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I decided when I started this journey that I was going to take before photos and progress photos. Here is one month into my new life! I started my pre-op diet 30 days ago, surgery was September 13th. I’m 5’4” and started at 242, I’m now 218. My biggest piece of advice (especially if you struggle to see your own progress in the mirror) is TAKE THE PICTURES.

we get rebates from our health insurance if we do something like approved three activities a year. One choice was having a handful of telehealth appts with a dietitian (note this was not the dietitian I usually see annually at my bariatric clinic - this was just a regular dietitian who works for the insurance company). She suggested I cut 1000 calories a day from my diet to lose the weight I wanted to. I maintain my current weight on about 1700 calories a day. So cut 1000 calories from that? Is she f***ing kidding? So I cut 200-ish calories, knowing it'll take months to lose some microscopic amount of weight. But that's how it goes when you're at or close to a normal BMI. You're pretty much equilibrium as far as calories in/calories out, so there's not much to cut - and that weight loss is going to be S-L-O-W! (note that 700 kcal/day is fine during the first months post-op -- but not when you're as far out as I am..)

I took three weeks - have had a painless recovery but struggled to get water in and meet my protein goal so I was very sluggish and dizzy. I did do two half days near the end to tackle my inbox because the idea of it was stressing me out!

I picked my goal based on the lowest weight I’d ever reached before too - my bounce weight range. 60kgs & BMI of about 23. Reached that at 6 months & then lost another 11/12kgs over about another 11 months. The weight loss just continued to get slower. No stalls in that time, but the trend was still the same pretty smooth & even trend I experienced in my first 6 month weight loss. Just more up & down when I was starting to stabilise at around 50kgs I struggled to find that caloric balance to stop losing. Just trying to eat larger portions & then eat more frequently was hard but over that year I eventually got to about a recommended portion size for most foods. I was eating 4 or 5 snacks a day on top of three meals by the end. Now I eat about 3 snacks & 3 meals & I’ve been maintaining for almost a year at about 49kg (generally fluctuate between 48.5-49.5) & a BMI of just under 19. I know a lot of people have issues about BMI but I always look at it as a guide. Higher end of healthy range for large frames, lower end for smaller frames. Taking in the needs of our bodies is also important as is how muscular we are. Some people just sit happily at a BMI above the healthy range - their body seem to function better. We also carry our weight in different ways too. You can look at two people with similar height, build & weight but one can look slim & the other bony. I was always told I had a larger frame. Once the weight was gone it was obvious I don’t. When I was nearing 50kgs, my surgeon & doctor wanted me to get back to about 54kgs but they’re fine now & happy I’m healthy & maintaining. As one said: you’re actually really quite tiny aren’t you. It’s still can be a freaky I’m the size I was at about 12.

I have bad acid reflux /Gerd now since my sleeve done been back to the Er and Dr for this none of the medicine is working that my Dr has given to me not even over the counter medicine is anyone else experiencing this problem please help if so. Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

I have three weeks of post-op liquid diet and am almost two weeks through it. I'm allowed to have unflavored Greek yogurt, skyr, and sugar-free fat-free puddings on my "liquid" diet and I find those help a lot. Also, warm savory things help—phở broth, miso soup, chicken broth. And the Fairlife nutrition shakes that taste exactly like chocolate milk seem to assuage my hunger. It is better now than it was immediately post-op, for what it's worth.

this happens to about 30% of sleeve patients - that's why they recommend bypass to people who had GERD prior to surgery. And people who've never had GERD before surgery can also develop it, unfortunately. Sorry this has happened to you. The suggestions lizonaplane made (above) are good ones. Hopefully some of them will work for you!!

Physically I could have gone back to work after a week (desk job), but I found that the first week(s) it’s quite hard to get your water in AND figure out some kind of eating schedule, so I was very happy with the 3 weeks I took.

I had surgery on a Tuesday and took that week and the next week off. I could've gone back but I get tired easily even though I have energy. I'm glad I took two weeks. Three weeks would have been de trop.

I took three weeks off but could have gone back after two. I had a desk job.