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Happy New Year! So glad I have you guys to help me through this journey! I don't always start the new year feeling great about making changes but that's different this year because of surgery. I have always made some kind of goal or resolution to lose weight or workout more over the years and have always felt like I "failed", but this year, I think I'm going to leave weight loss goals behind and just enjoy the ride as I continue to lose weight. Even though I still have about 60 lbs I want to lose, having lost over 40 lbs has made me feel so much lighter and better in my body. I want to focus on the positives and not so much the long ways I still have to go, because that feels like thats how my life has always been, such as "I will do this when I lose weight..." or "I will buy that dress when I lose weight...". I'm tired of waiting and hope to live more fully and authentically this year. Anyways... I'm rambling. I'm just really wanting to change my mindset and focus on positives.

I'm a 40 y/o mom of 3. HW 265, GW 150, CW 142. Sleeved January 2023. I loss my first 90 lbs within 6 months of being sleeved and maintained for another 6 months (without quite getting to goal). Unfortunately, at the beginning of 2024 I had some health issues (unrelated to the sleeve) and had to have a total hysterectomy. I turned to my old comfort of eating and gained 20 lbs in 2 months. My appetite came back with a vengeance and my head hunger was getting the best of me. In a moment of panic, I seen my Dr and she prescribed Zepbound. OMG, where has this drug been my whole life?! I loss the 20 lbs. I gained plus the rest of the weight I needed to lose to get to goal weight within 5 months. Unlike the sleeve, Zepbound also helps with the head hunger which is an issue for A LOT of us. It's truly a miracle drug! I was on Ozempic pre-surgery for diabetes and it did NOTHING for weight loss so I didn't expect much from Zep but turned out pleasantly surprised. Despite severe constipation in the beginning, my side effects are minimal and manageable. I feel like Zepbound + my gastric sleeve was a match made in heaven. My health is the best it's been in 20+ years. Diabetes gone, fatty liver gone, triglycerides were high and are now in a normal range. My life no longer revolves around food and for once I feel "normal." I maintain with 10mg every 10 days and it's been working perfectly.

This happens now for me, too. It's definitely normal/inevitable. When people are in maintenance (or just people who are not doing anything to lose or gain weight who have not had surgery), weight fluctuates by a few pounds up or down based on all sorts of factors that are not fat-related. When we're losing weight rapidly those first several months, we don't see it because we're losing way more than that small fluctuation. At most, we see that we lose less some weeks than others. But when you get to 6+ months out from surgery, weight loss usually slows enough that you'll start seeing those fluctuations. It could be anything. Going to the gym, eating more sodium yesterday, the time of the month, not having pooped yet... I went up 4 lbs in 4 days last week, and yes, it was right after Christmas and I'd had some sweets, but I'm fairly confident I did not eat almost 20,000 calories in 4 days, so it wasn't from gaining fat. Now that I'm back to my normal foods, the weight is dropping almost as quickly.

Happy new year everyone. You look stunning in red too @Sophie7713. I’m a bit the same about oversized clothing too since my weight loss. I love a wide keg pant as you know but I look for those that fit neatly around the waist and hips. But loose fit palazzo style casual pants are super comfy. I have a couple of pairs of the elastic waist wide leg pants in linen and viscose I wear when pooping out to the shops. PS - Love those loafers with the cut out sides and contrasting colours. Fun.

And you’re already at 2.4mg? Weird. The dose escalation schedule is every 4 weeks beginning at 0.25mg, but either way here’s an interesting article: https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/05/21/health/glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-stop-treatment-real-world-effectiveness

Hey! I'm in the same boat, as far as weight loss. I'm now having trouble trying not to snack at bedtime. I'm also trying not to graze over the holidays. Trying to either not eat or find healthier choices. Sometimes I just want a taste of something. Thoughts?

I like the compliments but I also use it as fuel to stop eating and to keep trying. After all the nasty rude comments this is a welcome change to my ego and when I’m exhausted and exercising I focus on the good changes and push on. After my surgery I hit an almost 4 weeks of no weight loss. It was heartbreaking and I almost gave up. Those positive comments kept me trying and sticking to the diet. My problem was I was on the wrong type of protein supplement but it was torture. Take the compliment as a positive. I tell people I will be the grandma on the beach wearing a thong and looking fabulous . YEAH.

As much as it would be great if we could reset our tummy to the loss of hunger phase after surgery we can’t. You can reset your thinking and your head though it’s not easy. Start by going back to tracking everything you eat and drink & maybe keep a second record of what you were feeling at the time you ate or drink to see if there are any specific emotions (boredom, frustration, anger, sadness, happiness, stress, etc.) driving you to eat or any events that occured or situations you were in (Friday morning tea at work, socialising, at the movies, a sporting game, holidays). Identify things you ma have let slide: portion sizes, protein intake, food choices, fluid intake, snaking, etc. check your activity levels. Then make a change. Drop a snack or work on reducing your portion size. After a couple of weeks make another change or two like increase your activity, or increase your fluid intake or swap out some food choices to better ore nutrient dense lower calorie options. And so on. Gradual changes are much easier to adapt to and adopt and always seem more achieveable. Become more mindful about your eating. Are you eating because you need to eat (real hunger) or just want to eat (head hunger - associated with emotions, situations or events). Eat slowly to allow time for your full/had enough message to register (takes at least 20 minutes). Slowly work your way back to how you were eating when you were first maintaining. You’ll get there. All the best.

This year was An awesome YEAR ...8 months post op. I went from a full ugly cry at the counter because chicken would not go down right after surgery 😂😂 and grieving all the unhealthy food that I loved, to actually learning how to eat, loving my new body, eating with Intention and loving the the things I actually can eat. I have learned to cook foods that I enjoy and make it bariatric friendly. Who knew our food could taste that good! I had no idea I could continue to enjoy all the foods in a new way! Movement is an activity that I enjoy and aided in my rapid weight loss. I hope to continue to move, I hope to add new movement skills (hot yoga, rucking, boxing). What is your year ends review? What did you learn? Any setbacks? Anything you are looking forward to in the new year?

Hair is primarily protein, so protein intake does affect hair and hair loss as well. I know I will lose some hair. I used to have super thick, long hair, but PCOS thinned a LOT of it out for me. Fortunately, it is still pretty thick, but I am still trying to limit what I will lose as much as I can. Muscle wasting is a concern for me. I do have a decent amount of muscle, I work as a bedside nurse and, before I had some lower body issues, lifted pretty regularly. Didn't touch the scale or take any inches off, but at least I was flexible and stronger. Today marks the end of my lift restrictions, so I am hoping I can go back to doing some weight training soon!

I hear you on adding more food. It can definitely be hard, especially at this point of your weight loss journey. While I suggested a few hundred per day, you might honestly need to start with less and work your way up. Even 150 calories of lean protein like chicken or fish would be a good start. That's only around a half cup or so, depending on which food your choose. From there, work your way up to around a cup.

Well, you didn't ask, but I'll let you know why I chose bypass vs sleeve: On average, bypass generally leads to a slightly higher percentage of excess weight loss. I wanted every advantage I could get. Because it has a bigger restriction and also has a non-absorption component, it's generally considered more suitable for severely obese people, which is where I started. Although I really had no history of GERD, they discovered something during my workup that made the surgical team concerned that sleeve could lead to GERD for me. Bypass is completely reversible, unlike sleeve. In a sleeve procedure, the "unused" part of your stomach is removed from your body and disposed of. In a bypass, even though it's a more complex surgery overall, nothing is removed. If there were ever a need, it's possible to put everything back like it was.

It is one of those really hard things isn't it! I genuinely think that there should be more of a remit for skin removal on the NHS following massive weight loss - it is so often detrimental to the individual's MH & sometimes their physical health too. I have gone from a 40GG bra size, to a 34FF and my boobs are sagging and under my right breast I have had this awful rash that doesn't go away - I think because of the excess skin!!

Congratulations on your incredible journey and your active, healthy lifestyle—what an inspiration! I love how passionate you are about staying active, and your tip to find activities you love and obsess over them is such a great reminder to make this journey fun and sustainable. Your weight loss stats are amazing—75 lbs both before and after surgery is incredible! I can imagine how great it must feel to have maintained so well, even with the natural changes over time. I’m curious, do you think most bypassers can have a happy ending like yours if they just stick to the rules? It’s reassuring to hear about maintenance not being as scary as it seems! Also, your “smell trick” is so interesting—what a unique way to give yourself a boost when you need it. And dumping on sugar definitely seems like a blessing in disguise for keeping things in check. Thanks so much for sharing your story—it’s so motivating to hear from someone thriving years after surgery!

Wow, first of all, congratulations on your incredible success and maintaining such a fantastic weight range for so long! It's truly inspiring to hear how you've stayed on top of it, especially noticing the 20 lbs gain and taking charge of it so quickly—kudos to you for that! 💪 I’m curious, how long did it take you on Mounjaro to lose those 20 lbs? It’s so impressive how proactive you’ve been, and it's encouraging to see how effective it was for you! I’m definitely considering some work down the line after I hit my perfect weight—a boob lift for sure, and then I’ll reassess the loose skin situation. I think it’s so amazing that you’ve embraced becoming a ‘brand new you’—I’m excited to see where my own journey takes me! I do have a bit of a fear of NOT losing, even though my weight loss has been steady so far. Did you ever have moments of doubt, or did it feel smooth all the way for you?

Ooh and Amazon has the core power shakes in chocolate which I am 99% sure are the same as fairlife. if not, they use fairlife milk and they are really good. People say that their kids will even ask for them because they are just like chocolate milk. According to google the fairlife is lower calorie and core power is a workout recovery drink but I found it comparable to premiere protein and it worked for me for weight loss. Maybe check it out to see how it compares to fairlife.

I second the suggestion to track everything you eat or drink. I know it can be annoying to weigh/measure and record everything but it is the best way to ensure your portions are too large or you’re missing hidden calories or underestimating them. For example ate your potatoes mashed with butter, milk & are you counting them? Try to focus more on home made foods too so you can control the ingredients and cooking methods. I’d also suggest eating more regularly aiming for three small meals of real food not two meals of shakes. I was someone who lost their hunger and interest in eating for about a year. I ate to a routine to ensure I was getting in the nutrients I needed. I still eat this way. Even if I’m not all that hungry, I’ll still eat something. At 800 calories, most of your meal would be protein with some vegetables. Take your record of your tracked eating & drinking to your dietician and ask them to review it and make actual suggestions of what you could eat (add or remove). Demand better advice than an eye roll or general you must be eating something that’s sabotaging your weight loss.

as everyone has alluded to above, the number on the scale is often not very indicative of your overall progress. i had a goal weight and goal BMI number. turns out neither were where i wanted nor ended being at. its weird because a certain weight number looks totally different on me at different times. at one point in my life 115 looked "fat" on me. 5 years ago it looked malnourished. then 3 years ago it looked awesome. these days (i'm 6+ years out), i go by how my clothes fit me (i.e, body measurements). so long as my clothes still hang well on me, i'm all good! when they start getting looser or tighter, then i'll make efforts to correct. so i guess i'm saying if your clothes start hanging looser on you, that is a better sign of your weight loss vs. the number on the scale. good luck! 😍

Yes to your first question. I only lost like 60 to 70 lbs. My surgeon staff only wants me on a 800 calorie diet loss weight. Except low cLorie sweet tea I don't eat much food let alone it's hard to eat anything when most foods have above 200 hundred calories.

All reasonable goals. Not unlike my goals all those years ago, just simple health and happiness. Most of what I write is for the wider world of readers. Previous responses covered the the numbers involved in the weight loss phase. I covered the numbers at the beginning and end of the process which are likewise flawed. Good luck always, Tek

I agree with you, I definitely feel so much better and in less pain! I just can’t believe for 4 months I’ve been in this stall when it seems that the first year is major weight loss for most people 🥺 I do have regular check ins with my dietician and have been following the advice they give and they also suggested adding some calories but it’s hard to fit in my stomach. But no excuses I gotta do it. Just frustrating and no one on my care team seems to be alarmed or offer any medications even though it’s been 4 months of this. lol

I am sorry to say this but you will either loose hair or you won't. There is nothing you can do about it. Its a fact. Muscle is a different matter, protein does help there. I had a super fierce restriction due to swelling. I had to eat tiny meals about 8 times a day. I split my 3 meals into little pots and as a grazer this may be a way forward for you. I struggled to make my 60 gram protein quota. I survived, and eventually so did my hair. Look for protein yogurts in the supermarket. A 200 gram yogurt will have 24 grams of protein in it. They were a game changer for me.

I did some of my own research first and I had a friend who had got a sleeve about a year previously and I picked her brain a bit. The surgeon went through each of the surgeries listing pros & cons of each. He also discussed my eating habits and weight loss and gain history. Though I had reflux I managed it with dietary choices and maybe took medication 5 times a year he still recommended the sleeve because of my history & eating habits and I had no co morbidities or other health concerns. It was the way I was leaning too so the decision was easy after that. My brother recently had sleeve surgery too. He didn’t have any co morbidities either. The surgeon said he would be considered very healthy for someone in a healthy weight range let alone some one at his weight and recommended sleeve because of that. (Interestingly it was the same surgeon but my brother didn’t know the name of my surgeon to tell him he’d done my sleeve too.)

Hi. I'm sorry I don't completely understand your question! Are you saying that you're having Semaglutide shots to assist with further weight loss after having had a sleeve 18 months ago? I'm presuming you didn't reach your goal weight with the sleeve? How much weight did you lose - please can you share your stats as that would really help us to help you. It's also not clear when you introduced the GLP-1 addition. Is it that your team is advocating an 800 calorie a day maximum? AND you are sticking to that and not losing weight? AND that you think they aren't believing you when you report your intake? So sorry - so much to unpick here! Also - what do you mean when you say that 'everything now is loaded with calories'?

A few things stood out to me about your post. 1137 calories is oddly specific. Since most people can't be that accurate with their food intake, I'm curious why you used this specific number? Can you elaborate? For example, most food logging software is only accurate within about 10% plus or minus, even if you are really meticulous with weighing everything. Keep in mind as well that if you are eating very many processed foods, Manufacturers are given a pretty wide latitude in terms of the listed calories, so those aren't near as accurate is you might think. Most people drastically underestimate their overall calorie consumption by as much as 20 to 25%, even if they are logging their food. There are a number of reasons, but things like guestimating certain amounts, using "average" calorie amounts for some items, and not counting certain types of foods are common errors. In short, you may actually be eating a lot more than you think. I'm also curious how you came to the conclusion that 1137 calories per day is the proper amount for you to lose weight? It's entirely possible your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), is anywhere between say 900 and 1700 calories per day. While BMR is just one component of your overall calorie burn per day, it's typically the largest single component, even if you are super active. If you are only working out 3 days a week, I'd not put you into the super active category. My point is that while it's not super likely, it is possible that you are actually eating at maintenance right now. Especially if you are eating more than you think. (See points one and two.) Scales are a REALLY terrible way to track success since they don't account for variations in other tissues besides fat. Water, which is a huge component of your overall weight can fluctuate dramatically day-to-day. Ask yourself honestly, are your clothes fitting differently? There is a pretty good chance here that you have been losing fat, but made up for it by retaining water in your muscles. This is super common in people when they work out, especially when they start a new fitness routine. There's also a small possibility you are actually adding some muscle mass, especially if you are new to strength training. Muscle is much more dense than fat, so if you gain muscle and lose fat, your clothes will fit better, but you might weigh about the same. My advice is going to sound counter-intuitive, but I'd suggest adding 200-300 calories per day to your diet. Preferably lean protein. Do this for 4 weeks and then reassess where you're at. If you are really currently eating at maintenance (as you might think from weeks of no loss), then you would be expected to gain a tiny bit in the next 4 weeks. If it's as I suspect and you're actually eating too little right now, eating a little more may actually up your metabolic rate as well as change your hormone balance. This could be just the thing to kickstart some fat loss in the next 4 weeks. Best of luck whatever you decide.