r/gastricsleeve

1 year post op, I had the sleeve. The op didn't got to well but after 4 week I was nearly 100% now feel like I'm running at 200%

Got cut on November 3rd. Down from 200kg (possibly a bit more because I couldn’t measure) to 156! It’s all slowed down a bit now but I’m still dropping.

Down 205lbs in a year. This has been the most challenging yet rewarding journeys i’ve ever been on. Wouldn’t change it for the world !

If you have just had a gastric sleeve or you are seriously thinking about it, this could be one of the best decisions you ever make. The impact it can have on your life is hard to fully understand until you experience it yourself. The first couple of months are the most challenging, but if you stay consistent and push through, everything begins to change. Looking back, you will feel nothing but gratitude for taking that step.

This was me in October 2024 compared to me today.

Good luck, you have got this.

Hey… I don’t really know how to start this, but I guess I just need to get it out somewhere.

I had weight loss surgery on January 5, 2023.

My highest weight was 355 lbs.

By the end of December 2025, I got down to 172. That took everything in me. Strict diet, fasting, consistency… I built my entire life around making sure I didn’t fall back into who I used to be.

In October 2024, I had a breast reduction. Recovery didn’t go the way it was supposed to, and I couldn’t lift weights like I needed to. That was a big deal for me because I didn’t just want to be smaller—I wanted to be strong.

My doctor put me on Zepbound to help maintain my weight while I couldn’t train. I didn’t really want to take it, but I trusted her. I kept doing cardio, working on my legs, stretching… doing everything I could do.

At one point I tried to lift too soon and ended up with a really bad keloid and a lot of pain. After that, I stopped lifting completely. I didn’t touch weights again for the rest of 2024.

In October 2025, I had revision surgery. I stayed on Zepbound, and they told me we’d check around April/May to see if I could start lifting again. I was still losing weight, so I thought things were okay… but mentally it wasn’t the same. Not being able to strength train really messed with me.

Then at the end of November 2025, I lost my insurance. By December, I couldn’t take Zepbound anymore.

That’s when things started to go downhill fast.

My diet didn’t change. At all. I still fast 72 hours a week, I still have structure, I still do everything the same—but I started gaining weight rapidly. Like… really fast. My face changed, my body changed, and I didn’t understand why.

I was told that stopping Zepbound can cause regain if you haven’t been on it long enough. Then a new doctor told me that without proper strength training, it can also lead to muscle loss.

So basically… for almost two years, I couldn’t train the way I needed to, and the thing I trusted to help me maintain ended up hurting me.

And then on top of all of that… this year I got stabbed. Twice.

Once in the stomach, once in the face.

Since then, my head hasn’t been right at all.

I’m now three years post-op, and I’ve regained over 100 lbs. My body feels weak, like I’ve never worked out before, and mentally I feel worse than I have in a long time.

What’s messing with me the most is that I didn’t “fall off.” I didn’t stop trying. I didn’t go back to old habits. I did everything the way I was supposed to.

And it still happened.

I don’t really have a support system. I work and then I isolate. That’s kind of how I’ve always dealt with things. Even before surgery, when I realized how big I had gotten, I just shut myself off from people.

So now it’s just me, work… and my cats.

And honestly… I feel like I failed. Like I wasted an opportunity that someone else would’ve handled better than me.

There are days where I just want to give up completely.

But at the same time… I don’t want to.

The gym—especially strength training—that was the only thing that ever made me feel grounded. It helped me stay mentally stable. It made me feel in control.

So right now I’m just waiting for my doctor to clear me to lift again.

I don’t even know what I’m asking for by posting this. Advice, maybe. Or just… someone who understands.

If you’ve gone through regain, or something like this, how do you even start again mentally? How do you not feel like you completely failed yourself?

I did make this Reddit just to eventually reach out. Hah. Hopefully it doesn’t go against anything. Thanks for reading.

Pictures are where I was by the end of December 2025, with the last one being me now.

SW 375

CW 200

Im almost 5 months PO and I cant believe how much my body has changed!

Still the best decision I ever made!

A year ago today I was 310lbs and starting my pre-op diet. This weekend I’m running my first half marathon and I’m registered for the Chicago Marathon this Fall.

It flies by so fast so be sure to enjoy the journey, don’t sweat the human scale (DO sweat the food scale lol), and for the love of all that is holy TAKE ALL THE PICS.

P.S. If any VSG pals want to get into running but aren’t sure where to start, I’m happy to help! There aren’t many resources out there for bariatric distance runners and I know how scary it can be to get started :)

13 months in and I took a picture to compare. I had a terrible time lining the two photos up until I lined up my nose. I am just so much bigger than one of the photos, I keep thinking maybe I expanded it too much or the other one is too small.

Nope. This is reality now! 😊

5 months Post-Op

Male, 5'11", HW: 126kg, CW: 98kg, GW: 77kg

Sw: 180kg

Cw : 72kg

20 months po gastric sleeve ,

Finally after not being able to keep food down due to complications ( sleeve cut too short and healed at an angulation), vomiting, 5 balloon stretches, multiple surgeries and feeding tubes, breakdowns, mental health crash and scary moments as well as having to have my stomach detached from my liver because somehow they healed together , I can enjoy most foods again and keep them down a lot better. I even got to enjoy some passionfruit cheesecake on my birthday.

I still have a couple more procedures but things are finally looking positive again 🥰