How long to your goal?

I lose weight when I cut calories.  Nothing else matters.  I have to weigh portions, track with My Fitness Pal and weigh myself every single day.

I will never be cured of obesity but the surgery did give me a chance to get on a level playing field with people who are not suffering from obesity.

You lose easily for about six months.  Then you have to work harder at it but you can always lose by cutting calories.

I think it's always possible to lose.  You have to be willing to cut calories and do all of the things Grim mentioned and pretty much be willing to follow suggestions from those who have been successful multiple YEARS out.

Personally, I've had two major battles with regain.  The first one was 40+ pounds at about four years out.  I re-lost all of that and a little extra.  Stuff happened and I had another regain last year.  That one was approximately 50 pounds.  I decided it was time to quit messing around and went back to the post-op eating plan, cutting almost all sugars out of my life.  I re-lost the 50 pounds plus some and am now sitting at my lowest post-op weight ever.  This is 7+ years after my surgery.

Dense protein, vegetables and a bite or two of something sweet once in a very blue moon (it sounds silly but I've gotten into the habit of never taking more than three to five bites of anything sweet.  I dump horrendously and have horrible reactive hypo-glycemia and limiting my bites improves  those issues  as well) is what works for me.  I don't count calories, but if it ever turns out I need to I will.

So I guess this is a wordy way saying that yes, you can lose weight whenever you want.  It's not as fast as immediately postop but it will happen.  The farther away from sugar and carbs the faster you'll lose.n You can keep losing until you are where you want to be but it does get harder and you must stay aware of what you put in your mouth.

Good luck to you.  Try to replace worrying with taking action.  You'll do just fine.

Thank you so much for this! I never got to goal and regained 23 lbs and feel terrible. Really struggling. I needed to see that I'm not alone and it happens but I can still reach my goal!

You've received lots pf great advice here. Although it's been mentioned I want to reiterate that you may have to cut your calories again to keep things moving along at a good pace. Well worth the effort because the results will be there!

I feel your pain!  I am 11 months out today and I am 6 pounds from goal.  March 30 will be my 1 year surgiversary and I WILL weigh 160 pounds!  This is my goal for the 1 year mark.

I have dropped my daily calories to 1000 (800-900 calories makes me an evil woman).    

I reached goal at 14 months post-op. Most of us seem to reach it somewhere between 12-18 months, but we can keep losing much longer than that. It can get harder the further we get out, but our ability to lose weight will always be there. If we actually do depends on our actions (what and how much we eat). In the beginning the surgery does all the work and we can eat crap and still lose. That is not the case further out.

I am 7 years out and have lost 10 pounds in the last 2 months.

Grim is the best!!!!!   I have followed his advice since having my surgery 9 months ago...I read all his posts to everyone else....he is spot on.  Thanks Grim....whether you know it or not you are a rock to a lot of us newer ones and the way you put it gives me light bulb moments!

Thank you and to Cheapskate...you can do it!  You are doing it....best of everything...Kim

As you get close to your goal weight, losing even 5 pounds a month is a solid achievement (whether using a conventional diet or WLS) and I think your weight loss can continue.  A friend of mine is still losing 2-3 pounds a month at 18 months post-sleeve surgery.  After a year, I stayed at the same weight for 2 months - then I took a class in Mindfull Eating and got a fitbit and get my 10,000 steps in each day - I lost 5 more pounds this last month (from 145 to 140 - I still am not sure that it was not a fluke, but I will happily claim it).  I surprised myself because I thought I was in maintanence.

In sum, It ain't over till it's over, but I don't think doctors can predict exactly where YOU will end up - they can tell you the average weight loss - but they can't predict if you will do what it takes to get better than average results.  The good news is that if we all are better than average, the average moves and we all will!!!

I might suggest graphing your results - as long as the line is going down, you are losing!!!

Thanks for all of the input.  Foe the record, I haven't had any regain and dont need to get back on track... I am totally in beast mode so focused. 

I had read on another page that weight loss ends at 1 year and that freaked me out and disappointed me. I will be honest, I see peoole 7-8 months out and they are at goap and here I am a year out and still have almost 40 to go. I really want this for myself. Just like I always have.... But this time it is actually attainable which is mind boggling to me. 

The weight loss process has not be easy for me. I had few comorbidities before surgery but as the weight came off my body seemed to start falling apart under the strain. I have had 2 subsequent surgeries. Spent 5 months in a walking boot and now seem to have a secondary infection related to my gall bladder surgery. 

I don't regret the surgery... It gaveme my life back. But I refuse to have gone there all of this and then not make my goal... It is a very reasonable, attainable one