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I'm sorry you've had so many difficulties! A lot of people gained weight with the pandemic; you're by no means alone in that. I know there are many people who have successfully lost regain, and you're doing all the right things to be among them! Keep working at it and it sounds like you know just what you need to do... which we knew all along was the easy part! I think working with the therapist is going to be a great help. Hopefully you will be able to make some friends who like healthy, active pursuits, but we all know it's hard to make new friends as we get older. I am worried because many of my friends have horrible eating habits and are sedentary and I am working to improve that as I go through this process. Best of luck to you! Keep us posted.

The first year I didn’t eat desserts often because my palate changed and every flavor was intensified but I totally understand wanting it. I tried to make smart substitutions like low sugar or sugar free items. Mostly Keto, protein or diabetic brands. As everyone says that first year is pretty critical because it’s the absolute fastest you’ll lose the weight and there’s a good chance you’ll overshoot your goal with can help as a buffer zone against possible regain (losing after regain later is possible but a lot harder).

Hi everyone. I have been following this forum since 2018 when I got sleeved but never had the courage to make an account and post. Well, I got the courage today because I feel like my life is spinning out of control. I will try and keep this as short as possible for brevity but I really need some support and encouragement. I am a male, early 40's who got VSG in 2018. I lost approximately 125 lbs. I was happy, my life changed. I was motivated, more social and felt like I was on top of the world. I got down to 170-175 and felt great. Then, the pandemic hit. Before it hit, my family left my state and moved. Then my father passed during the pandemic and I ended up moving out of state and trying to start my life over. My remaining family lives about 3 hours from me. I never really had a problem with alcohol until the pandemic and the loss of my dad. I put on about 40 lbs in a year between drinking and eating horribly. I don't think I stretched my sleeve because I can feel restrictions, but the carbs from beer are what's doing it. I just joined a gym, and I stopped drinking a few days ago. I also have an appointment with a therapist. People say that it's hardest to lose weight after initial weight gain from VSG. I don't really know anyone in my state or town where I moved, so I need to keep myself accountable. I got the courage to sign up. I also am going to do high protein low carb and see if I have results. I am about 215 right now and I dread seeing people, I am even avoiding seeing my family because of the weight gain.

One day at a time. Sometimes one meal at a time. Or congratulating yourself on walking past the candy bars at the market check out. I have kept that 45 pounds off 10 years out. So it is 145 pounds gone ! I went to Target this weekend because I noticed my "new" XL blouses for work that I got last year at maybe minus 35 pounds of the 45 were slipping off my shoulders. I bought two tops in size "L" - THAT hasn't happened in 40 years. It is not always easy. My weight goes between 172 and 176 now. I have had to learn that THAT is normal. If I get to that 176 - I stop and look at what did I eat , drink .... do or not do..... the last two days... It is usually that i ate a meal out. Even salad. Everyone uses added salt. I do not - the salt in salad dressings, or prepared items is a lot for me. An order of Panda Express veggies and chicken (and only eating half or less) will add pounds for days due to the salt and msg. I am careful, but not crazed. I weigh myself daily or every other day. I plan meals and snacks as I work full time and need to have a few meals ready for full days. Figure yourself out then make a plan. YOU CAN DO THIS !

Yeah, I'm admittedly a "lazy loser" myself. I've never been ANY good at counting/tracking calories, points, whatever. I eat things I enjoy because I know that one of my mental shortcomings is that if I try to force myself to eat things I don't enjoy just because they're healthy, I know I will cheat. I will *have* to eat something enjoyable, regardless of what other "healthy" things I've eaten... so rather than compound the calorie intake, I'll just cut to the chase and eat what I enjoy, healthy or not, but in moderation and smaller portions. Not everyone's brain works the same way, and I know this perspective is likely anathema for others, but it's working thus far for me. 1 year out from surgery date my weight has plateaued as expected, but knowing my propensity to enjoy food, I'm deliberately keeping a closer eye on the scale. I have my fast food and my occasional sweets, but If I see any long-term trend upwards more than about 2-3 pounds, I immediately tighten things up. So far, so good. Just this morning I hit a new low weight, so the the trend is still downward, and IMO that's what's important, no matter the methods employed. Different strokes, yadda yadda yadda...

I'm cash pay also, surgery scheduled for 8/26. I've also struggled with my decision to spend so much money on myself, but honestly, how much have we spent through the years on Weight Watchers, this diet plan, that diet plan, a nutritionist, gym memberships, diet bet...for me, the list goes on and on... (I even once signed up for 6 months of a service where I got blood glucose monitors for $200 a month, thinking if I could just see what my blood sugar was doing I could lose weight). And if we don't get the surgery, how much will we spend on health issues related to obesity? You're worth it. Don't feel guilty. Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

Zero regrets. The first month was very hard recovery wise. Do I miss being able to eat certain foods? Absolutely. Do I miss being able to perform better in the gym? Yes. Do i miss the 67 pounds I’ve lost so far? NOPE! This was a completely life changing experience for me and after spending 20 years struggling to keep my weight down with over exercise and extreme dieting only to have it backfire and gain even more back each time.

Hi, A while ago I went to a friends funeral in a small town in England. My friend had to stay outside in the hearse because him and his coffin were to big to get in and out of the church. Too fat to go to his own funeral. It broke my heart. I would not want my family to go through this. Its the ultimate fat shaming. In the UK, During the pandemic, if you had some conditions you were told to stay home. I never went outside for 15 months. It was immensely hard. I got so depressed by it all. I gained 40 pounds and lost a huge amount of fitness. I would hate to loose my health to a greater degree and gain more weight . I have now been told I am diabetic and panicking somewhat. That oversized coffin is waiting for me in my mind. I am fed up with the whole idea of being a fat woman. I am over doing the Weight Watchers/ Slimming world they have way too much of my money already . I am ready to try another way

At 6 months, when I reached goal, I was eating less than 900 calories but I wasn’t very active. I eat about 1200 to maintain my weight. I’m shorter than you, have a smallish frame, mid 50s & still not overly active which all influences how many calories I need. You’re burning more calories by lifting weights & building muscle. Beside the dizziness, you shouldn’t be feeling hunger except if you’re skipping meals or not consuming enough. Do you still see your dietician? If not I’d get in contact with them again to review your diet & suggest ways to increase your calories to counteract your weakness & hunger. As @catwoman7 said, you could probably eat up to 1000 calories & still not gain. Add some snacks (fruit, yoghurt, cheese, a protein shake, etc.) to slowly up your caloric intake. Increase your meal portion size if you’re able - a little extra protein, a few more vegetables. I still eat slowly so I can eat a little more at each meal. Good luck.

I couldn’t lose a single kg of my menopausal weight gain which had put me 16kg over the highest I’d ever been in my life. (15kg in less than 6 months to my highest weight & then another 16kg the following year & I hadn’t changed a single thing in my diet or activity.) My feet ached at times, my fitness wasn’t great & I knew there were a lot of health complications in front of me if I didn’t do something. Woke up one morning, said enough & made an appointment with my GP. About a month later I had my surgery. So glad I did it. Good luck with your surgery.

I count total weight loss. Heaviest weight was at 1st consult with surgeon 10/31/20.

Congrats on your almost one year surgiversary! And you're close to your goal already! It took me 18 months and 1 day to get to my goal weight lol, but I did get there (though I'm actually trying to lose another couple pounds if I can, before I hit maintenance. I want to get to 175 or even 170 if I can). Snacking, I think is something many people have issues with (I know I do). Trying to talk yourself out of eating something you know you shouldn't, but you really want is hard and sometimes I give in to those cravings (generally this is during my period though, when I'm most miserable lol). I'm sure you'll reach your goal very soon at the rate you're going!

I hear you! The 18th is my next appointment with the dietician and my surgeon and they should give the ok by then! If not I think I'm just gonna go ahead anyway especially since I feel totally fine and healed up. My insides gotta be by now too. It's been 3 months (at least by then). I've already been feeling like I should have been working on toning long ago. My husband says he can really see it in my (under) arms and backs of my legs that I really lost a lot of weight. The grandkids tell me too. So yeah, I NEED to get to toning/gaining muscle to hopefully HELP that from getting too out of control with sagging and whatnot.

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. I really appreciate it! Quick stats: Started 280. Now 195.5 this morning, 5’8”, currently fitting into size 10/12 pants and medium/large shirts. Today was my 3 month post op visit with my surgeon. This morning I weighed 195.5 and weighed in at 199 on the doctor’s scale. Not bad! I plan to ask my dietician about weight swings during the day. I can’t be the only one that weighs themself in the morning and evening..right? Does anyone else have 3-5 lb weight swings? I went in today with two concerns: I feel like I’m losing sooo slow and my hair is falling out like crazy. I went through surgical menopause when I was 31, so I already have very thin hair to begin with and I feel like I am pulling clumps out in the shower everyday. Regarding losing so slow, the doctor reminded me my BMI day of surgery was 34 not 50+. Losing 10 lbs a month the first three months is totally normal. He told me MY normal is 5 pound loss per month. He saw my confused expression and said that I’ve been obese most of my life, so my bones are denser than thin folks because I needed the stronger structure to carry the weight. I don’t have much fat to lose as someone going in with a higher BMI so I need to give myself some slack. I asked him what his goal for me is and he said a BMI of 27 which for me is 178. My goal is 160-165. He told me I will get to my goal and may even exceed it but warned me after a few years I will gain some weight back. If I can keep a 27 BMI or lower I will be successful for life. It’s hard to wrap my head around that I have about 20 pounds until his goal already. No wonder I have only been losing 1 pound a week lately. It’s all normal and I just need to accept that. I get caught up in others who are losing 3-5 pounds a week. I need to remind myself I don’t know where they started. It makes sense for a higher BMI to drop weight quicker as they have more to lose. It’s a good lesson for us all. Don’t compare! Regarding the hair, Dr told me to start taking 50 mg of zinc sulfate everyday in addition to my biotin. I’m going to pick some up today and report back next month. I know it will grow back eventually but it’s so depressing to see the hair fall out. Moving on- I can eat pretty much whatever I want if I follow some rules. Red meat in small portions and chew it to death and then rest my stomach. My stomach doesn’t care for it much but we’re trying to come to an agreement because I like steak I allow myself to taste desserts on occasion. It’s not often but I won’t eat a full serving again. My last post I talked about vacation and I did eat a full serving and was so sick afterwards. Never again. I began weighing my food again. Turns out I wasn’t serving myself enough. Crazy! I was trying not to eat too much! It works because I felt my restriction during dinner last night. I was able to get 3oz of chicken and a few baby carrots but that was it. I had been eating my full meals lately and worried it was slowing down my weight loss because I still wanted more. I was under eating! My advice don’t slack on weighing and measuring your food! Oh funny thing my nose starts running when I am full. I thought it was allergies but nope every single time I am “done” my nose (right nostril to be exact) starts running. I must admit I am not doing so hot on using my elliptical. I haven’t been on it in two weeks. I am talking 20 min walks every night. Saturday I deep cleaned my entire house and it took me 3 hours. I only stopped for water and my watch told me I hit my goal for the day. I will count it. This is awful but I really don’t have much time. I’m slammed at work and can’t get into a groove to get on that dang machine. It’s in my house and I work from home so I feel like I have no excuse. Ugh. I had to goto the dept store and get a work outfit last weekend. Would you believe I needed a 10?! I couldn’t believe it. Still don’t actually. Last topic because this is long! This is all mental but I can’t shake it. I see myself in the mirror but I don’t recognize her. I study my face for a long time and I don’t see me. I see someone who is older than I used to be and has different features. To be fair I am (almost) 40 and losing weight has caused some wrinkles. I can’t describe it. Does anyone understand?

Hi guys! I just have to ask this question, because the only thing I'm reading here is "I followed my plan 100% the first year", and other likewise statements. Does this mean that none of you ate a cookie the first year/during the weight loss stage?? I've been craving a chocolate chip cookie since the surgery and was looking forward to trying a bite once I can have solids. Does this make me crazy/abnormal? Sent from my moto g(6) using BariatricPal mobile app

I knew that WLS was the right course of action for me because I have already tried everything else....I would lose like 30 pounds but than gained a 100 back within just half of a year. I started at 470lbs last December and I lost 70lbs to have my surgery, im now at 330lbs and it hasn't even been a year yet. I knew that if I didn't do anything, I would of stay depressed, still be experiencing a lot of back pain, and would probably end up in the hospital and, or dead. This has been the best decision I have made, it hasn't been easy but its been easier than it was being at 470lbs.

My weight said 180 for so many years- they never asked me if I needed to update and I didn’t offer, so my weight kept saying 180 even when I was around 340- yikes. I’m currently only 6 lbs from that lie, so when I renew next year I can either keep the weight there or hopefully be lower than that? Thank goodness I didn’t go missing anytime in the last 15 or so years because if they advertised that the missing woman was 180 they’d have never found me even if they were looking straight at me.

CKmommy & Bronx cutie, you both look amazing! Congratulations on your weight loss. I'm so inspired by your progress. 🤩😊🥳

when I realized I probably wouldn't live to see my 60th birthday if I didn't get all that weight off pronto. I'd tried and tried and tried for decades (I had surgery at age 55). I always, always, always regained it. I was just spinning my wheels. So even though I kept telling myself I could do it on my own, realistically, I couldn't. I'd tried. Hundreds of times. I knew surgery was my only choice. And I'm SO GLAD I did it!!

I was eating around 800 calories a day at that point. 500 is very low for that far out - most people only eat that the first month post-op. And no, you will not gain weight on that. You'd likely still lose even at 1000 cal a day. Yes, your weight loss may slow down a little, but you're still going to lose - and at this point, I'd be more worried about your health than I would losing slightly faster/slower.

Hi I’m exactly 5 months post op I was 120kg 173 cm before surgery and now I’m 79kg. I eat no more than 500 calories a day. I feel dizzy and hungry. Should I start eating more and if I start eating more will I gain weight ? I also do weight training 3 to 4 times a week. How many more calories can I eat without gaining weight

I was too large for any scale but my surgeons so it really wasn't a choice. But it was a tremendous benefit. I *never* saw a stall but rather consistent weight loss month after month. When I got to a weight where I fit on a home scale (which was a goal) I used it for a couple weeks, then got bored with it. I learned that my surgeon really didn't care about my weight but was concerned with how I was doing on the plan, how was my life, was I having issues. In point of fact, my weight never came up unless I brought it up. I took all this to heart and stopped worrying about my weight but focused on my plan, how I felt, how my life was going. I still don't weigh myself. I get weighed at my annual physical and that's it. I stay on plan and that aspect of my life takes care of itself. The rest is where my head is. Good luck, Tek

I knew when I was starting to feel unhealthy after being so sedentary during the pandemic and I wasn't even enjoying my food anymore, just shoveling it in. I had developed asthma and GERD in a short period of time and had gained back the last of the 100 lbs that I lost 6 years ago. I had considered bariatric surgery a few times, but I was always too scared. Now I'm too scared of being unable to keep up with the activities I enjoy (travel and hiking) to not have surgery. But I'm still scared of surgery!

I just realized that my weight and the way it made me feel we’re keeping me from living as my true self. My aunt knew how my weight was keeping me from wanting to do things and she knew someone who just got the sleeve and she introduced me to her. After seeing her success I started researching like crazy and made my first appointment shortly thereafter.

I lost my gall bladder after rapid weight loss, and I can no longer digest fats properly meaning I have chronic diarrhea. Stats differ but I’ve read that one in 10 people have severe problems like mine after losing their gall bladder. Nobody even told me that there was a high risk of losing my gall bladder with rapid weight loss. I have difficulty leaving the house. I feel doctors gloss over the possible problems of losing your gall bladder. Turns out, I did need mine.