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

Cheri, so glad you 'revived' this thread so new people could read it. I am 8wks/2days post op and down 33 lbs. I feel pretty good about my loss, although its not as dramatic as some. My challenge is that every time I see my NUT or my surgeon, they tell me I'm losing too slowly. It's very discouraging. I know how hard I am working, and although I have made some mistakes - this is a drastic change in lifestyle for me, I'm still learning - I have consistently gotten right back on track. I don't get bothered by the stalls because I know from what I've read here they will break and I'll lose again. I really do want to look at this as a lifestyle change, a healthy direction; but its hard to feel successful when every few weeks someone is telling me I'm failing. The last appointment I told my surgeon "I know you expect me to lose faster, but I've always been a slow loser, and people lose at different rates". His response? "I've been doing WLS surgery for 15 years, and everyone loses at the same rate; those who don't almost never reach goal".

How do I argue with that?!? I really can't; I just slink home, mope for a few days, and then try to get motivated to keep on movin'. This forum helps a lot, and posts like these are a godsend for me. Otherwise I'd probably give up based on what my surgeon says!

Well, you surgeon is not very supportive, is he? Way to set you up to fail! If you read this thread, you will see that many of us slower losers were able to reach goal or get very close. And 33 lbs in 8 weeks is amazing! I am not sure where he is pulling his numbers from. My starting number was only slightly lower than yours. When I had my surgery, I was 224lbs. My goal weight is a little higher than yours, 140lbs, but I reached it. It took me 18 months, but I got there. At 6 months out I was down 55lbs, and it took me the next year to lose the next 25lbs. Just keep your head up and keep going. As long as you are watching what you eat and making the necessary lifestyle changes, you will get there!

The last appointment I told my surgeon "I know you expect me to lose faster, but I've always been a slow loser, and people lose at different rates". His response? "I've been doing WLS surgery for 15 years, and everyone loses at the same rate; those who don't almost never reach goal".

How do I argue with that?!? I really can't; I just slink home, mope for a few days, and then try to get motivated to keep on movin'. This forum helps a lot, and posts like these are a godsend for me. Otherwise I'd probably give up based on what my surgeon says!

Sounds like your surgeon is more experienced with bypass than sleeve. It also sounds like he needs a swift kick, to be honest!

Your loss is right on par with a number of us. The entire notion that any part of weight loss can be simplified and generalized - the idea of one-size-fits-all - is ludicrous. It's laughable and it's patently false and we prove it's wrong here every day.

There are as many paths to success here as individuals and we all lose at our own individual paces eating our own personal diets and dealing with our individual circumstances.

Don't let that absurdity get you down. Keep doing what you're doing and you'll get there. I've several friends who had bypass and did great, but losing weight more quickly didn't help any and every one of them is struggling mightily in maintenance to stop the regain.

Your pace doesn't matter one whit. It's how well you stick to the program that works for you and how determined you are to reach goal and stay there that matters.

~Cheri

Thank you so much guys for your posts....I'm at 13 months post op and life is really really hard right now....I lost 85 pounds over the first 6 months...then the second 6 months I only lost 13 pounds...and I've been gaining and losing, pretty much stalled out the last 3 months, having a hard time getting past 98 pounds lost.....I really need to find some way to restart my losing again and having a hard time trying to figure it out...

Thank you so much guys for your posts....I'm at 13 months post op and life is really really hard right now....I lost 85 pounds over the first 6 months...then the second 6 months I only lost 13 pounds...and I've been gaining and losing, pretty much stalled out the last 3 months, having a hard time getting past 98 pounds lost.....I really need to find some way to restart my losing again and having a hard time trying to figure it out...

Join us on the vet board and get some tips. You're also far enough out that you might consider 5:2 as a way to jumpstart your loss, assuming you've remained slow. It's not for anyone that's freshly sleeved but if you're petering out and having a slow loss already it might help keep you on track. I'm doing okay with it - I think I'll average about 1-2 pounds off per week but to me that's actually a pretty fast loss compared to before!

PM me for details if you're interested or google it. And do join us on the vet board for some tips and inspiration to finish up and reach goal.

Good luck!

~Cheri

Cheri, and fellow slow losers:

I know this sounds crazy, but I just celebrated my one year VST anniversary, and I am 15 months out from VSG surgery. I am down 85 pounds, still 15 from my surgeon's goal. I have been 5-7 pounds lower than my current weight, but I've been playing around and gaining and losing the same 5-7 pounds for at least 6 months. The crazy part is I went on a post frenzy this morning, so I could get up to 100 posts and post on the Vet's Forum. I tend to read posts, and agree or disagree with posts, and take encouragement or frustration from posts, but stop short of posting! I think I need to try some from of 5:2, and rein in my eating, and intentionally step up my workouts, if I ever want to move from this place. Thanks all for your encouragement! Sorry to be a lurker...I'll do better, I promise!

Join us on the vet board and get some tips. You're also far enough out that you might consider 5:2 as a way to jumpstart your loss' date=' assuming you've remained slow. It's not for anyone that's freshly sleeved but if you're petering out and having a slow loss already it might help keep you on track. I'm doing okay with it - I think I'll average about 1-2 pounds off per week but to me that's actually a pretty fast loss compared to before!

PM me for details if you're interested or google it. And do join us on the vet board for some tips and inspiration to finish up and reach goal.

Good luck!

~Cheri[/quote']

Cheri a question... I had subscribed to the 5:2 thread following along and now it says I don't have permission to view that thread. Weird.... Any reason why that would happen?

I'm losing about 2 lbs a week now, and I'm happy with that. I'm honestly glad I'm losing at a slow and steady pace...it prevents all the whispered "Do you think she's sick?" And "Do you think she had WLS?" comments behind my back. Plus, I'm not too keen on loose skin and will gladly give my poor skin some extra time to bounce back

I'm losing about 2 lbs a week now' date=' and I'm happy with that. I'm honestly glad I'm losing at a slow and steady pace...it prevents all the whispered "Do you think she's sick?" And "Do you think she had WLS?" comments behind my back. Plus, I'm not too keen on loose skin and will gladly give my poor skin some extra time to bounce back [/quote']

I agree on all counts!!

The first 4 months post op I enjoyed 70lbs loss. Now it seems as though I have just halted. I'm not complaining. I know to lose that much weight and get within 30 lbs of goal in such a short amount of time is nothing to snuff at. I am loving being in a size 8 pants and large tops. I am not giving up just because I have slowed down. Now is the time to focus and use what I have learned.

I actually gained 3 lbs after a round of solu-medrol steroids. But that's okay I knew it could and probably would happen. Just need to get past these yucky side effects, and I should be back on track in no time.

Probably losing a lot slower, but a loss is a loss. And everyone should be proud of every ounce lost. :-)

Cheri a question... I had subscribed to the 5:2 thread following along and now it says I don't have permission to view that thread. Weird.... Any reason why that would happen?

The thread was moved into a group. It's certainly not any attempt to exclude anyone - I think we just wanted to carry on with conversations that were a little more private.

~Cheri

So, I just thought I'd update my status on this thread. I reached goal yesterday. It took 2 years and 23 days, but I finally hit 225 pounds lost. I started at 375 and now weigh 150. Slow? I guess that depends on how you look at it. I didn't lose it all in a year and I didn't stop when it got hard, but I did it.

Candy reached goal weight by CandyTX, on Flickr

What inspiration! Thanks for sharing.

So' date=' I just thought I'd update my status on this thread. I reached goal yesterday. It took 2 years and 23 days, but I finally hit 225 pounds lost. I started at 375 and now weigh 150. Slow? I guess that depends on how you look at it. I didn't lose it all in a year and I didn't stop when it got hard, but I did it.

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Candy reached goal weight by CandyTX, on Flickr

Wow, congratulations to you! That is so inspirational, thank you so much for sharing. I'm really happy for you!

So, I just thought I'd update my status on this thread. I reached goal yesterday. It took 2 years and 23 days, but I finally hit 225 pounds lost. I started at 375 and now weigh 150. Slow? I guess that depends on how you look at it. I didn't lose it all in a year and I didn't stop when it got hard, but I did it.

Candy reached goal weight by CandyTX, on Flickr

OMG! You look fabulous! I am so excited for you!

OMG! You look fabulous! I am so excited for you!

That is extraordinary!! You are a true testament to never giving up! I had to figure it out, and you lost 60% of your weight!! That is astonishing and an amazing accomplishment as it is crazy if someone even loses half their body weight! Make sure you come and join us on the Vet board as I am sure you have some amazing insight!!