, but I had panic attacks start after a year after surgery. NOT FUN. Still have them. Take meds for that. I am also a mental health professional and I think that folks who have WLS or undergo dieting or major life changes should all consult their doctors about mental health changes that can come up with all these changes happening to our bodies. Have you had blood levels drawn ? vitamin and mineral numbers done ? A FULL blood panel including all your thyroid counts and numbers ? Please do that too. Rapid weight loss can throw our hormones and our physiological balance way out of whack. And our brains are part of our bodies. Hence, our brain chemistry can change and BAM - Depression, Bi-Polar and all sorts of stuff can come up. Talk to your doctor, get a referral for Psych consult. IF you feel like you might hurt yourself or start drinking/using drugs get yourself to a mental health professional right away !

Hi there, I had a sleeve back in 2016, and over lockdown etc manged to regain most of the weight, so I'm having a revision to a mini gastric bypass in August, I'll heading to Prague for mine. Good luck with your surgery

I was going to write that six weeks was a long time for an early stall and to double-check your calories, etc - but then I noticed that you're about 35 lbs from your goal weight. Weight loss really slows the closer you get to your goal. When I was only about 20 or 30 lbs from goal, there were some months when I only lost like two pounds, despite really working at it. I would for sure double-check my food intake, though, and make sure you're following your plan to a "T". But aside from that, you may just be in that stretch when weight loss becomes harder and harder... you've probably read that weight loss is due to about 90% food intake and 10% exercise - so although exercise does make a difference, it's pretty slight. It's more effective at maintaining weight than at losing weight (since it takes A LOT of exercise to burn up a significant amount of calories). It's also great for your health, regardless of your weight.

I’m three weeks post op from Gastric Sleeve. Only my husband and older kids know I’ve had the op. I’m a very private person and don’t like talking about myself or drawing attention to myself. I’ve been on annual leave since the op and go back to work next week. Unfortunately, I work with 200 mostly females and there will be a fair few who won’t be able to stop themselves asking me how I lost weight (12 kgs down so far) and I know this because 5 years ago I lost 20 kgs and they did the same… not sure how I will handle the questions this time and honestly I feel really nervous going back because of it.