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Yep, I'm 9 months post-op and may or may not just be coming out of about a 3-week stall. It's very normal and expected to start slowing down, stalling, and having small weight gains at this point. I hit a low of 170.2 toward the end of October, immediately bounced up a pound, and didn't drop below that low point until 3 days ago. Personally, I find that whenever I hit a new low after a little bit of a stall, especially if it involves a large one-day drop (I went from 170.8 to 169.0 in a day), I'll usually bounce around a little before seeing any steady declines. Most people continue losing weight until at least 12 months, and sometimes a little bit more until 18 or 24 months. But with a lot more stalls, especially the closer you get to a "normal" BMI. (I'm about 14 pounds away from not being considered overweight by the medical charts). The important thing is to develop a healthy eating and exercise routine that is sustainable no matter what the scale says. If you're doing what is reasonable and recommended, keep doing it. There's no need to change what isn't broken. On the other hand, if you know you've been straying from your good habits, focus on getting back to where you know you should be. Eating healthy foods in the correct portions on a regular schedule, moving your body throughout the week, getting the right amount of protein, taking vitamins, and drinking water are all things you will be doing for the rest of your life, even though at some point the scale will stop going down. The advice I am giving myself these days is to try to separate those good things I am doing from the number on the scale. Because for me, if I start seeing weight loss as a "reward" for "being good", it makes it harder to continue the good lifelong habits when that "reward" inevitably goes away. It also won't do you any favors in the long run if you try to introduce a bunch of things you know you will never be able to maintain just to get the scale moving faster. I might be able to drop a few pounds really fast if I went back to 500 calories per day or re-did my 2 week liquid diet, but I can't live like that forever, so it's a false victory. I think we all have to find the right balance of habits we can maintain fairly steadily for a lifetime and a healthy weight we can maintain without torturing ourselves. And remember that just because you hit the 12-month mark doesn't mean the game is over. You can always introduce improvements to your nutrition or your exercise that will result in slow and steady changes over time. You don't have to workout 5 days a week for 2 hours a day if that isn't your thing, but if you add some resistance training a few times per week or an extra walk after dinner, you will see those results down the road.

Oooooo I might give it another go! you workout in the morning and still fast, I bow to you girl- amazing!! do you drink black coffee or anything?

@Mspretty86 girl good for you!!! I tried to do that but I became too lethargic and cranky! hahaha I wake up at 4am make myself coffee, unsweetened almond milk and a couple of pumps of sugar free sweetener. I also make myself keto toast with Nuttzo butter ,half a banana sprinkled with cinnamon. It starts my day and I know I eat more calories than the average sleeve person (1800-2000 a day) but hey I got to where I am at doing this. Have you found that fasting helped in other ways?

This may be a good advice for other people this has stuck with me for a long time. In another bariatric group this lady on zoom made a statement "Hunger is not an emergency" this resonated with me. Hunger really is not an emergency for the past 3 plus months I fast from 8pm to 12pm about 16 hours. Once you mentally prepare yourself it's a breeze. I tell myself hunger is not an emergency and there we go!

Bring snack I can eat is a good idea! I have a 7 hour layover at some point so I'd rather not wander around for whatever fast food they have at Sea-Tac.

i used to hate him with a fire of a thousand suns too...until i watched Masterchef Junior several years ago and realized TV is fake (who knew?? lol). He employs TOTALLY different persona on the Junior shows. He's actually kinda sweet and nurturing on them. I figure his ass-hole-ery on Hell's Kitchen is all for show - or maybe it his schtick on Junior that is...either way, he's probably just a regular guy. 🤷🏻‍♀️ (plus those people that appear on the shows probably already know what they are getting themselves into and have their own share of schtick going on...) ...in any case i watch it anyway cuz i love the food and cooking! i'll just fast forward if it gets to cringey.

oh dear god, i bet you $100 (CAD, lol) that the Canadian version is EVEN WORSE. i still watch it though (cuz i loooove cooking shows), i just fast forward all the talking. love Mary, can tolerate Prue (but her ranking goes up if she's on a show with Noel, lol)). ree bugs me too. My fave cooking host of all time is Padma on Top chef. she's the perfect mix of constructive criticism, humour and disdain ahhahaha. plus she's super cool and dresses nice. honourable mention is Phil Rosenthal on Someone Feed Phil. while not a cooking show (more like an eating show). he's honestly so endearing. and his parent's (r.i.p) cameos in his older shows were sooooo hilarious.

@Lilia_90 Hi! Congrat on reaching your goal so fast! I have very stubborn fat and weight and I come to the realization that I have to accept that is just how my body is going to be. When I first started I did went all out and use the food scale for the first few months. I bought a set of products that could use an app to keep track, scale, food scale and measure tape. After a few months of using it, I kinda picked up on how big of a size I should cut and how much to take with salad etc. from time to time I still use if it comes to something I am not familiar with. I didn’t use the scale yesterday and put down what I ate on the app, it’s about 1000 calories that I ate. Of course it could be more than 1000 calories if I count the Pam spray that I used and a drizzle of salad dressing, but sometimes it’s very tiring to counts everything, and I don’t want to live like that. Mindfulness and healthy living is the habit that I need to do in this journey. That’s why I stop using the scale every single day. After all we can’t bring scale out to measure everything when we are out and about in places. I also had 1 hour work out and burned about 400 calories. oh while typing I realized I had a cup of unsweetened almond milk that should be about 50 calories that I had yesterday, so I have to be careful about these small things I do without remembering. I guess my frustration is that I feel like I am doing not bad, very healthy compared to how I used to be, and working out. I wanted to at least be able to get rid of 100 lbs… but my body is telling me no. I am usually very hard on myself and always aim for higher. So that’s that and I will learn to deal with it. Doesn’t mean I am giving up though. In the past, I had never dream of being able to stick to gym routine, regular gym is so just boring to me and I could never know what to do with all those machines, like I am just wandering inside. This around , I found something that I enjoyed and worked for me. I found that I need to workout in a group class and having everyone working out at the same time doing the same thing , this actually motivate me, so I started Orange Theory Fitness, and my body retain water stubbornly so I found hot yoga and it’s something I enjoy. The last few appointments with the doctors I kept complaining my slow weight loss, they assured me that I was doing great, but I shouldn’t not be looking into plastic surgery so soon and it’s a long time away to when I should have it done. However, the last appointment, the doctor mentioned that if I really want, I can start with a consultation. Then my nutritionist telling me my weight might be stabilizing… I feel like this is a green light. lol Anyway, I took a few screenshots of the app I use, want to share to this for those that want to try something like this. I bought the Renpho Health products and link them in the app, so I can track my weight, what I eat and measure the inches of my body all in 1 app.

@BigSue is right on the mark. I will also add that not everyone reaches their goal. And that’s okay. The win is you’ve lost weight and are healthier than you were. Remember that your goal weight is an arbitrary number you chose not the weight your body settles at & is happiest at as your new set point the surgery has gifted you. The point people’s weight stabilises at is different person to person. You do tend to lose the most in the first 6-12 months but people can lose for another year. Not everyone but some do. It took about 17months for my weight to finally stabilise. Though I reached goal at 6 months I kept losing for another 11months & at a very slow rate. (Took 6 months to lose 31kg then 11 months to lose the final 11kg.) Your rate of loss will get slower and slower as you near your final stabilised weight. It could be ounces a week or even a month near the end. So you may not have finished losing yet. But do check your calorie intake. If you’re maintaining at the calories you’re consuming now you’ll have to eat less to lose more. And you will have to eat fewer calories than you are now if you want to maintain at a lower weight than you are now. Another consideration is you’ve likely built up a lot of muscle with the activity you do. Muscle does way a little more than fat and it will change your physical shape somewhat too which may explain some of the clothing size discrepancies you’re noticed. There are lots of averages and generalisations around weight loss (how fast, how much, when things will happen, how many calories you need, how much activity, etc.). We’re too different for the sane hard and fast rules to apply to everyone, You just have to find what works and is right for you, your lifestyle and your body. PS: Another average, but exercise only accounts for about 10% of the weight you are to lose. Better to look at exercise for the benefits it brings to your cardiac health, muscle strength, flexibility, bone density, etc. & not so much for weight loss.

So prior to surgery I tasked myself with writing a letter to the "future me". I wrote this letter and then sealed it up so that I could open it 6 months post-op and reflect. I thought I'd share it with you all to give some inspo, and just because I value being open about my journey with you all ❤️ I wrote this letter on the 20th December 2023, with my surgery scheduled for the 14th May 2024. Some of this letter may be triggering for others (mentions of sexual assault/abuse), so please don't read on if you aren't able to. I also highly recommend for people to do the same pre-surgery. Reading this letter has been really cathartic for me, especially at a time where my weight loss is slowing down a little. So, here it is, my letter to myself: To me, I hope that you have found your own form of genuine happiness. To try and picture how life is for you now is impossible. I'm currently at work, my back is in pain, I am overly conscious of my body - my stomach and chin in particular. I hope that you aren't worrying about any of those things anymore. Remember feeling so painfully aware of your body, about how nothing quite fits you anymore? I pray life is better for you now. I want you to have a whole new quality of life. No more holding yourself back. Say yes to things that scare you. Go on a paddle boat. Go to go-ape. Do something terrifying. I hope that your mental wounds are beginning to heal. All those times you were cheated on and mentally & physically abused by your ex because of your weight. You didn't deserve that. Not one bit. Your worth is not, and never was, defined by how much you weigh. Please don't get stuck on the numbers. I know this has probably been one of the hardest experiences for you, and I know you have probably had to re-learn everything, but you deserve this. You are so, so deserving. Reflect back on the past: Nan calling you 'podgy' in a top you was excited to wear when you was 13, but you never wore it again after that. Growing fast and being bigger than most people in school. Always yo-yoing from diet to diet. None of it worked. Punishing yourself didn't work. But now look at what you have achieved. YOU did this. No one else. Be proud. I hope, more than anything else, that you have finally found out who you are. That girl inside, behind all the weight, waiting for freedom. I can't wait to meet her x

very good point. when one eats very fast, which usually goes hand in hand with not chewing enough, they get full faster (i'm specifically talking about a wls patient with a physically smaller stomach). they end up eating less overall (or throwing it up due to discomfort/pain) had they taken their time. and like L90 said above, they get hungry sooner. rinse and repeat.

I too am a fast eater, always have been. When I was at my highest weight I would eat so fast that I would get horrible indigestion pain on the right side of my stomach that would last 4 days. I still struggle with this, not nearly as fast as I used to be but I mentally need to remind myself to eat slower. During my first weeks post op I would set a timer for each bite, it took me ages to finish a meal. Nowadays if I'm really hungry I'll eat my first two bites really fast then my restriction reminds me to slow down, I almost always end up eating less that what I need to because of it, and then feel hungry again an hour later.

I’m 5 years out & I did not need to loose that much weight. I wish you the best of luck! My surgeon told me to go back to the basic, the diet of pre surgery. Liquids only. I know it is tough. Also look into the Fast metabolism diet that is how I got to my ultimate goal weight. It’s eating healthy foods in a certain order each week. You don’t need to buy any crazy pills to take every day, just eat a certain amount of foods. Even though we can’t eat the amount of foods the diet calls for, just following the food regimen was enough for me. I wish you the best of luck in your journey.

I agree with the others. You’re just not ready yet to eat solid foods. Your symptoms of discomfort, vomiting, hiccups, burping are evidence of that. It takes at least 6 weeks for you to heal ( all those sutures and staples holding your digestive system together) which is why we’re put on the slow, usually two week cycles, of progressing from liquids, to purées, to soft foods to regular solid foods. Even following this schedule, many have to go back a step simply because they haven’t healed enough tolerate the denser food yet. And that’s okay. You may have to do this too. There are even solid foods that some people take even longer to be able to eat without experiencing side effects. Foods like chicken breast & steak. Some foods can be too rich like eggs or they’re too dry or coarse (sauces & gravies are your friend). Your tummy is very sensitive and can react to any food (texture, flavour even smell) and this can continue for a couple of months. I used to describe my tummy as a petulant two year old who throws random tantrums. Unfortunately there’s no hard and fast rules about this. You just have to try things and see how you go simply because of our individual differences. Never give up on a food you struggle with initially though. Give it a break for a couple of weeks and then try again. Glad you’re on a PPI (sumac) which will help with the excess acid your body is still producing (it hasn’t learnt you don’t need as much yet). Will also help with the hiccups and burping. Actually many people find hiccups are a signal they’re full. Make sure you’re eating slowly (take 20-30 minutes), small bites and not eating too large a portion yet. Out of curiosity what are your portion sizes at the moment?

ok, so not gonna lie, mr. told me years ago he missed my ginormous boobs, i had huge boobs even as a thin thing (i actually got a breast reduction when i was 29 because of chronic back pain (i was like 130 lbs at the time). but even after the breast reduction, they were still pretty ample. then the weight gain started and they became the size of my head (EACH!) lol. mr. was in heaven. fast forward to WLS and the resultant deflated balloons, but Mr. was still satisfied with the "handfuls" he could grope. ....then i had a breast lift, which removed the excess skin and tightened them up all nice and firm (and made them smaller). I LOVE THEM OMG. but Mr. went into a mini-mourning....i'm like a 29C right now, jeez...that still respectable! ...BUT he did say that the re-ingintion of my "adventurism" during sexy times more than makes up for HIS perception of my smaller boobs. plus he has also commented many that my confidence and all around relaxed attitude is GOLD. sooo...long story short. boobs or not, its all in the ATTITUDE.

I had to teach myself by literally only giving myself exactly what I'm supposed to eat for each bite. I'd set a timer and when it went off, I would get myself another bite worth of food. Or my hubby would do it. It's drastic, but I ate too fast and too much at first and REALLY paid for it. I had to do this for about 2 weeks until I got used to it. Once I did, I was able to put my full meal's worth of food on the plate or in the bowl. I also used toddler utensils so I couldn't over-eat.

Just because you are allowed to eat anything does not mean you, personally, are able to do so. There are a few likely culprits to your issues with discomfort and vomiting. You may be eating too much, too fast, not chewing enough even though you think you are, or the food you are eating is too difficult for your system to handle right now. Check your portion sizes, how fast you are eating, and focus on soft foods. You may need longer between eating and drinking. Some people can handle 10-15 minutes. Some need 30 minutes. If I feel a stuck feeling even an hour after eating, I do not drink anything because it will make me sick. I had enough issues with vomiting that my doctor put me back on liquids at around 4 weeks and I did that a couple weeks just to give my body more time to heal. Even almost 9 months out from RNY, I sometimes get sick. It's usually texture/dryness related. It's gone from once a week to just once in a while, and instead of all the food coming up, it's usually just mucous now. I try to pay attention to why so I can adjust. Basically, you need to listen to your body and make changes based on what is working and not working for you because we're all different.

So I will definitely say that I am so oblivious LOL I stay in my own world so I really don't know, however I do have a great deterrent from men talking to me....my kids! LOL My boyfriend has actually had a hard time with my weight loss...there was a good point where he felt uncomfortable being intimate. He said that the change happened so fast that I felt and looked so different he felt like he was cheating on the old me. He also preferred me fluffy, met me at 240lbs size 16, then I blew up to 297lbs size 20 after I had our baby, and now I am 160 ish at a size 2-4, but he also understood I did this surgery for my health. I am getting my boobies done 12/30 so I k now that will be another hurdle I think, then I most likely will be getting more obvious blunt attention that both of us will have to get used to. Our relationship is strong and our communication is really good so we will be okay but its been a process lol

I just can't stop eating too fast! Everyone suggests waiting 1 minute between bites, but I just can't seem to do that. So many years of only having 20 minutes on my lunch taught me to eat fast and I can't break that habit. I'm just always miserable after I eat because I'm so full! Any other tips?

Everyone is different. I am almost 6 years out. I made it to my goal weight about 1 1/2 years after surgery using the Fast Metabolism Diet for the last 6 months of that. I went back up 15 pounds but my body is happy here. I have never thought about calories. I have always concentrated on how many ounces I eat at a meal. I never go above 3.5oz total. 2oz protein & 1.5oz. I also eat 5 times a day. 3 meals & 2 snacks like cheese or fruit. You have to figure out what works best for you.

I'm 21 years post-op. A sandwich that I could easily eat pre-op is 4 meals now. The thing is, my concept of 'standard' has changed completely. For this thing to work long term it had to*. In the years pre-op I could do any crash diet that came along with 100% compliance for months. I can do anything for a short time knowing the short time would end eventually. That's not change, that's will power, which most of us have in abundance. WLS is forever*. The early "honeymoon" period shouldn't be about losing weight as fast as you can*. It should be about changing "normal" and getting weight loss as a positive reinforcement for compliance*. Compliance + positive reinforcement + time = new normal*. My plan was to eat the way I would after I lost all the weight. Basically, I started my "maintenance" plan the day after surgery. I eat now pretty much as I have since about 3 months post-op, though now I complete more meals than I did at 3 months. There is no "after." This is my normal, the way I eat without thinking. WLS is forever is my opinion. Plenty of folks have done the draconian post-op diet and lost all their weight and even maintained it for years. Many track every morsel they eat forever. For me, that's no way to live. This is not how my surgeon wanted me to live. Good luck, Tek * Personal opinion.

I did buy a few so I'm hoping that will help. My big problem now is still eating too fast. It wasn't until AFTER my surgery that i finally met with the therapist who talked about mindful eating.

Gotta love kids. They are so brutally honest. But of course compared to a 14 year old they are flabby. I am suddenly very aware of my saggy arms too and I have only lost 59 pounds so far. I think part of it was just normal aging and I just wasn’t paying as much attention before to them as I suddenly am now. My belly skin is starting to get pretty jiggly too. I am dropping the weight rather fast though. BMI of 39.2 to 30.3 in 3.5 months. My secret goal is another 51 pounds so I’m sure it’s gonna get a lot worse if I can get there. Unless insurance helps, plastics are not an option. I’m really hoping it snaps back a bit with time but I will be doing a lot of crunches and pushups I’m sure. Does it make it easier or harder to stand back further? I am just doing them exactly how the instructor showed me in class which is my feet back a ways but not as far as you describe. I haven’t told her yet they are getting a bit easier for me now. I assumed the next step was knee pushups, but they hurt my knees so if I can alter the wall ones and skip the knees that would be ideal.

Most nutritionists hate hearing that you watch TV while practicing "mindful eating." I get it though.. I always watch TV when eating at home too. It is possible to do both for some but the NUTs don't agree. And you can probably guess how I chose my name for this forum. I literally bought a baby spoon and used it. For a time. It really slows you down as opposed to using a big spoon (pre-op) that allows us to shovel the food in faster. I've known many overweight people who consume a meal so fast they don't even properly taste what they are eating. (finger pointing back at me) Put the spoon down after each bite. Chew the 22 x's. Use a timer if needed. Don't drink with your meals. Taste what you are actually eating. If you tell her you now actually try to pick out the different spices in each recipe. Garlic, chili powder, onion, etc. and do all the rest, you'll pass with flying colors. I would hesitate to bring up the TV watching though. LOL GL

I was too but don't be. Just practice mindful eating. I learned rather quickly after just a few bites how that meal was going to go. I would stop and push the plate away if need be. If you don't, you will pay for it. I had to learn that lesson a few times. I thought because the nutritionist OK'd a food for a particular phase, it would be OK. But it wasn't for me. Certain textures are my problem. Not from eating too much or too fast. YMMV I still struggle with stir fry (semi cooked) and raw vegetables which is sad for me because I love veggies and salads. Also heavy meats like steak and chicken unless it is cooked to the point of falling apart. In a soup cooked soft is best so I lived on stews etc. for quite awhile and still enjoy them. Find the foods within your program that you enjoy and go well with you and your sensitive tummy. In the beginning, I made the mistake of trying everything allowed to me at the different phases but a lot just made me sick. I knew at some point I would enjoy those foods again in the future. Some I may never. But I like to concentrate on the healthy things I can have as opposed to what I can't. GL.. you will do fine. And don't be scared. {{hugs}}