*Jade*

I am in awe of all of you that have already undergone the surgery and/or made changes in your life to lead up to it. Thank you all for all the great responses.
I feel that I am ready for this as I am tired of being overweight and tired. I hope I can gain the self confidence that I have been lacking most of my life as I start through this journey. I want to get to know me and I hope I am stronger than I give myself credit for.
Again, thank you all for your replies. Reading this makes me feel like I can do it and be successful this time.
Jade

What fabulous way to look at this journey!

I started at 362 pounds and a BMI of 45. My surgery was in December 2013 and my current weight is 232 pounds putting me at a BMI of 29 with 80% loss of excess weight. I am within 2 pounds of my initial goal but I am not done. I will keep going and the weight will level off at the right point.
To date I have followed the plan very closely with few diversions. As stated by many earlier posts, it does get easier with time. The struggles with getting in Protein and Water pass. It then becomes making good choices about what food is put into my mouth. I read a study early on that they key to success with WLS was to maintain a feeling of satiety for as long as possible. So I eat every 3-4 hours, 3 meals and 2 Snacks a day. I make sure I eat enough dense Protein and compliment with carbs and fats through the day.
I do not feel like I have pushed myself with exercise. I do cardio regularly, 3-4 times a week but need to refocus on pushing myself more with strength and fitness training. I do agree that the mental part of this process is the most important. Personal motivation is extremely important. No one tells you to exercise, no one tells you not to eat the bag of chips. That has to come from within.
Making the decision to have WLS is the beginning of the battle. Following the program and having the personal fortitude to push yourself to be successful will get the results you want!

I went in with a BMI of 37 in September with about 90-100 pounds to lose. I was sleeved in October with a BMI of 35.6. Since then I've lost 87 pounds, (I count from September to get count the pre-op weight loss which was about 13 pounds). So I'm 3 pounds from my first goal in under a year. I wear a size 4 at 5'6", so I'm told I look "tiny", though I tend to see a size 8ish-10ish staring back in the mirror. Body image is a funny thing.
I'll admit, I eat a bit more than many others, (about 1200 calories per day). I subscribe to the "nothing is forbidden", "I am not on a diet", diet. I work out hard 5 days per week and work the things I like into my day to make it work. So for me, at 10 months out, I'm going to get there. I'll probably go past my goal at the rate I'm going which is fine to a point. I think it is a very individual thing, how fast, how much you lose. I've been intentional in the higher calories as I believe I've had the opportunity to reset my metabolism and I want it to reset as high as possible while I still have adequate weight loss results. This is what worked for me when I had about 100 pounds to lose. Others, especially those with a greater percentage of weight to lose may have a different experience.

Hi - I am 38 and been obese for most of my life. I carried my weight mostly in stomach region so it is of no surprise that is where I have some lose skin. Not a lot. It is about 1/4 inch and not a big deal, but does separate me mentally from achieving complete success. I have done a lot of strength related things since post op 7 months from cross fit to p90 x to body weight workouts at home. I have a good definition in my arms and legs from working out, not lose skin there at all. No lose skin on my back or chest either, but I have done a lot of push-up and pull-up variations over time. That probably helped a lot. I drink a lot of Water and go overboard on Protein every day. The former helps with encouraging skin elasticity and the latter encourages muscle growth (after I thoroughly beat them up). I eat a lot of carbs that are usually in the form of quinoa, steel oats, Fiber one and bananas. Carbs are needed for the body to effectively synthesize protein. Building muscle really helps in filling out any loose skin with definition. Mentally, I am more about strength, fitness and health then I am about body building, but that is just me. One step at a time. I too have been through the new op struggles, but am here to say that it gets easier after 6 months, after one year and so on. I could not successfully eat a lot of vegetable types until after reaching goal. They just would not process right. However, being two years out now, I can eat any vegetable without uncomfortable consequence. Keep at it everyone!

I know I didn't start this thread. However, I am very glad that I read it. All of you experienced in the bariatric surgery have given wonderful insight to those of us that are still new. I am a little over two months out since my surgery. In total I have lost 48 pounds I lost 15 of that presurgery and the rest postsurgery. I have experienced a few stalls where I noticed that I had carbs i.e. fruit. I have not had any bread, Pasta, potatoes, or rice. I noticed that I do best just with my wonderful Protein. I am however getting really tired of either shake or an egg for Breakfast. And have taken to eating protein fortified oatmeal. It may slow my weight-loss down a little bit, but it makes me happy, something I thought I would never say because I never liked oatmeal before the surgery. So far even the G carbs do tend to give me some problem. I can eat tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and green Beans. But other raw vegetables such as lettuce and spinach and anything leafy like that just sits hard, I had a strange experience with asparagus I ate it and I chewed and I chewed and I chewed and I swallowed and I chewed I was really curious on how it got back in my mouth because I could've sworn I swallowed so I guess it's just too tough for me yet.

My surgeon mentioned the same general statistics, but of course each person is unique.
I've lost 134 pounds in 7 months and am 5 pounds away from reaching my goal. I've just followed the instructions from my nut and surgeon for both dieting and exercise and the weight has fallen off quicker than I expected.

That's what I call an amazing success story. Thanks for that.
If you check back in and see this, would you please describe how your (loose) skin responded to the weight loss and the subsequent months of strength-building? (Also, how old are you?)

The 50-60% statistic is just that, a statistic. It is also a way for the medical industry to separate itself from liability by under promising. Standard good practice in business. It is the personal decision of each individual whether they want to be a stat or not. I did not. I just followed the standard rules about post op eating, drinking and exercise. Maybe I ate a little more low carb then most or made a decision to go above and beyond the basics as soon as I was able to whether that be Water, Protein, exercise, sleep, etc. Didn't go crazy, but did a little extra. With doing these simple things, I lost over 100% of excess weight in 7 months. Started at 380# (5'11") and ended at 172# after 7 months. A little low for me and my muscles and strength were MIA . I spent the next 16 month working on building a new body with weight stabilized between 180-185. It takes a disciplined approach to diet, exercise and lifestyle to maintain, but totally worth it. I love being able to push myself athletically now almost daily. I set new goals all the time for myself. Moral of story - choose not to be a stat and you can achieve anything.

I only used the scale and bmi charts as a guideline, NOT set in stone. I knew if I followed my Dr.s rules and listened to my body, it would tell me what I needed to do to lose weight and become healthier. Well, I did listen and im far happier and healthier at 160 lbs than I was at 225 !! Even if I never lost another lb I'll have no regrets. I swim 3x a week, run 1-2 x a week, wear a size 10, got rid of the sleep apnea and digestive problems too. Ive been banded 2.5 years , was 53 years old when banded, and could'nt be happier !Stop looking at charts for your success and go by whats the healthiest for YOUR body. Charts and scales come and go, but a body ? A life ? Honey, you only got ONE of those. Treat it nicely, the weight loss will follow.

My doctor wouldn't commit to numbers.. but he felt the lap band worked for folks who wanted it to work, and who were willing to change their lifestyles.
He did mention that the best losses were with his bypass patients, followed by his gastric sleeve patients. Banders lost a bit less on average, but he also said many were able to meet their goals. He did emphasize that even if I lost 50 pounds that I would feel better and be a lot happier than when I first walked into his office. I'm about 1/2 way to MY goal weight, and I'm slowly but steadily getting there.

Deedee makes excellent points. I would add that it applies regardless of % of excess lost ... meaning that is how regain happens. Weight Melts off fast and then the demons resurface. I basically stopped losing when I got to about 190... took effort and focus and time to lose the next 50#

I lost 20lbs pre op... Wa sleeved 4/23... Started at 250 on DDay... Have lost 44 pounds I am now 206! It seems to be coming off slowly but in retrospect it's pretty fast! I don't exercise much... Treadmill about 5 times about 30 to 45 min each time but haven't done anything hard core yet. Not sure if this helps... Good luck!

Everyone truly loses differently. A lot of the posts that you see on the boards are from people who have had above average success rates. I would say that I am someone who is a little more average. I am a year and a half out from surgery & have taken off 50% of my excess body weight so far. As you can see by my stats & ticker I was at a higher starting weight than a lot of people as well.
My experience was that for the for 6 months after my vsg it was like the weight melted off. 100 lbs. in 6 months. I thought that I would be to my goal weight in no time. Then it was like I hit a wall. Now if you look at my other posts you will see that I struggled. Struggled with getting in Protein. Struggled with avoiding carbs. Struggled with exercise. Struggled with what a drastically different lifestyle being sleeved is. I even gained back about 10 pounds. I did not do "everything right".
It took me about a year to really revamp my lifestyle and find out what works for me to lose weight but feel balanced. I am down 120 lbs with another 122 to go. I am now losing consistently at about 2 lbs a week for the past 12 weeks. I have no doubt that I will get to my goal weight. It might not be as quickly as other people have, but I will still get there.
So, my 2 cents is that the sleeve is an invaluable tool. Even if I was not still losing weight, the weight that I have lost already has changed my life. My health has improved dramatically. I actually went hiking last weekend! It might be literally 3 years after my surgery before I get to goal, but so what?
None of us gained our weight in a year. We're not all going to lose it in a year. Is it possible to lose all of your excess weight? Yes! Is it possible to lose it quickly? Maybe. Will you regret surgery if you ONLY lose 50-60% of your excess weight? I doubt it. It is sincerely life changing. Best wishes to you & I am sure that you will make the right decision for yourself.

Thanks y'all for this very inspiring thread! I loved reading all the responses, and only hope I can soon add on to a positive thread like this with my experience and knowledge! I'm on my way. Good luck all!

Ditto to on the carbs! I could have gone the rest of my life and never missed sweets. But carbs - that was a whole 'nother story. Surprisingly though, I eat very little carbs these days and with a few exceptions, I really don't seem to miss the carbs as much as I expected to. There are "those" days, but not too often. It is truly astounding how your priorities, and your perspective and your life changes following surgery. It's very difficult for anyone who hasn't experienced it to understand how amazing the changes really are.

There is a massive !! amount of wisdom in this thread.
Thanks to each of you for sharing what's working well for you. You're all my role models.
Ann

I agree about simple carbs being like crack... they have always been my weakness. I know this about myself so I choose to forever go without them. Others may be able to have a little taste and no more but not me! I'm like an alcoholic who can't have just a 'little' alcohol. I have to abstain COMPLETELY! I am VERY okay with that - being thin (and healthy) is SO much more satisfying!!!!! :-)

Think about what an average is. Put 100 WLS patients in a [virtual] room, each of whom had the surgery a year ago. Find out what % of their excess weight each has lost. Add all 100 results, and divide by 100 to get the average.
For the result to be 60-70% (or whatever the latest study says), there have to be many of the 100 who lost a higher % than that, and there will be many who lost less than that.
Your result will be determined in large part by how closely you stick to your surgeon's/NUT's recommendations, and how determined you are. Another factor, as other posters have said, is what life throws at you while you're trying to stay on plan.
I'm determined that I WILL get to my goal weight -- which I chose, BTW; it isn't something my surgeon determined. I think I'll be able to do it within 12 months of surgery, but even if I don't, I WILL get there eventually ... lord willing and the creek don't rise . Assuming I do make it, I'm going to be one of the 100 who will skew the results toward a higher percentage. But then I've been VERY fortunate that life has not thrown me any curve balls so far.
And as another poster said... even if I don't lose any more weight from this day on, I'm still VERY happy I had the surgery.
Best wishes!

Hi, Jade---I'm just over the 1 year mark from being sleeved. All my stats are below in my signature, but I have lost over 90% of my excess body weight in a year. I think, like almost EVERYTHING to do with this surgery, from what our surgeons have us do with preop diets, NSAID advice, post op food schedules, etc., etc., etc, your mileage may vary. We're all different. If you really work hard at following your doctor's guidelines, eat accordingly, become more active, can you still only lose 40% of your excess weight? Probably. But are your numbers most likely going to end up being a lot higher than that if you DO follow the guidelines and move more? Yes.
My doctor said (those must be the three most often used words in the forums, don't you think?) that there's no reason weight loss HAS to stop at a year out, or at 18 months out. If I'm willing to really push myself, I could lose as much as I want to lose. Easier said than done, yes. But doable! Other factors can affect it--like thyroid issues, just for one example. If you give this everything you've got and reach out to your medical team if you aren't progressing like you want to, then there's going to be NO stopping you until that goal is under your (much smaller) belt.

I'm an rny patient, 4 months out. I've already lost more than 50% of my excess weight.
As others have said, I wouldn't worry as much about those numbers. Those are averages. My surgeon actually said 60-70% of excess weight with in the first year.

Statistics schmatistics...I was told it would take me 24 months to lose my excess weight with the band, faster with the sleeve. I went with the band and have surpassed my goal weight by 12 pounds in 1 year and 20 days, met my goal in less than a year. Go with the procedure you feel most comfortable with and put your faith into believing you've chosen right and it's going to work to your satsifaction.

Thank you cowgirl!! That was really helpful, especially the bit about eating till satisfied, not full. I know that I may not achieve the same success as you, but I want to aim for that, and if I seem to settle at a higher weight while I'm doing as much as I can comfortably maintain, I think I'll be able to happily accept that.

It is important to recognize that we are all different and you shouldn't compare to others. Find your OWN success - that is the key.
The advice my NUT gave me was both very simple and very hard.
Eat small quantities - always. Keep the HABIT of small portions even as your ability to eat more at once expands over time. Eating small helps you keep from desiring more. Eat till lack of hunger, do not seek out the feeling of "full". That took a LONG time to make that mindset shift. She told me that was the number one success factor she had observed, followed closely by avoiding "grazing"
Protein and veggies should be the heart of your eating. No junk food, no fast food and no processed food on a regular basis (I do sometimes have unhealthy food, but it is the exception, not the rule) I am quite carb sensitive so even in maintenance I really watch carbs.
I can't help but notice that if I am not hungry for a slice of turkey... maybe I am not ACTUALLY hungry - right? I can eat a slice of bread anytime, hungry or not.. since carbs are like crack to me... I will eat it even if I am not hungry.
Stay active. Change up your fitness routine as your body becomes very efficient if you keep doing the same thing.
Bottom line - keep working the sleeve the same way as the early months. The losses will slow down, but it doesn't matter... just keep working it. I use the scale to monitor my progress (and maintenance) but for many people tracking food is critical to success. Find what works for you and KEEP DOING IT. When it stops working, look into logical changes - mixing things up.
It's simple, but hard to keep doing it. I figure i don't have much of a choice though...

Everyone has already said it in regards to averages. All walks of life make up statistics and averages that everyone throws around but your not a statistic. You are an exception to the rule! Choices you make will dictate the life you lead period. Any surgical option you choose will merely be a tool on that road of life. I know a few people who had some form of weight loss surgery and failed but it was not because of their surgical choice but because they never got their head on straight. Sure most lost the weight but the weight loss was temporary because the lifestyle change was not implemented.
My Wife knows this person who had gastric bypass and two weeks after surgery he was blending crab rangoon to get his Chinese fix. He just had to have it like it was a drug. This is true story...
I'm not trying to scare you or come off like a preacher but it really is hard work. Anyone who ever said this is the easy way out clearly has never dealt with obesity.
Anyway, I am a band patient and I started with a BMI of 79 at 488lbs. First 38lbs was on my own and the band helped me with the rest. I have lost over 300lbs but I am still not within "normal" BMI range but I am OK with that and I so much happier now than ever. I have my life back.
Good luck with whatever decision you make. Getting hung up on numbers is going to make the road even longer. I stepped on the scale daily and I had a lot of miserable days along the way because of a number on a scale.< /p>
Jim