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 lost 48lbs before surgery and so far at the 7 month mark I lost 40lbs.

Update....Well I hit my goal weight (215) a few weeks ago' date=' but that didn't last long. I'm already back up to 219.....but some of that is Water weight since I started back on creatine. A well hydrated muscle gives me that extra rep on each set and extra set at each lift, so it's worth it to me. Also upped my cals slightly, by 300 or so a day. I felt a little weak after hitting my goal and really restricting my calories for a couple of months to get there. So I think the low 220's is my comfy place. I know years (hopefully decades) down the road as my metabolism slows further, the 220's will be hard to maintain. [/quote']

Wow, really nice definition! Congrats on reaching your goal, but even more on the ability to 'listen' to your body. It's something I'm struggling to learn. Thanks for the inspiration to those of us new to strength training!

Update....Well I hit my goal weight (215) a few weeks ago, but that didn't last long. I'm already back up to 219.....but some of that is water weight since I started back on creatine. A well hydrated muscle gives me that extra rep on each set and extra set at each lift, so it's worth it to me. Also upped my cals slightly, by 300 or so a day. I felt a little weak after hitting my goal and really restricting my calories for a couple of months to get there. So I think the low 220's is my comfy place. I know years (hopefully decades) down the road as my metabolism slows further, the 220's will be hard to maintain.

Congratulations. You look like you've never been overweight a day in your life. That must be such a wonderful feeling! Yeah, I wouldn't be stressing over that particular scale number

Thanks Zen and Michigan! That late push towards hitting the goal weight this summer was a real humbling experience. My sleeve and normal eating pattern wants to keep me in the mid 220's and just getting to 215 was a bit tougher than I had expected. Being hungry seemingly all the time, especially at night and really cutting back those calories wasn't the most pleasant experience for me. But I got there, and now back to eating healthy more often and a little less hunger.

I lost 48lbs before surgery and so far at the 7 month mark I lost 40lbs.

That's an impressive amount of weight to lose on pre-op.....wow! Great job!

I, too, have a "happy place" that is higher than I want but I have had to just accept this is the case. Otherwise it's a constant diet/battle to keep those few pounds off. And we're talking two-three pounds! Makes no real difference to anything except my head.

But congrats on hitting goal even if you bounced - I told you it was just a check the box thing, anyway. Now you've checked the box and can move on!

~Cheri

Update....Well I hit my goal weight (215) a few weeks ago' date=' but that didn't last long. I'm already back up to 219.....but some of that is Water weight since I started back on creatine. A well hydrated muscle gives me that extra rep on each set and extra set at each lift, so it's worth it to me. Also upped my cals slightly, by 300 or so a day. I felt a little weak after hitting my goal and really restricting my calories for a couple of months to get there. So I think the low 220's is my comfy place. I know years (hopefully decades) down the road as my metabolism slows further, the 220's will be hard to maintain. [/quote']

What a hottie!

What a hottie!

You're too nice "Should".......but thanks! I just hope I'm not as repulsive as I was a few years ago.

This is really motivating I was sleeved on March 28 th of this year n I'm only down 57 lbs but I started boot camp been going for a week n lost 3 right away! So hopefully it just keeps coming off! You look amazing ! Congrats to all the slow losers we will get there! I lost a lot of inches I went from size 22/24 to 14! Have a blessed day!

This is really motivating I was sleeved on March 28 th of this year n I'm only down 57 lbs but I started boot camp been going for a week n lost 3 right away! So hopefully it just keeps coming off! You look amazing ! Congrats to all the slow losers we will get there! I lost a lot of inches I went from size 22/24 to 14! Have a blessed day!

Congrats on the loss so far! I'm sure you'll be more than satisfied with the sleeve regardless of the rate you lose weight....just keep doing what you're supposed to.........and you'll be glad you did!

Doesn't seem to matter what I eat or do, I've been stuck at this weight for a while. However I have come so far. Here is my latest comparison picture.

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Doesn't seem to matter what I eat or do' date=' I've been stuck at this weight for a while. However I have come so far. Here is my latest comparison picture. [/quote']

Lookin' good!

................All too often, we forget that everyone loses at a different pace....~Cheri

Cheri, Thank you for this post (and for whoever refreshed it).......it's easy to get down on oneself if you forget this all important fact and start comparing yourself to sleevers who lose faster.....I thought I'd have lost much more by now, but realize this is my pace.....and am happy with the weight that I've lost. Thank you all!

Doesn't seem to matter what I eat or do' date=' I've been stuck at this weight for a while. However I have come so far. Here is my latest comparison picture. [/quote']

You look great!

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' date=' 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

[/quote']

Hi. Thanks for the post. I am 7 months out and I haven't weighed for about a month or so. I got tired of "stalls" and allowing the scale to control my mind and my life.

I determined only when I felt certain that I was no longer in the "overweight" category would I get back on the scale.

I stared yoga classes twice a week a couple of weeks ago. It's been wonderful