I'm scared of being 6 months post op...

Thank you Frisco, I will do just that! :) 

U got great advice from the vets .. so I won't talk about which plan. However, I'd like to talk about the "magic 6 month" phase. I am almost 9 months out. My weight loss has been the stair step... lose / stall / lose / stall ..etc all the way through. Last 3 months have been the same but I am still losing. I just came off a 2 wks stall and down 6 lbs in the past week and 1/2.  My overall monthly loss might be 1-2 lbs less than during the months prior to the 6 month mark... but it sure didn't stop.

AND here is the BEST part!!!!!!! .... when you get closer to goal, those pounds make HUGE difference in your size. I purchased some clothes in January that were snug... less than 4 wks later w/ 2 of those being a stall... they are loose and it is almost time to go shopping again :-)

Thank you for that! That's very encouraging! 

You're doing so great, and I agree with the vets. Why fix what isn't broken? The 600-800 plan has obviously worked for you so far...

I'm in a similar situation. My doctor's plan calls for 1000 cals a day and no protein shakes. Well, I've gotten to 65% EWL in 5.5 months following the same plan you do. I don't see why I should worry my weight loss is going to stop-- its been great so far.

Ultimately our weight loss is up to us. What the doctor says, what the internet says does not control us in the end. It is totally up to  YOU whether or not you make goal. You have the power! 

Thank you!! It's nice to hear that other people are in the same boat. Congrats on your weight loss, looks like you are doing amazing! :) 

First of all, there's no window that closes at six months.

Secondly, there's no magic about 600 to 800 calories. I know it's kind of accepted wisdom around here that you need to keep under 800 calories to lose the weight, but that hasn't been true in my experience.

Because of low protein numbers, my doc and nutritionist want me to get about 145 grams of protein a day. For me, that means well over 1000 calories a day, often more than 1200 or 1300.

Guess what? I'm still losing weight. Maybe not quite as fast as when I was under 900 calories, but still steady. Yesterday was my six month anniversary for surgery, and I'm down 102 pounds, with about 40 more to go to reach my goal. In the last month, I've lost 11.5 lbs.

These forums are great for encouragement and advice and all that stuff, but, really, listen to your doctor. The people on here have experience with weight loss surgery, but they're not health professionals. Many of the people here have not read the same research that your doctor has.

I appreciate the perspectives of people here, but if someone here tells me something different than my doctor or nutritionist tells me, I'm giving a lot more weight to the doc and nutritionist.

I appreciate your perspective, and generally, I agree with you that people should absolutely follow the advice of the medical professionals charged to their care.

First of all, the magic of 600 to 800 calories is that it's about as low as you can go and still meet your protein and nutritional needs (in addition to supplementation), therefore there is a larger calorie deficit and more weight loss. Secondly, my surgeon's office did not recommend me to eat more calories because of individual needs, like yours did, because they did not have my lab results back yet. If that were the case, like I needed to get more protein, or I was missing a specific nutrient, it would be much more likely that I would be taking their advice. Don't get me wrong, it is very uncomfortable for me not to take their advice, it goes against what I've always believed which is why this is so conflicting for me. However, this is their general recommendation for all patients. Their definition of success is 60 to 80% EWL. I knew that going in and honestly it wasn't good enough for me, and I wondered if there was a way to get 100% EWL. Then I found that when people decreased their calories, that they were able to achieve that. I struggled with this big time before I had surgery and up until a week before I still didn't know which plan I would follow. I ultimately decided that I really only get one chance to get this right and that if I ended up weighing almost 200 pounds in maintenance, I would not be happy with that, so I put myself first and did something different. Basically this is the story of my life. I have always done what I was "supposed to do" and this time I did what felt right. I hope it was the right decision, and I think it was, but I guess you never know! I'm just doing my best. Congratulations on your success, it sounds like you are doing fantastic! :)