With all of the conflicting information given I am wondering what you have all been told about really using the first 6 months after surgery to loose as much as possible? Of course, we all have surgery with a goal in mind, but is there a medical/physical reason one should push so hard during that 1st six months post op or is it more for mental adjustment? What are your thoughts?

For the most part there is no decision involved, your stomach is pretty severely "injured" and you will most likely not WANT to eat. It also works out that you need more calories to maintain a heavier weight because it takes more energy to run and move a fat body than a thin one, therefore the limited calories you ARE consuming is more of a deficit that when you are thinner. You lose faster at first then later when you require fewer calories and can eat more due to the stomach healing.

My surgeon says that is when the most rapid weight loss occurs. It slows down after that on average. But we still keep losing after that of course. It seems to be a physical thing according to him. Not psychological. Will be interesting to hear what other doctors have said.

My thoughts on this are I shouldn't be losing so much, and I would like to lose 6 pounds a month until I get to goal weight which would take me well over a year. I would like to be able to eat enough to manage this process, but I can't so it looks like I will lose more weight in the beginning and not by choice. If you are able to eat more then I would suggest a slower path. I just can't eat anything.

People typically lose the vast majority of what they are going to lose in the first 6-12 months. take advantage as it may get alot harder_...