Question:
I am 10 mo.out how much longer will I lose?

I woke up this morning and was so happy to see the scale read 179 lbs. that is down 100 lbs since I had my surgery on Jan. 6,03. It seems like it took a little longer than most but since I've gotten under 190 lbs. I just haven't been to obsessed with the scale because I feel wonderful. I don't stay on any particular diet, I just eat what I want (which is mostly protein). I do my protein shake in the morning, a sugar-free vanilla latte at work, if I snack it is on peanuts and cheese, a tuna salad or a slice of quiche for lunch and whatever my family is eating for dinner, I eat about as much as my 6 yr. old. I crave sugar sometimes and even though I never dump it makes me so lathargic that I swear I'll never eat it again. I detest fast food which before WLS was the only thing I ate, I try to get in between 40-64 oz of water a day and I lose on the average about 5-7 lbs a month( usually I'll have a sudden weight loss of about 4 lbs. then I'll put 3 back on the next day and it will take 2 weeks to get it back off). What I'm wondering from the seasoned veterans is, when did the weight-loss stop, how did it happen, and if you could go back would you do anything different in your diet? How much more can I expect to lose and when does the weight-loss go from just falling off by itself to being a strict diet to follow, because honestly this has been very easy, i'm just worried I'm not preparing myself for the coming years. I'm so afraid of gaing weight back.    — Jennifer T. (posted on November 10, 2003)

November 10, 2003
Yeah, the sugar thing can undo the whole thing. I've had 2 gains associated with sugar & it wasn't much at a time, either. The problem may not be GETTING it off, so much as keeping it off. The 2 yr wall is often the complacency of having "gotten away with" things that were not helpful to you. But you sorta forget that some things are best left uneaten. Or you avoid things that are hamrress and reward yourself by eating something that can hurt you. For example, you pass on the handful of chips you really wanted and eat 4 cookies instead. You could keep on losing for years, actually. Just not at any great speed. When I eat sugar, I gain wt. So simple. So deadly. I'm 9 yrs out
   — vitalady

November 10, 2003
Hey there Jennifer, I am 14 months out and I noticed that my weight loss started to slow down about where you are now. I was at that point loosing around 8-10 lbs a month. I noticed that I could eat a lot more at this point and quite frankly at about 13 mths out I did. I have developed wonderful habits thru this whole thing and was just adding in to many carbs. I went to the pouch rules for dummies place and did the plateau buster and it has worked wonderfully for me. I am not loosing mega weight but I don't have mega weight left to loose. I am fighting my last 20 lbs that EVERYONE says I do not need to loose but you know how that goes. It will start to slow down but I think that is normal. Your body can't keep loosing 15-20 lbs a month and then BOOM stop. I think your body just takes care of itself and slows it down. Peggy open rny 9/20/02 -150lbs
   — Peggy A.

November 19, 2003
My experience has been very much like yours. I am 2 yrs and 2.5 months postop. I thought I had stopped losing weight at about 18 months. I was wearing a size 10 and very happy with how I looked. "Technically" my final goal weight of 147 lbs was about 8-10 lbs away, but I wasn't worrying about it at all. I eat whatever I want to, whenever I want to, and that includes carbs, occ sweets, etc. Then suddenly at about 2yrs postop, I started losing again!! I am now down the last few pounds to 147 lbs and lost a bunch more inches, especially in my legs and arms. People at work have asked me if I'm losing again, they say they can see it in my face, etc. I never would have thought I would start losing again!! I seem to have stopped again, but I worry if it is done finally. I have even upped the amount of food I am eating to see if it levels out. I could even lose another 6-7 lbs and still be in the low end range of weight for my height of 5 ft 7 in, but I wouldn't want to lose more than that. I have seen posts where people have regained back 10-20 lbs or so, but haven't seen that yet. I wonder sometimes if my greater (than most others diet) food types & amounts will backfire on me at a later date?? I don't know. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I have noticed that if I'm sick and don't eat much, I start losing again very easily. It has always come back on when I started back eating again though. I guess I wouldn't have done anything different than I have. I don't plan on changing how I eat now unless I start to gain weight back. I never had a size goal, just a weight goal, but I wear a size 8/small now. I know an older postop at my job who had the surgery too wouldn't speak to me for about a year or so after I'd had the surgery because I lost so easily and the weight came off all over so I have ended up with a nice shape. We are all so different. I have 3 friends who have all had the surgery and every one of us has been different. It seems like I'm still breaking new ground all the time for me. You'll just have to see how things turn out for you. I know I don't try to apply anyone else's journey to myself, it's all too individual. I wish you all the best, and email me anytime! karen (open rny 9/6/01, 297/147)
   — Karen M.

November 19, 2003
I'm 7 months post-op and have lost 131 lbs. (current weight the last time on the scale 185 lbs.). It depends. If I don't exercise I will lost only 8 lbs to 12 lbs in a month. However, if I stick with my exercise and eat my normal small portions I can still lose about 15 lbs. You have to remember everyone is different. My lifestyle is different then yours. I'm very careful of what I eat (ff cheeses, very low suger, I don't eat carbs except for my veges, and fruit.) I drink more then 64 ozs of water a day plus my decaf coffee. When I exercise I walk 2 miles, and work out on weights. I have a full-time job and a part-time job and go to school two times a week, I'm a very busy person. So you can see this keeps me very active, very little time to eat. So must of my meals are protein drinks, soups, cheeses, almonds, salads, etc. Thinks that are quick and easy. Keep up the good work, you are on track!
   — Linda R.

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