One Year Surgiversary....

[UTGal99 327]

One year seems like a long time but it has come and gone so quickly! I am celebrating my one year surgiversary on Thursday, October 3rd. I am grateful for the 84 pounds I have lost but somehow feel like I should be further along in my weight loss journey. That is only an average weight loss of 7 pounds per month. I don't want to diminish my accomplishments thus far but feel like I should be further along. I have REALLY struggled with getting the weight off in the past 5 months. It seems like it came to a screeching hault around 8 months and I have struggled to get that scale to move hardly at all in the past 4 months. I am very discouraged and frustrated! I don't know if I am grazing, eating items I shouldn't, etc. I feel like I have a very clean diet and don't eat the junk but just can't get that scale moving in the right direction again. I haven't gained any weight back (thank God) but everyday is a HARD struggle. Any suggestions to get the party moving along just like the good 'ol days in the beginning??? I'm attaching my Before/After pictures 

[Supersweetums 1,164]

What a transformation! You should pat yourself on the back.

It is totally normal for weight loss to slow down, usually just past the 6 month mark. It doesn't mean it has to stop, but it does take more work. I didn't reach goal until 18 months, and I know many others that are still slowly losing 2 and 3 years out. There is no expiration date on the sleeve.

If you are struggling, try tracking for a little while and see what you are really eating. Sometimes we tell ourselves that we aren't really eating that much, but when you write it all down, it adds up quickly!

Congratulations on your success!

[No game 14,437]

You're doing great!

Yep after the sixth or seventh month my already "slow" loss got even slower. Plus my intake became more... Just keep on going! It will come off, slowly but surely

[AmandaRaeLeo 2,146]

Your success is awesome and you look very happy and healthy. Amazing progress which is very evident. Good for you!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

^^^what they said!^^^^ You are doing great, the speed of the loss gets slower for most of us.

Do not compair your loss to others who are speedy! Your journey is yours alone. Read the Vets forums, and see the many ways success looks! Many of us are still losing after 2-3 years. Some of us are using the 5:2 way of eating which is helping. Its not for everyone, but check it out. I am 33 months out and 5 pounds from goal. I will get there, S-L-O-W-L-Y. Maybe by next year! Who cares, when I get there I will be very happy to be there. Just as happy as if I had lost it in 8 months. You will too! Lots to learn along the way.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I had a similar experience...I got to goal (this was before I heard of 5:2) by going uber low carb(eliminating Protein bars for example) and switching workouts to high intensity, including interval training. I did bootcamp style classes and high intensity spinning instead of eliptical and weight lifting. I sweated buckets and pushed myself to another level.

I had to wrestle those last 35 or so pounds to the ground!!!!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I had a similar experience...I got to goal (this was before I heard of 5:2) by going uber low carb(eliminating Protein bars for example) and switching workouts to high intensity, including interval training. I did bootcamp style classes and high intensity spinning instead of eliptical and weight lifting. I sweated buckets and pushed myself to another level.

I had to wrestle those last 35 or so pounds to the ground!!!!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I had a similar experience...I got to goal (this was before I heard of 5:2) by going uber low carb(eliminating Protein bars for example) and switching workouts to high intensity, including interval training. I did bootcamp style classes and high intensity spinning instead of eliptical and weight lifting. I sweated buckets and pushed myself to another level.

I had to wrestle those last 35 or so pounds to the ground!!!!

Maybe my fears are unfounded, but i feel like if I'm not ready to adopt a lifestyle change forever, I don't want to use it to lose with it... Im afraid I will lose, then drop the hard work, then gain weight or the old shape back (from experience for sure) I have made the changes to get where I am now... pretty close to goal, and hope I will slowly glide into goal... where I can maintain with my current changes. We will see about that in time I guess!

[M2G 1,836]

What a transformation! You should pat yourself on the back.

It is totally normal for weight loss to slow down, usually just past the 6 month mark. It doesn't mean it has to stop, but it does take more work. I didn't reach goal until 18 months, and I know many others that are still slowly losing 2 and 3 years out. There is no expiration date on the sleeve.

If you are struggling, try tracking for a little while and see what you are really eating. Sometimes we tell ourselves that we aren't really eating that much, but when you write it all down, it adds up quickly!

Congratulations on your success!

What ^^^SS^^^ said! She said it perfectly!

It took me 18 months to get to my lowest post-op weight (and that wasn't even goal... close but not goal) so I don't want to discourage you at all. There is never an expiration on your sleeve and we all get lulled into the weight dropping rapidly in the first few months after surgery and EXPECTING that we *should* be able to drop that much weight *consistently* when the reality is that we are going to slow down tremendously and sometimes stop all together before we are *ready* (I felt like my body picked maintenance...NOT me!)

Anyway, I would say to keep working your sleeve. Be accountable for what you eat (I use caloriecount.about.com...free food tracker with a free phone app) and push yourself in exercise. Getting out there and working out is one thing but pushing yourself is another. Keep using this awesome tool but be PROUD of how far you have come and what you have already accomplished!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I hear what you are saying, but I was bound and determined to get to my "stretch goal"... and get to a normal BMI and this is what worked. I have been maintaining since Feb NOT doing those things, but it is what I needed to get to goal.

when I first had surgery, I decided I would be a success if I could just maintain under 200# and that is exactly what happened... I got to the low 190s and really looked like losses were going to stop doing the normal sleeve/ and normal eliptical/weight training workouts so I had to push to get to the 150s where I am hanging out now.

I do still enjoy high intensity workouts, but I no longer go to a gym - hit my home spinning bike for 30 min or do a Julian Michales DVD for 35 minutes several days a week. I am also just very active taking care of my horses and little farmette etc too so i find I don't need to push as hard to maintain as I did to lose.

Maybe my fears are unfounded, but i feel like if I'm not ready to adopt a lifestyle change forever, I don't want to use it to lose with it... Im afraid I will lose, then drop the hard work, then gain weight or the old shape back (from experience for sure) I have made the changes to get where I am now... pretty close to goal, and hope I will slowly glide into goal... where I can maintain with my current changes. We will see about that in time I guess!

[Georgia 2,908]

Maybe my fears are unfounded' date=' but i feel like if I'm not ready to adopt a lifestyle change forever, I don't want to use it to lose with it... Im afraid I will lose, then drop the hard work, then gain weight or the old shape back (from experience for sure) I have made the changes to get where I am now... pretty close to goal, and hope I will slowly glide into goal... where I can maintain with my current changes. We will see about that in time I guess![/quote']

^^^^agree with all above. My lifestyle changes will have to remain intact for me to be a real success long term. My intention.