Why does the weight loss phase end?

[onmyway11 43]

My surgeon told me that by the end of summer, 9 months after sleeve surgery, I would be done losing weight. I'm just wondering if anyone understands this. Is this bc my metabolism will be used to my low calories? I still have about 40 lbs to lose yikes!

Band to sleeve revision surgery 1/16/17

HW: 283

CW: 199

GW: 160

[Introversion 1,876]

Weight loss doesn't necessarily stop at the 9-month mark. For instance, I continued to lose slowly until I reached my goal weight at 17 months out. Perhaps your surgeon was predicting the 'average' outcome.

Nonetheless, there's a weight loss phase known as the 'honeymoon period.' It begins on the day you are first sleeved and ends sometime between the 6th and 18th month post-op for most people. During this time, weight loss will be the easiest it will ever be.

After the honeymoon period, weight loss can definitely happen, but you'll need to put significantly more work into making it happen because many of the neurohormonal and metabolic advantages of the honeymoon period have dissipated.

Quote

Things are different as you reach the one-year mark. Typically, as patients near their one-year anniversary, hunger returns a bit, food volumes increase and it can be more of struggle for people to stay on track.

http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/weight-loss-surgery/bariatric-surgery-what-to-eat-when-the-honeymoon-wears-off

[James Marusek 5,244]

The transition to the Maintenance phase depends upon the type of surgery you had and also how much weight you have to lose. I had RNY gastric bypass surgery and I made the transition at around 7 months. Sleeve patients lose weight at a much slower pace and encounter many stalls along the way. They can achieve almost the same weight loss as RNY patients but it takes longer. Some are still losing weight after 2 years.

[blizair09 3,250]

I would say that only you can determine when your weight loss stops. If you are making good decisions about food and drink, and have weight to lose, it will come off. After a certain point, when there isn't much weight left to lose, it will be slow to come off, but it will come off.

Based on what I've read on here, people stop losing weight because they start eating like crap again, not because of some biological factor.

[Greensleevie 451]

Oh bull. I kept losing for 18 months. Sure, your body becomes complacent and wants to stop losing, but we have to just move it along ourselves by tweaking some things. You are in almost complete control of how far you want to go with it.

[sgc 538]

I'm 13 months out and still losing weight even though I'm trying to stop. I think a lot of people hit their goal weights within 9-12 months so naturally they go into more of a maintenance. You have to stop losing weight at some point. Your weight isn't going to drop to zero.

[Berry78 4,259]

I think it's to do with the "honeymoon period" and set point theory. When you undergo surgery, you wake up with a new set point.

I'll use me as an example.

I was holding my weight steady at 305lbs before my preop diet. This was my preop set point. As soon as I went through surgery, I awoke with a new set point, which is probably around 200lbs. (It's impossible to tell what it is, so that's just a guess based on statistical evidence from other bariatric patients).

So, the body WANTS to get to 200lbs. Weight loss is easy, because the body is helping it along. During the transition from surgery weight to 200lbs, this is the "honeymoon period".

But, my goal is currently 180lbs. So if I hope to go under the 200lbs, it will be up to my MIND to get me there, since the body is only helping out until 200, and will stop. I'll have to count calories, exercise.. do whatever I can to lose weight, the same way as I would have, had I never undergone the operation.

I expect the biggest change from honeymoon to not-honeymoon will be hunger. I'll probably become a bottomless pit, because that is how I always felt on diets before. But now, at 3.5 months post op, I have learned some new ways of eating, some more coping mechanisms, etc.. so my hope is I can go forward, and be successful with my newly learned behaviors and smaller stomach... when I exit the honeymoon period (hopefully still a few months away..).

[clk 3,519]

That's utter crap. I'm seven years out. It took me 17 months to reach goal. Two years post op, I had a sleeve baby. After her, I adjusted my goal down ten pounds and lost my baby weight plus 17 more, down to 118 - 3.5 years post op. Slowly, just as slowly as my initial loss, yes, but loss happened.

In the year post op, I'd say my sleeve doubled in size. Before you panic, what does that mean? That I can eat three ounces, maybe, of Protein (half that if it's beef), and a half cup of veg. A few tiny bites of starch or carb and I'm done. SEVEN years out, and this is my limit. Half a burger, done. One slice of pizza. A cup of chili. I could go on. I have ridiculous restriction, and my hunger never returned.

The sleeve doesn't stop until you do. You can lose well beyond a year.

Cheri

Edited July 8, 2017 by clk
Added, correction

[Berry78 4,259]

I wonder why it seems our sleeves are different sizes. It took clm a year to be able to eat quantities that I could eat 8 weeks postop.

Once I realized I COULD eat more than I SHOULD, I've continued weighing and measuring. This is lifelong behavior, so I guess it's just as well that I had to start sooner, rather than later.

Actually, I wonder if I will be more likely to be successful, since I'm not relying on sleeve restriction from the get-go. (Success for me is to be healthy and happy in my skin.. whatever that means).

[Apple1 2,572]

17 minutes ago, Berry78 said:

Once I realized I COULD eat more than I SHOULD, I've continued weighing and measuring. This is lifelong behavior, so I guess it's just as well that I had to start sooner, rather than later.

Actually, I wonder if I will be more likely to be successful, since I'm not relying on sleeve restriction from the get-go. (Success for me is to be healthy and happy in my skin.. whatever that means).

This is why I weigh and measure. I am one of the fast healers. I transitioned very quickly through the food stages and I can eat anything with zero issues at 8 weeks post op. I know I could eat a little more than I am, but I only eat 4oz at a meal.

I was able to exercise at 2 weeks post op and was walking 2 miles a day 4 days post-op.

I also wonder what this means for my success long term? I started running 3 weeks ago because I want to have a solid exercise routine in place for the long term. I am losing kind of slow, but the inches are coming off.