Afraid I'll Be Disappointed With Average Loss

[Getting There 198]

I'm 3 weeks post-surgery and have been following "the rules" to the letter. As I progress down this path, I'm becoming concerned I will be very disappointed with the average VCG weight loss. I've read many posts and it seems that the high average loss is around 75% of excess weight. At 75% loss, I would be about 30 pounds short of my personal goal.

Would love some feedback from those who are several months post-op. What percentage of your excess weight did you lose and are you OK with that?

If anyone has lost close to 100% of excess, to what do you attribute your outstanding success?

Thanks!

[PdxMan 4,292]

I am 15 months post-op and I have lost 100% of my excess weight. I have been at goal (180 #) since March.

I attribute my success to following the rules explicitly.

Eat lean Protein first

Don't drink with meals

Exercise

I did not do low carb. I believe in the whole calories consumed vs calories burned. In order to have the energy to exercise, you need carbs. If you have energy to exercise, you burn a lot more calories ... you lose weight.

When I am talking about exercise, I am not referring to walking around the block 5 times. I'm talking about getting your heart rate up to 80-90% of your target and maintaining it there for at least 30 minutes. Do that, and any sleever will lose. I'm sure of it. Do that, and you, too will lose 100% of your excess weight.

Don't be a slave to the scale. You are going to stall. It is a natural and necessary part of this journey. The best way to beat a stall is to not weigh yourself but once a month. That way, you always see loss and are not discouraged. The scale measures weight, not fat.

[iegal 460]

First of all, I know we all want to be stellar stars and lose quicker/more than anyone else but this is not a race. Some lose a lot, some do not achieve goal ever. One of my SoCal buddies at two years out still has not hit goal. She is not thrilled but at the same time glad she had VSG surgery. What I see as discouraging is when others compare themselves to others. We are not competing here but cheering each other on to victory...shedding pounds forever together. Look ahead to the fact that pounds will come off, even if you are just average.

Remember, we all lose differently. Different surgeons have different diet plans, so when you say you are sticking the letter...which letter? I posted a couple days ago a thread with many VSG diet plans I have collected over the years. Here is thread. http://www.verticals...-to-download/��

So what works for one sleever might not work for another.Having been a former diet professional (I mean I tried every diet on the market both clinics & TV claims & pills & shots) nothing worked other than low carb for me before the sleeve. So guess what...after the sleeve the best way for me to lose weight was low carb. I kept my carbs below 30 gm. Got this suggestion from a VST legend, Tiffykins. Everyday I walked for at least a half an hour, no excuses. Took my supplements every day. Drank my Water & got in my Protein...no excuses. I was militant in my pursuit of goal.

What I am trying to say, is if there was only one way to lose weight someone here would have published it. Find what works for you and stick with it. You might have to make minor changes along the way. Be flexible. Be willing to add calories during a stall...crazy as that sounds. Be willing to have a discouraging week or two. Be willing to just go forward and stay committed.

Give it a solid six month try and then worry about percentages of where you are and where you still have to go. Good luck, you have already conquered the most difficult part of the journey.

Hugs. I love my sleeve and have no regrets.