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Just maintaining has become it’s own reward for me. After years of seeing the scale go back up every single time I lost weight, actually keeping a fairly stable weight makes me feel great & keeps me motivated. While it’s really nice to have people comment on your weight loss & how great you look now, it’s true they don’t happen as often as the years pass. It”s why the little things that happen & remind me of what I can do now which I wouldn’t or couldn’t before are more important to me. (Though I can’t say someone telling me I’m slim, need a smaller size or similar doesn’t make me glow with happiness I am a vain human.) Most recently, jumping on a trampoline with my young nieces & nephew at Christmas was a reminder of what I’ve achieved & why I did it. It might be things like realising or reminding yourself you’re more confident in how you hold yourself, dress, makeup or hair styles or in how you interact with others. It could be a physical achievement like how far you can run or cycle. Or life changes you’ve made - gone back to school, changed careers, dating, etc. These are the sort of things that remind me that the surgery & subsequent changes i’ve made have been so worth it. Personally I don’t want to forget where I was because it helps me appreciate where I am now more. And yes, I continue to be careful about what & how much I eat & weigh myself several times a week. It keeps me on track & honest. The main battle may be over but I need to remain vigilant of possible stealth attacks from my own head: old habits, complacency, etc.

I think there are a few questions you need to answer first: Why are you struggling to lose that last 100 pounds? What are you expecting medication to do for you that you can't do on your own? Can you afford it? Most of the newer GLP1 agonist weight loss medications (e.g. Ozempic, Saxsenda, Rybelsus and others), are not covered by insurance. If you are self pay, they may cost $1,200 to $1,500 a month or more. Keep in mind (as some have pointed out above), most people that lose weight with these meds gain the weight back when they stop. If price is not a consideration for you, can you even find the medication? Some of these medications are in critically short supply right now.

Wow that's very interesting! Did your weight loss slow down significantly? I think it's great that your surgeon is concerned about your last 100lbs. I've seen amazing things on these newer weight loss medications. Keep us updated!

My surgeon is pushing it too! I don’t know if it’s a result of new research, or research they want to publish, or they want their stats on weight loss to look better. I’m still loosing very slowly and am happy with that (18 months out). So, I’m researching the side affects, and searching my odds. The minute you go off the meds the weight comes back. What’s your end game? It might be the right medication for you. Do you have a stable income and insurance that would support the medication for the rest of your life? Are you diabetic or COPD or something that loosing more weight would help you control? There’s a lot to consider. It’s a personal health decision each person would need to make for themselves.

Hi Expert Member ☺️, You know you mentioned thick saliva, I have had that happen when trying food, maybe that is thing. I will now have to research that! I do miss carbs too. I have been low carbing forever but every now and then I crave a potatoe chip LOL. Great job on the weight loss to date. I am trying not obsess on my weight but ITS HARD! I debating joining a gym but my husband says no. What's a girl to do lol he says we have it all here. Well keep in touch hope to hear from you soon! 😀

Sleeved 9-1-22. Hope4NewMe, you are doing great. I have lost 40+ pounds. I am at 158 today. Had several stalls but I guess that is to be expected. My hair is shedding right now, too. My bloodwork levels are good. It does feel good to put on smaller sizes, doesn't it? I gain weight all over and am losing it the same way. Which is good, I guess but it makes it hard to actually SEE changes. Hmmm, smaller but the same shape. You said, "you're brain still thinks I am the same size". Maybe my brain is doing the same thing! I, too, am so glad I had this surgery. Have fun on your cruise!

Before surgery, my surgeon put me on Ozempic, to treat my diabetes and jump start my weight loss. It worked great!

I wasn’t expecting it to keep me from over eating as in, I could eat whatever and still lose the weight. I feel my restriction when I eat a little more, no restriction prior to. My directives were very vague, the sheet I was given reads “You should be able to tolerate a fourth, to a half of an egg.” So When I was able to eat a whole egg, I was just a bit worried that it wasn’t normal. But thank you for your feedback.

Don't know how many of us are still left reading these forums but I miss you all! Just hit my 4 month mark and I'm down a little over 50 pounds, yay! Before surgery I was just hoping that I could hit that goal before my cruise and I did! I have another month before I sail so maybe I'll hit 60 pounds down and that will be the best. Weight loss has slowed down but I did expect that. I'm hoping to keep losing at about 10 pounds per month now which is what I did this month and I also lost 7 inches. My hair is definitely thinning so I cut my almost waist long hair to shoulder length and I actually love it. Scary to see the loss at my temples but I know its temporary so I'm trying not to stress too much. I had my blood tested and all of my levels are good but they do want me to take a little more iron because they want me to be above average. I finally tried on a smaller pair of pants and was surprised to see that I could fit into a 14 and its not even tight. I haven't been this size in over 10 years. My brain still thinks I'm the same size to its nice to be able to put on clothing and see proof of loss. I had to buy ring adjusters because my wedding ring was getting scary loose so now its tight and safe again. I can't believe how much has changed in just 4 months and I'm so happy I had the surgery. I hope you all are well and come back and visit sometime lol

Eight pounds away from healthy BMI is tremendous! Well done. You must be really happy with your results. I'm working on getting to your starting weight, since I'm 199 pounds now, and I still have 40 pounds or so to lose to reach a healthy BMI. My weight loss is slowing down too, as I've only lost a little more than one kilo so far this month or 2.4 pounds. I was hoping to continue to lose 3-4 pounds a month, so that I would have a chance to reach a healthy BMI this year, but it may not happen. Still, I'm exactly at BMI 30.0 now, so I will soon be in the "overweight" category and not obese, which is something.

Hello all. I'm new to the group. I had my surgery 16 months ago. My surgeon is starting to push for me to start weight loss medication. My insurance will not cover any revision surgery. What arw your thoughts? Sent from my SM-G991U using BariatricPal mobile app

Honestly, the thing that keeps me here is that I never, ever want to be morbidly obese again. NEVER! Everything is so much better now! I don't know that I'd say it's necessarily difficult, but I know I will have to monitor my weight and my eating for the rest of my life so the pounds don't creep up.

I think the victories continue but in different areas. You may now have the mental space to focus on other things besides weight loss and that itself can be liberating. I’ve seen some amazing posts where people are climbing literal mountains, changing careers, running marathons, having children, traveling, beginning or finishing school, becoming novice mechanics (me), starting to date, ending suboptimal marriages, buying homes, etc. The new victories are countless. Congratulations and Good luck ❤️

Not really. The only thing that's sometimes difficult to manage now and then are the "I'm feeling fat" days. However, I don't believe in an "old me" and "new me". Of course we all change and evolve as time goes by (or hopefully we do) but the distinction between an "old me" (usually the fat one with all the undesirable and bad attributes) and the "new me" (usually the now thin, "good" one) can IMO be problematic if not to say quite toxic. I'm not sure what you mean when you say "transition" so I can't say anything in regards to this. Regarding the focus and motivation: why would you need that? After reaching a normal BMI you most likely have already settled into a lifestyle that enables you to maintain your weight (and hopefully health) and there should be no need to have to keep any special focus or motivation. That's something you need when you're white-knuckling something. The slight vigilance you might most likely need to maintain your weight (and I personally know practically no one who doesn't need that past a certain age so I don't consider it something "WLS-specific", mind you) should not be something that drains your energy significantly. If it does, maybe have an honest talk with yourself why that is. The feeling of "being thin" though has in fact the potential to vanish into thin air. That's when the "I'm having a fat day" can settle in. As I said that's something I tend to struggle with.

I'm at goal now and reveling in the compliments, the stellar labs, the fashionable clothes, and all the benefits that come with dramatic weight loss. I know, of course, that will all die down as this "new me" becomes the "new normal." People will just expect that I'm no longer fat. I'll get used to being a smaller size. Life will be about maintenance with fewer "victories." Those of you who have been in maintenance for awhile, how did you handle the transition? What keeps you focused and motivated when you no longer have the external validation? Have you found it to be difficult?

Ah now that’s a complicated question & there is no definitive answer. There’ll be those who tell you sleeve is the best or bypass is the way to go, etc. The thing to remember is that was the surgery that was best for them. And yes there’ll be those who say they wished they’d chosen another surgery. There are some issues that can make one surgery a much better option over another. For example if you have pre existing reflux/gerd sleeve is not for you or you have a lot of weight to lose bypass may be a better choice. There are other pre existing conditions that may need to be taken into consideration too. As well as factors like your weight loss & gain history, lifestyle, eating style & preferences, etc. Best advice is to do lots of reading & gather information like this yourself & then have a long conversation with your surgeon & see what they recommend based on your medical status, general health & with consideration of the factors mentioned above & then make your decision. As for the long term effects of, I presume maintaining your weight, it really comes down to you. The changes you’re willing to make to your eating, how compliant you are in the long term with your new way of eating, the activity you choose to add to your lifestyle, etc. The surgery is a tool & it’s success depends on how you use it & the sustainability of the changes you make. My surgeon recommended a sleeve after going through everything with me & answering my questions. I was leaning that way anyway as I didn’t want as major a change as with bypass. My weight had only become a serious obese issue with menopause before that I bounced between a BMI of 23 healthy & 29 overweight). I had some existing food sensitivities. I dislike taking medications. Didn’t have any co morbidities - my general health was good. Was fairly controlled about a lot of my eating & was aware of food choices, portion sizes, etc. Didn’t want the increased possibility of dumping (already had random episodes of hypoglycaemia) or absorption issues (especially calcium & iron as a menopausal woman). And yes, it was the right choice for me & my situation & needs. I lost all my weight & more. I’m only 3.75yrs out but have pretty much maintained my weight except for a very fast 2kg (4lbs) gain after my gall was removed in June 2021 which reduced my absorption of protein (so made a dietary change) & we also recently discovered my HRT. I had lost about 0.5kg of the 2kgs over almost a year but since I went on a HRT patch 3 months ago I’ve lost a kg without trying (Damn hormones - or lack of in my case.) Will be interesting to see if the last 0.5kg goes too & I end up where I was at 49kg. That’s my story anyway. All the best whichever surgery you choose.

I was going to say the same thing - it sounds like the infamous "three week stall" (most of us have our first major stall within the first month or so after surgery - it's usually the third week (hence the name), but not always. Sometimes it's the second or fourth week (and occasionally even a little later). The best thing to do is make sure you're following your plan to a "T", and stay off the scale for a few days if you have to. Stalls usually last 1-3 weeks, although occasionally they'll last a little longer. But it WILL break as long as you stick to your plan. as far as exercising, you might want to check with your clinic for their recommendations. I was allowed to walk (and ENCOURAGED to walk) right away. I was cleared to do most other exercise ( other than weights) at about a month out. I was able to do weights at eight weeks out, I think.

Welcome! Its interesting that you say there may be a corallation between TBI and weight gain. My son in law was always slim until he fell and had a severe head injury. He gained a huge amount of weight and developed diabetes because of it. We just thought it was because he wasnt able to be as active and because he sleep eats in the middle of the night. He is also looking into WLS. Good luck to you. I hope you get to have your surgery soon. I am also just waiting for my Echo and my EGD and hopefully will have a date too.

Your body is adjusting, just follow your plan and it will pass. There is an iconic "3 week stall" which you seem to be right around there. Around 3 weeks post-op a lot of people hit a stall. Basically staying at the same weight for a little bit, just still to your plan and it will pass.

Hi, I would like to know if it's Ok that I've been on my same weight for the past 4 days. I lost 21lbs (I was Oped with 239), yet I'm stuck. In fact, my food portions (as assigned by the nutricionist) sometimes are way too much and I can't eat it completely. Ive had some issues with my liquids (since they don't feel good when I take them). What should I do? Is it ok? Should I exercise since now? Help please

Hello everyone, today it has been 7 weeks since I got my surgery (was November 30th.) Since then I have lost 30 lbs. 54 lbs total from the pre surgery weight that I lost. My bmi was 42 now it is down to 32. Half way to my goal weight! Started at 241. Am now 187 goal weight 135!

Has a doctor ever ordered a glucose tolerance test for you? I have PCOS but with mostly normal ovaries. I was diagnosed by a progressive endocrinologist based on my GTT and other symptoms. My insulin resistance was the cause of much of my inability to lose weight. After I was put on metformin, I was able to lose weight (but, obv, not able to keep it off long term). I saw numerous doctors who told me, "just stop eating so much", until I finally landed on the endocrinologist who was willing to listen. Good luck.

What you are describing sounds like a high androgen level....."High androgen levels lead to symptoms such as body hair growth, acne, irregular periods -- and weight gain."

Hi everyone, I had my Gastric Lap Band done 17 years ago. I lost 60kilos over the first 2 years. I fluctuated between putting on 6 kilos and losing it again over the 17 years. ATM I am under my goal weight. I’ve been quite ill for some months. Severe reflux, stomach pain, nausea, back pain, no appetite, night vomiting, (into my airway) night coughing and general feeling unwell. I underwent an endoscopy yesterday, it was suggested my band has slipped? And the band is very tight. I have not had an adjustment or seen a surgeon about my banding in over 8 years. Th Dr performing the Endoscopy is recommending my Dr refer me to to a Gatric banding specialist ASAP. His suggestion was, they may have to remove the band? I don’t see the Dr for a week, then there is the wait to see a specialist, and then????? That’s all a long wait while I feel so ill. Anyway my question is. If I have to have my lap band removed. IF THERE IS NO FURTHER DAMAGE. Can they replace it immediately with mother Lap Band. I m 68 years old and don’t want a Major surgery of Gastric Sleeve.