Worried I Will Not Lose Enough Weight

[Jennifer26 14]

Hello everyone

I had my gastric bypass on 22nd February 2023 and although I am super thankful that I have lost weight, I am constantly worried I will not lose enough.

One of the reasons I opted for the bypass (although there are other reasons) is because I do not have any children and I have unfortunately been diagnosed with premature ovarian failure and told that the only way I will possibly conceive is IVF, but I cannot get IVF on the NHS unless my weight is below 30 BMI. Some clinics do offer slightly higher BMIs (around 35) but they are all private and unfortunately I cannot afford to pay privately. For reference I am 5ft 5inches.

I feel my weight loss has been quite slow for my starting weight and I read elsewhere that you usually lose 50% of your weight within the first 3 months, which has me worried as I think I am unlikely to hit 50% by 22nd May.

I would be really grateful for anyone’s comments/experiences and have pasted below my weigh ins.

PRE-OP DIET STARTS

7th February 2023 - 22st 5lbs

14th February 2023 - 21st 11lbs

17th February 2023 - 21st 10lbs

18th February 2023 - 21st 8lbs

SURGERY DAY

22nd February 2023 - 21st 6lbs

26th February 2023 - 21st 3lbs

27th February 2023 - 21st 1lb

1st March 2023 - 20st 12lbs

2nd March 2023 - 20st 11lbs

4th March 2023 - 20st 10lbs

11th March 2023 - 20st 9lbs

12th March 2023 - 20st 7lbs

20th March 2023 - 20st 6lbs

24th March 2023 - 20st 5lbs

25th March 2023 - 20st 4lbs

30th March 2023 - 20st 2lbs

1st April 2023 - 20st 1lb

6th April 2023 - 19st 13lbs

7th April 2023 - 19st 11lbs

8th April 2023 - 19st 10lbs

15th April 2023 - 19st 9lbs

19th April 2023 - 19st 8lbs

21st April 2023 - 19st 7lbs

My minimum goal weight for IVF is 13 stone.

[SuziDavis 544]

You are loosing a lot, I never heard that 50% of your weight is lost in 3 months, but I know the first 3 months are the fastest. Slow and steady is best, your body has to adjust.

You will definitely lose if you stay on track, you just might have to adjust your expectation of how fast.

[Khappy77 7]

I say give it time and stop focusing on how much you have lost each day. After I stopped weighing myself and stopped being hyper focused on how much I lost daily things changed. A week or more then I waited longer to weigh myself. I think I didn't attempt to weight myself for a couple of months and the weight loss was much more dramatic when on the scale. For me focusing daily on the loss of weight didn't help me to, that's me personally. You can focus on your weight, just don't let it consume you. Also, don't get sad if it's not coming off as quickly as you thought it would. Give it time, find something else to focus on and just continue moving around and eating healthier than you had in the past. This is my take on the situation, I don't know if my advice is the best as I have shifted from weight loss worry to other concerns. It's hard to stay positive at times, but for me it helped to try and distract myself and keep busy.

I would also say, start to plan on your clothing choices and what you would like to wear. That was the most exciting time for me. I could finally dress more like a girl and not stuck in the clothes that were only in my size.

[Jennifer26 14]

Just now, SuziDavis said:

You are loosing a lot, I never heard that 50% of your weight is lost in 3 months, but I know the first 3 months are the fastest. Slow and steady is best, your body has to adjust.

You will definitely lose if you stay on track, you just might have to adjust your expectation of how fast.

Thank you SuziDavis, it’s reassuring to know others haven’t heard of the 50% loss in the first 3 months as it was making me worry x

[Jennifer26 14]

2 minutes ago, Khappy77 said:

I say give it time and stop focusing on how much you have lost each day. After I stopped weighing myself and stopped being hyper focused on how much I lost daily things changed. A week or more then I waited longer to weigh myself. I think I didn't attempt to weight myself for a couple of months and the weight loss was much more dramatic when on the scale. For me focusing daily on the loss of weight didn't help me to, that's me personally. You can focus on your weight, just don't let it consume you. Also, don't get sad if it's not coming off as quickly as you thought it would. Give it time, find something else to focus on and just continue moving around and eating healthier than you had in the past. This is my take on the situation, I don't know if my advice is the best as I have shifted from weight loss worry to other concerns. It's hard to stay positive at times, but for me it helped to try and distract myself and keep busy.

I would also say, start to plan on your clothing choices and what you would like to wear. That was the most exciting time for me. I could finally dress more like a girl and not stuck in the clothes that were only in my size.

Thank you Khappy77, I think you are right, I need to not focus on the scale so often and try and focus on more positive thoughts to keep me motivated.

Thank you for the advice x

[catwoman7 10,845]

I lost no where NEAR 50% of my excess weight in three months. That is bizarre - I imagine very few of us have lost that quickly.

I'm not sure I understand your chart, but most of us lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month, then 10 lbs (give or take) for a few months, and then it drops...and drops...and drops. By the end (I finally stopped losing weight in month 20), I was losing like 2 lbs a month.

EDIT - never mind - I get it now. So you've lost about 30 lbs in two months? That's absolutely normal. I started out heavier than you, and I'd lost 29 lbs by then. Just stick to your plan and the weight will come off. I ended up losing over 200 lbs.

Edited April 21, 2023 by catwoman7

[Spinoza 1,126]

Totally the same experience as Catwoman7. I am approaching 18 months post sleeve and still losing a very tiny amount - way less than half a pound a week. Took me more than 5 months to lose half my excess weight. But we are all different. I wish you all the best with your loss. Stick to the plan and you'll get there xxx

[Smanky 743]

I lost at a rate of about 1kg per week, which is what I used to lose doing a "normal" diet before surgery. Compared to many others, I was a slow loser. You're doing absolutely fine. I've never heard of this 50% by 3 months either, and honestly I think a lot of folks go into WLS with unrealistic expectations of how fast they'll lose (either via misinformation online or by TV shows like My 600lb Life).

So relax. Everything is normal. Stay off the scale and distract yourself with other things. Weighing yourself so frequently isn't helpful and when stalls hit (and they will), it's even less helpful.

[Arabesque 6,442]

There are lots of statistics about weight loss after bariatric surgery. But as with all stats they’re just average. We all lose at our own rate. Some lose more quickly while others lose more slowly. Some lose all the weight they wanted. Some lose more & some lose less. And there is no timeline as to when you have to lose your weight. Statistics only give you an idea of what might happen not what will happen.

I lost more than double my 3 month weight loss (16kg at 3 months & 42kg when I stabilised). Though it was about half of what I lost when I reached what was my goal (to lose 31kg).

Forget any self imposed or external timelines. Celebrate every pound you lose because regardless of how much you lose or by when you’ll lose it, you’ll be in a healthier place.

[Possum220 222]

You have done amazingly well. 😊40lbs is awesome. Take time out to Celebrate that fact. Get yourself a gift.

Like others have said please stay off the scales. Maybe weight yourself once a week or month. Get a tape measure and record your stats. In another 6 weeks do it again and see the changes add up.

I have never heard of losing 50% of weight in the first three months. This may be true for some but not most. Starting at a higher weigh will also affect what happens. I am speaking from personal experience.

When there is a very long road ahead it is easy to lose sight of the horizon and feel discouraged. I am nearly at a year post op and I am only now beginning to see a big change. I found it helpful along the way to celebrate the big little milestones. Milestones included being able to have a shower and not get exhausted. Walking further and further each month. I could only manage to walk past 3 houses at the start and now I can walk 5km and feel okay after that. Going shopping and not having to plan a trip around being able to sit every 5 minutes.

Start setting other goals. Exercise. Holidays. New clothes. Having fun. You get the drift. Focus on the here and now. You will get there. Baby steps every day.

[Jennifer26 14]

On 4/21/2023 at 11:53 PM, catwoman7 said:

I lost no where NEAR 50% of my excess weight in three months. That is bizarre - I imagine very few of us have lost that quickly.

I'm not sure I understand your chart, but most of us lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month, then 10 lbs (give or take) for a few months, and then it drops...and drops...and drops. By the end (I finally stopped losing weight in month 20), I was losing like 2 lbs a month.

EDIT - never mind - I get it now. So you've lost about 30 lbs in two months? That's absolutely normal. I started out heavier than you, and I'd lost 29 lbs by then. Just stick to your plan and the weight will come off. I ended up losing over 200 lbs.

Thank you very much for your reply Catwoman7, honestly hearing others experiences is really helpful and reassuring. Thank you x

[Jennifer26 14]

On 4/22/2023 at 12:05 AM, Spinoza said:

Totally the same experience as Catwoman7. I am approaching 18 months post sleeve and still losing a very tiny amount - way less than half a pound a week. Took me more than 5 months to lose half my excess weight. But we are all different. I wish you all the best with your loss. Stick to the plan and you'll get there xxx

Thank you Spinoza x

[Jennifer26 14]

On 4/22/2023 at 12:12 AM, Smanky said:

I lost at a rate of about 1kg per week, which is what I used to lose doing a "normal" diet before surgery. Compared to many others, I was a slow loser. You're doing absolutely fine. I've never heard of this 50% by 3 months either, and honestly I think a lot of folks go into WLS with unrealistic expectations of how fast they'll lose (either via misinformation online or by TV shows like My 600lb Life).

So relax. Everything is normal. Stay off the scale and distract yourself with other things. Weighing yourself so frequently isn't helpful and when stalls hit (and they will), it's even less helpful.

Thank you Smanky, I am going to stay off the scale as I think that isn’t helping x

[Jennifer26 14]

On 4/22/2023 at 4:28 AM, Arabesque said:

There are lots of statistics about weight loss after bariatric surgery. But as with all stats they’re just average. We all lose at our own rate. Some lose more quickly while others lose more slowly. Some lose all the weight they wanted. Some lose more & some lose less. And there is no timeline as to when you have to lose your weight. Statistics only give you an idea of what might happen not what will happen.

I lost more than double my 3 month weight loss (16kg at 3 months & 42kg when I stabilised). Though it was about half of what I lost when I reached what was my goal (to lose 31kg).

Forget any self imposed or external timelines. Celebrate every pound you lose because regardless of how much you lose or by when you’ll lose it, you’ll be in a healthier place.

Thank you arabesque

[Jennifer26 14]

16 hours ago, Possum220 said:

You have done amazingly well. 😊40lbs is awesome. Take time out to Celebrate that fact. Get yourself a gift.

Like others have said please stay off the scales. Maybe weight yourself once a week or month. Get a tape measure and record your stats. In another 6 weeks do it again and see the changes add up.

I have never heard of losing 50% of weight in the first three months. This may be true for some but not most. Starting at a higher weigh will also affect what happens. I am speaking from personal experience.

When there is a very long road ahead it is easy to lose sight of the horizon and feel discouraged. I am nearly at a year post op and I am only now beginning to see a big change. I found it helpful along the way to Celebrate the big little milestones. Milestones included being able to have a shower and not get exhausted. Walking further and further each month. I could only manage to walk past 3 houses at the start and now I can walk 5km and feel okay after that. Going shopping and not having to plan a trip around being able to sit every 5 minutes.

Start setting other goals. Exercise. Holidays. New clothes. Having fun. You get the drift. Focus on the here and now. You will get there. Baby steps every day.

Thank you Possum220. You have done so amazingly well, congratulations on all of the milestones you achieved. I am noticing little things and am very appreciative of the weight loss so far.

Yep, definitely going to stay off the scales for a while.

Thank you for your kind words and words of motivation xxx