Gut check: honeymoon period?

I keep hearing about rapid loss during the "honeymoon" period and wonder approximately when the honeymoon period is over for most folks.

I am 8 weeks post VSG tomorrow.  I weighed in at 196 on the day of surgery.  I am 172 today.  That's roughly 3 lbs a week on average, which seems great to me, but I ask because I'm trying to set my expectations so I'm not disappointed when the loss inevitably slows.

Thanks in advance all.

3 pounds a week is excellent.  I'd say that is the honeymoon period!  The weight loss slows over time.  For me, I lost 15 pounds a month for the first few months.  the second 6 months, I lost about half that or 8 pounds per month.  By one year out, I was losing about 3 pounds a month.  I don't know if this is typical, but its how it worked for me.

It was frustrating for me at the time, but I still reached goal by 15 months post-op (18 months total if I include the pre-surgery 3 month diet).  So try to relax and enjoy the process.  You'll get there.

best wishes,

Carol

From what I've been told the honeymoon period is not just the rapid weight loss, but it's the time when you're the most motivated to lose weight. You're fresh out of surgery, maybe a little excited, & doing anything & everything to maximize your weight loss, & you're doing excellent by the way.

When the "honeymoon" is over, the real work begins, not that you're not working now, but things definitely wanes the further out from surgery you get. Sometimes the motivation that was so high after surgery, falls by waste side months later. Old habits start resurfacing, head hunger might start rearing its ugly head again.,etc,etc. It's why most people say take advantage of your honeymoon period to get the weight off. However you'll still lose weight if you stick with your Drs plan, honeymoon or not, it'll just longer to get there is all.

I'm probably on the outskirts of the honeymoon period, but I don't let that stop me from getting to goal. I mean it's not like my sleeve stops working. Its here for life, marathon not a sprint is what I keep in mind.

Good luck to you on your weight loss journey! 

I fully agree with her description of the honeymoon period being the time when we are at our peak motivation level, and it has less to so with weight loss. I had no trouble losing weight at month 8 (final month of weight loss phase). The loss rate was a bit slower, but I also weighed a whole lot less compared to my starting weight. The percentage of weight loss was still excellent all the way through. Flash forward to now, and I am several years out. I have lost 10 pounds in less than a week this past week. Some for sure due to shedding the IV fluids pumped into me for surgery, and some due to my calories dropping back to weight loss phase levels. The weight is just melting off at the moment. Nothing to do with the "honeymoon" period for sure. Instead, it is all about motivation levels and what you are eating. 

The honeymoon period lasts about a year, where you will lose weight no matter what you do or don't do.  After that period is over, any additional weight you'd like to lose will require more work, so it's best to use this period to maximize your results.  You could lose without any effort at all, or you can give it your best shot and make it to goal in this period.

I think it varies, and leaves gradually.  Mine was solid for 6 months (enough to reach my goal), then slowly evaporated.  My sleeve continues to have great restriction IF I eat correctly (dense protein first).  I can easily graze, however, which was not true during the honeymoon phase, so discipline starts to play a big part...

I did NOT take full advantage of the honeymoon phase and I have not and did not reach my goal weight. I am almost 2 years out and am working hard hard hard

I would have told you before last week that the honeymoon expires somewhere between 18-24 months, because that's when I started having regain issues.  But the fact is, that's when I started having eating issues again - too many carbs and bad carbs at that!  I justified it with all the exercise I was doing. 

Now that I'm newly post-op again after plastics I'm eating like I did post-VSG...and guess what? The weight is coming off again like magic!  

The loss will slow down the closer you get to goal.  Toward the end I was lucky to lose 1/2 to 1 lb. per week.  It sounds like you're a lightweight like me so I know you can do this!  

Keep up the great work 

I am 4 yrs out, and never made goal, due to a lot of issues, one being I needed to stay on Metformin.   I also let carbs sneak in, and even gave up for a long time, due to long stalls.   I am back on plan now, its slow but coming off again.   I use myfitnesspal to log everything!    I still have plenty restriction and the grehlin hormone still seems to be low, because I don't have a lot of hunger at all.  It just takes patience!