Leaderboard

Hi, official card carrying member of the SLC here! You're losing at about 1.2kg a week, which is around what my average weekly loss has been. First up, that is good weight loss! It's nothing to be discouraged about, that is a healthy, good rate. It's easy to buy into the rapid-loss dream, and I absolutely don't begrudge folks who have had their "honeymoon period" and had weight "melt off" - genuinely thrilled for you! But I think it's vital to go into WLS managing your expectations (with rate of loss, loose skin and hair loss). I went into it pretty zen, though I have had my perfectly human moments of wishing I was losing faster. BUT, I'm losing well, about 7 months out and have lost over half my excess body weight and have dropped 4 sizes. Results aren't always on the scale - it's important to remember that! I'm not just a slow loser, but I'm also a serial staller. I have lost count of how many stalls I've had - stalls and I are on a first-name basis. In the first four months I was stalling every second week, for at least a week at a time. I feel like I earned a damned trophy for my stalling expertise. But they always break (even if they go on for weeks), and that's what you need to keep in mind. Stay off the scale when it happens, focus on the good things like feeling better, clearer skin, the clothes that are starting to fall off you. And ultimately? You're not alone. Your experience isn't weird, or wrong, or abnormal. Don't compare yourself to others, manage your expectations, slow down and breathe. Enjoy all the small victories the journey brings.

I was a slow loser from the get-go. I was about where you are in the same time frame (it's been several years since my surgery, so I only have my monthly weights - not every week anymore - but at four weeks out, I was down 16 lbs). I went on to lose all of my excess weight, 235 lbs. I've since gained back 20 lbs, although it's super common to have a 10-20 lb regain after hitting bottom. I did have stalls - not too many the first year - maybe two or three. I had a lot during year 2, though, as I got closer to a normal BMI, and they lasted a long time. Every time I hit one I'd think "OK - I guess this is it", and then the weight loss would start up again. My weight loss finally stopped at 20 months out. if you stick to your program, the weight will come off, whether fast or slow.

it depends on how old you are, your genetics, and how much weight you lose. I'm in my 60s and lost over 200 lbs - so yes, I looked older. But on the other hand, when I was super morbidly obese I looked young for my age - people were always surprised when they found out how old I was. But after I lost all that weight, I think I just looked my age. P.S. Supplements won't help with loose skin - on your face or anywhere else, unfortunately. I like the suggestion summerseeker had about looking at before & after pictures. And I agree, most people's faces don't look old and wrinkly. And you can always get a facelift if you don't like the way your face looks afterward - but most people don't because it's not bad. Excess skin is usually worse on the body - where it's easy to hide in clothes.

4.5 months after my sleeve and I am officially overweight. It's the best thing I have ever done. I cannot believe the speed with which I have lost all that weight. I know that I want to lose another 40 pounds or so and I can only hope that I do, but honestly if I stopped losing weight in the morning I would be happy with what I have achieved right now. Best of luck to those of you starting out on your journey - it's a wild ride.

That is crazy! But oh so real. Thank you so much for validating me hat I was feeling. I definitely want to have a realistic, safe WL experience. It feels great to know that this is actually the norm nothing to see here lol I’m definitely going to give the scale a break and weigh in every couple weeks. Wonderful advice. I do FEEL amazing and I can tell in my clothes things are changing. And I also feel like my body is going to have frequent stalls. I guess it’s not something to try to avoid or dread just live in it as part of the journey and accept it for what it is knowing it will pass. Congratulations on your weight loss as well I do hope to lose 1/2 my excess weight by 7 months as well!

You have nothing to worry about. Get in the liquids and protein. Your stomach will not stretch like that... liquids tend to go from your stomach to your small intestine in less than 30 minutes.

Feeling suicidal is a huge red flag that you need to find someone to talk to VERY urgently. Imagine if it was your best friend saying what you have just said…how would you help them? What would you say? Be your own best friend and seek help, be kind to yourself. It makes me so sad to read your post. I suspect you are going through a very real grief process, being angry is part of it….you will reach acceptance if you allow yourself to go through the process. It’s Ok to not feel Ok sometimes you know. It’s normal. You aren’t alone, you have reached out with your feelings and it’s a privilege to be able to ‘talk’. You will be Ok eventually you know, but it will take time, courage, talking and acceptance. xxx

12/14/22 doing well very happy best thing I’ve ever done wish I’d done it 10 years ago! I love the fact I eat very little! I tried this for years just to feel starved! I’ve lost 55 lbs. 70 from highest weight! Feeling real good!

Clear liquids (according to my diet plan) are water, broth, sugar free jello, calorie free gatorade/powerade, sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, unsweet tea, decaf coffee, calorie free- non carbonated drinks, and clear protein drinks. And if it is really needed, pedialyte.

I've had my band for almost 13 years and i love it! I had my surgery in March 2008 and lost from 200lbs down to 140lbs at 5'2" which i maintained ever since (including through 2 pregnancies and a few fluctuation along the way. In the past year i have made some more habit changes that led me to drop another 20ish pounds leaving me at about 120-125lbs at 5'2" with a BMI of around 22. I wouldn't recommend planning to have the band removed after a year for 3 main reasons: 1) It's a surgery and going in expecting to have 2 surgeries within a year doesn't sound like the best idea (but that's between you and your husband and the doctor) 2) The band is CRUCIAL TO MY ABILITY TO MAINTAIN MY WEIGHT - for me personally, the lap band (and weight loss surgery in general) has always been about maintenance. I had yo-yo dieted my whole life and wanted off that roller coaster. In fact, i knew i could lose the weight (even if it wouldn't be easy) but why bother if i was just going to gain it back like i had ALL THE OTHER TIMES BEFORE. That hurt more than anything and i just couldn't do it again. And i was right, the band has been EVERYTHING to me in my maintenance journey! I would never have been able to do this without it and the habits it allowed me to build...which leads me to #3 3) HABIT CHANGE TAKES TIME - your husband needs to give himself the time to adjust to his new lifestyle both during his losing period and after. One of the advantages of not losing weight at epically fast speeds is that your body and more importantly mind have a chance to adjust with you! In order for your new habits to stick, you need to give them time to develop and teach yourself that you can conquer the inevitable bumps in the road. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to permanently change your anatomy and some people like that the band is not permanent. But it is no small life change. For me it has been THE BEST DECISION I EVER MADE. Happy to talk to you more about it if you ever need any support or perspective! There are still a lot of us successful veteran bandsters out here who might have some useful perspectives if you are considering a gastric band. Hope that helps some!