Once again, I saw a note that there is some "Magic" period of time where you have to have a certain amount of your weight off, or you will never get it off.

That is 100% absolute BULL MANURE!

There is NO truth to that, NONE, NADA, not the slightest little smidgin of truth.

I know, some Doctors tell their patients junk like that.  Those are REALLY STUPID DOCTORS, who are attempting to motivate their patients, but discourage a LOT more than they motivate.

I am a clasic example of how this is NOT true.  I worked my butt off over the first 6 months, sticking to my diet program just about perfectly, forcing myself to exercise when I didn't feel like it, and I lost just under 50% of my excess weight.

Over the next 12months, I lightened up a *****eated occasionally, had a doughnut here, a candy bar there, maintained my exercise program of walking 3 miles at a time, 3 days a week, and peeled off the rest of my excess weight.  I didn't cheat frequently, and I did NOT cheat more than one day at a time (or more than one day in a week either).  I just worked my sleeve, did my exercise and kept the cheating to a reasonable amount.

I see weight loss surgery patients regularly, and I personally know of some that just couldn't get serious about their program.  They cheated from the beginning, didn't exercise regualrly, ate just about everything they shouldn't have, and that "MAGIC 6 MONTHS" went by and they had not lost even 20% of their excess weight.

They believed that the sleeve was enough, all by it self.  it was the "Magic" that would take care of everything.  But, they discovered that the "Magic" was not working!

"Oh MY GOD, I'll never get this off" is the cleaned up version of what they were saying at that point!

But, with encouragement, from their doctor and from some people that cared about them, we were able to get them back onto a good weight loss program.  Watching wha tthey ate, both in quantity and in quality. Getting them to do moderate exercise on a regular basis (not running marathons, or lifting weights like a professional, but walking, swimming, bike riding, etc.)

ALL of them, 100% of them, over the following 12-18 months were able to peel off all of their excess weight.

Now, if there was some kind of a "Magic Window", that would NOT have been possible.

So, don't buy into that stupidity.  You CAN lose your excess weight, even if it takes you 12-18-24 or even 36 months.

Yes, it will be a bit harder for you.  The first months are the easiest, but they certainly are not the ONLY time you can lose.

DO NOT LET ANYONE DISCOURAGE YOU, OR CIONVINCE YOU THAT IT IS HOPELESS.

IF A LAZY OLD GUY LIKE ME (I am 68 years old and I absolutely hate EXERCISE, to me it is the single most useless waste of time I can think of) could peel of 175 pounds in 18 months, there is absolutely NO reason why YOU can't do it too.

And do not let anyone tell you that you CAN'T do it, just because some particular period of time went by.  Tell them to get rid of their "Stinkin Thinkin" and let you get on with your weight loss.

PREACH! Where is the like button!

OUTSTANDING!!!

You tell it brother!

You know, for someone getting sleeved in three days your post was timely. A good dose of reality is just what I needed. THANKS!

Thanks, I read that post with eleven days to my three month mark and only 35% I am like bummer. I stated my turbo jam disc today ouch feeling it a bit but will try thirty mins a day for three days a week, more if I find the time to have a share at the tv. I am so uncoordinated and it is not my ideal exercise and I don't know what will be over our long winter, until I can find someone that knows what they are doing at a gym that doesn't mind teaching me. I cannot afford a personal trainor but going to try a good thirty min walk after work on nice days the majority of it all uphill. It is a challenge because it is over a bridge and I get so nervous if I look down, I try to keep my eyes straight. It only takes about twenty mins to cross the bridge and hopefully next spring I can try jogging across.

Once again thanks for clearing it up, I would love to have fifty percent off at three months but that is not happening.

 Great post! When my printer decides to work, this is getting printed and taped onto the wall by the mirror. Thank you!!

Thank you! I agree with Jackie... I am 3 1/2 months post-op and I've only lost about 40 lbs. I believe I'm moving slowly. I cheat often and eat things I shouldn't. Every Sunday I tell myself that I will start a liquid diet on Monday or a healthier eating habit. But it doesn't happen. I haven't been able to get to the gym because I work 40 hours, go to school full-time, and have 3 kids and a home. I'M BUSY!!! I thank you for encouraging me. I thank you for giving me hope. I was almost broken; thinking that I would never lose my excess weight. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME HOPE!!!

If we eat less calories than we burn off we will lose weight. You are correct! Thanks for letting us know this again.

great post, as usual.

Excellent post!! 

 
Although I respect OM in many ways..... and by nature and upbringing....respect my elders.....and you/me can't argue his WL success.....

I find his post contradicts itself.....

The "Honeymoon Period" refers to the first six months when losing weight is easiest.......

He claims it's bull****yet in his post he says.....

-Yes, it will be a bit harder for you.  The first months are the easiest, but they certainly are not the ONLY time you can lose.

That's exactly what the Honeymoon Period is!

And yes.....you can lose weight anytime after WLS just like you can without surgery....you just have a tool to work with and hopefully far more educated.

I whole heartily agree you can lose weight after the first year....the most extreme example is Jimbo........he has lost @340lbs. over @2 years. But it must be noted he did it with a complete program. A surgeon that has great success with High BMI patients. Proper VSG, Eating plan, Aftercare and a determination that is second to none.

The bottom line......after WLS of any kind.... "It's All You!"

frisco

I think he is reacting to those overexaggerated goals.  Some people come from their doctor thinking that everyone should lose 80% of their excess in 6 months. That's a load of crap. The problem is if you believe it and don't do it, then you feel like a failure.

Giving a certain percent for a period of time for more than one person is just not realistic.  Also, people need to know that while the first 6 months is critical, the sleeve is still useful for many months after that.

What Elina has posted is that her surgeon would like to see his patients at 80% EWL at 6 months but it is not necessarily average.  My surgeon wants to see his patients at 60% EWL at 6 months. 

Arguably, those 'benchmarks' the surgeon's set help them identify patients that might be struggling with the program.  I'm not sure they were ore are intended to be benchmarks for patients to compare themselves against.   Just as a note, both are very experienced, COE, thousands of sleeve surgeons. My eating plan doesn't mention carbs or calories, merely food choices and porition sizes. 

My surgeon did emphasize that the first 6 months is the period where patients build good, lifelong habits for their sleeve, and that should be my focus,  I did, and I have, and the numbers have fallen into place. 

well my surgeon had a honey moon period too, and definatly had percentages they were hoping we would target... if we did not target them then they would send us off to see the nutritionist to see if there was anything in the diet that needed tweaking or see if there were things that needed further investigation..
There are averages statistically that patients lose, dosesnt mean everyone with hit the target but it definatly is a guidline... just as telling us to eat 3 - 4 ounces of food is a guidline some meet it some do not...

reading online that abdominal surgery speeds up the metabolism for up to 6 months following surgery would give another reason possible for the honey moon period.  makes sense we can burn more calories while eating such few calories..

NO one, not even the surgeons tell you, you can not lose weight after this time, but human nature what it is, the longer you are doing something the more lax you can become and allow more into your diet,

The further you get out the more you can eat so the more calories you can consume as well.. so yes it is easier to lose it in the first 6 months.- 12 months

The problem is, far too many people believe, and tell others, that if you DON"T get it off in that 1st 6 months, it won't happen.  Some doctors tell their patients that, and totally discourage their patients in the process when the weight does not "Magically disappear"

And a LOT of people on this forum spreaf this around as if it was Gospel

Funny, you "want to respect your elders" and all of that bull, then you  say I am effectively a liar, and then you essentially agree with everything I said.

You can't have it both ways.

I say, and I satnd by the statement:

It is pure unadulterated bull manure to tell people that they HAVE to get their weight off in 6-12 months, or it won't happen.

And frisco, you do EXACTLY that to people.  You discourage people, by telling them that the "honeymoon period" is so critical, that they  believe that if they don't get all of their weight off by then, that they are doomed.

It does NOT require that they have a surgeon "with great success with high BMI patients" and all of the rest of the stuff you cite.  I have seen people that had athe very first VSG done by a weight loss surgeon that did exactly what I said.

It DOES require determination, but that is true to lose weight by any method.

I realize that you promote a particular surgeon, and promote him over everyone else in the world, but he is NOT the be all and end all of VSG surgery.  There are MANY excellent surgeons out there, surgeons that have done hundreds of sleeve gastrectomies with excellent success.

If you actually bothered to read, and digest what I was saying, instead of looking to pick a fight, you would realize that I am encouraging people to NOT panic if they haven't gotten it all off in a certain time frame.

I don't care HOW good your surgeon is, how supurbe the after care is, how wonderful the diet plan is, people vary in their weight loss.  Some people lose more rapidly than others do.

The problem is, people like you, that stress that "Honeymoon Period" so strongly, discourage the slow losers, and can cause them to give up. 

After all, if a real vet like Frisco tells me that I HAVE JUST 6-12 MONTHS TO EASILY GET THE WEIGHT OFF, AND I HAVE NOT DONE THAT, WHY EVEN BOTHER TO KEEP TRYING?

And that is exactly the point that I am making, that you do not JUST have a 6-12 month "Honeymoon" period.  I continued to lose, at a regular pace, well beyond the 12 month "Honeymoon".  I peeled off 195.5 pounds in a little less than 18 months, which is an average of 10.86 pounds per months, a very health rate of loss.

And, I am keeping that weight off.

So, I guess that "honeymoon period" isn't such a sure thing after all, is it?

 
Were not that far apart.....but we do have different opinions on a few things....which is fine.....

frisco

Clearly, some people think that this is a quick fix.  And if they don't fix everything quickly, then they failed.  It is another version of all or nothing thinking.

I have great respect for Old Medic and there are many issues on which we agree.  This does not happen to be one of them unless I am misinterpreting what is being said.  I DO believe that there is a honeymoon period as defined by a time during which the weight loss is easier.  The honeymoon is those first 6-12 months where you can eat the least amount of food, you are more focused, less hungry and in general more strict about following the program.  On the other hand, the honeymoon period is NOT the only time we can lose weight, after all even people who have never had surgery can lose weight.  It just gets harder the further out we get.  We will always have our tool, but I am sure glad that I maximized my honeymoon period and I would recommend that everyone does the same.  I often meet people who are further out and have not reached goal, the majority of them did not follow their program closely in the early months and did not make the most of this early time.  I bet that if you ask them, most will tell you they wish they had worked harder in the beginning stages.

As far as the the percentages used by my doctor, I think they mostly apply to his program and his patients.  I believe he looks at them as benchmarks only.  I personally know a number of people who lost slower but still reached their goal.  I also know that he individualizes those numbers for many of his patients; heavier or older patients might lose slower.  In the end, consistency of effort over a life time is required to maintain our results.

Yes, you ARE misinterpreting what was being said. 

Yes, it is EASIER to lose in the early months, and I very clearly state exactly that.

But many, many people lose a LOT of weight after the 6-12 month honeymoon, and I am one that did.  There is WAY too much emphasis on that so called "Honeymoon Period", and it convinces a lot of people that if they don't get almost all of their weight off then, they never will.

I am telling them, they CAN still get it off, just as I did.