Share your "slow loss" success!

[FebruarySleever 5]

Lately I've seen a TON of posts about lucky sleevers that drop 100 pounds in six months.

Congrats to them and to their loss. And I would never' date=' ever begrudge anyone the right to crow about a fantastic success. It's part of why we're all here, to share the ups and downs of this surgery!

But frequently, these posts are followed by folks that feel frustrated because they aren't losing at the same pace. All too often, we forget that everyone loses at a different pace. It's easy to lose sight of the real goal (long term maintenance) in the face of the scale goals we set for ourselves. And it's also easy to forget that this isn't a race and that there's no special prize waiting at the end for reaching goal more quickly.

I would like to contribute my loss pattern so that people can see that there is more than one way to achieve a goal. Being successful is about reaching your personal goals, overcoming your personal food demons and maintaining your weight loss for life. It's not about hitting goal in nine months.

I encourage everyone else with a slow loss story to contribute their successes here as well. It's hard to research this surgery and find only the stories about extremes - people completely thrilled with surgery or people that regret every minute of life post op. The same goes for loss. When people search out stories on this, it's too easy to only find rapid loss or stall posts but nothing showing the more realistic and moderate journey many of us take. The sleeve is a permanent tool that does not have a special window of easy weight loss. There is no reason to feel discouraged when you haven't reached goal at one year out, or even two. There is nothing preventing you (short of your own body's natural stopping point) from achieving or re-achieving goal at any point post op.

I lost 60 pounds in the first five months after my surgery.

And I slowly lost 32 pounds over the next seven months.

It took me another five months to shed the final 15 pounds to my goal.

I lost 107 pounds over the course of 17 months. I stalled twice for nine weeks each time. I had months where I only lost one pound. I regularly experienced a gain of three pounds around my cycle, and often only lost weight in the last week to ten days of the month, after sitting at the same weight for nearly three weeks.

I am a success, and at 2.5 years out (and currently pregnant) I still have good, healthy eating habits and maintained my weight loss quite easily. Even 30 weeks pregnant, I am still wearing a size 6/small (in maternity clothes, of course) regardless of how I feel about my expanding body!

I learned what was important on this journey and am in better health today (not just physically, but mentally and emotionally), than I have ever experienced as an adult.

Good luck to those currently on their journey, and I encourage everyone to share their stories here so that newly sleeved folks can see that slow vs. fast loss doesn't really matter in the end.

~Cheri

[/quote']

Hi. Thanks for the post. I am 7 months out and I haven't weighed for about a month or so. I got tired of "stalls" and allowing the scale to control my mind and my life.

I determined only when I felt certain that I was no longer in the "overweight" category would I get back on the scale.

I stared yoga classes twice a week a couple of weeks ago. It's been wonderful

[Banned member 320]

I finally joined Weight Watchers yesterday. I've been calorie counting since July and I've only maintained. In the past the only way that I've ever lost weight is by attending weekly meetings. Hopefully this will get the scale moving again. I'm not using WW online but I do have the WW calculator and that keeps track of my points usage. I will let you all know how it goes.

[McButterpants 2,846]

Thanks so much for sharing your story! As a pre-sleeved I appreciate your perspective.

You look fantastic and congrats on your little jelly bean.

I wish you continued success!

[urbangal22 9]

Thanks For Sharing, I appreciate your honesty And I think you look amazing! I

[Smokey12 71]

I'm a slow looser too.

I was sleeved 12/17/12 and am down 63 pounds. It's been a slow journey for me since about month 4 with many stalls along the way.

I increased my cardio to 45 min/day and that helped somewhat.

To date I'm down 63 pounds, and 10 pounds to onederland.

[Smokey12 71]

I'm a slow looser too.

I was sleeved 12/17/12 and am down 63 pounds. It's been a slow journey for me since about month 4 with many stalls along the way.

I increased my cardio to 45 min/day and that helped somewhat.

To date I'm down 63 pounds, and 10 pounds to onederland.

[Banned member 320]

Well today was my 1 week weigh in for Weight Watchers and I lost 2.8 pounds! I definitely wasn't expecting to lose that amount since I ate all of my activity points and weekly points. Going to the meetings definitely recharges my battery because I was feeling a little mentally weak yesterday, plus I have a head cold and that always makes me very hungry but I stayed within my points I definitely believe that I will be more successful with WW than MFP. I think the MFP calorie totals screw me up because it's hard to believe which calories are correct and WW tells you how much weight equals how many points. They don't have several different calorie totals for the same food item. WW keeps it very simple for me and I'm way more accurate. I could ramble on but this head cold is making me very tired. Good Luck everyone. Oh and I should add that I've stopped weighing myself at home daily. I only weigh in at the WW meetings. I am less stressed now.

[Bos123 221]

Well today was my 1 week weigh in for Weight Watchers and I lost 2.8 pounds! I definitely wasn't expecting to lose that amount since I ate all of my activity points and weekly points. Going to the meetings definitely recharges my battery because I was feeling a little mentally weak yesterday' date=' plus I have a head cold and that always makes me very hungry but I stayed within my points I definitely believe that I will be more successful with WW than MFP. I think the MFP calorie totals screw me up because it's hard to believe which calories are correct and WW tells you how much weight equals how many points. They don't have several different calorie totals for the same food item. WW keeps it very simple for me and I'm way more accurate. I could ramble on but this head cold is making me very tired. Good Luck everyone. Oh and I should add that I've stopped weighing myself at home daily. I only weigh in at the WW meetings. I am less stressed now.[/quote']

Keep us updated! I'm thinking of doing the same! I have all the tools at home including the calculator... Maybe that's what I need to do

[Banned member 320]

I will I weigh in on Thursdays. I fully expect to still be a slow loser even with weight watchers but I'm confident that this may be what I was missing all along on my journey. I haven't told my leader about wls and don't plan to. She seems very open minded but I don't think it's any of their business. I do plan on signing up for the "monthly pass" since I'm basically paying the same with the week to week or pay as you go plan. Since I lost almost 3 pounds my first week, I'm not expecting a big loss this week and wouldn't be surprised if I maintained. Also it's that TOM :/ (sorry TMI) but I've still counted every point and haven't gone over my weekly points.

Edited October 16, 2013 by minkywinks_esposa

[Oliver's Mom 258]

I had my 10 month post-op visit with the nurse from my program yesterday. I had gained a pound since my 8 month visit. Considering that I had rotator cuff surgery a month ago and am unable to exercise like I was, AND while home not being able to drive I had a crazy uncontrollable love affair with popcorn, of all things! I wasn't surprised. We talked at length of how my weight has stayed the same for a while even when I was exercising 6 X a week (and not obsessed with Skinny Pop popcorn) and eating about 1000-1100 calories per day.

It may be that this weight is where my body wants to be. I'm good with that if that's the case.

I can begin start walking now, but no weights, no zumba, no strong women classes, no 30/30 classes for a few more months. If by my 1 year anniversary I'm still at this weight then I will consider myself at goal.

I'm really happy with my health (off all meds for HBP, diabetes, high cholesterol) and I FEEL so healthy and happy - energetic. Plus I am wearing clothes sizes that I hadn't seen for decades.

I love this thread - it keeps things so in perspective for me.

I do like the idea of being accountable weekly by attending WW though.

[Banned member 320]

I gained .4 lbs BUT I'm on my period and usually around this time I'm up 3-4 pounds. Definitely expecting a loss next week since TOM will be gone

[gamergirl 4,610]

I had my 10 month post-op visit with the nurse from my program yesterday. I had gained a pound since my 8 month visit. Considering that I had rotator cuff surgery a month ago and am unable to exercise like I was' date=' AND while home not being able to drive I had a crazy uncontrollable love affair with popcorn, of all things! I wasn't surprised. We talked at length of how my weight has stayed the same for a while even when I was exercising 6 X a week (and not obsessed with Skinny Pop popcorn) and eating about 1000-1100 calories per day. It may be that this weight is where my body wants to be. I'm good with that if that's the case. I can begin start walking now, but no weights, no zumba, no strong women classes, no 30/30 classes for a few more months. If by my 1 year anniversary I'm still at this weight then I will consider myself at goal. I'm really happy with my health (off all meds for HBP, diabetes, high cholesterol) and I FEEL so healthy and happy - energetic. Plus I am wearing clothes sizes that I hadn't seen for decades. I love this thread - it keeps things so in perspective for me. I do like the idea of being accountable weekly by attending WW though.[/quote']

Can I ask how your current weight differs from where you thought you wanted to be?

[TheNEWME! 121]

Almost 1 year out, Oct. 30th, 2012 was surgery date, I am down about 102lbs. not quite to goal yet but definitely happy of where I am. it was a slow ride for me but I wouldn't have it any other way.

[4theluvof 11]

You are stunning!! congratulations!!!!

[clk 3,519]

I will I weigh in on Thursdays. I fully expect to still be a slow loser even with weight watchers but I'm confident that this may be what I was missing all along on my journey. I haven't told my leader about wls and don't plan to. She seems very open minded but I don't think it's any of their business. I do plan on signing up for the "monthly pass" since I'm basically paying the same with the week to week or pay as you go plan. Since I lost almost 3 pounds my first week, I'm not expecting a big loss this week and wouldn't be surprised if I maintained. Also it's that TOM :/ (sorry TMI) but I've still counted every point and haven't gone over my weekly points.

How's it going with the loss now?

It may be that this weight is where my body wants to be. I'm good with that if that's the case.

Have you lost anything else? Honestly, your lifestyle changed tremendously with your injury so I doubt you're done. It's more likely your body isn't sure what to do because you went from an athletic lifestyle to a more sedentary one overnight! It's important to be happy with our limitations (for instance, I'd love to weigh 120 but my body says nay) but don't throw in the towel just yet!

~Cheri