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

Doxieville! I totally agree. I was stressed because I thought my surgeon would be disappointed in me. However, he and my NUT were happy! I thought I was a slow loser and it is more by forum standards. The surgeon reminded me that the stats say 70 percent of excess loss in 1 year to 18 months and it could take up to two years to reach goal. So by those standards I am almost 50 percent there 5 months out. I had stop coming around too because of the slow losses complaints. I find that people are more likely to comment on those that are perceived to have "fast" success than those that lose a bit slower. IMO!

I hadn't visited this thread in a while, but thanks to everyone contributing and sharing your experiences here!

There is no real norm to weight loss and how to achieve goal. It's important that we stress that over and over again, both to folks doing research and to discouraged sleevers.

Everyone has a different approach and you have to do what works for your body and your mental well-being. Not giving up is really important, and when we're feeling frustrated and discouraged it's easy to feel like we're wasting our time.

Add in a months' long stall and, well...it's a recipe for disaster if you don't adjust your mindset!

I wish more people would come out of the woodwork, stop hiding and share their struggles. There are far too many extremes here and I think it fails to really represent an accurate image of life post sleeve. Not everyone whips to goal in six months on 20 grams of carbs a day and not everyone takes two years to shed their weight, either. I think that there's this idea that if you're not a very quick loser or on an exceptionally strict diet and exercise plan that somehow you're less knowledgeable or less successful at navigating post sleeve life. What works for you is what works for you, and sharing that experience can only help other people figure out what works for them.

The goal isn't the scale goal, even though reaching that is highly satisfying. The goal is to lose a significant amount of our excess weight and keep it off forever. Do not ever forget that!

~Cheri

Cheri what a great post and THANK YOU! I have been here and on other forums when it is implied the person must be doing someone wrong. On another forum the lady actually said that she has NEVER gone more than 10 days because she works out and logs her food. I was so irritated by that. I think people need to realize how different we all are. I have not eaten 500 calories a day in a long time! For me that doesn't cut it. I didn't have this surgery to starve myself, but to live and stop obsessing.

I tried to tell people over and over again that we are all individuals. I felt like I was talking to a brick wall. I guess shame on me for giving up on trying to help people who wanted help. But really, my weight loss is all about ME. Just like 'your' (as the collective you) weight loss is all about you. As it should be!

We all lose differently. And if people have higher BMI's generally they will lose weight quicker in the beginning; but not always. The point is we are all unique. So this comparison has got to stop. It really doesn't help anyone and I think does significant emotionally damage to some people.

Judy

Thanks for the motivating post. I was sleeved on 12/20/12. I have lost only 30 pds. The dr was disappointed with my progress.

Hang in there! Thirty pounds in two months? Try doing that without a sleeve!

How are things going now, it's been several weeks since your post?

~Cheri

Did any of you feel like you could eat a normal portion and at what point in ur journey? I'm going into my 5th month and feel like I can pack in food like before? It's so depressing?

PS- 237

Dos- oct 8 - 225

CW 185

How about this? I eat a "new normal" portion all the time.

If you search out threads on capacity or quantity, you'll see that what you eat makes a HUGE difference. Even I've reached points where I worried myself with my capacity...only to realize that I still can't eat three ounces of steak in a sitting.

Dense Protein first. Good quality grains and veggies in alternating bites next. Slider carbs or bread last, if you have room. Almost without fail you'll find that you have nowhere near as much room as you thought you had.

~Cheri

Reading makes me feel somewhat better but not a lot lmao. Blah I hate doing almost everything right I have my off days everyone dose. But man this just sucks. I hate being only 35/39 lbs down in 5 months. I hate that I have to workout 2 hours so many times a week I better have a butt and abs of gold in 18months lmao

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Cheri- I just love to read your posts. You have a wonderful way of stating the truth without injuring anyone's feelings. Great way with words. Indicates a kind and generous heart.

But milk d my god 55 lbs in 6 months in what other universe could any of us achieved that I'm about 5 wks out I pray ill have a number like yours maybe we are all way to hard on ourselves and that's part of how we got here

Hi Cheri,

Thank you so much for your post! I am totally in your boat! I am 8 months out and loosing very slowly and was starting to feel like a failure again. I felt like I stretched my stomach and I was eating too much. But now I feel so much better bc I also want to have kids next year however my doctor wants me to loose another 45 lbs. knowing that the weight loss won't stop is reassuring. Plz post how ur pregnancy goes. How much weight u have gained! U look awesome in your pictures!

Carol

I am happy to see people realizing that everyone is different. When I went for my surgery, I was pretty sure I would be a slow loser. In the past I was a slow loser, no matter how hard I worked at losing weight, it always took me 2+ years of grueling workouts and strict diets. When I got the sleeve, I decided to make it a lifelong, manageable change. Did that affect how fast I lost...perhaps. But I knew that I could not endure crazy work outs and super strict diets anymore.

And I did compare in the beginning. And where did it get me? No where. I still didn't lose any faster and I only made myself miserable. I love that Cheri started this thread to encourage everyone. Of course the people that get to goal super fast are the ones that are going to post and those that are slower are going to shy away. We should all be here to encourage one another, not to judge. I have seen people that do not change anything in their diet get to goal in 6 months...problem is, when the honeymoon phase is over, they start gaining because they never had to make changes.

You have your whole life ahead of you, so don't worry if you don't reach goal in 6 months. And I would also like to give a big shout out to Coops. She is a great example of positivity! I also personally know others that never reached their "goal", but they are living happy, healthy lives. And really, is that not what this is all about. It is those that persevere that will have the long term success.

I feel that I am able to eat a lot more than most with the sleeve at 1 year + post op. It does vary somewhat, but in general I can eat a whole chicken breast with several bites (1/2 cup) of broccoli without any problem, then 2-3 bites of a fruit. I've been able to eat this much since about 6-7 months post op. It is a lot more than I was expecting to eat after the sleeve. Before surgery I could eat tremendous amounts of food, maybe 2-3 times the amount I eat now, but I'm guessing more like twice the amount that I eat now. From what I've read, most sleevers eat roughly about 20-25% of what they did before sleeve? With me, it's more like 50-60%. I don't drink anywhere close to my meals, and I generally eat protein first. I think being able to eat a good bit more than most sleevers has contributed to my slow loss, but I eat better foods now and I'm still off all of my medications, so even though I'm probably not going to reach goal, I'm still happy with my sleeve. I'm just hoping the portion sizes don't increase a few years down the road, if not, I'm ok with the results of my surgery. Actually, I feel like I now eat "normal" portions as compared to the general public. I was ALWAYS able to eat way more than others before the sleeve. Makes me feel like my stomach size and appetite are now back to "normal" ranges that I should have been born with, instead of the incessantly ravenous nature I couldn't shake before the sleeve.

I really needed to read this today! I was feeling so down about my weight loss. I think following some of the groups on facebook and reading about everyones success just made me depressed. I started at 232, and weighed 195 the day of surgery 1/16/13. I have only lost 23lbs since surgery. I had been the same to the ounce for two weeks then gained 9 ounces!! I guess it will come off when it is supposed to. I also know I need to start working out. I dont know why it seems so hard to get started. I feel like Im eating so little I guess that is what makes it so hard.

Thanks for the post. It makes me feel better, I felt like maybe I was doing something wrong. I guess we all lose at different rates. Good luck to us all

Marcia

I feel that I am able to eat a lot more than most with the sleeve at 1 year + post op. It does vary somewhat, but in general I can eat a whole chicken breast with several bites (1/2 cup) of broccoli without any problem, then 2-3 bites of a fruit. I've been able to eat this much since about 6-7 months post op. It is a lot more than I was expecting to eat after the sleeve. Before surgery I could eat tremendous amounts of food, maybe 2-3 times the amount I eat now, but I'm guessing more like twice the amount that I eat now. From what I've read, most sleevers eat roughly about 20-25% of what they did before sleeve? With me, it's more like 50-60%. I don't drink anywhere close to my meals, and I generally eat Protein first. I think being able to eat a good bit more than most sleevers has contributed to my slow loss, but I eat better foods now and I'm still off all of my medications, so even though I'm probably not going to reach goal, I'm still happy with my sleeve. I'm just hoping the portion sizes don't increase a few years down the road, if not, I'm ok with the results of my surgery. Actually, I feel like I now eat "normal" portions as compared to the general public. I was ALWAYS able to eat way more than others before the sleeve. Makes me feel like my stomach size and appetite are now back to "normal" ranges that I should have been born with, instead of the incessantly ravenous nature I couldn't shake before the sleeve.

I am almost 2.5 yrs post op and can eat about that amount, a small chicken breast and some veggies. I am not sure how tall you are, but you look great in your profile picture. I am beginning to learn that numbers are relative. Someone can wear the exact same size and there can be a 15-20 lb weight difference. I still also follow the same post op rules....no drinking with meals, protein first. It might seem like you are eating a lot, but I doubt you are actually are, and I personally thinking 20-25% of what sleevers used to eat seems low. You have done amazing, congratualtions!

I went to the nutritionist today. Like so many here i have considered myself a slow loser...well relative to all the super speedy ones!...and I have been down for not seeing results as quickly as I wanted.

Well, the nut told me to increase my food. She said at this stage I am healed and should be focusing on eating normally. Wow what a concept! Not 100grams of Protein and 25 carbs?? Nope. She told me to up my cals to 800 and if I don't lose in 2 weeks then up it to 1000. I was shocked! She also said to get 80ish or more carbs a day from fruits and veg and whole grains. I have never been more thrilled at the idea of a quinua salad and some apple!

Anyway I shared this to confirm that eating real food may make the journey a bit slower but all the tastier and hopefully lasting.

Courtney