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 am in the slow loser club as well. I started at 242 pre-sugery, 222 at sugery date and almost 8 months later have lost 67 post surgery with a grand total of 87 from my highest putting me at a happy with my slow success weight of 155. I go in spurts. I can be stalled for 3 weeks to a month and then lose 2 in a week. I was concerned that my losses would slow even more the closer I got to goal which is 142 but I seem to still be losing at a consistent pace albeit slow but Im fine with it. It hasnt bothered me one bit. I take my measurements every month and even if the scale doesnt move, I still see inches lost which is exciting. I more concentrate on finding cute clothes rather than what I lose than on the scale. Ill be happy when I get to 142 but my doctor says he would like to see me around 130 - 135 because Im only 5'4.

I attempted to add pictures below so I hope they show up The first pic is at my highest of 242 and the second was taken a few days ago at 155.

Looking good Bunny!!!

Quick update on my very slow loss.....I still haven't reached goal, but I'm a little closer. In my recent push as of a month ago or so, I was 8-9 pounds from goal. As of yesterday, I'm only 4 pounds from goal. I've cut back a little on the calories and the carbs as well as doing an extra cardio session each week. It's not awful, but I do find myself hungrier than before. When/if I reach goal, I'm going to cut back on the cardio, lift more and add back in just a few more cals/carbs to concentrate on muscle/strength again as that is what I prefer. This "goal weight" is my last remaining goal to reach from my surgery, so I want to get it done. Now a little closer.....

Looking good Bunny!!!

Quick update on my very slow loss.....I still haven't reached goal, but I'm a little closer. In my recent push as of a month ago or so, I was 8-9 pounds from goal. As of yesterday, I'm only 4 pounds from goal. I've cut back a little on the calories and the carbs as well as doing an extra cardio session each week. It's not awful, but I do find myself hungrier than before. When/if I reach goal, I'm going to cut back on the cardio, lift more and add back in just a few more cals/carbs to concentrate on muscle/strength again as that is what I prefer. This "goal weight" is my last remaining goal to reach from my surgery, so I want to get it done. Now a little closer.....

In your case, I think it's purely a "check the box" thing! I'm pretty sure the other drastic changes you've made and your fitness level now put you in a far better place than many of us!

~Cheri

In your case, I think it's purely a "check the box" thing! I'm pretty sure the other drastic changes you've made and your fitness level now put you in a far better place than many of us!

~Cheri

It's definitely a "check the box" thing for me and that's about all it is....or was. But now it's become "personal". I'm so close to goal weight now....I can smell it. I feel I still have a way to go fitness-wise, but thank you. I'm sure I've lost a bit of muscle during this recent trim down.....so I'd like to gain that back after I get to goal and settle in around the mid-220's. I'll check back in a few weeks and we'll see.....

I do appreciate this thread Cheri....as does about every one else on here. It's very therapeutic and you have a good reasonable approach towards it all. Thank you and you're looking great!

I'm a slow and steady loser. I'm 6mo 1wk out from surgery and I've generally lost 1-2 pounds a week after the first month. I decided to challenge myself to stay on program (64ou+ Water, 60g+ Protein, 30m+ exercise, and track all food) until my birthday next week. I started a week ago and weighed in today and I lost 4.5 pounds!! I didn't do anything hugely different, but I think the combination really helped get the scale moving. I also exercised 4 days for more than 60 min (30 min was walking at 17min mile pace).

SW(1/17/13) 265

HW (10/15/12) 273

CW (7/25/13) 195

Height 5'11"

Goal 175

Great job everyone !!

I am a slow looser too! What I love about this surgery is that I am still loosing. I am 5 months out and lost 64 lbs. I'm not the classic "I've lost 100lbs in 4-6 months. But slowly and surely.

I do get less encouraged if I try to compare myself.

Cheri, I am encouraged by your post and others

Like you.

Five months for me and 75lbs lost. Not super fast but not really that slow either.

In five months I have gone from wearing size 20 dress pants to putting on a pair of size 8.

I still have 25 to go and I'm slowing way down. But I'm okay with that. Even if I don't get to 150 I'm okay with that too. How I feel now is exponentially better then how I felt five months ago. If I make goal by a year that will just be icing on the cake.

I don't mind my slow loss. I feel and look great down almost 60 lbs

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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

Awesome job!

I think i posted here before but will update, and hope to inspire those feeling like "slow losers"! My VSG was 10/25/12.

My Dr has been very happy with my loss at each appt, saying 7-10 lbs a month for VSG is very good. Started at sz 22/24 and now, sz 16's are LOOSE! Go figure! Being heavy my ENTIRE life i cannot believe my clothing sizes are going down like this! I wish I was one of the "100 lbs in 4 months" girls but it just isn't happening. Hey, at least we're LOSING slowly but surely. One day we'll step on the scale and be at GOAL!! Best wishes to all as we continue our journey.

VSG 10/25/12

SW 300

CW 220

F/51

5''10"

The first 6 months I lost 100 lbs then when I lost my job I gained 30 lbs because I kept eating so many slider foods due to depression. Now I've lost 10 lbs of that and trying to go back down with a new lifestyle change of eating low carb and high Protein.

What are "slider foods"?

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

Congratulations! You look great!

So, I have a specific request for those still following the thread:

Can you list any stalls and how long they were?

I did it in my detailed original post, but I want to see what we get. I know that stall posts are inevitable, but we see so many people that just don't bother to flip to page two or three to see this post and get reassurance. Listing them here will not only put the details out there for when we're long gone from these boards but it will also keep the thread alive and out there to keep motivating folks that are feeling discouraged.

I stalled around 6 months for 9 weeks.

I stalled somewhere between 9-12 months for 9 weeks.

I regularly "stall" for nearly three weeks a month.

My loss pattern has always been slow, something I find just as frustrating as anyone else, I assure you! It's also hard for me to accept sometimes that all I get as a "reward" for a week's hard work is to see four tenths of a pound drop away.

As I slowly work those last seven baby pounds off to return to my initial goal weight, I get just as frustrated as someone that expected to reach goal by 9 months to a year post op.

I sometimes have to re-read these posts, too, for reassurance that it was slow going the first time and will eventually happen again.

Thanks again to everyone that has and will contribute here.

~Cheri

I'm in my first true stall at 5 1/2 month. Have been bouncing between 176 and 174 for the past three weeks. Two of those weeks I was on prednisone, so I don't know if I lost weigh but am retaining a ton of water. But I am giving myself a hug pat on the back that I didn't gain while on it.

20lbs left to lose, so I'm expecting more stalls and slower loss.

My wedding dress fits perfect right now. Only alteration needed is a hem. So I'm really hoping I can maintain until after the wedding in October, then jump start the losing again. It's a corset back so even if I go down a few lbs it shouldn't make too big of a difference. Just can't lose any more of the boobage between now and then. :-D

Size 16 wedding dress which is about a 12 street size. Preop I would have had to order a size 26.