Greetings,

So I finally had my sleeve surgery 3 weeks ago and while there has been weight loss, it hasn't really been what I expected.

I don't have unrealistic expectations, but I expected to lose more weight than if I just did it on my own without the surgery with little calorie intake and some activity like with doing Optifast prior. Or just eating healthy and going for a walk everyday - which I wasn't doing prior.

Perhaps it takes a month to really get things going, but I am hardly really eating anything when compared to the 4,000 calories+ a day I was eating that got me this way. I do eat a breakfast, lunch and dinner, so I am not starving myself - but I am not yet in the solid food phase yet.

I have sort of reprogrammed my brain and I am not really craving the things now that made me obese. Now granted I know I JUST had the surgery and don't know how things will be 4 months from now, but I am just sort of wondering in the back of my mind if the surgery was really necessary in the sense that I maybe could have lost the same amount of weight if I finally just stuck to living a better life when it comes to food and my health.

I would appreciate any feedback or advice from anyone else where weight loss started a bit slow even with having a smaller stomach now or feedback in general.

Thanks!

HM

On 6/1/2023 at 10:02 PM, LindsayT said:

I've lost 20 since surgery (4 weeks) and 15 lbs during the preop diet for a total of 35 pounds. That's about what you lost, right? I stalled around 2.5 weeks in that lasted well over a week. Hang in there. It will come off. And like someone said, make sure you're tracking everything, and I'll go farther and say, before you ever eat it. What if you focused on some nonscale victories. For me it was a smaller size piece of clothing or getting my shoes on without huffing and puffing. Just today, I put on a shirt that didn't fit prior to surgery. Your body is doing a lot of behind the scenes work that may not be reflected on the scale.< br>This is not an easy process, and you don't have to do it alone.

You're absolutely right! The first week I lost a lb andwas pretty disappointed. Since then I've stayed off the scale and don't plan to get back on until my follow up appointment. I'm going to do a monthly weigh in going forward and trust the process. I do think I'm losing inches though, my scrub top feels looser so that's a nice nsv!

Edited July 1, 20233 yr by Neka87

9 minutes ago, Neka87 said:

You're absolutely right! The first week I lost a lb andwas pretty disappointed. Since then I've stayed off the scale and don't plan to get back on until my follow up appointment. I'm going to do a monthly weigh in going forward and trust the process. I do think I'm losing inches though, my scrub top feels looser so that's a nice nsv!

That's great! Keep the momentum going.

16 hours ago, tylerstafford said:

I totally get where you're coming from. This weight loss journey can be a bit of a mind-bender at times, and especially at the start, it can feel like you're not making as much progress as you thought you would.

But you know what, it's all good. It's really early days for you and your body's still trying to figure out what the heck just happened! Weight loss after surgery isn't always a fast sprint, it's more like a long-distance run. It's gradual, and it might even pause sometimes (hello, three-week stall), but that's totally normal. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Also, I want to stress something that I think gets overlooked a lot: The surgery is really more of a tool than a magic solution. It's not about dropping the pounds super quickly, but more about helping you maintain a low-calorie diet for longer than you might be able to without the surgery. It's about making the journey easier, not necessarily faster.

And about your pre-op diet, you gotta consider this: If you were already dropping some pounds before the surgery, your initial weight loss after might not be as dramatic. Your body had a bit of a head-start, which is actually a good thing!

Listen, I know it might feel like you're not making progress, but trust me, you're doing great. Stay positive, keep on keeping on, and remember that this journey isn't just about the number on the scale. It's about feeling better, getting healthier, and making sustainable changes that are going to last a lifetime.

Keep your head up and stay the course. We're all rooting for you!

No, I didn't think it was a magic solution and I entirely know it is a tool, but at the same time - bariatric surgery has been criticized by many for the supposed rapid weight that occurs that isn't normal, which is one of the reasons why people have a whole set of new problems with hanging skin. The body can't bounce back that fast.

I think there has been some "marketing" in this industry that have contributed to the expectations that some may have too - especially with before and after photos of people who may be the exception to the rule.

Like I said, I don't regret the surgery at all and I am never going back, but I expected more of a woosh of weight loss at least initially.