Question:
Can somebody please define the 'honeymoon' phase?

What defines honeymoon? I have seen where someone said that it was 10 months. I think mine was 1 month. That is when I lost 30 lbs. in one month, since then it has been 10 lbs. or less each month. I think that it depends on how close you are to goal. I am less than 5 months out and 28 lbs. to go to 'ideal BMI', 38 lbs. to goal. I believe that as all of us get close to goal, that the body naturally slows down in weight loss. I just don't feel like I'm still on a 'honeymoon'. I am working hard with slow results. Can I have other opinions on this?    — Cheri M. (posted on March 25, 2002)

March 25, 2002
Not quite sure, but I thought the "honeymoon phase" was when you don't feel hungry. You go a few months where you almost forget to eat. You lose a lot of weight. Then after that phase, you start to get actual hunger and want to eat. Anybody else know?
   — tmrivas

March 25, 2002
That would correlate with my weight loss. I got hunger back on the second month and it came back stronger than it was pre-op, and I was really disappointed with that. Good thing I fill up fast. So that would still make the honeymoon just the first month. Any other ideas appreciated.
   — Cheri M.

March 25, 2002
The honeymoon period is that amount of time that no matter what you're doing, you're still losing weight (my opinion). Meaning, there are people who have the surgery, never exercise, never follow the doc's plan, and still lose weight. As the body begins to understand "what's going on", it begins to make adaptations -- such as the absorption issue. The body recognizes after a period of time (different for everyone and really dependent on what you're doing) that in order to get the nutrients it needs, it may need to adapt in order to begin absorbing them in parts of the intestine that don't normally absorb. Kind of like healing itself. When you fell as a kid and scraped your knee, your knee didn't stay bloody and scraped forever == rather, the body adapted to this change and began to heal itself. This is the same thing with this surgery. Which is why people say that during the weightloss phase, you have that 'period' of time to change your eating habits, develop and exercise regimen, chew slowly, before you will have to really work at losing the weight. Have you noticed that the rules for eating after surgery are essentially the rules that your mom and doctor and teachers have been preaching all along? Chew slowly, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, eat small meals, eat what you like in moderation... doing all of these things will help you to lose weight. The idea is to have this surgery which (if you're lucky) FORCES you to take on these behaviors (at least most of them) so that when the body begins healing itself and changing itself, you are still incorporating the good habits needed to MAINTAIN your fantastic weight loss. Yes the body naturally slows down with the weight loss as you get closer to goal. But that has more to do with your physiology, than it does with the honeymoon period. You still have results -- that's the honeymoon. Not the speed with which the results are coming. Now I have heard theories of extending your honeymoon period by helping the body to feel that it isn't malnourished at all. You can do this by ensuring you get the adequate amount of protein and other vitamins so that your body thinks everything is normal. Check with your doc to make sure that you are absorbing enough to keep your levels normal and then just take things from there. Good luck and God Bless!
   — Kimberly L.