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You can also try some tricks like: Front loading your daily calories - eat the most early in the day, have a lighter supper, and nothing after 6 pm. Add more raw veggies - celery, peppers, jicama, radishes, some carrot slices, cauliflower, broccoli - I make up bags of these colorful little friends and eat a pound every day. Eat a salad or soup before each meal. Preloading with less caloric, healthy filler food cuts down on overall calories. Drink 2 cups of cold water half an hour before eating. Intermittent Fasting (IF) - eat your calories in a pre-timed window each day ( 6, 8, or 10 hours). Exercise. Exercise does not cause much actual weight loss, but it can increase your metabolism and build lean muscle mass which has a much higher metabolic rate than fat. Exercising during a fasting state (before breakfast) is even more effective for fat burning, as the muscle glycogen is already used up, which forces the body into fat burning mode. Make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Change up your meals. Maybe you need more variety. Really take a hard look at what you are eating - is each bite nutritionally dense? Can you switch out some foods for some legumes, a few nuts, more veggies? Look at your dairy, especially cheese. If you are eating basically the same thing every day, it is obviously not working for you. Are you getting at least 64 oz of water each day? Stop snacking. Each time you eat, you get an insulin burst which drives calories into fat storage, rather than fat burning. Just some ideas to try. Each one of these tips is backed by evidence based research.

I'm planning on having a sleeve done late March. (I'm having to pay cash, and will be paying and making in stone appointment Feb 10th). (And HI! New here and have been semi stalking forums for a short while 😅) I've got several people in my life who have had both By-pass/Sleeve, and they have given all sort of little tid-bits and niches thats helped them along the way. My father loved tiny spoons and tiny bowls. Even after 10 years of having the by-pass, when he was at home he continued to eat with tiny items. A friend keeps a metal 1/2 measuring cup on his car keys (so he always has it to compare). While another friend keeps a special metal ring on her so she can compare. What was/is your helpful little niche after operation? Tiny items? Timers to keep reminders of water and snacks? Or did you just mentally always measure out portions to make sure not to over eat?

Sophie, You look fantastic! I am so excited for you. I’m 55 and I’m confident when I am finished losing that I will need exactly the same surgery you have just gotten. It is great to see someone close to my age doing so well!! I’m 10 lbs from my original goal and then I will wait at least 6mos-1yr before I go under the knife. I imagined myself having a rough time as compared to the other younger ladies who have recently undergone plastics. You have given me confidence by sharing your story! Congratulations on the perky boobs and flat tummy!

HI GUYS let me give you some visuals of my progress so far. I have been lurking on your page since you were 5 months out and I was 4 months pre...well im almost 10 weeks out .

Any one what this dress? It is now too big. Cleaning out the closet.... also have some size 10 and 6 dress pants. I bought his dress because i had a mad crush on Christina Hendricks from Mad Men. Let me know... if not going to post on my local WLS page and give away there.

I started at 227 and now am 110. I never meant to lose this much but still don't want to gain. It's been 19 months and I've been fortunate enough not to gain any but I know it's still early out.

it's not inevitable, but yes, it's very common to gain 10-20 lbs after hitting your lowest weight. And some, unfortunately, gain a lot more than that. It takes constant monitoring to hold the course. ARRGGGGGHHH!!!

Are you asking for advise, or just looking for emotional support? If you are looking for support, there is a Slow Losers Thread that is full of well meaning people who will take you under their wings to make you feel better. if you want advise, then just look at your caloric intake for week weeks 4-6, decrease it by about 10% to make up for the lesser daily metabolic burn or your your now lower weight, and you will start shedding just like you were before. the hard part in this seems to be the transition to a more regular diet, and sometime people overshoot their goal by consuming more than they think they are. Even 300-500 calories a day too much is going to halt your loss, so keep it very lean until you hit your goal. luck!

I agree with @ms.sss. I think your boobs look great @sillykitty. Put comfort (physical & mental comfort) first when it comes to the dress & compression gear. Think you could go with or without. The dress is great and yay for the black & white pattern too. Thanks for the comments about my wide leg pant outfit everyone. Decided to wear it again today for a catch up with a girlfriend & a rushed shopping trip. I was looking for XS & XXS sizes today too @ms.sss. So hard to find or they just don’t offer the smaller sizes. It’s the reverse of how I used to struggle to find sizes. I’ve dropped to an size 6 Aust (2 US) so the size 10s & S in my wardrobe are too big. The pants I had on yesterday were on my hips & the butt was all baggy & flappy. But there is so much variation in sizes from retailer to retailer, label to label even in a basic singlet top. It’s why I don’t online shop much. I’m always returning. Loud sigh.

Surgery date was 12/31/19. I was 334 that day, 23 days later, I am at 314. (21lbs. Lost) I can eat solid food now, no problems. Staying under 900 calories a day, down 4 pant sizes! This time last year I weighed 375. My only problem is constipation. I have been obese most all my life, I’m 53 now and I feel great, lots of compliments, friends & family are amazed at my weight loss. I am so glad I had the VGS surgery!

Im so sorry for your loss, sending prayers for strength and comfort for you and your family during this difficult time. 5'4" Starting weight 297 VSG on 7/31/19 Surgery wt: 266 CW 203 GW 135 Sent from my [samsung Galaxy] using BariatricPal mobile app 3rd

I had my first post-op visit with my Dr. today...doing swimmingly! He told me I'll be under 200 lbs next time I see him- in a MONTH. I can't believe that could be true, its incredible to me and I still can't fathom the possibility of being under 200! I can actually notice the physical weight loss today (I'm down 13 lbs since surgery). I see it in my hips and face! Struggling, struggling with the liquid diet though. I have 10 days of that total and I will be done 1/28. I have hunger, I have cravings. Big time. But yet I don't want to "eat" (drink, heh). I'm siiiiick of the shakes, tell you what. lol. Its very weird. One of the biggest cravings I'm having is - strange enough- sauteed fajita veggies...which I won't be able to have until March. And food commercials are the devil. That is all.

I have a desk job and was only off 10 days. I had no pain or discomfort...so I was lucky I guess.

True, true! I don't know how it is in the UK, Canada, or Australia but also trying to get in even for non-severe mental/emotional issues is....CRAZY. I remember primary referring family member to get a little more help with SITUATIONAL depression..although it was a severe case..and they were told left and right...6 months minimum..um...excuse me? I will say we have come a long way with like coverage and access (as well as free for those who need it) to things like mammograms..now if they could just do that with all the other things we need access to more quickly. My pet peeve, especially with specialists is seeing that my plan only has like..let's say 10 docs in my area that cover that specialty...but 99% are no longer taking new patients...um...so there is only 1? And dang if it is not going to be the one furthest away or the one with the worst reviews..lol. Sometimes healthcare..and we all know it from insurance hoops to get surgery if not self-pay..is like trying to plan a military campaign.. You last sentence made me laugh though...the irony of it

banded in 2009, lost from 232# to 143#... in March 2017 got the flu... band slipped. No WLS for 2.5+ years.... revised to the sleeve 8/28/19.... lost the 30# i regained and 9ish plus.

Hi friends!! I had my sleeve surgery 12-27-19. Pre-surgical weight 260. Weight today, almost 4 weeks out 238. It's been quite a ride. My husband had the sleeve 18 months ago, so he was helpful with my lovenox shots, wound care, etc.. What I was not expecting is how sad I feel, tired bc of the insomnia, worried that I am not losing enough even though my surgeon says I am doing great, and the food struggle. I do understand how you felt djgirl. Everyone else is eating whatever the eff they want and I am drinking my shake, eating oatmeal , whatever. I am hoping that this plateau I've hit will run its course bc its frustrating. Next week I can go back to the gym, so I will start out with the treadmill and eventually do some weights, situps etc.. I would like to know what healthy options everyone is eating? Thanks! Meg

I have contacted a legal firm in Vancouver that already has a class action against the company that makes Lap-Band. Since we already have many people interested in a class action against Slimband, they might just take the case on a contingency basis (i.e. they would get 10% of any money recovered). I will let you know if/when I hear back from them. Since the Slimband clinic is closed, that would not be our target. And unfortunately it wouldn't be Dr. Patrick Yau either. It would be the owner of BOTH Slimband clinic and CreditMedical.com where many of us got our medical loans from, as it is still practicing and making TONS of money charging huge interest rates on medical loans. Where there's big money, you can bet a lawyer is going to be interested - especially since they've probably already done a lot of research into banding for their initial suit. Personally I will probably have the band removed at some point but not until I can find a surgeon that will revise my RNY to make the pouch smaller. I had an RNY in 2002 and the pouch expanded so I got the Slimband in 2013 to increase restriction again. If I take the band off, I will still have the big pouch, and I don't want that. I expect that with missed work due to Slimband complications since January 2013, I will be owed in the tens of thousands of dollars easily.

I'm in! Thanks for the info Fluffychix & Sheribear68! I need all the help I can get to make the MOST of this journey as possible! In recent discussions with Fluffy and others, we did the math and my average amount of weight lost per month SINCE surgery is actual a bit over 12 pounds per month and that would actually have been higher if my exercise hadn't taken a nosedive in the past..well, I was thinking it was a week, but it's been more like 10 days. My INITIAL Months 1-3 weight loss was...when I compared to my siblings was not as large as theirs was so yeah...it bothered me. I tried to be careful (and yeah, we probably shouldn't compare but I did) and only compare with others IF they were in a similar situation to me. i.e. for me that was: female, 50+, menopausal, sedentary, known slow metabolism DUE to hormones, lack of exercise, medications, illness/conditions, 20+ years of yo-yo dieting and/or anything else that contributed to the slowness - some things WITHIN my control, some things NOT. On some days when I was doing better mentally, I figured well, I may be starting out slower but my rate per month may be more sustainable than theirs after the first few mos. I need to get back on my surgery sibling thread but I ALREADY know now that in looking at my weight loss data over a MORE SUFFICIENT amount of time to evaluate a truer picture of 'weight loss per mo), I'm at least an AVERAGE loser and if I deal with some recent bad habits that crept back in suddenly, I feel that with not a ton of effort I can hit a 'AVERAGE-HIGH' amt of weight loss per mo. I wanted to post as some of you know I'm very data driven. The first 2 - 3 mos of surgery, including that critical 1st mo where some of us wonder based on SO VERY VERY little calories, why weight loss wasn't higher..it's kinda of like when we were kids...I always used to say when asked..."I'm 5 and 1/2 years old"...because I was PROUD of that '1/2'...and the age I'm at now, man, I round DOWN!!! When we are little though...at young ages, our time on this earth is so SMALL at that point, that our experiences for the first let's just say..5 yrs...is obviously the BULK of our entire little life at that point. Flash forward to today and being..cough..like around 50...and ages 0-5 is nothing but a BLINK. Statistically barely factors. I realize now that while yes...my first 2 mos especially I found to be a bit disappointing at the time, in hindsight, just 4 more months out, the math is showing that DESPITE my true challenges and even for me, some emotional/mental ones, I am at least an AVERAGE loser. I'm posting this hoping to give those who are only a couple of months out and may be fighting with disappointment...some hope and another way to consider things..and to stay on track and let the time pass...then look back at what has happened. My wish for all of us is we become part of..someday...a "We WERE slow losers but look at us now" type of thread..lol. I realize that there are ppl with much more severe issues than what I'm dealing with so in no way do I mean to do your situation any disservice. Oh...and along with realizing I'm at least 'average'...I had a small NSV on my way to taking my laptop back into my office...my PJ bottoms (yeah, I work from home) fell down and I almost fell over my own feet..LOL. I LOVE these PJ botttoms so much I'm seriously considering taking them to a tailor!!

The best decision ever! Sleeved on 10/18 and 108 lbs lost 🙌🙌🙌

I'll be 4 yrs post OP this July. I initially lost 125lbs, I've unfortunately gained back about 18lbs, I went from a 24/26 to a 10/14 depending on brand. I'm 5'3" and will be 50 this July. Besides marrying my hubby...30 yrs this June... this was the best decision I've ever made. If you're on the fence about having surgery, weigh the options, pros and cons, keep taking meds, not keeping up with the family, feeling tired.. all the time, I could go on and on, trust me or take back control of your life and health, eat better, walk more, enjoy outings with friends and family.. and be able to keep up, learn to love yourself again. It's up to you, but I will say, if you decide to... you will never regret it. Good luck on this crazy journey we call weight loss surgery y'all... Tracy Johnson

This is wonderful! I’ll be honest and admit that I still very much feel like a bariatric patient. I too don’t eat all of the food that I prep and log, so even though my logs say one thing, the truth of the matter is that many times I’m eating 3/4-7/8 of the food I’m packing and logging. I wish MFP had an option where you could just autocorrect the calories and macros down by 10-20% across the board bc then that would be a lot more accurate. My carb struggle is a very real and daily thing. Yesterday I logged over 40gm and it felt very odd and reflexively I wanted to cut back today to “make up” for it. Gotta get over that mindset bc I’m in the high 130’s and I don’t want to slide too much farther down. It’s a mind game. I’m wondering what on earth my subconscious is doing , and I’m working on working through it.

I had my vsg surgery 9/10/19. I’m down about 66lbs. I still have a way to go, but I’m happy with my decision. My pics: my 2nd day in the hospital. I got engaged at the beginning of December and decided to try on wedding dresses at the end of it. The others from earlier this month.

My husband knows..... that's it. When i had the band i eventually told everyone. Biggest mistake ever. This time with the sleeve, only my husband. I didn't tell my kids, my family, my friends (none of them), my co workers.... NO ONE. So much better. When people started to notice the WL i just told them the truth.... doing crossfit and portion control. I moved to another state which makes it easier i think. No one except my kids have seen me since SX Aug, 28, 2019 I can promise yall one thing.... you tell one person besides your spouse.... it will get out.... especially if you tell a friend and that friend is a woman.... we love to gossip... and eventually she will get jealous and blabbb... Let me give you the scenario.... Hey sue.. chris sure has lost a lot of weight.... Well, don't say that i said anything... but she has WLS... BAMMMM

I do not think size has a lot to do with it. People are judgmental regardless. What was worse was having friends of 10 years + turn cold shoulder and that people have to hide or consider telling people what they are having done, to help with their health. People don't judge when you have gall bladder removed or kidney stones crushed, but you have operation that is life changing and majorly benefiting your health and (most) lose their minds. Its just sad overall.