Weightloss Expectations

[dooter55 35]

I know everyone is different but can you folks share your experience? I'm female, 5'9" and weigh about 220. I'm getting sleeved on 8/18. How much are you losing per week? At what point has it slowed down for you? Thanks!!

[Bubbaloo10 55]

Assuming you stick to the nutritional program, there are two factors that control how fast you lose. The first one, you have no control over, and that is your starting weight. The heavier you are, the faster you will lose. The second, you are in complete control of, and that is exercise. Walking is, for me, the easiest. I started out slow and short: 20 minutes at 2mph on the treadmill two days after surgery. I increased time and speed each time I felt I had it well enough to progress. Now, at almost 3 months out, I'm doing 4 miles a day, 6 days a week at 3.5mph. I'm starting to do strenght training to firm up now. There are some who have only lost 30 lbs or so at 3 months out, but I don't think that's the norm. If you do the program with exercise, imho you should be able to drop about 40-50 lbs, maybe more. Since you're going in on 8/18, you might want to try a modified liquid diet, perhaps replacing one or two meals per day with a Protein Shake. If you can stand it (and some can't until they have to) it will give you a head start. Good luck

[Star1221 270]

To be completely honest, there really is not telling. Each person is different with losing. Just like men lose faster than women. It also depends how much you have to lose. Just know at first is always the fastest.

[Chimera 644]

Statistically my surgeon told me that for vsg patients in the first 6 months expect to lose 50% of your excess body weight, then another 25% the following six months - and the final 25% to goal weight during the second year. Currently I am about 7 weeks out from surgery and have lost 40% of my excess body weight including my pre-surgical loss.

I was hoping to hit stastistical numbers - i.e. 10-20 lbs down the first month post surgery, and 8-10 lbs a month following. So far, so good - I am working on getting my exercise in which can be hard with a recent severe flare up of osteo arthritis, but just taking things a day at a time. I really think everyone is different and will lose at different rates. I am working on celebrating the milestones as I achive them - like no longer being super morbidly obese, and in 12 more lbs lost I will no longer be morbidly obese, just obese even folks who consider themselves slow losers, if they post their monthly losses the cumulative total can rack up some amazing total losses over time.

Hoping to hit 200 and lower sometime in late November - a feat I no longer thought was possible

[E-girl 98]

I think you will probablly have no problem getting to 200 before November. I followed my NUTs recommendations. I have lost 79 lbs in 5 months (21 weeks). My NUT said that things slow down a lot when after you are taken off all the diet restrictions. I slowed down at 10 weeks because I was able to eat whatever I want.

I also had a hard time getting exercise in because I time. But once I got that all sorted out, my weight loss went up again. My NUT wanted me to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week as a goal. So far so good. The other thing I notice...and this is going to sound weird...but I had to increase my calories a little because my body was holding on to all my fat. I was only getting 300-500 calories in the begining but that worked against me at week 10. As soon as I was able to get 800+ calories, the weight started to come off again.

Good luck.

[sarahcc 184]

Not sure if mine is abnormal but... I am about 2.5 months post op and I've lost 50lbs. I did not have any true restrictions on my post op diet. No liquid phase and only 8 days pureed. Every since then it's been healthy choices and everything in tiny portions. This was all at the guidance of my surgeon and nutritionist. I don't watch my carbs, only fat and sugar. That being said, bread isn't the most comfortable thing and I rarely eat it anyway. The only thing I can contribute to my loss is that due to not pre op diet, I really didn't lose any weight before surgery. That and I'm 25 and in otherwise good health... So that's working in my favor I guess. Time will tell but it's only going to get better from here!

[dooter55 35]

Congrats in your success! You must feel great! What was your starting weight? How tall are you?

[sarahcc 184]

Thank you! I'm a whopping 5'1 so for me, my starting weight of 241 was considered morbidly obese. I will say I lose in fits, not steady like some folks. I stalled badly twice.... Once at about 210 and again at 197. Then I went from 197 to 191 in less than a week. Now I'm stuck again but it's only been a few days and it's my time of the month so I try to be forgiving. Honestly getting in enough calories with healthy foods is my key. I strive for 700–1000 a day. I can't speak for anyone else but that's what has worked for me.

[mylifeinpink 349]

Thank you! I'm a whopping 5'1 so for me' date=' my starting weight of 241 was considered morbidly obese. I will say I lose in fits, not steady like some folks. I stalled badly twice.... Once at about 210 and again at 197. Then I went from 197 to 191 in less than a week. Now I'm stuck again but it's only been a few days and it's my time of the month so I try to be forgiving. Honestly getting in enough calories with healthy foods is my key. I strive for 700–1000 a day. I can't speak for anyone else but that's what has worked for me.[/quote']

Do you get your Water and protien in daily?

I'm the same height- and have lost 50lbs so far- I'm 8 weeks today- I never get my protien in or water- I try to daily- but I don't think I ever have once! I eat about 3 oz at a time.

[sarahcc 184]

No I struggle with Protein since my surgeons office strongly discourages supplementing with shakes. Water is easier but I am a coffee addict so I know I can't have it unless I am good on water. Congrats on the loss! Amazing how different it feels!

[clk 3,519]

No I struggle with Protein since my surgeons office strongly discourages supplementing with shakes. Water is easier but I am a coffee addict so I know I can't have it unless I am good on Water. Congrats on the loss! Amazing how different it feels!

I'm amazed by this. Did your surgeon provide any reason why he wants his patients to avoid Protein Shakes? I'm just curious, because I had such incredible restriction that even well beyond one year out eating more than one egg scrambled with cheese or 2 oz. of dense Protein was simply not possible. Meeting healthy nutritional goals would have been impossible for me had I not supplemented with shakes. I know that later on we don't want to be dependent on them for the bulk of our nutrition, but even two years out I drink one a day to keep my protein over 90+ grams daily.

~Cheri

[clk 3,519]

And to the OP, the best advice I can give you is to shelve any expectations you have beyond losing weight, period.

I'm sure that you can reach your goal and it sounds like you really don't have that much to lose. Everyone is really different - so different that we can drive ourselves insane worrying about short stalls on the scale or obsessing about whatever everyone else is losing.

That said, I'm just over 5'1" and started at 242 pounds. I lost, on average, just over 6 pounds per month, though I did have two nine week stalls in there. I was a very slow loser, regardless of what I did to speed things up. I took 17 months to get to goal, but have almost effortlessly maintained for the last seven months.

People tend to drop a large amount in the first month if they didn't do a preop diet. The second month usually slows because you introduce solid foods again and will likely see slow movement or even small gains on the scale until you're used to the change.

The good news is that you will lose, even if it's not at the rate you'd like. But try your hardest to make only small goals for yourself - ten pounds or twenty pounds, max - that are tied to a specific date or season. The post-op forum is full of unhappy people stressing out over short stalls or not losing at a pace they find acceptable, when in reality, there's just no way to control those things (always assuming a good diet) and no reason at all to be upset about losing weight (albeit slowly).

Best of luck,

~Cheri

[Star1221 270]

And to the OP' date=' the best advice I can give you is to shelve any expectations you have beyond losing weight, period.

I'm sure that you can reach your goal and it sounds like you really don't have that much to lose. Everyone is really different - so different that we can drive ourselves insane worrying about short stalls on the scale or obsessing about whatever everyone else is losing.

That said, I'm just over 5'1" and started at 242 pounds. I lost, on average, just over 6 pounds per month, though I did have two nine week stalls in there. I was a very slow loser, regardless of what I did to speed things up. I took 17 months to get to goal, but have almost effortlessly maintained for the last seven months.

People tend to drop a large amount in the first month if they didn't do a preop diet. The second month usually slows because you introduce solid foods again and will likely see slow movement or even small gains on the scale until you're used to the change.

The good news is that you will lose, even if it's not at the rate you'd like. But try your hardest to make only small goals for yourself - ten pounds or twenty pounds, max - that are tied to a specific date or season. The post-op forum is full of unhappy people stressing out over short stalls or not losing at a pace they find acceptable, when in reality, there's just no way to control those things (always assuming a good diet) and no reason at all to be upset about losing weight (albeit slowly).

Best of luck,

~Cheri[/quote']

Extremely well said Cheri. Every pound I lose I am thankful for. It's one pound less that I have to carry though life. Everyone is different. We gain different. We hold our weight in different ways. And we surely lose differently. But I know I couldn't have done what I had or what I will without this tool. It's a number game for me... My blood pressure is lower, though it wasn't horrible before. I can workout longer. And I'm going to get more years with my daughter. Those are the numbers that matter most. The scale just confirms.

[sarahcc 184]

Cheri I believe it's their restrictions on sugar and sweeteners that make them un supportive of Protein Shakes. To be fair, my restriction is nowhere near as tight as some folks. I can eat an egg omelet comfortably albeit sloooowly. If I was more diligent about eating ONLY Protein until I was meeting my goal, I could do it without shakes. My problem is really more discipline than anything. I know my surgeons diet plan is very different from the normal especially on this board but it is closely monitored and from what I can tell I have had success so far. :-) So to add to all the great advice already given I'll add my two cents : whatever your surgeon plans for you is right for you, and that trust in your team will take you far!