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At the 3-month mark I was down about 55 pounds. At the year mark I was down 121. So...yeah I lost a little less than half my weight. I would caution you against comparing your progress to others though; everyone's situation is different and there are a lot of factors that could affect that.

Why do you think you've begun to regain weight? What exactly has changed?

Hi I had a gastric bypass just over 10 years ago. I did fantastic and lost over half my initial starting weight. I have kept most of it off but 2stone is creeping back on and I am scared I do not want to go back to that place. Has anyone else had this challenge and what have you done to get back on track ?

I have completed all my classes, I see the surgeon on Thursday (3/23) then I am told my surgery will be 5-6 weeks out from there, I keep going back and forth on which one to have, Bypass or Sleeve. I have Gerd bad, and its been getting worse, and I am morbidly over weight and need to loose like over 150lbs, so the bypass was recommended, but I hear and have been reading so many stories about dumping and not being able to eat a lot of certain foods anymore and I am not sure I want to live like that the rest of my life. I am a very picky eater all ready and i am worried the things i do like I wont be able to eat at all and then what??? Maybe I am just thinking to much into this, I just don't know but I need to decide in 3 days!!

I've heard something like that, but it didn't apply to me at all. I just checked - I'd lost 40 lbs at three months out and 130 lbs at the year mark. maybe this formula applies to a lot of people, but I really don't like these kinds of things because it just causes worry and anxiety in people if they're not reaching certain "goals" at certain points in their journey. Especially those of us who were slower losers. I was a slow but steady loser and lost all of my excess weight by 20-months out. I would have been really discouraged if I paid attention to these kinds of predictions and took them to heart.

First time I hear about it. Seems to be yet another little tool for inducing even more anxiety in patients when it comes to "reaching their goals". Patients putting themselves under pressure is already really, really common - this will put even more pressure on them when it comes to weight loss within the first three months ("I have about 200 lbs to lose to reach a normal BMI but I've only lost 80 lbs in the first 3 months and studies say..."). Err.

I'm one year post-op. I lost 46 lbs. at 3 months and 83 lbs. at 12 months. A little bit less than anticipated by the formula, but I lost all of my excess body weight, so I wouldn't have wanted to lose anymore.

If you're into bodybuilding, then you know that muscle is heavy. If you're going to be lifting weights, you have to let go of the scale. Go by your size (and it sounds like you're getting smaller). Why does your weight matter? If you're not wanting to be skinny, but you want to be muscular, then the scale means nothing. Your measurements mean everything. Remember, a bodybuilder can easily be classified as "overweight" on the BMI chart, but have very little body fat. So, stay off the scale. Stay in the measuring tape. As long as you're seeing progress, you're doing the right thing.

Which cost $200 - the Robards or another one? Are the $200 ones those you were advised to use by your surgeon or medical team? Usually we say follow your surgeon’s & medical team’s plan because it’s in place to best support you lose weight & make the surgery easier & safer. There likely is a specific reason your surgeon recommended the shakes they did. But if the expense is a concern (& $200 does seem excessive - does your insurance cover it?) I’d speak to your surgeon & ask for alternatives. My surgeon puts different patients on different pre surgery plans. For example he sent me to a dietician & did keto for the two weeks. He sent my friend (who had more to lose & pre existing health issues which I didn’t) to the hospital’s weight loss clinic to do their shake plan.

This video by Dr Pilcher mentions it. (It’s a very good video & he has other informative ones too.) But with all statistics & averages, some people don’t meet them & some exceed them. They just give you an idea of what you might expect. I’m almost four years post surgery. Personally, I’d lost 17kg at 3 months (from surgery weight). I reached goal at 6 months having lost 27kgs. At 12 months, I’d lost 36kg so about double as they suggest. But from that 6 month mark I was trying not to lose - my body though was working at getting to my new set point where it was happiest (& I actually am too). Who knows what I might have lost if I was actively still trying to lose during the second half of the first year. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The first three months are often called the honeymoon phase when the benefits of the surgery are at their optimal effectiveness. After that your weight loss rate starts to slow, for many they’re appetite & hunger may start to come back, etc. After that, your success depends more & more on you.

When I started considering WLS, particularly VSG Surgery, I researched extensively. I read medical studies, case histories, personal blogs and watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos posted by patients and bariatric surgeons. I cannot remember where I read or saw the European study called "The Three Month Marker", nor have I been able to find the article or video again. The "supposed" study was of VSG patients and their success rates. The results of the study indicated that the total average weight loss at 12 months post-op was double the amount lost at the 3 month post-op mark for patients who closely followed the bariatric guidelines. Has anyone else heard about "The Three Month Marker"? For those who are at least 12 months post-op, does this study relate to your experience?

I originally lost 235 lbs and gained back about 20 of it. So 215 lbs (it's very common for us to have a 10-20 lb "rebound" gain after hitting our lowest weight, so I was prepared for that and went a little under my goal to account for that). Was it worth it? OMG yes! Best decision I ever made - I should have done it YEARS ago!! P.S. I had my surgery almost eight years ago.

Hello everyone! I’m new here. I’m 41 and I’ve been struggling with my weight for about 10 years now. I looked into getting the sleeve January 2022 when I was at my highest weight of 260 lbs. I decided that I would try to lose on my own and would revisit the idea of surgery if I was unsuccessful. In that year I managed to lose 20 lbs. This January I started researching again because I am determined to get back to a healthy weight. I went through an online seminar and decided to make my consultation appointment after I was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri and was told that weight loss can help alleviate the symptoms and I can stop taking the medication that I am taking for it. I have a host of other health issues and I’m hoping the weight loss can help me feel better physically. I had my consultation a week ago and my appointments with the nutritionist and physical therapist have been scheduled and I completed my initial bloodwork. I do not have to complete a medically supervised weight loss program and I spoke with my insurance company and was notified that the most I’ll need to pay out of pocket is $1300. I’m excited and nervous about what’s to come.

Feeling amazing! I’m 82 pounds lighter! my current weight is 132 pounds. I have never felt this way! So confident and beautiful! Traveling to Mexico and having my gastric sleeve surgery was the best decision!!

If I could give one piece of advice/lesson learned, it's to push as hard as you can during the first 3 months post-op. That's the "honeymoon" period when weight drops off the fastest. Weight loss progressively slows down each post-op month, and by month 6 has typically slowed dramatically. Most people stop losing 9 to 12 months post-op. So, you have a short window in which to really take advantage of the "magic" of weight loss surgery. Research has shown that weight loss at 3 months post-op is a strong predictor of weight loss success. https://www.sages.org/meetings/annual-meeting/abstracts-archive/weight-loss-at-three-months-post-operatively-predicts-weight-loss-success-at-one-year-for-roux-en-y-gastric-bypass-and-sleeve-gastrectomy/

I am so glad that you told me this.. Thank you so much! Have u lost weight and did u keep it off, was it worth it?

You're swimming upstream fighting against a heavy current. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4539812/ "In simple obesity (body mass index = 30.0–34.9 kg/m2), the annual probability of attaining normal weight was 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women, increasing to 1 in 1290 for men and 1 in 677 for women with morbid obesity (body mass index = 40.0–44.9 kg/m2)" "At least 50% of patients who achieved 5% weight loss were shown to have regained this weight within 2 years. It has previously been reported that approximately 80% of people who intentionally achieve weight loss of 10% or more of their body weight will regain that weight within a year."

@Nifer72 I hope you are doing well. I’m wondering did you meet your goal and how have your weight loss been and your restriction?

I had bypass on 2/13, I've always followed the plan very closely. I managed to lose 70 pounds pre-op on the dieticians plans and working out and then 20 pounds on the liquid diet. Since surgery I've only lost 5 pounds. I thought I was doing very well but I guess not? I stick close to the diet plan, though I admit my calories can go over but my main goal has always been to get to my protein goal before anything else. I've been working out 4-5 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. I do a lot of strength training because I am into strongwoman stuff, so its been weird staying in the weight restriction. I also hit my water goals alongside my protein goals. I made the mistake of posting this on a facebook support group and.. wow. I don't think I've ever felt worse about myself, there was almost no support and a lot of telling me I'm doing something wrong obviously. A lot of people there were blaming the scant amount of bbq sauce I use or the single string cheese. Most were telling me I'm eating far too much. Others were telling me to stop working out entirely? I don't want to be skinny, I want to be healthy and I want to be strong. Am I eating too much still? When I don't work out I get 600 calories, and when I do its usually more around 800 to be honest. I don't feel like I'm making the wrong decisions. Meal 1: Oikos Triple Zero yogurt to take my meds with. Meal 2: Fairlife elite core protein in my coffee. Meal 3: 3 oz turkey lunch meat 1 oz of cheeze and mustard. Meal 4: 1 String cheese. Meal 5: 4-5 oz of chicken with bbq sauce (its not sugar free, I live in the country and the rural grocery store doesnt stock sugar free and the next closest is over 50 miles away). I'm so confused and heartbroken.

@Tonyas101 how are you doing now and how is the weight loss going for you? Do you know why the doctor couldn’t make your pouch smaller?

Just chiming in to say that I also was never given a calorie goal in the beginning. I was loosely given a protein goal, but even that the nurse said no to worry about it in the beginning as you are taking in such small amounts, it's hard to get it all in. More importantly, congratulations on your surgery and welcome to the other side!!! You are probably still full of IV fluids, so once you start peeing your brains out, you will be shedding weight like never before!!! Best of luck to you!!!

@Forensikchic do you mine sharing your current weight list since your ESG?

First the average weight loss statistic for sleeve or bypass is about 65% of the weight you have to lose to put you in a healthier range. Of course some lose more & some lose less. Now the why. The surgery will reset your body’s set point. This is the weight your body is happiest at & is easiest to maintain. Your set point could end up higher or lower than you’d prefer. Life. It can throw crap at you & make it more difficult to lose or maintain your weight (stress, emotions). Health conditions & medications. Some meds are notorious for increasing your appetite & causing weight gain & some health conditions limit your ability to lose all the weight you want e.g, restrict mobility. Personal choice. Some feel happier at a higher weight. Or they make food choices that better complement their life & how they want to live their life. Your body reaches a lower weight but resettles a bit heavier. A bounce back regain of 10+/- lbs can occur. And so on. I understand your fear of regaining. I mean we all have a lifetime of experiencing weight loss & the inevitable regain. This is the first time in my life (was almost 54 when I had my surgery) I have ever maintained my weight after losing for longer than a couple of months. The difference is I did not go back to eating in the sane way as I always did. I worked out a way of eating that I’m comfortable with, doesn’t make me feel like I’m missing out or making sacrifices, allows me to live my life as I want, is sustainable (very important) & works for me & my body. I changed my relationship with food. My choices may not work for you or others & some may think it too restrictive. I din consider it a die but just how I eat. I avoid as much sugar, sugar alternatives & artificial sweeteners as I can so no sodas & sweets only a couple of times a year (e.g. Christmas). If I want/need sweet I eat fruit. I prep & cook most of what I eat - mostly lots of whole foods & low processed ingredients. I rarely have takeaway & haven’t had fast food since before my surgery. I keep my carbs lowish & choose whole & multi grains more complex carbs. No bread or similar products pasta or rice (choice & also sit heavily in my tummy). I also chose not to exercise. I didn’t want to have to spend hours in a gym or run or cycle miles every week to maintain my weight. I’m happy with the stretches, resistance band exercises & sit ups I do. (Takes a total of about 25 minutes over a couple of sessions a day & wouldn’t burn 30 calories - LOL!). It works for me & my body seems happy at this weight (set point). I’ve basically maintained my weight since my surgery. Chat with your surgeon about a realistic goal weight after surgery & what you might experience & your dietician about how your future of eating might look. Research & avoid trendy diets - if they worked & were sustainable no one would have weight issues. You may find this video informative. You may find this video informative. Dr John Pilcher has many great videos on a variety of topics. Dr Matt Weiner is very good too.

As @catwoman7 said both surgeries are good & will work to help you lose your weight. And you’ll hear from people who swear one or the other is the best. But remember it was best for them. Do lots of reading including people’s stories & experiences here, ask your surgeon lots of questions & for their recommendation. The decision will come down to your personal health & medical needs & history & your personal choice on how you want to live your life. Both share some similar considerations in regard to dumping & malabsorption, the post surgical recovery & plans (differences are more from surgeons or your specific needs). Dumping & malabsorption are possible with both but a little less common with sleeve - luck of the draw - but both can be managed. I don’t dump but I do have some malabsorption (protein & some meds) but it’s from my lack of gall bladder not my sleeve & I don’t need to take additional vitamins. I was leaning towards a sleeve from my research and after my conversation with my surgeon, who thought it would work best for me, I decided it was for me. I had mild reflux which I managed 99% with dietary choices (still do, it’s different, need meds every day but is manageable). Decided if I needed to (for gerd, extra weight loss help, etc.) I could revise to bypass in the future. I didn’t want to depend on vitamin supplements if I could. I didn’t have any co morbidities. I lost all my weight & more with my sleeve & have maintained (+ 1 kg). All the best whichever surgery you choose.

I will definitely be careful especially since it's been awhile since using the treadmill and bike. When I started going to the gym way back in 2015. I was going 5 times a week and it felt great! Yeah sometimes I forget, and I judged a little bit. Oops. I didn't have pain or anything. That's awesome! I felt the difference in my clothes just a few days before 2 weeks. Oh, my weight did move. I lost around 1.8 pounds. Keep it up!