Hello folks,
Is it normal to lose weight and then gain a little weight back to "level off"?
I started at 265, went down to 185, and now weigh 196 (gained 11 pounds in 3 months ).
Is this supposed to be expected?
I was sleeved July 15, 2010. My highest ever weight was somewhere around 280 but when I had surgery I was 242 pounds. My weight is usually between 134-138 and I'm fairly happy there. I'm currently experiencing some other issues so I'm concerned about putting on more weight but I think if I stay on top of it I'll be able to control things. I started in a very snug 18/20, XXL and I'm in a 4/6, S (sometimes XS, sometimes M, so it's all relative) so I cannot possibly complain.
I had really hoped to lose just a little more weight with surgery, despite the fact that somewhere in the 150s I started to realize that it wasn't going to happen very easily. I'm very short and really should lose a few more pounds to be safely in the "normal" weight range. Right now I'm on the edge of overweight. That said, I know I'm having plastics when I get back to the states and I know my weight will be right where I want it once those are done. I'm sure that if I really buckled down and put on my patience cap I could lose the weight before then, but I'm worried about looking too thin and bony after plastics if I do that. Honestly - I really am very small under all this extra skin and if bones poke up all over the place now I can't imagine I'd be very happy fifteen to twenty pounds smaller. Not to mention my poor husband, who was disappointed I chose to get so small in the first place!
I think the biggest surprise for me was how EASY this all has been. I hate to say the sleeve is a magical solution, because it's really not. But once I got a handle on my food issues and worked them out it became almost effortless for me to lose and maintenance has really been an absolute breeze. I feel like if more people doing VSG would do all the head work while losing, they'd have a much easier time maintaining. Learning to eat like a regular person was a challenge and yes, sometimes I do have to stay on my toes so it won't get out of control. But I'm so glad I got it all figured out and don't have to weigh daily or track my calories every day. I weigh in once a week and only hop on the scale every day if I notice an upward trend (like currently, with my hormone issues). I log my food about four days in a row each month just to be sure I'm still in the right range. It works for me.
I'm very happy these days and a totally different woman than I was just 20.5 months ago. I would do it again in a heartbeat and I don't think I'll ever really regret choosing surgery.
I'm glad all of the other 2010 sleevers are also doing so well! There aren't many of us around here. It's easy for me to disappear for weeks on end because yes, once you stop needing support it's easy to forget to come back here to help the new folks.
You guys all look fantastic, by the way.
~Cheri
