6 Mos Out, Stopped Losing, What Can I Expect For The Future?

[sgraff47 3]

I'd like to hear from anyone 8 months out or more please. I was sleeved on 12/12! I've lost 58 lbs and have 40 more to go! I have not lost anything for at least a month. So my question is, what can I expect going forward? Is this it?

I have done my share of "cheating" and eat about 1200-1300 calories a day, but before my surgery I ate 2500-3000 a day! I am so grateful for this but I want to lose more.

So what has your experiences been after 6 months? thanks everyone

[CJinMichigan 14]

I am about 8 months post-op. I had a stall at around month 6. It lasted about 3 weeks. I lost nothing and then I suddenly lost 5 lbs. I think it's normal to have a stall every once in awhile. I continue to eat about 1500 calories a day and on average lose 1 pound a week. Good luck on your journey to health.

[Lissa 2,631]

I slowed way down after 6 months, but I've lost several sizes in clothes during that time. Now is when you have to get real with yourself and make sure you're getting in your Protein and Water, watching your carb intake and eating normal size portions. It's also a great time to add exercise, if you haven't already developed a routine of some kind. Your capacity is probably increasing. It's up to you to make sure that you're using that capacity for the benefit of your body.

I joined a gym, added my fitness pal and bought a fit bit. I've also upped my exercise routine to include at least 30 minutes of cardio 7 days a week. I'm still losing, slowly, but steadily. However, I'm watching myself shape up, which is fun!

Good luck!!

[ashleyxx 277]

I was sleeved 11-16 so Im about a month ahead of ya. If I were you I would try lowering my calories, I try to stay around 600-700, but I do have A LOT more weight to lose then you. Just a suggestion.

[AliveAgain 283]

Congrats on the 58 pounds lost and KEPT OFF! Be proud of that loss! I know it's hard not to see the 40 still to go, but you will get there with patience, diligence and time.

I am coming up on being 5 months out, and have noticed a slow down in my weight loss the last month or so. I now tend to bounce around with the same pound for 3-5 days before really losing it. But I'm happy so long as the scale just keeps going down, not up, and the clothes continue to get baggier.

I would recommend going back to the food journal, and trying to scale back to 800 calories for a week or two. Make sure you're still getting 80-100g of Protein daily, 64oz or more of fluids, and try to keep the carbs between 40-60g. That should help kick start the losing again. My surgeon and nutritionist tell me 1200-1400 calories is what I will eat once I'm in maintenance -- once I hit goal and do not want to lose or gain any more. Every body is different, but on average we only burn 1400-1800 calories per day doing normal, routine things like showering, driving, working, etc. Of course, more active people burn more, men more than women, etc. And you have to expend 3500 calories to burn one pound of fat. The body converts carbs to energy very easily, more so than fat or Protein. So if you're feeding your body enough carbs, it will default to using that for energy and slow down on using the things you want it to use -- fat.

I'm still experimenting myself. I had to increase my carbs from less than 40g to about 60g per day because of the type of activity I'm doing. I found myself continually bonking about 1.5-2 hours into a bike ride, or on longer hikes. I'm not sure that's really slowing down my weight loss, since I'm expending more energy, too. But it's pretty normal for the loss to slow down at the 6 month point. It gets used to what is now your "norm" and you have to shake it up a little bit. Maybe take on something new like pilates or swimming? But definitely go back to the basics of what you were doing at months 2-3 to see if that helps.

[FishingNurse 1,210]

yep I stalled for at least a month around month 6 and have gone on to make goal!

[clk 3,519]

I stalled for a while around six months (for nine weeks) and lost in fits in starts the entire time. So it might just be your normal. Weight also comes off much more slowly the closer you are to goal.

Everyone's dietary needs are different and I'm not trying to sound harsh. I ate over 2,500 calories a day before surgery, too...and I was gaining at a rate of a few pounds a month. That doesn't mean it was normal or good for me!

If you're male and quite active your diet sounds right. If you're female, I'd say you're already eating like you're in maintenance.

One thing we need to shed is all of our old "dieting" info that's stashed in our brains from years of struggling with our weight. No, we aren't going to starve to death or destroy our metabolism with a lower calorie diet, even though doctors have beaten the "1,200 calories" into our heads for years. For some of us, even the 1,200 was too much. If it wasn't too much for some of us, and if dieting really were one-size-fits-all, Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem would make every American skinny on the first go-round.

So, if you feel your diet needs work, change it and be more strict with yourself. I don't advocate paring carbs to nothing and eating 500 calories a day, though it undoubtedly gets results. Track your food religiously and see where the line is. If you trim your calories by 20% do you lose at the same rate or does it pick up? If it stays the same, it's just that you're a slower loser and you can eat as you are now. But if it picks up, you know the answer lies in your diet.

I was slow and steady the whole way with two nine-week stalls. It took me 17 months to lose 107 pounds. I've kept within four pounds of goal with very little effort. I eat like a person in maintenance and consume 1,400 or so calories a day of whatever I really want, but I aim for 90 grams of Protein each day.

Only you really know how you're doing. If you're unhappy with your rate of loss and your diet or exercise can improve things for you, you're silly to waste the opportunity. If you're just a slow loser, join the club. Make sensible choices and keep moving and you'll get to goal.

~Cheri

[ToyBoy 26]

I'm almost three months out and I expected more weight loss by now. I am pleased with the loss I have but i've been working out 6 days a week and feel like it should be more...what's a girl to do?

[clk 3,519]

I'm almost three months out and I expected more weight loss by now. I am pleased with the loss I have but i've been working out 6 days a week and feel like it should be more...what's a girl to do?

Keep going. The weight will come off if you continue to do the right things. Unfortunately, we don't get to control the rate of loss! I was definitely frustrated at different points along my journey to goal but the reality is that you won't care how long it took once you get there. So keep doing the right things and don't worry as much about the calendar or how quickly the scale moves.

~Cheri