egs93

I'm dealing with my first real instance of feeling this right now. In the first year post-op I lost 110 lbs very easily. I won't say there weren't frustrations and complications - there were - but by and large I didn't have to actually do much besides just listen to my body when it said I was full (which always happened very quickly and after very little food) and stay active.
Then I slowly started getting to a point where I could tolerate more food. My stomach didn't cry out for me to stop as early as it had been. I was aware of it, but not aware enough to stop myself from gaining 20 lbs back seemingly over the course of just a few short weeks and taking a debilitating hit to my ego. I felt like a failure, like I'd betrayed my surgery and my goals, like I was on the path to gaining all 100+ lbs back and being obese again. I started being a little more mindful of my eating and activity levels and have lost 6 of those 20 lbs, but knowing that I've still never been at my original goal weight and have 27 more lbs to lose if I want to get to it, this morning I started getting more serious about it again. Strict calorie counting on weekdays, "cheats"/no counting on weekends for metabolism boosting.
On the surface it seems like I'm ready to buckle down and get back to the work to keep myself from regaining. Inside, though, I'm terrified of the possibility that nothing that I'll do will work, and I'll keep gaining no matter what I do. I'm scared that I've lost my WLS powers too. 😓

keep at it - a lot of people have lost regains. It just takes commitment and closely monitoring yourself. It's way harder to lose weight at this point, but it CAN be done!

I'm about 9 months post-op and for the first 6-7 months I didn't miss or crave soda of any kind at all, even though I drank so much of it for most of my life before surgery (I'd given it up almost entirely about 4 months pre-op). About 2 months ago I suddenly got the most intense craving for soda, but still wanted to stay away from the carbonation if I could - so I went to a gas station and got the smallest possible Pepsi flavored slushie I could find....and now I have one per month just to keep the craving down. I haven't told anyone I do this because I usually make kind of a big deal about how I "can't" drink soda anymore - I'd just die if someone found out I let myself have those slushies every now and again!

I'm about 9 months post-op and for the first 6-7 months I didn't miss or crave soda of any kind at all, even though I drank so much of it for most of my life before surgery (I'd given it up almost entirely about 4 months pre-op). About 2 months ago I suddenly got the most intense craving for soda, but still wanted to stay away from the carbonation if I could - so I went to a gas station and got the smallest possible Pepsi flavored slushie I could find....and now I have one per month just to keep the craving down. I haven't told anyone I do this because I usually make kind of a big deal about how I "can't" drink soda anymore - I'd just die if someone found out I let myself have those slushies every now and again!

I'm nearly two months out from my surgery and a few weeks ago I hit my first stall which lasted at least three weeks. I'm finally over it now - 11 lbs below where I'd stalled - and I have to say it would have been much harder to deal with that initial plateau if I hadn't already read all the great advice on these forums.
When I stalled my panic set in almost instantly, telling me that I needed to eat less (even though I was already eating a miniscule amount of calories compared to my pre-surgery habits) or work out more (even though I was getting plenty of exercise multiple days a week). The disordered eating habits and punishing mindset I'd developed pre-surgery snuck back up on me quickly, and my instinct was to worry that I'd done something wrong that needed corrected in order to start losing again. But then I remembered how often I'd seen people here say "just work your plan" and "continue as normal, your body will take care of itself." I calmed down, continued on the diet and exercise that had worked so far, and sure enough I'm losing again just fine.
So I guess this is just a long-winded way of saying I'm glad this website and this community are here, because it really did help to think back on this forum when I was ready to lose my mind over that first stall.

I'm nearly two months out from my surgery and a few weeks ago I hit my first stall which lasted at least three weeks. I'm finally over it now - 11 lbs below where I'd stalled - and I have to say it would have been much harder to deal with that initial plateau if I hadn't already read all the great advice on these forums.
When I stalled my panic set in almost instantly, telling me that I needed to eat less (even though I was already eating a miniscule amount of calories compared to my pre-surgery habits) or work out more (even though I was getting plenty of exercise multiple days a week). The disordered eating habits and punishing mindset I'd developed pre-surgery snuck back up on me quickly, and my instinct was to worry that I'd done something wrong that needed corrected in order to start losing again. But then I remembered how often I'd seen people here say "just work your plan" and "continue as normal, your body will take care of itself." I calmed down, continued on the diet and exercise that had worked so far, and sure enough I'm losing again just fine.
So I guess this is just a long-winded way of saying I'm glad this website and this community are here, because it really did help to think back on this forum when I was ready to lose my mind over that first stall.

I'm nearly two months out from my surgery and a few weeks ago I hit my first stall which lasted at least three weeks. I'm finally over it now - 11 lbs below where I'd stalled - and I have to say it would have been much harder to deal with that initial plateau if I hadn't already read all the great advice on these forums.
When I stalled my panic set in almost instantly, telling me that I needed to eat less (even though I was already eating a miniscule amount of calories compared to my pre-surgery habits) or work out more (even though I was getting plenty of exercise multiple days a week). The disordered eating habits and punishing mindset I'd developed pre-surgery snuck back up on me quickly, and my instinct was to worry that I'd done something wrong that needed corrected in order to start losing again. But then I remembered how often I'd seen people here say "just work your plan" and "continue as normal, your body will take care of itself." I calmed down, continued on the diet and exercise that had worked so far, and sure enough I'm losing again just fine.
So I guess this is just a long-winded way of saying I'm glad this website and this community are here, because it really did help to think back on this forum when I was ready to lose my mind over that first stall.

I'm nearly two months out from my surgery and a few weeks ago I hit my first stall which lasted at least three weeks. I'm finally over it now - 11 lbs below where I'd stalled - and I have to say it would have been much harder to deal with that initial plateau if I hadn't already read all the great advice on these forums.
When I stalled my panic set in almost instantly, telling me that I needed to eat less (even though I was already eating a miniscule amount of calories compared to my pre-surgery habits) or work out more (even though I was getting plenty of exercise multiple days a week). The disordered eating habits and punishing mindset I'd developed pre-surgery snuck back up on me quickly, and my instinct was to worry that I'd done something wrong that needed corrected in order to start losing again. But then I remembered how often I'd seen people here say "just work your plan" and "continue as normal, your body will take care of itself." I calmed down, continued on the diet and exercise that had worked so far, and sure enough I'm losing again just fine.
So I guess this is just a long-winded way of saying I'm glad this website and this community are here, because it really did help to think back on this forum when I was ready to lose my mind over that first stall.

I'm nearly two months out from my surgery and a few weeks ago I hit my first stall which lasted at least three weeks. I'm finally over it now - 11 lbs below where I'd stalled - and I have to say it would have been much harder to deal with that initial plateau if I hadn't already read all the great advice on these forums.
When I stalled my panic set in almost instantly, telling me that I needed to eat less (even though I was already eating a miniscule amount of calories compared to my pre-surgery habits) or work out more (even though I was getting plenty of exercise multiple days a week). The disordered eating habits and punishing mindset I'd developed pre-surgery snuck back up on me quickly, and my instinct was to worry that I'd done something wrong that needed corrected in order to start losing again. But then I remembered how often I'd seen people here say "just work your plan" and "continue as normal, your body will take care of itself." I calmed down, continued on the diet and exercise that had worked so far, and sure enough I'm losing again just fine.
So I guess this is just a long-winded way of saying I'm glad this website and this community are here, because it really did help to think back on this forum when I was ready to lose my mind over that first stall.

I'm very worried about this concept myself. Like you, I usually perceived myself as being at least slightly smaller than I really was before surgery. Even at my highest weight when I was very unhappy with my appearance, I was still seeing myself being not quite as big as I actually was.
Throughout my pre-op process I was constantly trying to "picture" how I might look as I lose and when I get to my goal weight. Because I've struggled with obesity since childhood, I don't have any point in my life I can look back to for comparison, so I was very stressed about my inability to form the mental image of how I'm going to look.
Now that I'm close to a week post-op that feeling is creeping back up, and I'm starting to worry that the whole thing will feel so surreal that I won't be able to reconcile what I see in the mirror with how I perceive myself. I'm hoping that I can accept the changes that I see as I lose the weight, but I do worry that I'll fall victim to body dysmorphia and not be able to accept that my new body is truly mine.

With the sleeve, I was told to expect to lose 65% of my excess body weight. I didn’t care if my loss was slow or fast. I just wanted to be healthy.
you cannot control your age, sex, hormones, genes, medical issues, complications, medications, illness etc. These will be factors in the amount and speed of weight loss. You can control how you work your plan. Weigh and Log your food, keep within your calories/macros, hydrate and exercise.
I reached goal of 140 in six months. This is not the norm. I’m five years out and maintain in the 130’s. I was more excited when I got under 200.

my doctors goal was 210 lb (just under 8 months ) my personal goal is 200 the last ten pounds have been a s.o.b. just got to push harder to hit that and maintain it scale is still moving just like a turtle in hibernation (kinda slow ) we all do this in our time 12-18 months is what i was told it would take as some one else said im very dedicated to my health at this point almost hyper focused so i can hit that goal make you journey yours and enjoy the ride and the great success and the failures own them all and embrace and learn from both cheers to all !!!!

My sleeve was my first surgery ever as well!
The best advice I can give is just make sure to be compliant with the doctors, nurses, and the plans they lay out for you, both in and out of the hospital. Don't be afraid to ask questions, but follow their advice and instructions as best you can, because they'll be the ones to guide you through the experience.

Stopping smoking was a great step! I had stopped smoking about five months before I had my first appointment (before I'd decided to do the process) and also completely stopped drinking about two months before - again for unrelated reasons, but those both ended up being things that the nutritionist and psychiatrist at my weight loss center were very happy to hear.
I gradually cut down on caffeine and carbonation and eventually cut them out entirely at about 4 months pre-op, and started taking my recommended Multivitamin at that same time.

Everyone goes about their life post-op differently, but I don't think your friend is doing anything "bad" or "wrong" with his actions. If he's already lost 90 lbs, he's clearly seeing good results from the surgery and from his current habits. I have seen some people on these forums say that completely choosing to never eat certain things (like desserts) works best for them, but I know several people in my real life who have been sleeved and they all fall closer to your friend's type of eating than to complete deprivation and they've all hit their goal weights.
Eating what we think of as "bad" things in moderation, combined with good exercise and healthy food choices nine times out of ten is still an effective method of weight loss, for people who have never undergone wls and for people who have. To each their own!

At the beginning of my 2 week pre-op liquid diet in October 2018, I was 235 lbs. My surgeon suggested that reaching 160 lbs within a year would be a success. I got to 160 lbs in 4 months (Feb 2019).
For a personal goal, I chose 120 lbs, which is in the middle of the "normal" BMI range for my height. I was in the 120's until I was about 30 yrs old, so I figure it was not impossible.
I'm almost 7 months post-op and I'm about 10 lbs to my personal goal. I figure at my current rate of loss, I should reach this by the end of next month. Then comes maintenance which will be another lifestyle change altogether...yikes.

My surgeon's office says to expect it to take 12-18 months. Apparently I'm a slow loser, so it's going to take every bit of that. But I'm still happy with my progress, as any weight lost is better than no weight lost.

I set a random goal for myself and met it in Jan 2019 (so 14 months post op but I bounce up and down a lot... Maintenance is crazy different than losing), I however met my Surgeons goal for me by 1 yr post op. They were satisfied so I was satified.
I felt surprised actually that mission was accomplished.

My Bariatric Team says at my one year anniversary date(September 5th) or shortly after. I would like to lose about 35 more pounds but my Surgeon's Right Hand Woman and Nurse Practioner Valerie would be thrilled and well-satisfied with just 15--16 more pounds from where I am at now. My feeling- if I am enrolled and completing the Weight Loss Olympics, why not go for the🏆 Gold, instead of Siver or Bronze?

I have a feeling I'll probably be like that the day I go in. I won't sleep the night before, I'll be a wreck. But, I have to keep telling myself it's going to be worth it, and it's all going to be ok. Glad you got through it all!

Firstly, congratulations on your 30 lbs lost and the improvement on your A1C! That's great progress and you should be very proud of yourself.
I will say that for myself, I have had long periods where I've lost 30-50 lbs over the course of a year or so, but always hit a point where I regained it. The most recent time, I regained it and also added some extra, and that was the point when I decided for sure that surgery was for me. I couldn't keep repeating that same lose-gain process over and over again. However, everyone is different and it's very possible that you'll be able to keep your weight off and continue to lose on your own. People do it without surgery all the time.
To me it sounds like with your possible scheduling so close, you may just be having last minute jitters. I was excited and happy throughout my whole six-month pre-op process, but then suddenly very nervous in the few days before the surgery and on the day of. However, a week out, I feel amazing and I'm so incredibly happy that I didn't let my nerves talk me out of it after I waited so long to have it done.
As others have said, though, in the end it's really a decision that you have to make for yourself, no matter what input or advice you've gotten from outside influences. I believe you'll make the choice that's best for you regardless!

Firstly, congratulations on your 30 lbs lost and the improvement on your A1C! That's great progress and you should be very proud of yourself.
I will say that for myself, I have had long periods where I've lost 30-50 lbs over the course of a year or so, but always hit a point where I regained it. The most recent time, I regained it and also added some extra, and that was the point when I decided for sure that surgery was for me. I couldn't keep repeating that same lose-gain process over and over again. However, everyone is different and it's very possible that you'll be able to keep your weight off and continue to lose on your own. People do it without surgery all the time.
To me it sounds like with your possible scheduling so close, you may just be having last minute jitters. I was excited and happy throughout my whole six-month pre-op process, but then suddenly very nervous in the few days before the surgery and on the day of. However, a week out, I feel amazing and I'm so incredibly happy that I didn't let my nerves talk me out of it after I waited so long to have it done.
As others have said, though, in the end it's really a decision that you have to make for yourself, no matter what input or advice you've gotten from outside influences. I believe you'll make the choice that's best for you regardless!

Firstly, congratulations on your 30 lbs lost and the improvement on your A1C! That's great progress and you should be very proud of yourself.
I will say that for myself, I have had long periods where I've lost 30-50 lbs over the course of a year or so, but always hit a point where I regained it. The most recent time, I regained it and also added some extra, and that was the point when I decided for sure that surgery was for me. I couldn't keep repeating that same lose-gain process over and over again. However, everyone is different and it's very possible that you'll be able to keep your weight off and continue to lose on your own. People do it without surgery all the time.
To me it sounds like with your possible scheduling so close, you may just be having last minute jitters. I was excited and happy throughout my whole six-month pre-op process, but then suddenly very nervous in the few days before the surgery and on the day of. However, a week out, I feel amazing and I'm so incredibly happy that I didn't let my nerves talk me out of it after I waited so long to have it done.
As others have said, though, in the end it's really a decision that you have to make for yourself, no matter what input or advice you've gotten from outside influences. I believe you'll make the choice that's best for you regardless!

The biggest shock for me post-surgery was realizing just how powerful head hunger is. At less than a week out I considered it a victory yesterday when I was able to eat two full popsicles over the course of a whole day in addition to my sips of Water. My stomach has been very adamant about telling me when I'm not ready for things or when I've had even one sip too many, so physical hunger hasn't been an issue at all. Head hunger has been an entirely different story, though.
I live with a roommate but have been staying with my mother and siblings for the first week post-op, and mentally I've been staring at homemade brownies, mac and cheese, Taco Bell, etc that they eat and craving them terribly. My mind says those things look delicious and tries to remind me how much I loved them before surgery, even when my body knows it would absolutely reject even a crumb of those things immediately at this stage.
But I suppose that's a big part of making this surgery successful. Those mental cravings probably aren't going to go away easily. It's a matter of separating mental hunger from physical hunger, listening to your body rather than your cravings, and making the choices that are going to lead to health rather than giving in to old habits; and those things are all easier said than done.

The biggest shock for me post-surgery was realizing just how powerful head hunger is. At less than a week out I considered it a victory yesterday when I was able to eat two full popsicles over the course of a whole day in addition to my sips of Water. My stomach has been very adamant about telling me when I'm not ready for things or when I've had even one sip too many, so physical hunger hasn't been an issue at all. Head hunger has been an entirely different story, though.
I live with a roommate but have been staying with my mother and siblings for the first week post-op, and mentally I've been staring at homemade brownies, mac and cheese, Taco Bell, etc that they eat and craving them terribly. My mind says those things look delicious and tries to remind me how much I loved them before surgery, even when my body knows it would absolutely reject even a crumb of those things immediately at this stage.
But I suppose that's a big part of making this surgery successful. Those mental cravings probably aren't going to go away easily. It's a matter of separating mental hunger from physical hunger, listening to your body rather than your cravings, and making the choices that are going to lead to health rather than giving in to old habits; and those things are all easier said than done.