I've hit my goal weight and thought I'd share my experience in case it helps someone who's considering a gastric sleeve.

Stats

• HW/SW: 254 lbs
• GW: 150 lbs
• CW: 147 lbs
• Female, UK based
• Sleeved at 26, now 27
• Surgery: 3rd September
• Currently 9 months post-op
• Surgeon: Dr Samet (Turkey)

Genuinely the best decision I've ever made. I've gained so much confidence back and feel like myself again.

Surgery & recovery

I didn't do a formal pre-op diet (although I tried for a couple of days before surgery!).

Recovery was honestly much easier than I expected.

My post-op diet was:

• 10 days liquids
• 10 days puree
• 10 days soft foods

This was actually the hardest period for me. I vomited quite a bit while trying to transition through the stages, so I ended up relying heavily on protein shakes for around the first month until things settled.

Since then I've had no complications from the surgery itself.

Diet

One thing I'm proud of is that I used the sleeve as the tool it was intended to be.

Initially I completely cut out:

• Carbs
• Sugar (apart from fruit)
• Alcohol

I prioritised protein, although if I'm being honest I'm still not hitting my protein goals consistently even now.

Around March I gradually reintroduced all food groups and now eat a balanced diet.

Exercise

From 2 weeks post-op:

• Walked 10k steps every day

From 1 month post-op:

• Reformer Pilates twice a week

From December:

• Swimming 2-4 times a week

I stayed very consistent until the end of March when work became stressful.

Now I:

• Do Pilates twice a week
• Aim for 6-10k steps daily (don't always hit it)
• Have fallen off swimming but I'm hoping to get back into it

I haven't stepped foot in a gym yet. My next goal is body recomposition rather than more weight loss.

Weight loss

Monthly losses:

• September: 17 lbs
• October: 12 lbs
• November: 15 lbs
• December: 12 lbs
• January: 12 lbs

After that I still weighed myself every single day, but stopped logging it into Excel and just let Apple Health track it.

I weigh daily. It works for me and helps keep me accountable, but everyone is different.

Measurements & Clothing Size

I've always had an hourglass build, even before surgery, so my weight was distributed fairly evenly.

I started at approximately a UK 20 and I'm now a UK 8/10:

• Small in tops and dresses
• Medium in bottoms (still have hips and bum!)

Total inches lost:

• Hips: -15"
• Upper belly: -9"
• Lower belly: -15"
• Waist: -12"

One thing to note is that I used to have a "B-belly" (two distinct upper and lower stomach curves). My stomach still isn't completely flat, but it's improved massively, and my next goal is body recomposition rather than chasing a lower number on the scale.

Loose skin

Thankfully I haven't experienced a huge amount.

The biggest change has been my breasts. I've lost a lot of volume and went from wearing what I thought was a 40E to being professionally fitted into a 30GG (which shows how wrong my old bra size probably was!). They do sag a bit, but they weren't particularly perky beforehand anyway.

Scars

I developed keloid scars, but I expected this as I'm Black and have always been prone to keloid scarring.

Complications

No major complications.

The only issue I've had is that since around March I've occasionally experienced pressure/high discomfort in my upper stomach if I eat and then lie down soon afterwards.

Initially I thought it was reflux, but I now suspect it may be gallstones. As long as I'm mindful not to eat and immediately slouch or lie down, it rarely bothers me.

Final thoughts

This has genuinely been the best thing I've ever done.

It gave me my confidence back, but it still required work and good habits.

If I've missed anything or you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm happy to answer honestly.