I'm having surgery 1/30. I know its been covered before, but I'm trying to get a general idea of how much I should be losing and how quickly. I've ready anywhere from 25 lb the first month, to some people onky losing 1 lb a week. I would be crushed if all I lose is 1 lb a week! I've read that the sleeve really doesn't restrict your intake that much, and that a lot of sleevers eat 1000 or more calories a day. I don't see myself losing much weight on 1k per day. I've been dieting at 1200 calories per day and the scale barely moves. So frustrating! I'm hoping I can get some figures from you guys so I can see how much others have lost. I don't know if it helps, but I'm 5'7 and 252 pounds.

I think the sleeve does indeed restrict intake quite a bit -- I mean they're taking out something like 80 to 85% of your stomach so how could it not?! My understanding too is that in the first while after surgery your stomach is swollen from being cut, so that's increased restriction. It's during this time that you make new habits and learn to have smaller healthier portions. As far as eating and # of calories, you will have to make wise choices. A person could theoretically eat very calorie dense, junky foods that are small in quantity and therefore not maximize the sleeve as a tool. But even then the quantity is not going to be as much as before. So loss will happen, but slowly.

I've heard too that everyone's loss rate is different-- some of it has to do with how well you follow your diet & exercise plan, and some of it is just your body.

As far as I'm concerned, time is going to pass anyway. If I can pass that time losing one lb per week FOREVER, I'll take it!

That's true, I'm just afraid I'm going to get discouraged if I don't see results fast enough. I mean, after everything I've been through and will have put my body through...idk, just feel like if it doesn't work I will feel pretty hopeless. Which is where I am already and why I chose surgery. After years of unsucessful dieting.

I totally hear ya! I'm in the same boat. Been on every freekin diet out there -- lost and gained and lost and gained and lost and gained. And gained and gained WLS is drastic, no doubt about it. But at this point, I need drastic.

All I can say is I read as many people's stories on this website as I can I see a pattern in people's successes and how they "work" their sleeves. I'm being a lil sponge and soaking up all their experiences. Making my own mental "what to do/what not to do" list.

My stats are similar to yours - 5'5" On date of surgery I was 255 (Oct 11) (start of Pre-op diet Aug 11-278 lbs.) Today I weighed 203. That's a loss since surgery of 52 pounds, total loss of 75 in LESS than 6 months! I love my sleeve. I miss some foods, but I don't miss snoring! Or getting bigger (getting smaller is so much more fun!) or being Pre-diabetic with severe sleep apnea (all gone already!) For me, the sleeve is giving me a new lease on life. The young, spunky girl in me is coming back-she was buried in fat-but not dead or gone forever! Best decision of my life!

Hi, I'm new to the forum and here you when you've lost and gained, lost and gained. That is why I decided to have the gastric sleeve to use as a tool to help me better control my portions. I am now 6 weeks out from my surgery date and am down 40 lbs. I would agree that in the first stages there is quiet a bit of restriction, right now I can probably only eat about 2 oz at a time, but my NUT tells me my pouch is still in the healing process and I should be able to handle a larger portions around 6 months. I have struggled some with energy leave but at 6 weeks I am beginning to feel more like myself pre surgery. I am looking forward to the months to come.

Hi Kimmy,

This isn't a diet. It's a change of life. It's not about how fast you lose, it's about getting healthy, day by day, decision by decision. My general doctor was extremely blunt with me. If you go into WLS accepting that this will alter your lifestyle, you will be successful. If you are not ready for the commitment, and continue to eat only ring dings and Cookies, you will not be successful.

I have made the personal decision to weigh myself on Wednesdays and Saturdays. But I'm thinking of changing that to just once a week because I don't want my moods or decisions impacted by a number. I'm in it for the long-haul. I went out to eat with my family over Christmas (4 days after surgery) and was totally content to have only my Clear liquids. That is a huge change for me.

You will lose weight with this surgery. I would just encourage you to look at it as a doorway to a new way of relating to food, the scale, and all the old ways that got you to where you are now - facing WLS.