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Sound right about boringly normal as well. You will lose weight at those levels but much, much slower than compared to before. Hang in there. .2 -.4 lbs lost may seem minute, but a loss is a loss is a loss. P.S. I know there are many on here that lost several lbs after plastics. I may be a minority, but plastics only shaved off 400g (0.88 lbs) from me. Though at that point i wasn't really concerned about the number on the scale but about the overall look of me....which I was/am totally satisfied with. Good Luck! ❤️

I’m at around 1200 cal/day and I am very active - weight training 3-4 times a week and 45-60 min of cardio on the other days (and usually 15-20 min of cardio on the weight training days too). I get in around 200 oz of water and I don’t drink anything other than water save for the rare occasions I’ll get a small diet lemonade at chic-fil-a. I’m also focusing on protein first and don’t have many carbs. I’m still losing, but just not as fast (understandably), but having mini-stalls now. Didn’t have those before. I also know that I have a lot of extra skin and I’ll reach a point that I can’t go much lower without plastic surgery (which I will be looking into soon).

Here’s the thing…the smaller u get the less your caloric needs get. If you want to lose more weight, you are going to need to cut your calories. I don’t know what ur cal level is now, but 1500 cals on a 300 lbs frame will lose weight faster and more consistently than the same amount of cals on a 145 lbs frame. (Not counting activity level, of course) I originally set a goal of 120. I revised that to 127 as I wasn’t liking how i was looking (think: Skelator). I ended up losing a bit more in my attempts to adjust to maintenance calories, and this was due to the fact that I just wasn’t eating enough to sustain 127 lbs. I got to 127 in 7 months, and stabilized at 115 around 9-10 months post op. Im still 115 now at 3 yrs out (and actually happy with it as my skeletal look has more or less gone away…thanks carbs, lol), and i average 1800-2000 cals a day, with moderate to slightly high exercise. Edited to add: im boringly “average” in the sense that i have no medical conditions that would impede weight loss nor do i have an abnormal metabolism given my size or activity levels.

No issues at all with sleeve recovery. I am 12 days post-op. As Tomo said above, I had two or three days of really dismal gas (my poor fiancé!) and ate Gas-X/simethicone like it was candy. My stomach was sore but not painful, I was able to change positions immediately and could sleep on my side (though the first night I had to turn in several smaller turns). I did not have GERD before it and have only had 2-3 occurrences of it since, all of which were related to Gatorade Zero, which I've since deleted from my life. I am still on liquid diet (3 weeks liquid, 3 weeks purée/soft food) so we will see if that changes afterwards. My heavy weight was 178 kg, I started looking into VSG when I had got down to 170.5 kg, had surgery when I was 162 kg, and as of this morning (I weighed just for you!) I am 151 kg. (I am 183 cm tall.)

You are fine. You have swelling and fluids from surgery keeping your weight up. After about a week those fluids will start to dissipate and the weight will come off. Keep sipping water and broth, keep walking and give it time.

My doctor told me not to think of it as stomach surgery, but rather brain surgery because you’re changing the way your mind thinks about food. I was sleeved on 9/13 and when I woke up from anesthesia I felt RELIEVED, like it was the best decision I had ever made. I can’t speak to the bypass, but with the sleeve I’ve felt almost no hunger, no cravings, AND the foods I am thinking about are way healthier… I don’t know why. I used to want pizza, pasta, ice cream etc (just carbs and sugar!) constantly, and now I find myself thinking about salads and fish. I don’t think it’s ever “easy” but I’ve never dropped weight like this before. I’m down 25lbs since 9/1 and every day when the scale shows me a lower number than the day before I’m still shocked that it’s working. I hope this helps, good luck!

Surgery 9/21 and today is the 26th. I am not losing weight. Not sure if it's because of the drain and gas, water retention, etc. Drinking two premier protein shakes, water, coffee w/ half n half and soup. Not sure if that's too much food. I'm worried.

we get rebates from our health insurance if we do something like approved three activities a year. One choice was having a handful of telehealth appts with a dietitian (note this was not the dietitian I usually see annually at my bariatric clinic - this was just a regular dietitian who works for the insurance company). She suggested I cut 1000 calories a day from my diet to lose the weight I wanted to. I maintain my current weight on about 1700 calories a day. So cut 1000 calories from that? Is she f***ing kidding? So I cut 200-ish calories, knowing it'll take months to lose some microscopic amount of weight. But that's how it goes when you're at or close to a normal BMI. You're pretty much equilibrium as far as calories in/calories out, so there's not much to cut - and that weight loss is going to be S-L-O-W! (note that 700 kcal/day is fine during the first months post-op -- but not when you're as far out as I am..)

Oh yes I remember those ladies when I did WW back in the day - and I would roll my eyes (mentally) at them. But yes - it’s so much harder to lose weight when you don’t have as much to lose - and it’s much more frustrating to have stalls or only see the scale move .2 or .4.

I'm in the same boat as you right now (and just posted about it in my own thread that I started and use for my own updates). I am about 4 months out. Watching my protein and calories too and yet the last time I had a loss was Aug 28th!!! Since then my weight has even gone up from 251.6 to fluctuating between 256 and 258!! Not sure why. Now I have had my period the last week and I also had my Metformin dose cut down in half so who knows what the heck is going on! If one or both things may be contributing.......or not. Frustrating nonetheless especially when you know you're doing all the right things.

UPDATE: So, I think in two days it will be 1 month since I had any loss. Not sure why or what's going on as nothing is new as far as my eating goes. I've also still been keeping an eye on my protein intake and it's been fine. The only thing I have been wondering about is the Metformin. Last month some time I ran out and was without it for like a week. Well I noticed that in that time I had no loss. Didn't think much of it as it was just a week and that happens. But then my doc went and lowered my dose during my last doc visit and again, no loss since. That was several weeks ago. I am wondering if this is just a typical stall for whatever reason or is this change/loss in medication really working against me and the reason for it? I just can't figure out why the stall for this long. And it's not just a stall but my lowest weight was 251.6 on Aug 28th. I am now fluctuating between 256 and 258 again. It's driving me nuts!!!! The only other thing is that I got my period last Friday and it's just now going away so that may be contributing somehow. But it's never stalled me this long and like this any other month. Just strange. I hope it picks up again soon cause I have way too much to lose still. This can't be it. Sigh

I got there (at one point - I'm now 6+ years out - gained 20 lbs after hitting my lowest, which is very common...) it's super tough to lose weight when you're at or close to a normal BMI. I remember vividly going to Weight Watchers meetings before I had surgery. I used to roll my eyes at these women who were only slightly overweight who'd moan and complain about how tough it was to lose 10 lbs. Yea - I'd think - try losing 100+. But now I TOTALLY get it. You might be able to do it - but it'll take a lot of work. I'm now 4 lbs overweight, thanks to the pandemic, and it's hard as heck trying to lose it again.

I do dump. I started at over 700, when I got down to 310 (my goal was 210), I started a program similar to Couch to 5K. I accomplished that and just kept going. Eventually I thought a marathon would be an interesting goal and I targeted the Valley of Fire marathon (outside Las Vegas). I ran 5 marathons in a year starting about 3 years post-op, during which I was running 70 to 90+ miles a week. I usually ran in the mornings before work, though there were periods where I did "2 a days". Right when I woke up I mixed up an ice-tea / Gatorade mix that wasn't terrible and drank it down. It woke me up and got me moving but I don't think it made much of a difference during my runs. During the runs I just did water. After runs I also did a regular yogurt for recovery. I tried the little squeeze packs and found they were ok on normal days (10-13 miles), but they would cause me to dump on longer runs, so abandoned them and anything else. Again, I didn't perceive any difference with the squeeze thing. My normal plan was 3 meals per day of 3oz protein, 1oz veggies. Because of the running I hit and shot way past a normal BMI. Eventually I was up to 5 meals per day plus a protein drink. The protein drink was instead of a 6th meal as I already felt I was eating all day. It slowed my weight loss. I hated (HATED!) eating so much, what a turn. Good luck, Tek

Just keep doing what you’re doing. Sounds like you’re doing fine. Maybe only weigh once a month or every two weeks, just so you won’t get disappointed every time. If you do want to add some exercise on your days off, I would suggest something like swimming. But mostly I would suggest weight training. By adding more muscle, you’ll burn more calories and it’s just better for your overall health. Maybe start with your upper body?

My situation is a bit different than Sleeversk. I am 5 months PO. I have lost 70lbs and feel great! I do have a slight uptick in heartburn, which is maintained with meds. Things he says are true like chewing your food well and giving up carbonated drinks. If I eat too fast, I do know it. It takes a bit for it to go down. I just get moving and it usually solves itself. There is still a feeling of hunger as has been mentioned, but a small amount of food takes it away. I would recommend the surgery. At 10weeks PO , I may have been struggling a bit more, but you have to hang in there. Be kind to yourself and remember that a weight in your early twenties may not be realistic today. Hoping you get the answers you are looking for....good luck.

I was attending WW when I made the decision to have WLS so I know my "goal range" for them was 94-124 lbs. I think that was based on a height of 5' because I used to round up from 4'11 1/2". I set my goal at 123 because then 125 would be my top limit to never go over! My surgeon never really gave me a "goal" but said he thought I could get to 130. The chart where they plot my weight always had 117 lbs as my "ideal" weight but he always said not to worry if I didn't meet that. Well, I met his 130 goal at 9 mon and I told him I didn't want to stay in the "overweight" category so I was going to try for 123 for a normal BMI. He was ok with that. I continued with WW throughout this because I liked the emotional support and I wanted the lifetime membrship for continued support in case I had regain. On my one year anniversary I weighed 122 lbs. I never really had any stalls that year. The next year I continued to lose gradually, (while trying to maintain) up a pound, down a couple until I reached 111-112 on my second anniversary. For this past year I have weighed around 108 lbs. I weigh every day so its sometimes up a pound. Now as I approach my 3rd anniversary, I have lost some more weight recently and have been as low as 103 lbs, without changing anything. I'm right in the middle of my BMI range at 21. I'm "medium" frame according to wrist size and wear a size 2 or XS. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd have 33 in hips!

Well let me tell you, my start weight was 100kg, i am now 10 weeks po and 82kg but it has been a nightmare I would love to tell you it was a breeze and I know some people who did breeze through it. I still get slight pain when i eat. I think more about food and drinking more than i ever did before to the point it drives me nuts. I had reflux before surgery that my surgeon insisted would get better at this point it hasnt i wake every morning with a horrid taste in my mouth.and take double the amount of meds than i did pre surgery. I feel hungry but dont feel like eating.for me I wish i had have gone down a different path for weightloss. What i have given up to do this hasnt been worth it for me in the way i now have to eat and drink. it also effected my mental health terribly.you really need to consider lots of things and what they tell you you need to do after surgery like dont drink 30 mins each side of eating chew your food to a paste then swallow, no carbonated drinks, you dont really comprehend until after surgery. Make sure you get plenty of councilling prior and go with a surgical team that offers lots of after care if you chose to go ahead. It is hard and many people are glad they did it and i hope one day i am like that but atm i wouldnt recommend surgery if a weightloss of under 30kg is what you are aiming for.

Hi all, I have my first appointment with a surgeon next week and I am looking at the option of a gastric sleeve. I've been up and down HUGE amounts all my life. Was an extremely obese teenager, a decent weight in my early twenties which was maintained through excessive exercise/occasional vomiting/diet pills and a severely restricted diet. However, I ended up slowly gaining and I hit over 100kg after each of my children were born. On and off I took diet pills/tried intermittant fasting/exercised manically etc to go up and down throughout my 30's and early 40's. I maintained 66 - 68kgs for about three years but was ALWAYS hungry. During the Covid lockdowns last year (I'm based in Melbourne , Australia) I gained 15 kilos. Over summer, I lost five, but have now put them back on plus another 7-8 kg. My weight is currently 91kg (I'm 165cm) and I'm tired and really depressed. I can't even look at myself in the mirror and I'm dreading going back to work. I feel as though I don't have it in me for another huge weight loss, without some type of surgery, as I've struggled with multiple family and financial issues over the past 2 years and am at a really low ebb. My goal weight is actually 60kg, but I only reached this weight in my early twenties when I was doing 15 hours exercise a week. Anyway, I'd love to hear from other people who have experienced a similar predicament. How bad was the sleeve recovery? What about reflux? Has it made a difference to your appetite? Would you recommend it? I just love the idea of my life not revolving around self hatred and guilt and obsession with food. Thank you in advance!

I picked my goal based on the lowest weight I’d ever reached before too - my bounce weight range. 60kgs & BMI of about 23. Reached that at 6 months & then lost another 11/12kgs over about another 11 months. The weight loss just continued to get slower. No stalls in that time, but the trend was still the same pretty smooth & even trend I experienced in my first 6 month weight loss. Just more up & down when I was starting to stabilise at around 50kgs I struggled to find that caloric balance to stop losing. Just trying to eat larger portions & then eat more frequently was hard but over that year I eventually got to about a recommended portion size for most foods. I was eating 4 or 5 snacks a day on top of three meals by the end. Now I eat about 3 snacks & 3 meals & I’ve been maintaining for almost a year at about 49kg (generally fluctuate between 48.5-49.5) & a BMI of just under 19. I know a lot of people have issues about BMI but I always look at it as a guide. Higher end of healthy range for large frames, lower end for smaller frames. Taking in the needs of our bodies is also important as is how muscular we are. Some people just sit happily at a BMI above the healthy range - their body seem to function better. We also carry our weight in different ways too. You can look at two people with similar height, build & weight but one can look slim & the other bony. I was always told I had a larger frame. Once the weight was gone it was obvious I don’t. When I was nearing 50kgs, my surgeon & doctor wanted me to get back to about 54kgs but they’re fine now & happy I’m healthy & maintaining. As one said: you’re actually really quite tiny aren’t you. It’s still can be a freaky I’m the size I was at about 12.

I gained weight during my pre op thanks to the inept nutritionist. I lost 18lbs the first month on my own diet and he insisted what I was doing (low carb) was wrong and not sustainable long term. I followed his plan to a T and just kept gaining and gaining. My surgeon told me I could stay the same weight but not gain, so I ended up going 1-2 days a week with zero food just to be sure I’d keep my weight the same for weight ins for pre op. It was a horrible experience and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I was accused of lying about my food intake, had my phone ripped out of my hand while the nutritionist went through my fitness pal trying to find something to throw in my face on what I was doing wrong. He concluded my weight gain was due to the protein bar I was eating for breakfast because he didn’t know the macros (it was on my tracking app and I showed him the physical bar in my purse). Instead, he said I must eat quest bars that were higher cal and less protein. Talk about an eye roll. My last visit with him ended in him telling me I was lying about having a surgery date and me almost leaving in tears.

I’m sorry you’re feeling this way @SleeverSk. Your surgeon, doctor & medical team really should have discussed your lifestyle & how the surgery might impact it with you so you would have been better informed - it is your body & your life. I’m sorry you weren’t better prepared by your team. The first couple of months can be challenging - a restrictive diet, changed eating habits, fussy tummy, hormonal changes causing emotional upsets, etc. & your body just not letting you do what you want to & used to do. But a lot of the things you’ve mentioned like chewing & sipping do get better. You won’t need to chew, chew chew forever. (I never did at all.) Will you need to still eat slowly & take smaller bites? Yes. But how large a bite & how much time you will take to eat is individual. (I still eat slowly & take small bites but some of that is my choice.) Like some people can go back to gulping fluids & taking multiple sips at a time. Some not so much. (I’m a 2 mouthful person.) My tummy gurgles but not all the time. I find it happens more after I eat dairy or if I put pressure on my chest (like my iPad resting on my chest when I read in bed). It’s not uncommon for people to experience changes in their taste &/or smell after surgery But this is a short term affect. Cutting some foods out of your diet for a period of time may make you more sensitive to them like sweet things may become too sweet. Some develop food sensitivities or intolerances like to lactose. Oh & yes you will becoming more regular with your BMs as you start to eat more & a broader range of food types. Add some soluble (non swelling) fibre to your diet to help in the meantime. Will you go back to eating exactly the same way you did before? No. But do you want to? I mean look where that got you before. Part of this process is examining your food choices & making better, more nutritious choices so you can enjoy a healthier life. Does that mean you’ll never eat pizza, burgers, ice cream or whatever you enjoyed? No. Many do eat foods that would be considerate less nutritious, high fat, high sugar, etc. It’s just not every day or every week & yes, portion control is important. Working out how you manage your eating (when & what) does take time. There are many people in this forum who work long hours, night shifts, etc. in a range of occupations & they have devised eating routines that complement their job demands & limitations & lifestyles & still meet all their nutrient needs. It just takes time. I frequently freeze single serve portions of meals I make & leftovers. Makes it easy to grab a meal out of the freezer & reheat at work or on those occasions you don’t feel like cooking. The surgery isn’t a magical fix. Changing a lifetime of habits isn’t easy. And life often throws a truck load of crap at you at times. It’s why some regain part or most of their weight back. I doubt anyone on this forum would say it is a totally easy journey though some find aspects smoother than others but we’re different people. Most are positive because when they reflect on all their experiences they see how it’s made their life better & decide it was worth the hard work & any challenges or struggles. I certainly do. I hope you can find peace with your surgery & feel more confident about managing the changes soon.

Thanks for this, it helps a lot. Yes, it seems like we're similarly framed ("brick chicken house" type). I am 45 years old and active, work two jobs, one of which is outdoors. I just see everyone saying "stick to the script" and I'm trying but I'm honestly hungry if I eat just 350-400 cal a day (I am 11 days post-op). Not head hungry—stomach-shakingly hungry. I chose my goal weight because it represents about 15% body fat on my frame, and I'm curious to see whether I can get there. So... 94 pounds to go!

Recovery was/ is rough however not physically but mentally, it feels like being on a super restrictive diet 24/7 that you can never cheat on, separating eating and drinking is also very hard. Loosing weight has happened because of the difficulties i have had eating which i just dont feel like doing. I had no comprehension of how hard this would be, the chew chew chew and sip sip sip drive me crazy. I really regret having this surgery and i am now struggling mentally. You really need to be very disciplined with meal prep, planning and to be able to eat for the sake of eating no matter whether you will enjoy it or not. I am finding it difficult because i cant eat something if i dont like the taste of it. I thought it would be a case of eating my old diet but in smaller portions, but no its not. It is so hard and this is what we dont see, we look at others and see a new slim person, we dont hear how hard it is or the struggles they face. I also feel let down by the whole process i started at 100kg my gp gave me a referral without giving me options or discussing how serious the surgery was, the dietian asked me questions to which i responded in a way she should have seen i wasnt suitable no meal prep, working odd hours, etc. The surgeon well no surgery no pay so once again no patient care. All in all considering i didnt have that much to loose other options should have been presented but it was made all to easy to get a surgery that is forever going to change the way you eat and drink. All I can say is if you go ahead get councilling before lots of it and after surgery, practice taking smal bites and chewing 30 plus times before swallowing, dont drink 30 mins before or after eating, drink only water. But even when you practice this its different to the real deal. Oh i nearly forgot, if you enjoy a good BM that changes too a tiny little poop every couple of days 😕 and i havent had a decent burp since surgery just these gurgling throat noises.

Amen to that. As I've written previously, most people would recoil in horror at what and how I've eaten following surgery, as it violates all of the normal "rules" for successful weight loss surgery... but I'm 14 months out from surgery and hit an alltime adult low weight this morning. I've reset my target goal twice now. It appears OP, that you and I have very similar frame sizes, starting weights and goals weights. My high adult weight was approximately 410. My original weight goal as discussed with my surgeon was 250. I'm not sure what your age is, but I'm 55 (taking early retirement next week in fact). I've been exceeding the daily caloric goal written in the surgery manual since about day one (but not excessively so), and well exceeded the target fluid intake goal. Fluids were never a problem for me. I would say it's far too soon to try to assess success or failure. See if your weight loss continues as you progress through the food re-entry phases. You'll be able to better gauge your progress. IMO it's the long-term trends that matter as opposed to week-to-week loss.

I feel your frustration and worry. I just came off a 3 week stall. I think I was emotionally surprised I still have to work so hard at loosing weight. My mind knew the surgery was one tool, my emotions thought the first six months would have the weight slip off like water. I woke up and realized I still need to truly work it! The difference with WLS, when I try hard 2-4 lbs comes off versus 1/4 lb. I applaud your move to reconnect with the weight loss community. Maybe your dietitian can help? Does your weight loss center have a group to meet with? That helps me stay on track too.