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Aaaaaaaah, I can't really object to this one. I experienced it myself. That "feeling of thin" or "no longer feeling fat" has indeed a tendency to "wear off" or something like that. That doesn't mean it will happen to you as well of course but it might be. (However, it wasn't pointed out to me. It was something I noticed with time.) The reason I'm not going for lower ("ripped" - as much as I like that look) is because I hate hate hate that feeling of everything has to planned and managed and tracked and all - I'm not a person for detailed planning and every-minute-and-morsel-has-to-be-planned-and-timed. I clearly realized this when I prepared for exam while working full-time. During the last 6 months and especially during the last 3 months everything seemed to be pressed into a tight timeframe. I had to cut time to make room for studying. Exercise, food shopping, food preparing, sleep and more. So things had to be planned and scheduled in a way that felt way too much like overwhelming and disturbing micromanaging for me. You can't imagine how good it feels to be free again of this meticulous micro-managing time and stuff and the bad conscience that comes with not-sticking-to-the-plan!! It was necessary to get the result I wanted and I got it but (and in this "weight loss" is so much different) now it's over. Finished. Done. So it was ok. However, I don't want to have that kind of stress in my life for an endless timespan.

The longest stall I had was 29 days. And then in the month following that I lost 10 pounds so... it made up for it. My most recent stall was 27 days and I've lost 7 pounds in the month following it. Stalls happen, but a two month stall means you may have hit maintenance. If you want to get your weight moving again you'll likely have to adjust what you eat. Cut your calories, carbs, fat intake, sodium, etc. until hopefully something works to kickstart it. Or call your nutritionist for advice on what to do with your diet to start your weight loss back up.

I think this depends on how you define "successful". If one only cares about being skinny, doesn't matter the cost (this is a decision that should be respected as well IMO) people can be very successful with restrictive diets. There will always be people who maintain a very low weight, just like there are people who maintain weight loss without surgery. I just wish this wouldn't be touted as the one and only acceptable outcome. Not everyone is interesting in rigid control. There comes a point for everyone at which you have to ask yourself: "What am I willing to sacrifice for a few lbs less?" For some people that question might arise at BMI 29 or higher, for others it might boil down to the question if they want to proceed to get and maintain a "ripped" look with not an ounce of body fat on their frame. Lol, so much this.

Congrats on your weight loss! We will see what happens. I suspect from what I have read it will be similar to what you are saying.

I’m scheduled for 4/27 my liquid diet starts 4/13 I’ve been waiting since January 2020 to get through this process so I’m excited! I’m getting surgery not just for weight loss but I have bad stomach problems which I got as a young adult from to many NSIDS.

This is not a requirement for me because I had a BMI over 40 at the start of my bariatric journey. However, as a respiratory therapist that has worked in the CPAP business, I can offer some info. For bariatric patients with a BMI of 35-40, most insurances require that the person have other weight-related issues prior to approving surgery, and sleep apnea (you periodically stop breathing when you sleep) is often at least partially weight-related. Most people who lose significant weight can have their CPAP pressure reduced and some even no longer need CPAP. (These things would be determined by your sleep specialist after your weight loss.) Even for people who are NOT contemplating bariatric surgery, insurances require proof of "compliance" within the first three months in order for them to keep paying the rental fee. (As of 2017, I know that insurances would pay a monthly rental fee for 13 months, and then the unit was considered "paid off" and owned by the patient.) "Compliance" is generally considered to be a minimum of 4 hours of use per night for a minimum of 75% of the nights during a 30-day period within the first 90 days of having the unit. Therefore, many doctors tell a patient to shoot for 80% usage, just to be on the safe side. In general, for bariatric patients, most insurances want to see some sort of progress in the months leading up to surgery, prior to approving payment for that surgery. There should be some weight loss, as well as compliance with medical guidance on other weight-related issues (ie: sleep apnea), in order for them to consider the patient a good "risk" for spending the money on bariatric surgery. All that said, if you have sleep apnea, DO do your best to use your CPAP! Without it, your body's sleep habits are actually unsafe. Without it, your body is under stress EVERY NIGHT, which has negative effects on your heart. Though rare, some people HAVE died from sleep apnea and non-CPAP use. With regular use, you should feel more awake and more energetic during the day, whether or not you lose weight. There are many styles and brands of masks on the market, browse them on the internet. If your current one is very uncomfortable, call your CPAP provider for another. Try to use it for two weeks before moving on to a different type. The company I used to work for would provide free mask refits as often as necessary within the first three months (after that, it could only be done every six months due to the insurance schedule for payment on new supplies). It's quite an adjustment but keep trying! 🙂

those last 20 lbs or so are a BEAR to lose! The last few months I was only losing about 2 lb a month, so it took FOREVER to get them off. But even for people who've never had weight loss surgery, losing 10 or 20 or even 30 lbs when you're close to a normal BMI is SUPER hard. Before I had surgery, I used to listen to women at Weight Watchers who were like 10 or 20 lbs overweight b***ch and scream and complain about how hard it was to lose 10 or 20 lbs. I used to roll my eyes whenever I heard them. Yea...right...try losing 100+ lbs. But now I totally get it... It can be done, but it's tough. Just keep working at it (that is, if you want to - like Creekimp said, if you're happy where you're at and it's comfortable maintaining your weight at that level (because the lower you go, the harder it is to maintain it), then there's nothing wrong with staying where you're at, either...)

Thanks so much. My surgeon only presented the RNY or sleeve. I don't think they perform the mini by pass and the duodenal switch wasn't mentioned. I will have another face to face with the surgeon after my medical clearances are completed to discuss final options, etc. I appreciate any article info you can share on diabetes remission. While I am certainly looking forward to the weight loss, my priority is getting my diabetes under control.

Wow.... offended much? And what exactly makes YOU an expert? LMAO The whole point of my post was to encourage the original poster to seek guidance from her HEALTH team. THEY are the experts And in my reply to you I said your doc SEEMS to be more of the exception than the rule. And exactly what AUTHORITATIVE comments did I make? I didn't tell anyone to do anything... but I did say in my posts (there were 3 of them... that the OP should consult their medical team. LMAO "Yeah, I keep hearing this. From people who were so good at consuming calories they had to have weight loss surgery " I especially love this sentence... I mean... Pot Calling the Kettle Black???? LMAO BTW.... my weight gain was caused by prolonged severe sleep apnea which caused a log of health issues... I took care of the sleep apnea and had weight loss surgery so I could regain my heart health. but go on making assumptions about people you have never met before!

Had gbp 2019... over 18 months I was able to lose 100 pounds. Since loosing the initial 100 lbs I still have approximately 30lbs to lose. But it's not budging. I carry all my weight in midsection. I think the last weight i need to met is my stomach. I work out and eat healthy. Any tips on how to loose that last 30lbs? All suggestions are appreciated. Sent from my SM-N960W using BariatricPal mobile app

The closer to goal and lower your bmi, the harder it gets. It has taken me 4 months to loose the last 10 pounds. Partly due to a low bmi (current bmi is 21) but mostly due to deciding to slowly enter the maintenance phase - a more realistic, long term sustainable way of eating. I increased my daily calories and carbs/fats and the weight loss slowed to a trickle. The last several weeks I actually increased both daily calories and macros and was able to loose 4.4 pounds so I'm 0.6 pounds to my goal of 135. I told my nutritionist that thin feels better than a whole cake tastes but not better than a piece of cake once in a while. She agreed, everything in moderation.

If it's any comfort, my weight loss slowed down quite a bit too - to the point that other friends and family who had WLS were asking me why I wasn't losing faster. But it just kept going and going. 2 pounds a month until almost two years out, I found myself at a normal BMI and below my original goal. There's a Chinese proverb that says: "Do not fear going forward slowly, fear only to stand still." As long as your weight is trending downward, you're still moving forward. Hugs. 🤗

So frustrating I know. You were probably told or heard the adage that the more you have to lose the faster you lose at the beginning. The other side of that saying is the closer to goal you are the slower you’ll lose. Seems that ‘s where you are. The initial weight loss rate is so motivating and then this slow down can suck the enthusiasm out of you. Hate to say it but I think battling weight will always be a monkey on our backs. We’ll just have way better skills, knowledge, tools, etc. to more successfully manage & control it than we ever did before. You’ve done so well so far don’t give up or let this get you down. You’re still losing & that’s a win. Good luck.

I still have that little pooch above my waist. It’s way smaller but must just be my body shape. When I carried my weight it was like I had two stomachs. One above, one below with a definite waist in between. You have to remember you have fat all over your body so you’ll lose a little here, a little there. Did you take any body measurements? That way you can track that quarter of an inch loss here, half an inch loss there. It adds up but may not be noticeable for a while. Remember, there are 2 inches between clothing sizes so you may not have dropped a size yet. Frustrating I know. Where you lose that weight can be surprising too. Wait till you realise your shoes are too big cause you lost weight on your feet. I even lost fat on my eyelids - no more droopy lids anymore. Oh & then when you’re maintaining, it seems to resettle & even out a bit over your body & on your face. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Weird observation: in the couple months leading up to, and immediately after, weight loss phase my extra skin was all above my belly button as well, by the time i got around to my plastic surgery date (6 months later) the extra skim seemed to had moved down below the belly button. I suspect it had to do with the additional 12-15 lbs lost during that time? I dunno...

Take pictures! You may not see it the mirror, but seeing the difference of two pics side by side is hard to deny. I took pics every week for 7 months. One of my favourite pastimes back then was comparing the progress between pics. Also, I didn't get comments/reactions about weight loss until I lost about 60lbs....then the comments wouldn't stop for about a year (it does get quite annoying). By the first year into maintenance the comments basically dried up (thank goodness).

Because you're literally starving. That's why you're hungry. This "no hunger" thing is a myth for most people. The reduction of hunger hormones will help you, but this will not eliminate hunger...which you will (probably) always feel when you are losing weight. The good news.... we can survive hunger. Eventually, the weight loss stage turns into the maintenance stage. Since maintenance, I've almost never been hungry. But yeah...every single day I was losing weight, I was hungry. And that period of time right after surgery? I was freaking starving. I do think that a few people don't experience hunger after surgery. It happens. But I don't think this is true for the majority of people. I also think that surgeons love to give people a magic feather to hold on to...."you will no longer feel hunger" that many people will buy into completely. Placebo is good medicine, however, so far be it from me to take it away. But yep...I was freaking ravenous. Sorry.

Hello everyone! It has been quite some time since I’ve posted! I’m s/p SVG in 2014, circumferential body lift in 2017. Ive maintained about 100lbs weight loss. Very happy with my body lift results, but after a few years, am really considering thigh lift, brachioplasty, and breast lift. The thighs are my #1 problem spot by far. Looking for info/experiences for people who have maybe had, or are planning either thigh lift or spiral thigh lift (which is where I’m leaning). Just starting this process, so pretty uninformed at this moment, lol. Also, if you have an surgeon recommendations in the Sacramento area, that’s a bonus. I LOVED the surgeon who did my body lift, but I loved out of state. Still haven’t completely ruled out going to her, but not sure what that would look like! Thanks for everything!! Jenny

Your doctor sounds like the exception and not the rule based on conversations I have had with many others. In the first couple months post-op, most don't even give a calorie goal simply because your body need time to heal and getting 1200 calories in a day in the first couple months is hard and not necessarily good for a stomach that has just been sutured together. Docs don't want you to push your body to eat 1200 calories when your stomach can only tolerate 600-900 calories. That said... the longer goal is usually around 1200 calories a day. 1200 calories a day was a pre-op and an eventual goal for many months out post op recommendation for me and those I know who have had bariatric surgery. But for most people, it seems to be a slow build to get to that 1200 calories a day goal. And that is OK post op. You aren't rushing the weight loss, you are allowing your body to heal while it just so happens that you are losing weight. And as long as you are getting your protein and water in, that is all that really matters in the first few months. My nutritionist never even batted an eye when I said all I was getting in was 800 calories a day, because she expected that. She DID worry about when I said I wasn't getting my protein and water in. Anyhow... this is exactly an example of why any post op patient should be seeking guidance first and foremost from their own surgical team. And not from others who's medical plans are individualized. BTW... I had bariatric surgery and I NEVER ate 2800 or more calories a day Maybe in a rare occasion... but not often.

I've read somewhere that generally, the first place you gain weight, is the last place that you will lose it. For me the first place to shrink during weight loss was my boobs, the last were my legs. Hang in there ❤️

Alot of folks already said more or less the same thing, but I'll throw in my 2 cents anyway: I chose sleeve because: I was afraid of dumping (but...I dump anyway) I wanted to continue using NSAIDs (but...I ended up not needing them anymore anyway) I was personally freaked out a bit by the re-routing of my intestines (but...not cutting out my stomach? lol) I DID NOT have GERD. I only had a choice between sleeve and bypass cuz those were the only ones covered by my insurance, so I didn't consider any other procedure. I think that one's results with WLS has more to do with the person, than with the type of surgery. I'm convinced I would have had the same result if I had the bypass. But that's just me. Some background and current statuses: I'm 5'2", almost 50yr old female, started off at 235 lbs at the beginning of my 2 week pre-op diet...2.5 years ago. I got to goal of 127 lbs in 7 months (108 lbs lost at that time). I settled into 115 lbs by 10 months post-op and stayed there basically since...but not without a bit of effort on my part. 3 times I got up to 120 lbs for a few consecutive days, and subsequently made efforts to get back down to 115. And 4-5 times I went sub-110 lbs for a few consecutive days, but didn't have to make any effort at all to get back to 115, go figure. This morning I was 109.2 lbs. I consumed very little calories during weight loss phase, and exercised regularly starting month 3 (running/walking mostly, and minimal strength training daily). No complications, nor issues other than those expected (dump with sugar, foamies/chest pressure if I eat too much or too fast, need to barf if I drink with my meals, burp like a teenage boy) At 2.5 years out, up until a month ago, I was averaging around 1800 cals a day with regular exercise (running & strength training 4-5 times a week). Currently I'm playing around with calories as I'm sidelined on the exercise front, which explains my lower weight these days cuz I haven't figured it out yet. I mostly eat salads (by choice, I LOOOVE salads!) , but I also eat desserts, spicy stuff, fried stuff, fatty stuff, drink coffee, alcohol and carbonated water. On rare occasions I eat bread or potatoes, but I don't eat rice nor regular pasta. I max out at about 1 to 1.5 cups of food per sitting (more if its salad) My lab results have consistently been uneventful (my last one was in November last year). So....so far so good. I have no illusions that I will be like this forever...but that's on me, not my sleeve.

Congratulations! You should be proud of what you’ve achieved. It take lots of work and commitment to get this far. I can empathize when you say you need to learn to be kind to yourself. I’m sensing that I’m moving into needing to work on that area myself now that I’m so far along my weight loss journey. (I’ve still got 40 lbs I’d like to lose, but I’ve lost 110 lbs so far! 🏆) Again, great job on your awesome progress. I bet you look fabulous!

I think your examples really show how life does happen, and how common regain is, as well as how normal it is! I was also a success story, keeping off most of everything I lost for years. But there were pockets of time, tragic life events that proved to be too much for me to cope with, and I hate to admit this, sent me spiraling into stress eating. When I was caring for my husband in his 50s with early onset dementia, and his subsequent death at 62, I actually made a conscious decision to just let my focus on my diet go. It really takes a lot of focus and energy for me to stay on track, and I just didn’t have that left. Then came dealing with grief and then pandemic....blah blah blah. The 5 and then 2 and then 10 pounds here and there really add up!! Anyway, while I’m finding it very difficult to do, I agree with you, it possible to lose the regain. I’ve finally gone back to the way I ate when I lost the weight, (low calorie, low carb, high protein) and it is starting to come off. I really have to keep check on my expectations. I want to lose 2-3 pounds/week, and that’s just not going to happen for me. Remembering that time goes on either way and the 0.2 losses add up over time help to keep me focused. Wishing you much success on your continued journey to health!

Jealousy is one word to describe your friends’ reactions. But they are likely also uneducated. i was not going to tell anyone pre-op except my parents and only cuz they are going to be helping care for my daughter ( and me) post op. But I ended up telling a friend because we got into the topic of how discouraging weight loss has been for so long- she is probably in the low 200’s vs me who went from 245 to 300 in 5 years. Her initial reaction was as I had feared. Too drastic, not always successful, dangerous, and it’s just “calories in, calories out “...exactly my feelings too just 6 months ago. But explaining the reset you get with wls and biochemical change that happens, she appreciated both that I had done my research and that maybe she didn’t fully understand wls- and I am doing what is best for me even if she still doesn’t agree. For sure your friends feel they are losing a comrade- I know I have felt that divide when a friend has lost weight and I felt left behind cuz I couldn’t hike, ride bikes, go to the beach like she was doing. And don’t get me started about her dating life. Maybe having a heart to heart to air out your feelings and the medical basis for why this is not a decision for vanity’s sake, they will reassess their behavior and try to be supportive. if not, they will probably be too toxic to be with while you are doing probably the best thing for yourself...I find therapists invaluable when I feel I can’t talk to friends. good luck and hope you find support from them or others. But find that support wherever you can.

Congratulations. 😁 That first time you truely realise how much you’ve lost is surprising but also amazing & wonderful. And I’m not talking about a number on the scales or what you see in the mirror. There’s something about clothing sizes that makes your weight loss all that more real. You can’t deny that number on the clothing tag. Your mind will eventually catch up with the reality of how you look now & what you’ve achieved. (Though I still have days where I wonder who is the skinny girl in the mirror or reflected in a window.) Very happy for you.