SteveT74

5 day pouch reset may be a good restart for some. Good advice.

Some other things to think about.

It doesn't adress the the mental side of staying on plan. It also may be too restrictive if you are years out, have extra sleeve space and are trying to trouble shoot hunger, you may want to try other options. some do Keto. Intermittent fasting, vegan. It may be trial and error to find what works for each of us.

Trouble shooting extra sleeve space. I eat dense Protein and other foods on my plan. I eat as much veggies as I want until full. I log to make sure I stay within my weight loss calorie and macros

Years out weightloss calories may have to be dialed in specifically to the individual. 600 to 800 calories is not realistic for me years out.

Maintenance phase is a different animal.
Getting back into weight loss mode after a weight gain is not a one size fits all.


Sent from my SM-G930T using BariatricPal mobile app

This seems like sensible advice. With respect to some people giving advice that are still only 5 or 6 months post-op (like me), telling someone that is 7 years post op to drop down to 800 calories a day is not good advice and it's not reasonable. It's easy to say that when you have lots of restriction. I am 5 months out and I couldn't live on 800 calories at this point--no f--ing way!!! I am eating at least 1500 a day, but I am eating healthy and I am working out 2 hours a day. It's working well for me and I am pretty much where I want to be in terms of weight and health. However, I know that if I am not careful I could end up back where I was before surgery and I would want to get back to where I am now by any means necessary.
As for the pouch reset, I guess it can't hurt. However, there's no evidence that the so-called "pouch reset" actually does anything to reset your "pouch"--which we don't even have since that is a RNY thing. Also, to say it's OP's fault for not following the guidelines after 7 years is very unfair. Sh!t happens!!! 7 years is a long time and any of us can end up in OP's position. The fact is the VSG is great, but it's not enough for everyone. There are other procedures that may be better for OP and that's for her and her doctor to discuss. Revision exists because a high percentage of bariatric patients regain for lots of different reasons.

I agree with everything she said. I think it's good to go back to basics (dense Protein first, then lots of non-starchy veggies - they're both very filling!!). I couldn't do 600-800 kcal this far out. It would be way too restrictive for me, and I'd just be setting myself up for a binge. Everyone's caloric needs are different. I start losing weight if I drop down to 1500 or below - but YMMV. Start tracking your food and see where you're averaging calorie-wise, and then drop down 100-200 calories and see if you start to lose. If a week or two goes by and you're not losing anything, then drop down another 100-200 calories. Rinse and repeat. A lot of it is trial and error. At some point, you'll find your sweet spot where you start losing again.

The 1st is a face comparison and the 2nd is last year and the 3rd is a current as of March 2019  

Sent from my SM-G930VL using BariatricPal mobile app

You may want to try Naked PB powder. Naked PB Just add a little Water and you can get the PB fix without the guilt. It's loaded with branch amino acids that are really good for you!!!

@lolo2020, I am not sure that the benefits wear off entirely, but it depends on what benefits are really working best for you. If this is just about restriction, your capacity to eat will increase over time. Call it stretching for the sleeve or something else, but it happens to everyone. Your stomach will never go back to the size it was before the operation. I suppose it could if you abuse it, but it's unlikely that will happen. It will get larger though over time. Even if you can eat 1.5 plates of food--you probably could eat 2 or 3 before the operation. That's still a big reduction in quantity--not as much as right after the operation though. However, if your filling your plate with Pasta and fried chicken, 1.5 plates will send you back into obesity quickly. On the other, the sleeve (even at a larger size) will still be an effective tool if you're fill it with healthy foods.
The other benefit of the sleeve (and probably the most important benefit) is the metabolic effects of the surgery. I am not really sure how long the metabolic changes caused by the surgery last. Maybe they are permanent, but my guess is that these benefits also slow up over time. The studies just aren't conclusive on this. I don't think that you're capacity to eat or your metabolic changes ever go back to what they were before surgery, but the effects may still lessen over time. In the end, maintaining this weight loss comes down to how we use our time during this honeymoon period. If we use this time to change our lifestyles and get healthy new habits, I think the benefits will be sustainable in the long run. That said, it's not easy to predict the future and the long turn outcomes for VSG patients 5-15 years out is still yet to be determined.
One thing is certain, if we don't make major changes to our diet and exercise programs, we will not be have successful journeys. I know that no matter how the world sees me (and I am thin now--not just thin for me, but really in good shape thin), I will always be an obese person that struggles with weight. I am doing very well right now and I am 100% committed to this program. I want this to be a lifelong success. I also know that if I am not careful and let things slip, I will end up back where I was eventually--even with the sleeve.
Here's the deal--and I am going to tell it like it is. I didn't get fat by accident. I did it to myself over time--making excuses for why it was ok to eat badly and not exercise. I lied to myself and anyone that asked. I had a great excuse for everything---but it was all BS. I am not going back to being that person. There is nothing cute or beautiful about being fat. I used to joke about it all the time when I was heavy--but it's not funny at all. Being fat sucks!!! Feeling ill and sweating through my shirt just walking up stairs sucked!!! Being too tired to play with my kids sucked!!! Having constant back and knee pain sucked!!! Having to take injections for Type II diabetes sucks!!! I having to take 12 pills every night before bed for all my medications sucked!!! Having high blood pressure sucked!! Everything about being obese sucked!!!! Not being able to buy clothes off the rack in a normal store sucked!!! Being told that if I don't change my eating and exercise habits I may not be alive in 10 years sucked!!!! I am finally where I need to be in terms of weight and health and I pledge to God I am not going to squander this second change!!! No f**king way!!!!! I worth more than that and I have too much to live for!!!!
Here's what I have to live for:

Here's a recent picture of me (I think it's from May 1?)

After WLS, I Gain A Little Weight When I ... eat too much Peanut Butter :/
But it’s so good ;)

... oh and vodka haha

Hey guys. Just checking in on my fellow December 2018 sleavers. I am chugging along on my weight loss journey. I am down. I was a low BMI patient so I lost most of my excess weight in the first 2.5 months post-op. Since the end of March, it's been slow going with the scale. I have only lost about 7 pounds since March 7, but I did lose about 1.5% off my body fat 1.5" off my waist since. I am pretty happy with where things are at the moment. I would like to lose another 5-10 pounds--but that would only be to give me a little cushion against regain (maybe?). I still have a healthy appetite, but nothing like I did before surgery. That said, I probably eat more than most bariatric patients at this point--but I am very careful about what I eat. I don't cheat at all--not even a little bit.
Yesterday was a tough challenge. My daughter had her 8th birthday party yesterday and we served pizza and an ice cream cake from cold stone creamery (dark chocolate fudge and salted caramel ice cream with angel food cake. I realize that it's very easy to fall off the wagon--it's how ended up starting to regain after every diet I was on before in my life. I can't have "just a little bite of this" or "a taste of that". Sure, I could a few times, but one little bite can become just a little piece and escalates from there. Even though I am thin and in really good shape right now, I am never going to be a "thin person" like someone that is naturally thin his/her whole life. The potential for me to become heavy again is always going to be there. So, I am going to always have to be that much stricter with my diet and exercise. So, I came up with a plan to deal with my daughter's party. First, I made sure to eat before her party something healthy (salad with grilled chicken and bolthouse low carb/low cal dressing) and I promised myself a yummy snack after the party (pumpkin seeds, pecans and a piece of ChocZero dark chocolate (very yummy)). It may not be as exciting as ice cream cake, but it's still yummy to me. I was able to get through the party without taking even the tiniest bite of anything. You have to have a plan and stick with it to make this process successful. As an added bonus, I felt no guilt today.

Hey guys. Just checking in on my fellow December 2018 sleavers. I am chugging along on my weight loss journey. I am down. I was a low BMI patient so I lost most of my excess weight in the first 2.5 months post-op. Since the end of March, it's been slow going with the scale. I have only lost about 7 pounds since March 7, but I did lose about 1.5% off my body fat 1.5" off my waist since. I am pretty happy with where things are at the moment. I would like to lose another 5-10 pounds--but that would only be to give me a little cushion against regain (maybe?). I still have a healthy appetite, but nothing like I did before surgery. That said, I probably eat more than most bariatric patients at this point--but I am very careful about what I eat. I don't cheat at all--not even a little bit.
Yesterday was a tough challenge. My daughter had her 8th birthday party yesterday and we served pizza and an ice cream cake from cold stone creamery (dark chocolate fudge and salted caramel ice cream with angel food cake. I realize that it's very easy to fall off the wagon--it's how ended up starting to regain after every diet I was on before in my life. I can't have "just a little bite of this" or "a taste of that". Sure, I could a few times, but one little bite can become just a little piece and escalates from there. Even though I am thin and in really good shape right now, I am never going to be a "thin person" like someone that is naturally thin his/her whole life. The potential for me to become heavy again is always going to be there. So, I am going to always have to be that much stricter with my diet and exercise. So, I came up with a plan to deal with my daughter's party. First, I made sure to eat before her party something healthy (salad with grilled chicken and bolthouse low carb/low cal dressing) and I promised myself a yummy snack after the party (pumpkin seeds, pecans and a piece of ChocZero dark chocolate (very yummy)). It may not be as exciting as ice cream cake, but it's still yummy to me. I was able to get through the party without taking even the tiniest bite of anything. You have to have a plan and stick with it to make this process successful. As an added bonus, I felt no guilt today.

Hey guys. Just checking in on my fellow December 2018 sleavers. I am chugging along on my weight loss journey. I am down. I was a low BMI patient so I lost most of my excess weight in the first 2.5 months post-op. Since the end of March, it's been slow going with the scale. I have only lost about 7 pounds since March 7, but I did lose about 1.5% off my body fat 1.5" off my waist since. I am pretty happy with where things are at the moment. I would like to lose another 5-10 pounds--but that would only be to give me a little cushion against regain (maybe?). I still have a healthy appetite, but nothing like I did before surgery. That said, I probably eat more than most bariatric patients at this point--but I am very careful about what I eat. I don't cheat at all--not even a little bit.
Yesterday was a tough challenge. My daughter had her 8th birthday party yesterday and we served pizza and an ice cream cake from cold stone creamery (dark chocolate fudge and salted caramel ice cream with angel food cake. I realize that it's very easy to fall off the wagon--it's how ended up starting to regain after every diet I was on before in my life. I can't have "just a little bite of this" or "a taste of that". Sure, I could a few times, but one little bite can become just a little piece and escalates from there. Even though I am thin and in really good shape right now, I am never going to be a "thin person" like someone that is naturally thin his/her whole life. The potential for me to become heavy again is always going to be there. So, I am going to always have to be that much stricter with my diet and exercise. So, I came up with a plan to deal with my daughter's party. First, I made sure to eat before her party something healthy (salad with grilled chicken and bolthouse low carb/low cal dressing) and I promised myself a yummy snack after the party (pumpkin seeds, pecans and a piece of ChocZero dark chocolate (very yummy)). It may not be as exciting as ice cream cake, but it's still yummy to me. I was able to get through the party without taking even the tiniest bite of anything. You have to have a plan and stick with it to make this process successful. As an added bonus, I felt no guilt today.

I disagree with with Dabeyhive and RickM's comments above. Sure, Keto isn't for everyone, but it's great for many people. I love the fact that it gives me some firm rules to follow and it happens to fit my eating preferences. First, I don't believe Keto is a fad diet at all. It's been around in various forms since the 1920's and became the basis of the original Atkin's diet in the early 1970's. It works very well both for weight loss and general health benefits. The problem is that some people don't really understand the diet or follow it correctly--and that's where people into problems. Following a proper Keto diet doesn't mean you should be chowing down on cheeseburgers without the bun eating bacon with every meal. While cheeseburgers and bacon are not prohibited on Keto, those aren't recommended either. You should stick to things like organic eggs, lean organic meats and wild caught fatty fish (like sockeye salmon). Stay away from fatty meats, since the fat is bad things the animals consumed are stored. You then add healthy fats to your food, like avocado, MCT oil, extra virgin olive oil, ghee etc. The idea is to "prime the pump", so you body burns off its excess glycogen stores and then converts stored fats into ketones for energy. This is important, especially if you're insulin resistant. For me, I am really happy with Keto and I can definitely stay on keto long term.
My surgeon and nutritionist are on board with my keto choices. I just had my blood work done after 2 months on Keto and everything was perfect. I am no longer diabetic (A1C dropped from 6.3 on multiple meds to 5.1 on no meds). My triglycerides dropped to 54 (they were 450 this past summer on meds). My cholesterol is 190, but my good cholestrol is 97 (which is outstanding)--so that's good. Some of these may be from the surgery, but diet and exercise are equally critical. I suggest that you don't do keto on your own, but you do with with the guidance of a doctor or nutritionist that has a lot of knowledge about keto. I personally keep my net carbs down to approximately 20g a day and close to a 1:1 ration of fat to Protein. At this point, I am 14 weeks post op (99 days). I am eating between 1200-1600 calories a day. Those calories are made up of 45% protein, 45% fat and 10% carbs. The carbs I am consuming are mostly from vegetables--even green veggies have some carbs. I don't eat any bread, starches, potatoes, sugar etc. I avoid high carb fruit, but I am allowed berries. I avoid processed foods to the greatest extent I can. I also work out daily--at a high intensity (and have been since I had all physical restrictions removed 1 month after surgery). I have lost 70 pounds since my highest weigh in. My pants size has dropped from a 44 to a 32. My body fat has dropped from 28% to 16.5%. Weight loss surgery is only a tool (a good one), but I would say it gives you a head start and helps prepare balance your body's hormones and stomach so people like me (morbidly obese, with a trifecta of co-morbidities) can lose weight like a normal person without insulin resistance/diabetes and other issues that get in the way. Once I had those issues, in check the rest of it was up to me--with keto and serious exercise making the big difference in getting me to where I want to be. I'll let my pictures speak for themselves:
The was me on July 4, 2018 (weighing around 255-260) :

This is me on the day of Surgery (weight 235):

This is me on March 23, 2019 (weighing 190):


As a 45 year old man with diabetes etc., no way I could have done this without VSG. However, I really believe Keto and exercise (45 minutes moderate to high intensity cardio 5-6 times a week and 1 hour of high intensity weight training 4-5 times a week) have changed my health and my life. I can't imagine going back to the life I had before surgery, nor could I imagine not living a keto lifestyle at this point.

You're 100% right!!! I have two little girls, 7 and 3. They need their daddy!! My grandpa was just like me--diagnosed with diabetes at 44 (same as me) and had the same stomach. He had his first heart attack at 46 and lost his leg to T2DM at 57. I am not going down that road if there is anything I can do about it!!!!!

Great Job. I just posted something similar in the December 2018 thread, but I'll do the same here!
Summer 2018: (Weighed around 250)
 
Day of Surgery (Weighed around 234)
  
January 17, 2019 (One Month Post-Op) (Weighed 210)

Taken today (2/28/19) (Weighing in at 197) 

I had to make the same decision between sleeve and bypass. Most studies show that bypass patients loose faster and have great % of excess weight loss at 1 year post-op, but by year three the weight loss is the same for both procedures. The risk of regain is also pretty close for both procedures (although a lot of it is up to you and the choices you make). However, if you do regain weight down the road (which can happen), the options for a revision from a bypass are limited. If you have the sleeve, you can always convert to a bypass or SIPS/modified DS down the road (I think SIPS is going to be the revision of choice in 5 years). I originally was leaning towards the bypass, but my surgeon pushed hard on the sleeve. I took his advise and I don't regret it.

What you are experiencing is totally normal and should be expected. If you start a diet/lifestyle and don't incorporate exercise in that new lifestyle, you can lose plenty of weight with diet alone (with or without bariatric surgery). The moment you change your lifestyle habits by adding in what sounds like a new and reasonably intensive exercise regimen, you're going to probably experience what appears to stall or slow down in weight loss. Your body will begin to increase your volume and percentage of skeletal muscle--which is a good thing. Muscle burns calories at rest, which enhances your metabolism even when you're not at the gym. At the same time, muscle is more dense than fat. You can lose inches by adding muscle, but your total weight stays the same (depending on the rate that you burn through your fat reserves). In the beginning of your new exercise regime, you may initially gain muscle faster than you lose excess fat. This could look like a gain or stall on your scale, since a regular scale only tells you how much you weigh--without distinguishing fat from muscle or considering body composition. If you have a good BIA scale or invest in something like an Omron Body Fat Monitor (Omron HBF-306C Body Fat Monitor) you'll see a change in your body composition over the course of a few weeks of moderate to intense training (with a drop in body fat % and increase in skeletal muscle). As long as your body fat is dropping and your muscle mass is increasing, you're making progress in your weight loss journey. After a few weeks, you'll see the scale drop as your body (including your new muscle tissue) needs to burn more calories to meet your daily requirements and turns to fat tissue to get the job done (provided you are sticking closely to your diet).
Here's a tip--never fall into the trap of thinking that because you're hitting the gym, you can eat more calories--that's how you get into a true stall or end up gaining weight. Adding calories with exercise only applies to certain types of athletes and bodybuilders (which should exclude pretty much everyone on this forum--myself included!!).
Another tip is to keep your cardio to a reasonable amount, but don't over do it. Most experts and trainers would advise that a non-athlete do no more than an hour of cardio a day at a moderate to reasonably intense level (spending most of your cardio time getting your heart rate into zone 3 or 4 (your BPM changes with age, so you should look into this for yourself using this Target Heart Rate Chart. Also, you may want to increase your weight training from 2 days a week to 4. Even better, you might want to try doing something like a boot camp class or orange theory, which combine weight training and cardio into a one hour class so you're doing both at the same time. This is called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and it's probably the most effective and time efficient way to get fit (and lose weight). Don't let the name scare you, what's high intensity is always relative to your age and fitness level so anyone can do it.
[P.S. I worked as a certified personal trainer for about 4.5 years when I was in my 20's--seems like a lifetime ago. I know what to do, just haven't been doing the right things for myself for a long time!].

You're 100% right!!! I have two little girls, 7 and 3. They need their daddy!! My grandpa was just like me--diagnosed with diabetes at 44 (same as me) and had the same stomach. He had his first heart attack at 46 and lost his leg to T2DM at 57. I am not going down that road if there is anything I can do about it!!!!!

I have so many non-scale victories--which is fortunate since I only lost 3.5 pounds in the past month. I am, however, only 17 pounds from my goal weight (maybe I should just change my goal??). So, my non scale victories are as follows:
1. I went from wearing size 44 pants on December 1 to now wearing 32 pants!
2. One of the other kid's mom at my daughter's nursery that I used to talk to all the time saw me this past weekend and introduced herself as if she had never talked to me before. She didn't recognize me!!
4. I had to buy slim fit shirts and suits because standard fit is too loose around my waist.
5. My wife says I am not snoring anymore!!
6. I am no longer taking medication for T2DM, high blood pressure or high triglycerides,
7. My surgeon asked me if I would be willing to be in advertisement where I show my before and after and talk about how bariatric surgery changed my life (haven't decided if I want to do that though).
8. Most importantly, I feel great. I have loads of energy and I am not embarrassed of my appearance or being the fat guy in the room. I am actually looking forward to wearing a bathing suit this summer!! I feel like i didn't just lose weight, but like I turned the clock back 15 years.
Even if I don't lose another pound, I am thrilled with the results. My only regret is not having had the surgery sooner.

Are you guys sure you are stalled? The scale is just a convenient tool for judging progress since Water weight, time of the month etc. can greatly effect your weight on the scale. You'd be much better of combining your weigh ins with body measurements (hips, thighs, waist, chest) and body fat percentage (either with a bio-impedence scale or get an omicron handheld body fat monitor [preferable]). If I was just going by what the scale said, I would think I am in the world's longest bariatric stall. I have only lost 7 pounds in the last 8 week, but I lost 3.5" off my waist, 1.5" off my chest and my body fat is down 18% since surgery (on 12/17). None of that shows up on the scale, but this is more important than what the scale says. If you're losing muscle mass, what good is the weight loss.
OP, if you aren't getting exercise daily and you are straying from your diet plan---now is the time to get back on track. The surgery isn't going to get you to onederland on its own.

I disagree with with Dabeyhive and RickM's comments above. Sure, Keto isn't for everyone, but it's great for many people. I love the fact that it gives me some firm rules to follow and it happens to fit my eating preferences. First, I don't believe Keto is a fad diet at all. It's been around in various forms since the 1920's and became the basis of the original Atkin's diet in the early 1970's. It works very well both for weight loss and general health benefits. The problem is that some people don't really understand the diet or follow it correctly--and that's where people into problems. Following a proper Keto diet doesn't mean you should be chowing down on cheeseburgers without the bun eating bacon with every meal. While cheeseburgers and bacon are not prohibited on Keto, those aren't recommended either. You should stick to things like organic eggs, lean organic meats and wild caught fatty fish (like sockeye salmon). Stay away from fatty meats, since the fat is bad things the animals consumed are stored. You then add healthy fats to your food, like avocado, MCT oil, extra virgin olive oil, ghee etc. The idea is to "prime the pump", so you body burns off its excess glycogen stores and then converts stored fats into ketones for energy. This is important, especially if you're insulin resistant. For me, I am really happy with Keto and I can definitely stay on keto long term.
My surgeon and nutritionist are on board with my keto choices. I just had my blood work done after 2 months on Keto and everything was perfect. I am no longer diabetic (A1C dropped from 6.3 on multiple meds to 5.1 on no meds). My triglycerides dropped to 54 (they were 450 this past summer on meds). My cholesterol is 190, but my good cholestrol is 97 (which is outstanding)--so that's good. Some of these may be from the surgery, but diet and exercise are equally critical. I suggest that you don't do keto on your own, but you do with with the guidance of a doctor or nutritionist that has a lot of knowledge about keto. I personally keep my net carbs down to approximately 20g a day and close to a 1:1 ration of fat to Protein. At this point, I am 14 weeks post op (99 days). I am eating between 1200-1600 calories a day. Those calories are made up of 45% protein, 45% fat and 10% carbs. The carbs I am consuming are mostly from vegetables--even green veggies have some carbs. I don't eat any bread, starches, potatoes, sugar etc. I avoid high carb fruit, but I am allowed berries. I avoid processed foods to the greatest extent I can. I also work out daily--at a high intensity (and have been since I had all physical restrictions removed 1 month after surgery). I have lost 70 pounds since my highest weigh in. My pants size has dropped from a 44 to a 32. My body fat has dropped from 28% to 16.5%. Weight loss surgery is only a tool (a good one), but I would say it gives you a head start and helps prepare balance your body's hormones and stomach so people like me (morbidly obese, with a trifecta of co-morbidities) can lose weight like a normal person without insulin resistance/diabetes and other issues that get in the way. Once I had those issues, in check the rest of it was up to me--with keto and serious exercise making the big difference in getting me to where I want to be. I'll let my pictures speak for themselves:
The was me on July 4, 2018 (weighing around 255-260) :

This is me on the day of Surgery (weight 235):

This is me on March 23, 2019 (weighing 190):


As a 45 year old man with diabetes etc., no way I could have done this without VSG. However, I really believe Keto and exercise (45 minutes moderate to high intensity cardio 5-6 times a week and 1 hour of high intensity weight training 4-5 times a week) have changed my health and my life. I can't imagine going back to the life I had before surgery, nor could I imagine not living a keto lifestyle at this point.

Congrats on the new baby!!! That's a wonderful thing, even if the timing isn't as ideal as your doctors might have preferred (hey, **** happens, right???). In the end, there is nothing more important that children and being good mommies and daddies--which also means we need to be taking good care of ourselves. I am sure you've heard this all before, but you really need to work closely with your surgical team, Ob-Gyn and your nutritionist during this pregnancy. It's going to be a big challenge for your to get in the calories you need for your growing baby and to keep your weight down so after you have your little one, you don't have an extra 30-40 pounds to lose. You can do it--but it's going to require a lot of extra work on your part. You can still exercise your @ss off during the pregnancy and sticky to a healthy diet created by your medical team (really stick to it!!). It will all work out well in the end! It's going to great if you put in the effort!!

I started the process with a BMI of 37.5 last April and I weighed in at 256 during my first bariatric consult. On the day of surgery (12/17/18), I weighed 234 and I had a BMI of 34.5. By New Years Eve, I was down to 224. On January 15, I was down to 212. By January 30, I was down to 204. On February 15, I was down to 197. On March 1, I weighed 196.7. March 15, I weighed 196.1. Today I weighed 193.2. So you can see that it came off fast and has leveled off. I have lost 2 inches off my waist since March 1, so the inches are coming off if the weight isn't. I follow a strict diet and exercise program--which is pretty intense, but I am really enjoying it. I feel awesome. Here's some photos documenting the journey.
Last Summer this is me at 255 or so:

This is me on Surgery Day (12/17/18) (weight: 234):

This is me on January 17, 2019 (Weight: 210)

This is me on February 28, 2019 (weight: 197.8)


This is me on March 23, 2019 (Weight: 192.1):


So, the weight loss has slowed up, but that's ok. I want to lose another 10-15 pounds, but I don't "need" to lose that weight. I am more concerned at this point with improving my physical conditioning and strength. The weight came off so fast that I didn't really "see" the difference in the mirror, but the photos show a dramatic change. I still hasn't really sunk in yet, but it's kind of like winning the health lottery. I am look healthy and fit. I am no longer diabetic according to my doctors. My BP is normal and my blood tests look great 3 months post op. Huge improvements. Honestly, having this surgery is the best thing I ever did for myself. I wish I had done this sooner--but better late than never. Obviously, the surgery helps get the ball rolling and gives you the tool so that the rest of the changes you make in your lifestyle will actually work for you. I have tried to do this before with hardcore dieting and exercise and I would just hit a wall and then lose ground. Not anymore!! If 191 is my wall, that's ok for me--but I think I'll still lose some more weight over the next few months, but the changes won't be as dramatic or noticeable (on the scale or otherwise).

Seriously, could you be more of a d**k? Save your judgment for yourself.

What you are experiencing is totally normal and should be expected. If you start a diet/lifestyle and don't incorporate exercise in that new lifestyle, you can lose plenty of weight with diet alone (with or without bariatric surgery). The moment you change your lifestyle habits by adding in what sounds like a new and reasonably intensive exercise regimen, you're going to probably experience what appears to stall or slow down in weight loss. Your body will begin to increase your volume and percentage of skeletal muscle--which is a good thing. Muscle burns calories at rest, which enhances your metabolism even when you're not at the gym. At the same time, muscle is more dense than fat. You can lose inches by adding muscle, but your total weight stays the same (depending on the rate that you burn through your fat reserves). In the beginning of your new exercise regime, you may initially gain muscle faster than you lose excess fat. This could look like a gain or stall on your scale, since a regular scale only tells you how much you weigh--without distinguishing fat from muscle or considering body composition. If you have a good BIA scale or invest in something like an Omron Body Fat Monitor (Omron HBF-306C Body Fat Monitor) you'll see a change in your body composition over the course of a few weeks of moderate to intense training (with a drop in body fat % and increase in skeletal muscle). As long as your body fat is dropping and your muscle mass is increasing, you're making progress in your weight loss journey. After a few weeks, you'll see the scale drop as your body (including your new muscle tissue) needs to burn more calories to meet your daily requirements and turns to fat tissue to get the job done (provided you are sticking closely to your diet).
Here's a tip--never fall into the trap of thinking that because you're hitting the gym, you can eat more calories--that's how you get into a true stall or end up gaining weight. Adding calories with exercise only applies to certain types of athletes and bodybuilders (which should exclude pretty much everyone on this forum--myself included!!).
Another tip is to keep your cardio to a reasonable amount, but don't over do it. Most experts and trainers would advise that a non-athlete do no more than an hour of cardio a day at a moderate to reasonably intense level (spending most of your cardio time getting your heart rate into zone 3 or 4 (your BPM changes with age, so you should look into this for yourself using this Target Heart Rate Chart. Also, you may want to increase your weight training from 2 days a week to 4. Even better, you might want to try doing something like a boot camp class or orange theory, which combine weight training and cardio into a one hour class so you're doing both at the same time. This is called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and it's probably the most effective and time efficient way to get fit (and lose weight). Don't let the name scare you, what's high intensity is always relative to your age and fitness level so anyone can do it.
[P.S. I worked as a certified personal trainer for about 4.5 years when I was in my 20's--seems like a lifetime ago. I know what to do, just haven't been doing the right things for myself for a long time!].

What you are experiencing is totally normal and should be expected. If you start a diet/lifestyle and don't incorporate exercise in that new lifestyle, you can lose plenty of weight with diet alone (with or without bariatric surgery). The moment you change your lifestyle habits by adding in what sounds like a new and reasonably intensive exercise regimen, you're going to probably experience what appears to stall or slow down in weight loss. Your body will begin to increase your volume and percentage of skeletal muscle--which is a good thing. Muscle burns calories at rest, which enhances your metabolism even when you're not at the gym. At the same time, muscle is more dense than fat. You can lose inches by adding muscle, but your total weight stays the same (depending on the rate that you burn through your fat reserves). In the beginning of your new exercise regime, you may initially gain muscle faster than you lose excess fat. This could look like a gain or stall on your scale, since a regular scale only tells you how much you weigh--without distinguishing fat from muscle or considering body composition. If you have a good BIA scale or invest in something like an Omron Body Fat Monitor (Omron HBF-306C Body Fat Monitor) you'll see a change in your body composition over the course of a few weeks of moderate to intense training (with a drop in body fat % and increase in skeletal muscle). As long as your body fat is dropping and your muscle mass is increasing, you're making progress in your weight loss journey. After a few weeks, you'll see the scale drop as your body (including your new muscle tissue) needs to burn more calories to meet your daily requirements and turns to fat tissue to get the job done (provided you are sticking closely to your diet).
Here's a tip--never fall into the trap of thinking that because you're hitting the gym, you can eat more calories--that's how you get into a true stall or end up gaining weight. Adding calories with exercise only applies to certain types of athletes and bodybuilders (which should exclude pretty much everyone on this forum--myself included!!).
Another tip is to keep your cardio to a reasonable amount, but don't over do it. Most experts and trainers would advise that a non-athlete do no more than an hour of cardio a day at a moderate to reasonably intense level (spending most of your cardio time getting your heart rate into zone 3 or 4 (your BPM changes with age, so you should look into this for yourself using this Target Heart Rate Chart. Also, you may want to increase your weight training from 2 days a week to 4. Even better, you might want to try doing something like a boot camp class or orange theory, which combine weight training and cardio into a one hour class so you're doing both at the same time. This is called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and it's probably the most effective and time efficient way to get fit (and lose weight). Don't let the name scare you, what's high intensity is always relative to your age and fitness level so anyone can do it.
[P.S. I worked as a certified personal trainer for about 4.5 years when I was in my 20's--seems like a lifetime ago. I know what to do, just haven't been doing the right things for myself for a long time!].

I started the process with a BMI of 37.5 last April and I weighed in at 256 during my first bariatric consult. On the day of surgery (12/17/18), I weighed 234 and I had a BMI of 34.5. By New Years Eve, I was down to 224. On January 15, I was down to 212. By January 30, I was down to 204. On February 15, I was down to 197. On March 1, I weighed 196.7. March 15, I weighed 196.1. Today I weighed 193.2. So you can see that it came off fast and has leveled off. I have lost 2 inches off my waist since March 1, so the inches are coming off if the weight isn't. I follow a strict diet and exercise program--which is pretty intense, but I am really enjoying it. I feel awesome. Here's some photos documenting the journey.
Last Summer this is me at 255 or so:

This is me on Surgery Day (12/17/18) (weight: 234):

This is me on January 17, 2019 (Weight: 210)

This is me on February 28, 2019 (weight: 197.8)


This is me on March 23, 2019 (Weight: 192.1):


So, the weight loss has slowed up, but that's ok. I want to lose another 10-15 pounds, but I don't "need" to lose that weight. I am more concerned at this point with improving my physical conditioning and strength. The weight came off so fast that I didn't really "see" the difference in the mirror, but the photos show a dramatic change. I still hasn't really sunk in yet, but it's kind of like winning the health lottery. I am look healthy and fit. I am no longer diabetic according to my doctors. My BP is normal and my blood tests look great 3 months post op. Huge improvements. Honestly, having this surgery is the best thing I ever did for myself. I wish I had done this sooner--but better late than never. Obviously, the surgery helps get the ball rolling and gives you the tool so that the rest of the changes you make in your lifestyle will actually work for you. I have tried to do this before with hardcore dieting and exercise and I would just hit a wall and then lose ground. Not anymore!! If 191 is my wall, that's ok for me--but I think I'll still lose some more weight over the next few months, but the changes won't be as dramatic or noticeable (on the scale or otherwise).