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the closer you are to a normal BMI, the tougher it is to take off weight. That's because you're already pretty much at an equilibrium (calories in - calories burned) when you're normal weight - or pretty close to it. The last 20 or so lbs are always a bear to take off for most people. My last 20 lbs took FOREVER to get off - and now, slight regains are as well. and it's not just us. I remember so many times sitting at Weight Watchers meetings when I was pre-op and super morbidly obese, rolling my eyes at these normal weight - or slightly overweight - women b**tching and moaning about how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. Yea right - try losing 100, people. Now I totally get it....

Hello all, My name is Jen. This is my first post and I hope to find some support within this community. I had my gastric sleeve procedure in July 2017 at 22 years old. I was 310 pounds before the two-week fast and was 291 pounds at the time of the surgery. After the surgery, I lost weight rapidly, I was down to 225 pounds by December of that same year. But then my weight loss decreased and for the past 2.5 years, I've been stuck at an average weight of 215 pounds. Since COVID started, I have actually gained weight and am now 235 lbs (not being able to go to the gym has sucked). At one point nearly 2 years after my surgery I had even gotten to 196 lbs, which was a 100-pound weight loss. I want to lose another 100 pounds to meet my goal weight range of 135-140 lbs, which would be a healthy weight for my height and build. But I need help. I have other factors that are making weight loss more difficult. I have PCOS which naturally makes weight loss difficult. I use birth control pills to help regulate the hormones that are affected by PCOS. I also have had bone and joint problems since I was a child. I've been trying to focus on my diet, but I must admit I have a giant sweet tooth and I am a picky eater. Pizza and candy are my banes. I'm also a graduate student who is under a ton of stress and has very limited personal time. This makes exercising and preparing meals difficult. Despite these complications, I don't eat out at all, nor do I order take-in. I have a treadmill that I walk or jog on for at least an hour each day, and I attend Zumba twice a weak (I'm not very good at it haha). I am not diabetic or pre-diabetic but I do have asthma. So, is anyone else in a similar situation that would like to build a little group? I've never had any weight loss support and I am hoping that by building a group, I can find more motivation and encouragement as I lose 100 more pounds. TLDR: 4 years since VSG surgery and I'm still not at goal weight, keep stalling or gaining weight. Need friends in similar situations for support, guidance, motivation, and encouragement.

When you've been morbidly obese or super morbidly obese (which was my case) for so long it's really hard to imagine a time when you'll be able to walk for more than 2 minutes and not get out of breath. It's hard to imagine going to the doctor and not having them IMMEDIATELY bring up your weight, even when it had absolutely nothing to do with why you were at the doctor in the first place. It's hard to wrap your head around going out in public and not having strangers gawking at you and judging you because of your size. I couldn't wrap my head around that at all because I had been obese for more than 20 years and super morbidly obese for half of that time. I was 32 when I had my surgery (I'm 34 now) so trying to wrap my head around NOT being obese was impossible. I didn't know what that would feel like, and I think a part of me thought that no matter how hard I tried I just wouldn't get there. But I did. I'm 19 months post op now and when I go to the doctor my weight is NEVER brought up unless I bring it up myself. I don't get stared at anymore for doing simple things like going grocery shopping. And, the best part is that I don't get out of breath from just walking. I had a lung function test done before surgery and my asthma was tested as 'severe'. My doctor had me recently do another lung function test and now my asthma is 'mild'. It's hard to imagine how things will be a year or two from now, but you have a lot to look forward to! I wish you the best on your journey!

Thank you so much for sharing, @Danpaul. Your experiences are what all of us will likely experience in some way at some stage. Yes, we are only human. Interestingly, Dr Matt Weiner did a video recently about making single easy changes to your diet just like you & your support group are implementing. In essence, he suggested about every month make a change - drop something from your diet or add something. A small change is always more achievable than a major overhaul. It resonated with me & I was so happy to read of your actual successful experience of making small changes to your diet & routines. Congrats on being almost back at your goal (happy) weight.

Can’t recall hearing of anyone’s metabolic rate being negatively affected after sleeve surgery. But we all react differently. My metabolic rate was practically non existent before surgery - decades of deliberately skipping meals. I struggled to lose anything on those very low calorie diets. After surgery it seemed like it was going 1000 miles an hour. I believe it’s settled a bit now in my third year (I’m not very active which would boost it more) but it is faster then what it was pre surgery & I happily eat 1200 calories a day to maintain my weight at my height & age. I would have put on weight if I ate that much before surgery - in fact I did. Now I eat regularly throughout the day & keep my protein high to feed my metabolism (three meals & about 4 snacks & all but one includes protein). While you’re losing, you’ll be increasing your caloric intake & including more & more nutrient dense foods. So though initially you’ll be consuming low calorie it’s for not the long term. If you think your metabolism has slowed when you get to goal or after, there are metabolic reset diets around. Dr Matthew Weiner’s A Pound of Cure comes to mind (book & you tube videos).

I'm four years into my surgery this month and here are the things that I've learned. At the beginning most will feel mixed emotions. Euphoric due to rapid weight loss, concern due to stalls and minor setbacks and trepidation due to looking at how others are doing and you feeling you're not doing enough. The one feeling we all have will be a renewed confidence in ourselves due to the fastest weight reduction you might have ever experienced. We attain our goal weight. We then transition into making wise food and lifestyle choices. No longer are we to eat the things that made us obese and unhealthy such as the three C's, Cookies, Cake and Candy. We will get more exercise. Maybe we park further from the building, maybe we join a gym, maybe we walk, run or work out. We are feeling great and we love our new selves. Next we work on maintaining the weight loss and our healthy lifestyle. One thing happens, we decide since we lost so much weight it couldn't hurt to visit our friends the three C's. If only for a short while and only in small amounts. Hey, why park so far? It's really cold/hot, I'll park closer. You're still feeling confident even if you gained only 10lbs of the 100 you lost. Hey, you're still down 90lbs. No problem, I can lose the 10lbs. I've lost far more than that after surgery. Then we realize, we are no longer weight loss super beings. We are just mere mortals who now have to work hard to lose the weight. Our bodies after time (usually after the one year mark) will not give us that rapid weight loss we once depended on. Here is when your determination and or lack of it will affect you for the rest of your life. We will all get back on a diet or healthier eating plan to lose the weight we gained. The majority will not succeed because it is not as easy it was when we first had surgery. Some will become complacent and throw up their hands and surrender. The weight will come back and the thoughts of a revision will come to our heads. Unfortunately, most insurance companies do not allow for a do over. For a few they will overcome and work on shedding those pounds. They will succeed due to a variety of reasons such as a good support group, using the honeymoon period wisely and really making better lifestyle choices or simply losing one pound at a time instead of trying to lose all of it at one time. Since my surgery four years ago I had five friends and family members undergo the surgery. We ALL gained back some of the weight. Some were able to lose it and regain their healthy lifestyle. Some never were able to lose the weight and went back into the habit of eating for gratification. This is what I did. I originally got down on myself. How did I after three years let myself gain 10 lbs. I vowed to get it off. My 1st week I lost 1/2 a pound. I was devastated, how could this be? The next week I gained a pound. Why? I needed help!! My regular group meetings were cancelled due to covid so I lost valuable support there. I decided to call my family and friends who had the surgery. I spent hours talking to everyone, I told them about my struggles and they told me about theirs. We all came away with a few good ideas of what to do. First don't look to lose the WHOLE amount in one shot. It won't happen and it will derail you from succeeding. Set a goal of 1-2lbs per week. Don't worry that some friends or family might be losing more. We aren't in competition with them. Look at the little things. One friend said she stopped putting Crystal light or Mio in her water. She only drank plain ice water. It seemed to help her jump start her weight loss. Another friend said he started taking the stairs instead of the elevator. He climbs seven flights at least once a day. Another told me her husband who did not have the surgery brought snacks home and that she would eat them. She purged her home of the unhealthy snacks as she did right after her surgery. I started to implement these and other ideas and I have lost 5lbs in five weeks. I'm at the half way point to getting back to my goal weight. We are not super humans we need help and we need encouragement in order to succeed. There are a few on here who have done a tremendous job on their own and they are to be commended and emulated. For me, I need and I will take all the help I can get. Everyday is a struggle to be healthy. I told my surgeon that all this is happening after only four years, how do people succeed at maintaining the weight loss? He said sadly, the majority won't.

I really appreciate the feedback. It's really helpful in letting me know what I'm experiencing is completely normal for us all. So far I've lost about 40 pounds and for my own personal goal, I still have another 70 pounds to go. Some say they can see it in my face cuz it looks thinner, but to be honest, nobody really sees my body because I've been working remotely from home since the surgery and they only see me cuz video, so that's usually just from the shoulders (or boobs) up. Lol. But my family sees me and hasn't noticed much weight loss. It's discouraging.

Don’t be afraid to eat fruit. I was encouraged to add fruit to my diet when I was able - I think from about 3 months. Melons & berries became one of my snack alternatives. Fruit (& vegetables) were a source of the fructose & glucose my body needs as an energy source & an excellent source of essential vitamins & minerals. It helped a with my energy drops & random hypoglycaemic episodes. Its addition also helped me to work towards a balanced, nutrient rich diet. If fruit is on your diet give it a go if not, leave it until your dietician says it’s ok. As with all things portion size is important, include the calories (it’s the calories not the fruit that affects your weight loss) & whole fresh fruit not juice. Avoid dried too as we tend to eat a lot more dry fruit than we would fresh - a prune is one plum, a dried apricot is one small apricot or half a large.

Thank you so much for your reply @catwoman7 . You actually gave me more hope than my surgeon. He said I should only expect to lose about 50% of my excess weight. That was disappointing. A few years ago (3 to be exact), I maintained my weight between 200-215, and honestly, I looked pretty damn great! Then menopause came knockin and my metabolism took a noise dive! I put on about 85-90 lbs. In December 2020 I hit 298 and couldn't stand myself! Surgery day I weighed in @ 282 and that was on 7/17/21...& this morning I was @ 256. I'm hoping to get too about 175. That's a great weight for me, although from the weight chart inn the doc's offices it says for my build and being 5'7 I should be around 155 or 160 but my opinion is that is way too skinny for me. But I have some hopes now that I'll be able to hit my goal weight. I've just gotta keep doing what I'm doing and be patient.

Take each day at a time. Once you start seeing results and feel better you’re not going to want to go back. I have been watching some videos regarding weight gain afterwards and it really has a lot to do with our mindsets. You’re going to be fine.

Surgery date: 07/24/2021 HW: 210 SW: 188 CW 169 Finally got off my two week stall but losing weight is SLOOOW. Lost only one pound since my stall Feeling dreadful. I know I don't weigh much but the weight loss is killing me. Even people who weigh the same as me are losing twice as fast. PCOS is a b*tch.

I think it's fantastic you're starting this journey for yourself. I am 7 weeks out now from my gastric sleeve and I am definitely one of those who wishes I would have done it sooner. I was terrified at the idea of having surgery. I had my gallbladder out years ago, and for many years I just couldn't see myself purposely making the choice to have surgery. Finally, after multiple weight losses and regains and my body feeling exhausted at doing any little thing, I said enough is enough. I am so happy I did now. As for the catheter fear, I was so scared of that too. I did not have one. And like Lizonaplane said, they want us walking around literally hours after the surgery. And trust me, as tired as you will feel, walking is so good 'cause it helps to get rid of the gas pains. Also, let your surgeon know you don't want a catheter that way they know. I told mine I didn't want one. I'm not even sure if he does them or not, but I just made it clear I really didn't want one if it could be helped. I worried about risks too, but again just as lizonaplane said, they are rare. I kept looking at it like, either I go and have surgery now and fix this, or keep going downhill with my health and wind up in the hospital for my health down the line anyway. The fact you have such a supportive family is awesome! It makes such a huge difference to have that sort of support. I have that too and it has made this such a smoother process. One last note... I was very nervous the morning of surgery and I asked them to give me something to help me calm down before they took me into the OR. What they gave me was amazing! So, you can ask for something before your surgery too and it really REALLY helps. It's good stuff. My sister said I apparently gave her a big smile and thumbs up when they were wheeling me out. I do not remember that. Last thing I remember was being told to move to the table. Then, I was waking up in post-op.

Most people on here say their only regret is not doing it sooner, so I don't think you are too young... EXCEPT that I think you need to get the binge eating under control first, or you might just gain all the weight back. I haven't had surgery yet, but I was told I will not be having a catheter put in because they want you up and walking to the bathroom and around the halls a few hours after surgery. There is always a risk of complications in surgery, but they are rare, and the risk of death is EXTREMELY rare. Especially if you get it done someplace really good. If you have fewer co-morbidities and your BMI is on the lower end (like yours is) it is less risky. It's natural to be anxious about surgery - I am worried I will chicken out, but my dad said he knows me and that I always get scared but do it anyway. That made me feel better. Is your family supportive?

SO let me start this by saying I have TERRIBLE anxiety when it comes to anything medical. For example, I pass out when getting my blood drawn. But lately, I have felt my health declining in a way it never has before, and I am also the heaviest (and saddest) I have ever been. I have been in a state of binging lately and have realized I need help. I have tried and failed many diets and I feel that before I develop any co-morbidities, I need to get the weight off for good. This brought me to bariatric surgery which I have discussed with my therapist and PCP. I got a referral and am scheduled for my first consult on 9/1/21. I am super excited, but lately little stupid fears have crept up into my mind. What if I am too young for this and it is too extreme? What if they have to use a catheter on me? What if the surgery fails? What if I die? Even typing this I know there are WAY more positives than the fears could ever outweigh. I just wanted to reach out and see if anyone else is feeling the anxiety before starting their journies? Or if any veterans recall the same fears? My stats for reference: Height - 5ft 4in Weight - 247lbs Age - 22

You say you had the surgery just a few weeks ago and already have the same food intake capability that you had before... are you already cleared to eat everything you're eating? Just because you CAN eat a lot doesn't mean you SHOULD. I know that one of the reasons I didn't lose weight while on weight loss medications in the past is that I've eaten when not hungry. I've confused head hunger and GERD for actual hunger. Also, just boredom can cause me to eat, as well as when I'm eating something very tasty, and I just want to keep enjoying it. I'm not sure if with the sleeve to SADI revision you would have to do a liquid, then puree then soft food diet right after surgery, but it seems likely...

I am 42 and have lost 50 pounds and do not seem to have any loose skin so far. I have 25 more pounds to goal though so idk if it happens more at the end of weight loss or if you can tell while still losing.

I am giving the VSG to SADI - (VSG in 2016) to "finish the job". Yes, I am in the statistic of regained weight. Lost 125, but put 50% back. Malabsorption and a Real Dietary Plan seems to be the missing components for me, so it's homework time. SADI-S Revision seems to have a 75%-85% long-term success rate, and I need a 2nd chance at relieving stress on my joints and organs. Where else can I find relevant information?

Oh yeah! That was one thing I never saw or heard mentioned before surgery, but I have experienced the same thing and I've since seen a lot of other people here mention it. It makes me wonder if all skinny people have that problem or just those of us who lost a lot of weight.

Checking in Surgery Status: a bit over 6 weeks Post Op VSG Phase: regular food (but don't tolerate all of it well) Highest known weight: 201.5 Surgery weight: 201.5 (didn't need a pre-op diet) Current Weight: 177.0 I'm getting discouraged because although I'm THRILLED to have lost 24 pounds since surgery, I've been at roughly the same weight for 3 weeks now! I've heard of the 3-week stall . . . could that be what's STILL going on with me, even at 6+ weeks PO? My calorie intake is usually around 600-700/day, and I get close to 60g Protein in every day. I also get nearly the amount of water I should daily, and stay under 20 carbs/day. Am I doing something wrong? Please tell me I'm just in a (very long...) stall and the scale will start moving (downward!) soon!

For the first month after surgery, I was probably taking in around 4-500 calories a day. Mostly doing the Campbell's sippable soups like chicken and stars or tomato along with a protein shake and lots of water. About 3 or 4 weeks in, I was able to do half of a scrambled egg for breakfast and because it went down well, I would eat some yogurt from time to time. My savior during the first month was sugar-free Italian Ice. They went down well and just tasted good as well as getting something different in your mouth. You'll deal with "food envy", and just wanting something. It eventually passes though. For exercise, once I felt I had enough energy (which was after a few weeks), I did about a mile or two of walking around my neighborhood. The thing to remember is for most people, your metabolism will skyrocket because your body is expending a ton of energy trying to heal itself in the first 1-2 months. The first three months are when you'll see the most weight loss. I was then able to do some heavier soups around the 2-month mark and on my doctor's orders would also eat a small piece of fish or turkey as well with cooked vegetables. I hit a snag around the 2 and a half month mark and had a bad 4-day stretch where I was not handling food well at all and vomiting. My doctor upped my Omeprazole medication and I also added Famotidine...both are for reflux. I didn't feel like I was having any issues before with reflux but I must've been because that combination worked wonders. I'm just past three months now and for the past few weeks I have been able to pretty much eat anything I want. I'm probably around 800 to 1,000 calories a day now and I'm losing up to a pound or two a week. Soon I will be at my goal and hitting maintenance mode. You'll have good days and bad days. The important thing I learned is not to get too high or low either way. My wife really helped me through the bad days. It's a tough journey, but the ultimate goal is life-changing.

Sounds good Tony! At this point I will try anything! 😂 I also feel like I’m quite bloated, which mentally isn’t good when your on a weight loss journey because I literally feel full of poo! 🤦‍♀️

Approaching corrective RNY revision, I've gone overboard in research and reading so that I won't make the same mistakes again. I had no nutritional guidance when I had my RNY in 1990. Left to my own devices, I screwed up and regained every ounce. This time around I've been collecting bariatric cookbooks, too. Since this is your second time around, I strongly recommend reading The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients, by Colleen Cook, available on Amazon. If you suspect you are a sugar/food addict, I recommend Food Junkies, by Vera Tarman. If you are susceptible to binging, a good book is Never Binge Again, by Glenn Livingston. Food Addiction Books.pdf

I think I would be able to figure it out if I got to the point of losing too much weight. I know EXACTLY how to gain weight when I need to gain weight so for me, that is not anything I would worry about. a tweek of calorie intake should be fairly easy to do with your nutritionist help. Or in my case, a cheesesteak would do the trick....kidding of course.

Checking in Surgery Status: ~4 weeks Post Op VSG (July 27th) Phase: week 2 soft food (tomorrow I am able to start regular food) Highest known weight: 241 Surgery weight: 229 Current Weight: 211 NSV: Some of my office slacks are fitting better, and even a bit too loose in some areas. I can also see a big difference in my face, especially when comparing photos side by side. I have been stalled on 96kg / 211lbs for almost a week now, but I am not too bothered since I fully expected this based on others' experiences. The hardest part for me has been the morning nausea and some lightheadedness. Otherwise, I keep on keeping on.

I am in my 3rd week of the preop diet. My doctor only required 2 weeks (surgery 8/31) but my research showed that the more weight lost in pre op diet, the better the outcome of the surgery. I also felt that I would rather be well accustomed to the diet (or lack thereof) and not be quite as hungry. I am finding it much easier than I thought and I am getting a head start on the weight loss, making my body used to dealing with less calories.