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The stats are averages & based on your weight after three years. With sleeve or bypass the average weight loss at that point is around 60/65% of the weight you had to lose to put you in a healthy weight range. It reflects factors such as bounce back weight gain, lifestyle changes, complacency, health changes etc. It’s not necessarily the lowest weight you’ll reach, or even where you’ll settle. It’s just gives you a bit of an idea. Some exceed it others don’t reach it. And as @ShoppGirl said your new set point will most inform of where you settle. Personally, I chose my goal as this was the weight I always dropped to before gaining again. It also put me in a healthy weight range (if you use BMI as a guide). Most choose a weight that was where they once were or think they’d like to be. No scientific reasoning at all. I passed my goal but I’m an outlier - someone who doesn’t fit the stats. I didn’t work at losing that much it was just where my body settled. My lowest was 48.2 but settled at 49kg. A medication change & a needed dietary change & I’m at 51kg & have been there for about 9 months. (Would prefer to be 49 but … you know life.) I think setting benchmarks for along the way like you’re doing is a great idea. If you set a final goal make it a ‘it would be nice if I got to that but I accept I may not & that’s okay’ goal. Congratulations on what you’ve achieved so far.

I chose my goal weight because I thought back to when I was last happy about my size. That was when I was 12 or 13 and was a size 16. I was in the 180 pounds range at the time so that became my goal weight. The funny thing is... I reached that weight and wear a size 12 in jeans and medium in tops (still do, even with some weight gained back) so despite being the same height and weight as I was back then... I'm smaller. It was a happy surprise. And also, I guess I was right on the money to choose the goal that I did because as soon as I hit 175, my body was like 'okay, maintenance now' and I didn't lose a single pound more. I have gained some weight back though due to meds and I suppose partially due to my being almost 3 years post op, but I'm working on trying to lose at LEAST another 5 pounds of what I gained back (I'm 188 pounds according to when I weighed myself about two hours ago).

To regain some how about going back to tried and true yet healthier things. Fat and carbs are an awesome weight gaining combo. How about Protein drinks mixed with milk and Peanut Butter. Eat nuts a few times a day. Drink milk, eat some Pasta covered in cheese some times. Your type 2 diabetes is not improved by your weight loss? If I were you I'd get some medical tests done. You got to goal really fast by my standards. Really fast for a woman. I'd want to know why since good health is key.

Are you still trying to lose weight or are you at goal? I saw a side shot picture of you a couple days ago... you were wearing a red shirt. You look very thin but a fit type of thin, not skinny thin lol. You have your own goals on what you want to look like but with my goals of getting big and bulky muscle, now would be the time I would be playing with my diet. I would be adding a few more carbs to my diets pre and post workouts and see how my weight responds. Your at the point now were you should know if your weight gain is muscle or fat. If you gain a pound or two over time and doing everything right diet and exercise wise, the majority of the weight could be muscle. The more you challenge your physical daily activity the higher your BMR will clime. I am not sure how eating at a caloric deficit for a long period of time effects this though... I believe it has a negative effect on your BMR though. Again, I am not sure and its a good questions to find a definite answer for. If you do find out please let me know. I know that when I get to your weight I am going to eat at a caloric surplus to try gain muscle mass. During this 8-12 week bulk I am going to play around with my diet and try to eat about 500cal above my BMR everyday. I also plan to eat around 150carbs daily. My end goal during this bulk is to gain mass, play with my cal/pro/carbs and see how my body react and get my diet to a place that is somewhat normal. I would love to be eating 2500cal, 180g Protein and 150g carbs daily... eating that and exercising at that rate will raise my BMR to a normal level over time.

AS I type this post, I'm thinking about what kind of responses I'm hoping to get from the BP community. For me, accountability is everything. I'm open to hearing suggestions/feedback and also hoping to get some support from others to keep moving! I am 11 months out from gastric sleeve surgery and am still struggling to implement a consistent exercise routine. I wouldn't consider myself nonactive by any means. I have been hiking 6-12+ mile hikes since before surgery. Problem is there is NO consistency. I will go walking for 1-1.5 hours one day and then not walk or exercise for five days. I have really only "exercised" a handful of times since my surgery 11 months ago. I recently purchased a Fitbit last week and discovered that I am more active on a daily basis than I'm giving myself credit for. I typically walk 6,000 steps a day on what I would consider a "non-active" day. So I realized I'm possibly farther along in being active than others on here. SInce getting my fitbit a week ago, I have been walking a minimum of 10,000 steps a day/5 miles/20 stairs. (Why didn't I get one of these little buggers sooner?!?) I do feel I have payed the price by not prioritizing exercise since surgery. I wasn't always overweight, so I have a pretty good idea what my body "should" look like at a certain weight. At 5'7" tall, I reached my surgeon's goal of 160 several months ago. I am now down to 154 and would like to get to 140-145. I look in the mirror and my body composition is VERY different from it was when I used to weigh this amount. (Note: I weighed between 150-163 from ages 14 through 31.) I appear more "flabby." I keep wondering how this may have been different if I had exercised more during this process. I do have genetics on my side. I naturally have an athletic body type. I was a competitive athlete when I was a child/teen. Later on in my 20's and 30's I power walked every single day for an hour to keep my weight in check. Unfortunately exercise was one of things to go when my work/life balance got out of whack when I had children. Some history on me - I've never liked "formal" exercise. Gyms still scare me. Maybe it's the whole "I don't have 3 hours in my day to drive-workout-shower before work" excuse I have always used. Regardless, fast paced walking is an exercise I can do anywhere, doesn't require any equipment and (for now) most likely the exercise I will consistency stick with. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new Fit bit as it is providing the accountability I need. SO what's the problem you may be asking? I have been gaining weight the last two weeks since implementing daily exercise. SInce surgery, I haven't had a problem with regain at all. Once I lose it, it rarely if ever fluctuates. SInce exercising I have GAINED 3 pounds. Intellectually, I "Get" what's going on. My body is adjusting to this new "curve" ball I've introduced. I may have to tweak my caloric intact. My body is also likely building muscle, which weighs more. Muscle burns more than fat, so long term having more muscle will make maintaining easier. I know intellectually I just need to keep plugging along and keep exercising! In a few short weeks I will experience a drop in weight, I will jump up and down and Celebrate. Right now, I need my BP pals to talk me off the ledge (Kidding, sort of ) Here's where I have to be honest though — and before I do, I want to say, DO NOT DO WHAT I DID. I noticed very early on after surgery that I would stall every time after I exercised. If I exercised, the scale wouldn't move. If I stopped exercising, the scale would move. There was so much focus on what the scale reported verses what my body looked like, that I stopped implementing a formal exercise routine all together. Old habits are hard to change and my old thinking right now is telling me to STOP exercising. Over the past year, there have been several times on the BP website I have read others talking about stalls and people commenting about how they exercised daily and wonder what their weight loss would be like if they didn't exercise. So many times I wanted to tell them to just stop exercising and they would lose weight! I wanted to type this.... yet I never did. You know why? Because I always knew exercise was key to long-term maintaince. I knew I may possibly be able to lose the weight without exercise, but it would be very difficult to maintain it without it. I also knew bodies with more muscle mass burn calories more easy. I knew I was screwed if I didn't eventually address this key issue that played a huge role in me neglecting this area of self-care. So here's what I need from my my BP buddies today. Encouragement that this 2-4 pound gain I have seen on the scale the past few weeks since implementing daily exercise is temporary and to hang in there. Seriously, I wish I could just stop obsessing over what that darn scale reports! I am in the home stretch here! I am less than 10 pounds away from my stretch goal of what I want to weigh. Problem is I want to look good NAKED. The only way that's going to happen is if I keep on moving!

I had VSG in 2017 with Dr Scott Bovard. I’ve had about a 35-40lb weight gain and I’m wanting to know if anyone has the information on how many sugars, protein and carbs to consume in a day or per meal. Thanks in advance!

I'm right there with you. I also got a lap band in 2013, lost 98 pounds, then started a gradual regain of over half of what I had lost. Eventually developed abdominal pain issues. Testing showed no other possible reasons so my band was removed July 31 of this year. Pain gone immediately so had to have been the band. On Oct 9th I had vertical gastric sleeve surgery. I am down 35 pounds and 2 pant sizes so far. I hope I learned an important lesson over the past years....that the same actions (excess carb intake ) always equals the same result (weight gain) . At 63 years old I'm getting too old to keep starting this journey over again.

I underwent my 1 1/2 year appointment with the nutritionist and doctor. One of the points I brought up was the story that I heard that the stomach begins to heal at 1 1/2 years and absorbs more calories. It turns out that is a "myth". The main reason for the weight gain (in the maintenance phase) is that individuals begin to graze and when they graze they expand their stomach and then take on more weight. They also said that after RNY surgery, the part of the stomach that absorbs sugars and fats has been cut away. Therefore if one eats too much sugars or fats, the intestines don't know what to do with this and pass it through the system (diarrhea). But as time goes on, the intestines begin to adapt and absorb sugars and fats. I am 18 months post-op and my pouch is still tight. I can tell because when I eat solid foods like steaks or chicken, at some point before I consume a cup, my stomach begins to warn me not to eat anymore. I attribute this tight pouch to my meal plan. From almost the beginning, I focused on consuming high Protein home-made Soups and chili. It is a softer food that because the ingredients were mixed had more flavor. Also it was easy to take the required amount using measuring cups and easy to heat using a microwave oven. Also the food went down smoother and didn't generate that painful experience when you eat too much. At the moment, I am about 10 pounds below my goal weight. I stay away from processed sugar. I rely on natural sugars found in fruits and milk, in synthetic sugar such as Splenda and other natural sugars such as Stevia. In the beginning if I grazed I concentrated on grazing on Proteins. But now I mainly graze on fats. Fats have the ability to take away hunger. I stay away from grazing on carbs. I do graze. But I also monitor my weight daily. I laid out what I was eating and my meal plan with the nutritionist. Their take was just keep doing what I am doing.

I had my VGS on May 8th. I am almost 1 month post-op and am feeling much better. The decision for surgery took over a year of research, seminars, classes, tests...and a long discussion with my husband. Together we decided this life change would be best for me and my health. Let's go back to the beginning.... At age 6 I was diagnosed with Legg-Calve-Perthe's Disease in my left hip. As described below: Legg-Calve-Perthes disease occurs when blood supply is temporarily interrupted to the ball part (femoral head) of the hip joint. Without sufficient blood flow, the bone begins to die — so it breaks more easily and heals poorly. My form of the disease never healed. the femoral head died and fused with the rest of my hip. There are many who go through puberty and the hip heals itself. My childhood was spent in braces keeping my hips aligned to help with the healing process. I was never allowed to play like the other kids, participate in sports or pretty much anything else. It was a long childhood...that turned into long teenage years. From that and poor food choices by my parents and myself I became the fat kid. I was the one everyone made fun of. I had to ride the handicapped bus for 2 years and that's what started it all. The constant bullying made for a very angry girl/teenager. Fast forward to age 20, we went to the orthopedist's office to try and have my hip replaced but he refused stating there could still be some growth in the hip. Most of my 20's were spent on pain meds and weight gain and depression. In 1994 I decided to go on a diet. I went from 288 to 222 pounds in 6 months. I managed to keep it off for a year. It slowly crept back on...again, poor food choices and no exercise. When I was 28 I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis & Fibromyalgia. Medication was added as well as gaining weight. I was in such extreme pain and found comfort in food. In 2001 I found a surgeon in Seattle to discuss the possibility of hip replacement. At my appointment he was shocked it hadn't been replaced years ago and was disgusted at my previous provider's decision to not help me. During the surgery it took 5 people to dislocate my fused hip so they could replace it. Recovery was a long process and a lot of bad food choices since I couldn't cook. Even after having my hip replaced I struggled with my weight. When I married my 2nd husband in 2005 I weighed 304 pounds. Later that year I was diagnosed with Diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and a slew of other conditions. I was put on Metformin and over 2 years lost 40 pounds. I decided again to lose weight before I turned 40. I managed to get down to 221 pounds for about 6 months. My father passed away in December of 2012. I lost it...didn't care about anything. I was so depressed and had so much anxiety that I turned to binge eating for about a year. The physical pain was way better than the mental pain. I finally admitted to my provider at an appointment what I had been doing and we started working towards being healthy. Yet I still had a hard time controlling my diabetes, my RA was bad, the neuropathy was horrible and I felt so defeated. Like so many others I just gave up at that point. I ate what I wanted. My husband works nights so getting takeout was the easiest choice. I rarely cooked but when I did it certainly wasn't healthy food. In January of 2017 after many years of only having one insurance, I was able to be double covered!! I work for a Hospital and the insurance covered the bariatric surgery. I checked the benefits on my husbands insurance and sure enough...COVERED!!! I went to the seminar and from that point I decided this is what I needed to have done to save my life. (I've struggled with anxiety of thinking I am going to die at 60 like my dad did). Had my nutritionist visit, nutrition class, labs, EGD, EKG, Pre-op and surgery was May 8th. I like many others questioned my sanity after waking up from the surgery. I was so uncomfortable and in pain and depressed. That first day anyways...when I got home I felt much better. I am fully committed to this lifestyle change. I've struggled the past month with spasms, feeling too full, trying to get in my water requirement and the protein but this is what I signed up for. I want to live past 60. I want to be healthy. I want to get off my medications. I want to be happy with myself. Today my weight is 215. On admit I was 246 and on 5/10/17 I was 256. I am not in a hurry to lose the weight. I feel blessed where I am right now. I am still learning to listen to my stomach and not my head. I am focusing on the future and trying to live a healthy life. It's interesting to see what your stomach can and can't handle. Sometimes it's painful but heck at least I know for right now what I can eat. If you are reading this, thank you for taking the time. I know it's really long, I just wanted to share parts of my life and struggles with you. This surgery is a blessing. I am taking that blessing and holding it tight and am going to do what I need to in order to live a long life. Angie

My symptoms are irregular/light periods, infertility, facial hair, weight gain/slow at losing, especially belly fat. As someone said it is caused by hormonal imbalance, insulin resistance, high testosterone levels. Mine was diagnosed with a blood test after fertility issues and several other misdiagnosis. I just got banded last week, but I am hoping this will help with my weight as well as some of the other PCOS issues. I advise you to get tested.

I am in the VERY beginning! I was actually a lot farther along in the process about 4 years ago....until my husband's employer took ALL weight loss treatments off the table. It was so heart breaking, I can't even describe it. Due to other health problems, I have been on disability for 2 years and will qualify for Medicare in Feb. Medicare covers Weight Loss Surgery!! I am even heavier than I was due to the meds I was on for so long caused excessive weight gain. I am doing much much better with my health and am off that medication...so its time to do something about this. Losing weight won't necessarliy "cure" whats wrong, but I am tired of being tired and run down all the time due to being soooo heavy! I just want to keep up with the kids activities, to be able to sit in seat at a concert, fit in an airplane seat...just the little things in life!! Anyways, back to your question, I am just getting started choosing a doctor!

This entry is for Monday, March 27, 2006 Breakfast: nothing, not hungry Lunch: beans, 1 oz. Mexican beef steak Dinner: Mexican beef steak, 3 tomillos Snack: serving cookies, cup cappaccino I notice since my husband has been home, I've been eating an actual dinner. And at about 8:00 p.m. I've been eating a snack. This is, I'm sure, the reason for my 2 pound weight gain. That, and I'm expecting my cycle soon. Now that I realize that in only a week's time, I can mke a change to my eating schedule.

It is good to take care of myself. It is a major purchase. Thank gooodness my husband supports the decision. I know it is going to help me prevent some of the high blood pressure and diabetes associated with weight gain. So I am just going to go forward and use the tool that is available to me.

You might not be to tight, but you don't need a fill. Try the hot tea in the am, you still might not be able to do Breakfast but it might make lunch easier to deal with. Eat slower, chew more and chew some more. Also, if you have had the refund going on, try a couple days of liquids. Your throat might be swollen and is the cause of your problem. I am a strange band bird. Some days I can eat breakfast, most days I don't want it. Next, hot weather makes me tighter. Last summer it happened to me and daily I was making toilet deposits. Finally went to the doc and he said I had irritated my throat and should have done the liquids to let it repair. Unfill, weight gain because I was scared to refill. I have been told this is silly because our internal body temp remains the same. I haven't wanted food all day today, it was over 100 and I felt like nothing would go down if I tried. I had a Protein drink and for dinner 2 chicken strips. I haven't been hungry and have felt FULL the entire day. In fact I have felt this coming on for the past couple of weeks as the temps went up. I seldom am hungry and eat because I know I need to. It's hard sometimes because to me it's the same as stress eating. I usually don't want anything and will eat only the fun/wrong stuff.

Clients do come to me frustrated that they are not losing weight quickly enough. My response always is; what is holding you back? The band or you? Most people who choose to undergo Lap Band surgery, do so because they want to change their body and improve their health. Most people understand what to eat to lose weight, however you need to understand how to do this in conjunction with the Lap Band. The Lap Band can behave slightly differently each day creating variability in the food you can tolerate. The most important consideration is to ensure that the Lap Band falls within the green zone. That is, the Lap Band is not too tight. Clients do come to me frustrated that they are not losing weight quickly enough. My response always is; what is holding you back? The band or you? I often get a confused looking client in front me. This question can be quite confronting and forces one to self-reflect and be honest with themselves. I believe honesty is the best policy. With this article I would like to discuss a common challenge faced by most lapbanders, how much and how often one should eat? My philosophy is to keep things simple and easy to digest. Realistically I like to see a minimum of three meals a day consumed. Rather than focusing on how much to eat, try and place the focus on eating quality healthy food that would fit on a small toddler portion plate. This portion should take 15 to 20mins maximum to eat, after which you should feel disinterested in eating more food and be happy to stop eating. Remember, it is not the role of the Lap Band to stop you from eating, this is your responsibility. Ask yourself, are you really using the Lap Band to its maximum potential? Happy eating Helen Bauzon If interested, on Wednesday night 27th November, I will be running a 30min live webinar where you can ask me any question, plus learn a key activity you can do to prevent weight gain during the festive season. http://weightlosssurgerydiet.com.au/index.php/online-webinars

I have not had surgery or major weight loss but because of my weight gain I have had a major problem with yeast rashes and the "stinkys". :thumbup: I use Mitchem gel deodorant anywhere I had a problem. It protects the skin from moisture and takes care of the stinkys.

I was banded end of October and have had a number of fills. the last few that I have had showed a weight gain. But, I have gone down in a pant size. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat. Don't let the scale measure everything for you. As for your doctor. With mine I can get a fill every two weeks. Most insurances work it every three to four weeks for a fill. If you want to get more fills, more often than the six weeks, talk to the office staff. The doctor or nurse will guide you into a shorter schedule. Best of luck.

On a scale from 1-10, how difficult are the lifestyle changes after acclimation? I think about all the time, effort and self-hate that goes into my day now (what foods I should eat, which I shouldn't, am I really hungry or just emotionally hungry?, exercise, weight gain, guilt, etc). I know it will be a lot of work post-op but I hope the self-hate and constant disappointment subside, at least a little.

Hello All, I've been lurking here for a while and have appreciated your transparency and vulnerability. I was on this forum almost ten years ago after having a gastric sleeve. I never met my goal weight; over the years, the weight returned. Last month, I was only 50 pounds short of my highest weight. So, on December 12th of this year, I had a revision to gastric bypass. I feel a little discouraged right now because I don't feel I'm making the progress I expected. I lost 11 pounds my first week, but I am only down another 3 pounds for the next 3 weeks. So, I am only down 14 pounds at three weeks post-op. I do not have an appetite at all and am having difficulty getting anything down but liquids, although I was cleared to begin soft foods today. I couldn't even engage in the puree phase too much. Protein shakes are very hard to get down, so I've transitioned to Isopure (which is more of a liquid). Despite eating little to nothing, my weight loss is slow. It could also be attributed to my starting weight being a little lower than most. I started at 5'2, and my starting weight was 222. Additionally, I take bipolar meds, which are known to cause weight gain. Any words of advice or encouragement? I'm feeling down right now.

This is something that scares me. My SO wants to start having children 5 years from now and I worry about weight gain, cravings and the possibility harming the baby if I don't properly. I wonder would the child be under weight, malnutritioned or sickly because of the decision I am making now. I understand how you are feeling.

You must understand some people who have bands 4 or 5 years sometimes have problems with acid reflux, and weight gain. I'm one of those folks. My tool worked great the first couple of years and it has been down hill since.... There are a lot of folks who have had this problem and are still having it... Plus not to mention I'm in menopause... Just looking for some NEW ideas.... Thanks

:help: Hi! My name is Stephanee and I am a 27 year old mother of 5 kiddos...3 birth children and 2 foster children, ranging from the ages of 3 all the way up to 16. My co-worker told me about the Lap Band about 2 months ago but I was still in denial then. On Friday, I went to see a plastic surgeon about recieving a much needed tummy tuck due to 3 c-sections and major weight gain. I informed him that we go to the gym 3 times a week and we eat healthy. I explained that I didnt want to have the procedure done until I lose some weight. Without him weighing me, he assummed I was accurate on my weight and proceeded to tell me he "didnt know why I thought I was healthy because 240 pounds and 5'5" is NOT healthy". And he went on to repeat the same sentence 2 more times within a 3 minute time frame. I was devasted. I knew I was overweight, but he was being really harsh. I looked at him and told him, "With you being a Doctor, is that all you can contribute to this conversation?" His reply was, "Yes, I guess so." I then told him that I didnt think this was going to work. He agreed with me and got up and left the room...leaving me there in tears and in an XL robe that fit me perfectly. I didnt take an opportunity to tell him that I had recently been tested for diabetes, thyroid issues and even had a CAT scan to make sure I didnt have any tumors. And those tests came back normal. I didnt take an opportunity to tell him that my mother died from complications from obesity. And I didnt take the opportunity to tell him that I was currently wearing a size 16, so I couldnt be as hopeless as he made me feel. As soon as I made my way out to my Jeep, I told my waiting boyfriend that it was over...no more feeling horrible about myself. We went to our gym to speak to a personal trainer. We decided I was going to hire a personal trainer to help lose the weight. But I still felt like I needed something more. I have tried many different diets and have been obese for the past 5 years. I work out reguarly, I am a volunteer baseball coach and the PTA President, so I am always on the go. But no matter how hard or long I try, I get no where. And then, last night, I remembered about the Lap Band. I stayed up until 12:30 in the AM doing research. Before, I was terrified at the prospect of surgery, as my mother passed away when I was only 6. But the more I read, the more comfortable I felt about such a major change. What I need to know is, are there anyone else in my shoes who was able to be approved for the Lap Band? I am 5'5", 230 pounds, with a BMI of 38.3 and I have UHC as my insurance company. Any help you can offer, I would really appreciate it. I am soooo tired of giving 100% to other people and 0% for myself. Thanks!!!

I had the same fears pre op. 60% of my excess weight still leaves me in the "obese" catagory with 40 more # to lose to be normal. What I'm OK with now, 3 weeks post op in a one week stall, is that this small stomach will be a weight loss tool for the rest of my life. I don't find it hard to stay on primarily Protein with veggie back up. I now drink a lot of Water because I'm thirsty, not because I have to force myself. Down the road, if I go off the plan I'll still be eating MUCH less and I doubt weight gain will be an issue as I swim every day. Losing weight down the road is easier, I hear, by re-conforming to the diet in concert with the "baby stomach".

But do you realize acid reflux and weight gain aren't normal? You're not supposed to be having either. Have you spoke to your surgeon recently about all this? I would even go so far as to request a barium swallow to make sure your band is still in the proper place.

After Gastric Bypass surgery, I lost 120 pounds (8.6 stones) within around 7 or 8 months after surgery. One of the advantages of this surgery (RNY gastric bypass) was that I completely lost my hunger. It was not difficult to lose the weight when you are not constantly hungry all the time. Eventually after about a year the hunger returns but it is not as strong as before. A picture is worth a thousand words - so here is my before and 6 month after - photo comparison. Initially the weight loss is rapid but as time goes on it slows down and then eventually stops and a person transitions into the Maintenance stage. In this stage the goal is to maintain the weight that has been lost. There is also something called the 20 pound bounce. Many individuals will gain around 20 pounds back from their bottom but it is important to not let this weight gain accelerate beyond this bounce.