Lately I've seen a TON of posts about lucky sleevers that drop 100 pounds in six months.

Congrats to them and to their loss. And I would never, ever begrudge anyone the right to crow about a fantastic success. It's part of why we're all here, to share the ups and downs of this surgery!

But frequently, these posts are followed by folks that feel frustrated because they aren't losing at the same pace. All too often, we forget that everyone loses at a different pace. It's easy to lose sight of the real goal (long term maintenance) in the face of the scale goals we set for ourselves. And it's also easy to forget that this isn't a race and that there's no special prize waiting at the end for reaching goal more quickly.

I would like to contribute my loss pattern so that people can see that there is more than one way to achieve a goal. Being successful is about reaching your personal goals, overcoming your personal food demons and maintaining your weight loss for life. It's not about hitting goal in nine months.

I encourage everyone else with a slow loss story to contribute their successes here as well. It's hard to research this surgery and find only the stories about extremes - people completely thrilled with surgery or people that regret every minute of life post op. The same goes for loss. When people search out stories on this, it's too easy to only find rapid loss or stall posts but nothing showing the more realistic and moderate journey many of us take. The sleeve is a permanent tool that does not have a special window of easy weight loss. There is no reason to feel discouraged when you haven't reached goal at one year out, or even two. There is nothing preventing you (short of your own body's natural stopping point) from achieving or re-achieving goal at any point post op.

I lost 60 pounds in the first five months after my surgery.

And I slowly lost 32 pounds over the next seven months.

It took me another five months to shed the final 15 pounds to my goal.

I lost 107 pounds over the course of 17 months. I stalled twice for nine weeks each time. I had months where I only lost one pound. I regularly experienced a gain of three pounds around my cycle, and often only lost weight in the last week to ten days of the month, after sitting at the same weight for nearly three weeks.

I am a success, and at 2.5 years out (and currently pregnant) I still have good, healthy eating habits and maintained my weight loss quite easily. Even 30 weeks pregnant, I am still wearing a size 6/small (in maternity clothes, of course) regardless of how I feel about my expanding body!

I learned what was important on this journey and am in better health today (not just physically, but mentally and emotionally), than I have ever experienced as an adult.

Good luck to those currently on their journey, and I encourage everyone to share their stories here so that newly sleeved folks can see that slow vs. fast loss doesn't really matter in the end.

~Cheri

I will be completely honest, I never really tracked how long any stalls were. I knI actually thought I was done losing and was a few pounds away from goal. But I was actually ok with that because I never dreamed I would even reach my goal as I had never remembered even weighing that amount. When I did start losing again, I was shocked and ecstatic!

This is pretty much how I got down to goal last time, too. I think I posted around a year out in my update that I was basically already transitioned into maintenance mode. For me, that meant something akin to a less structured 6:1 program. I didn't go ape or anything and I still weighed pretty close to daily but I wasn't working hard at losing. Maybe it was just that I needed to stress less about it or maybe it was that I just stopped focusing on a scale goal and my body was going to stubbornly give up the pounds, anyway. But I slowly lost those last few pounds and while it took forever, I was pretty darn thrilled with each small drop, because I was so sure I'd never see the end of the 150s!

I only wish I could have taken your more relaxed approach to the whole thing but I was (and remain, in loss) OBSESSED with the numbers and where I'm at and how much longer to my goal. I still have to remind myself that my weigh in doesn't need to ruin my day sometimes, and that's sad. I still need to come back and read other posts and re-read my own weight loss tracker and posts to reassure myself that it does come off if you're patient enough with the slow pace.

Imagine how peaceful and calm the forums would be if we all took your approach at six months out!

~Cheri

I was sleeved December 3, 2012 & remember that I had my first 'stall' around week 3. It only lasted for 4 days. Since about May the weight loss is slow, maybe .4 or .2 and I hover at that for several days. Then I might lose another .2 or .4.

The last couple of weeks I've been hovering at 149. My own goal is 140 - doctor and/or medical team (NUT, RN, etc) never set or recommended a goal for me.

I've stopped stressing. I eat so differently now and it feels comfortable and right - I exercise 5-6 days a week. I drink a lot of water - 12-15 8oz glasses a day.

I was obese for over 15 years - why do I need to derail the process by stressing that I'm 8 months out from surgery and not at goal yet. It will happen, and when it does that's great.

I'm thrilled that I'm off all but one of my medications and that's been reduced to 1/4 of the dose I was taking. When the 8 month labs come back (drawn today) it's highly likely that med will be D/C'd too.

This is a journey, sometimes the speed on the road is slower than others - it's all OK.

This is pretty much how I got down to goal last time, too. I think I posted around a year out in my update that I was basically already transitioned into maintenance mode. For me, that meant something akin to a less structured 6:1 program. I didn't go ape or anything and I still weighed pretty close to daily but I wasn't working hard at losing. Maybe it was just that I needed to stress less about it or maybe it was that I just stopped focusing on a scale goal and my body was going to stubbornly give up the pounds, anyway. But I slowly lost those last few pounds and while it took forever, I was pretty darn thrilled with each small drop, because I was so sure I'd never see the end of the 150s!

I only wish I could have taken your more relaxed approach to the whole thing but I was (and remain, in loss) OBSESSED with the numbers and where I'm at and how much longer to my goal. I still have to remind myself that my weigh in doesn't need to ruin my day sometimes, and that's sad. I still need to come back and read other posts and re-read my own weight loss tracker and posts to reassure myself that it does come off if you're patient enough with the slow pace.

Imagine how peaceful and calm the forums would be if we all took your approach at six months out!

~Cheri

Oh, I am no angel! Now that I was down, and then have gained a few back, I am a freak about it!! Only more recently have I been trying to relax a little and not obsess so much about it. I am like you, I am having a hard time transitioning back to losing when I was happy in maintenance. I was much more relaxed the first go around!

I'm losing slow will be five months on the 14th and just getting to 37.5 lost but that puts me 2.6 lbs away from a healthy weight and 7 ish lbs from my first goal I will totally take it!

Oh, I am no angel! Now that I was down, and then have gained a few back, I am a freak about it!! Only more recently have I been trying to relax a little and not obsess so much about it. I am like you, I am having a hard time transitioning back to losing when I was happy in maintenance. I was much more relaxed the first go around!

Oh, and in those first few months, I was a psycho! I almost drove myself crazy comparing to others as it seemed everyone was losing faster than me. I had to let it go for my own sanity.

My nut. has put me on more supplements and when I add those to my regular meds, my little tummy is full in the morning so breakfast means that I don't eat very much at all. I have found that the Special K Protein cereal is tasty and crunchy; I like eating that with some Greek yogurt and that = 15gr protein

Im still plugging away - my body seems to like hovering around 172-174 so I have not seen much downward progress with the numbers - I figure I have some excellent company though. I was one of those that the scale started to stop until I was having my cycle - then woo then scale would show losses of anywhere from 2-10 lbs. Now I think the dreaded (or not so dreaded) change is upon me and who knows when my cycle will appear these days. The weight does not want to budge! I feel great and am so happy with my progress, I never could have done this without my sleeve - I am just so looking forward to the day I can say that I achieved my goal weight - what a milestone that will be!

Hello fellow sleevers. . I am almost 6 weeks postop and have lost just under 30 pounds. I am barely eating anything that Is bad for me And I am having trouble with getting full very quickly but then being hungry again in about three hours. I am having a little trouble keeping the protein up to what I'm supposed to be doing and I am having trouble keeping the water going To the amount that I'm supposed to have. I am a little worried that I have not lost anything in two weeks. And I can't figure out why. I can't be eating more than 800 cal a day if that, but I do have a social life and I am drinking a couple of glasses of wine probably three times a week so far and I wonder if that's causing an problem or if it's the lack of water, But I wouldn't think so with so little to eat. I do rely on nuts, protein drinks, some cheese, no bread, fish, and sometimes when I get hungry at night some popcorn. Did anyone else have this kind of really slow start, or am I just out of perspective on how fast or slow start should be? I can't imagine at this rate losing hundred pounds in six months.

Let me know your thoughts , thanks Maureen

It's the wine, you should reduce it or even better eliminate it altogether. Most surgeons say at least 6 months before any alcohol. Also popcorn.

I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here to the fact that this is your real eating/drinking habits as what you have mentioned are products that tend to get fellow sleevers worked up and you will get many negative replies. Be prepared to be called a troll or imposter.

If you are a new sleever you should not be putting your new small stomach under any strain at all, it was a major op.

Hi Maureen,

If you're not using the app called myFitnesspal I highly recommend it. It tracks your food / drink intake & exercise. I love it. It keeps me accountable. A stall is very common in weeks 3-6 & the alcohol & popcorn are very high in sugar/carbs. Log them in MyFitnessPal & see how your day totals up. My nutritionist said to stay under 800 calories, under 50 carbs, have at least 64oz of water & 75 or more grams of Protein.

Hello fellow sleevers. . I am almost 6 weeks postop and have lost just under 30 pounds. I am barely eating anything that Is bad for me And I am having trouble with getting full very quickly but then being hungry again in about three hours. I am having a little trouble keeping the protein up to what I'm supposed to be doing and I am having trouble keeping the water going To the amount that I'm supposed to have. I am a little worried that I have not lost anything in two weeks. And I can't figure out why. I can't be eating more than 800 cal a day if that' date=' but I do have a social life and I am drinking a couple of glasses of wine probably three times a week so far and I wonder if that's causing an problem or if it's the lack of water, But I wouldn't think so with so little to eat. I do rely on nuts, protein drinks, some cheese, no bread, fish, and sometimes when I get hungry at night some popcorn. Did anyone else have this kind of really slow start, or am I just out of perspective on how fast or slow start should be? I can't imagine at this rate losing hundred pounds in six months.

Let me know your thoughts , thanks Maureen[/quote']

Hi Maureen - every doc/NUT/plan is different, but some of the things you listed would be big no-no's on MY plan: too low protein, too little water, wine, nuts (some types), popcorn. If I ate these things & skimped on my protein/water my Doc would say 'you aren't a slow loser, you're just not following your program!'. ESPECIALLY at six weeks out - at that point I was still on soft foods only!

Again, everyone has different guidelines, and maybe these things are within yours. But I know for ME these would be the cause of a stall or possibly a gain.

Best wishes!

Well i am glad you have put this out there. Because i was afraid i wasn't gone to loss anymore weight. I had my surgery on 3/9/12 so i am 1yr and 5 months. And was told that after 15 months you don't loss anymore. I hope that's not true. But i am still trying really hard to get to my goal weight. I have 40 pounds to go.. I was at 262 and i am at 171. I weight for height needs to be 130. Well i really hope i get there. I am working out and eating better.

Well i am glad you have put this out there. Because i was afraid i wasn't gone to loss anymore weight. I had my surgery on 3/9/12 so i am 1yr and 5 months. And was told that after 15 months you don't loss anymore. I hope that's not true. But i am still trying really hard to get to my goal weight. I have 40 pounds to go.. I was at 262 and i am at 171. I weight for height needs to be 130. Well i really hope i get there. I am working out and eating better.

For us slow losers, it is harder work, but keep it up! It took me 18 months to reach goal, and I know lots of people still losing 3 years out. The sleeve never stops working if you keeping using it!

Well i am glad you have put this out there. Because i was afraid i wasn't gone to loss anymore weight. I had my surgery on 3/9/12 so i am 1yr and 5 months. And was told that after 15 months you don't loss anymore. I hope that's not true. But i am still trying really hard to get to my goal weight. I have 40 pounds to go.. I was at 262 and i am at 171. I weight for height needs to be 130. Well i really hope i get there. I am working out and eating better.

Nope, weight loss doesn't stop if you don't stop. Very few people hit a wall where they just can't lose and I while I'm no expert I am willing to say that in all the cases I've seen there are other factors there - something hormonal, extreme stress or illness. Or all three in one case I can think of!

Sometimes the stalls are long and painful (see: coops) but your sleeve is about the size now that it was at one year out. So returning to a dense protein diet and tracking what you eat will yield results, no matter how far out you are (given enough time, of course).

I'm three years out and working to shed just seven more pounds from my pregnancy. Is it slow going? Oh yeah. Painfully slow. But the sleeve still restricts me and I still lose, even if it's not at the rate I'd like. And I am not alone in being a few years out and trying to shed a few pounds, so I know it's possible.

Good luck. Your sleeve will work for you and there's nothing stopping you from getting down to your goal but you.

~Cheri

I am so thankful for this thread! I'm 7 weeks out and have only lost 5 lbs. I lost 20 during the month before surgery!!! I get in about 72 oz water, 75 gm protein, average 600 calories a day. Sometimes I wonder if I'm not eating enough but I get full after about 15 bites. I'm limiting myself to protein and veggies to help with a faster weight loss ( per drs idea ). That's what I ate before surgery. Any other ideas?