catwoman7

(for some reason my post above posted twice - and this thing won't let me delete the duplicate)

I've heard something like that, but it didn't apply to me at all. I just checked - I'd lost 40 lbs at three months out and 130 lbs at the year mark. maybe this formula applies to a lot of people, but I really don't like these kinds of things because it just causes worry and anxiety in people if they're not reaching certain "goals" at certain points in their journey. Especially those of us who were slower losers. I was a slow but steady loser and lost all of my excess weight by 20-months out. I would have been really discouraged if I paid attention to these kinds of predictions and took them to heart.

I originally lost 235 lbs and gained back about 20 of it. So 215 lbs (it's very common for us to have a 10-20 lb "rebound" gain after hitting our lowest weight, so I was prepared for that and went a little under my goal to account for that). Was it worth it? OMG yes! Best decision I ever made - I should have done it YEARS ago!! P.S. I had my surgery almost eight years ago.

pain is all across the board but most of us seem to have little or none of it. I had hardly any pain and never even opened the bottle of pain killers they sent me home with. If you're one of the ones who has pain - never fear - they'll send you home with pain killers. Just take them on schedule and you should be able to keep on top of it. But again, most of us don't have much pain with these surgeries. get used to needles - I had follow-ups with blood draws about every three months the first year, I think (I had my surgery almost eight years ago, so my memory is a little fuzzy). After the first year, I only had to come in once a year unless I was having issues (I haven't had any issues), and I have to go for a blood draw before that appt, too. They like to see what your various levels are so they can adjust your vitamins or whatever. I never found the needles very painful - I just look the other way.

there's not really a best option. They're both good surgeries and you'll find people on here who've been very successful with both. there are some medical conditions that might make one surgery more appropriate for you than the other (for example, GERD), but if you don't have any of those conditions, it really comes down to personal preference. I chose bypass because I had reflux issues before I had surgery. There's a chance sleeve can make those worse, whereas bypass usually improves or even cures them. So I decided not to risk it and went with bypass. I've been very happy with my bypass and would make the same choice if I had to decide today. But you'll find people who are just as happy with their sleeve. I know it's a hard decision. Even with my reflux issues, I still went back and forth before deciding for sure. P.S. in response to the comment above, malabsorption issues aren't very common as long as you keep on top of your supplements (most sleevers have to take supplements as well - although the consequences aren't as severe if you slack off). Also, about 30% of bypass patients dump, but it can be controlled by limiting the amount of sugar and fat you eat at one sitting. So those issues really didn't affect my decision. For me it came down to my reflux issues - and the fact that at the time I had my surgery almost eight years ago, sleeve was still kind of new, and I was more comfortable with a surgery that had a lot of history and research behind it. The latter reason wouldn't really apply today because the sleeve has now been around long enough to prove itself, but I personally would have still gone with RNY because I didn't want to take the risk of having my GERD getting worse (it doesn't happen to everyone - and not even to the majority - but I was worried I'd turn out to be one of the unfortunate ones, and I didn't want to go there) I think the suggestion to talk to the surgeon about your lifestyle, etc, is a good one. It might help you make a decision. Good luck, though - I know it's not an easy decision.

exercise is only about 10% of weight loss. 90% is due to food intake (or the lack thereof). So being active does help a bit, but most of loss or gain is due to food intake. I know of several people who've lost a ton of weight with WLS without exercise, so you should be fine. not losing the first week is common, and Sigh is correct, it's due to the IV fluids you got in the hospital, which is essentially salt water. The sodium in it causes water retention in a lot of people, and it takes a few days to work it's way out of your system. Lots of us leave the hospital weighing more than we did when we entered. I've read about people "gaining" up to 10 lbs in the hospital! So no worries. You'll start losing weight soon..

no - I just prepped my food at home and packed however much I could eat of it into a container and just took that. I also always had a couple of things of Greek yogurt and a ready-to-drink protein shake or two in my office refrigerator.

I agree with everyone else. I always thought I could do it on my own, and I lost weight - only to regain it - again and again and again. This went on for probably 30 years. Some people can do it - but according to statistics, it's about 5% or fewer. I wasn't one of the 5%. Surgery was the only thing that helped me lose my excess weight and keep most of it off. it's not easy. It does take work. A lot of work. But on that other hand, it does work as long as you do your part. Stick to the eating plan. Get and stay active. The difference is, you're no longer fighting biology - the strong need for your body to return to its highest weight. You can definitely regain a bunch of weight if you're not monitoring yourself, but because of the lower set point and changes in your hormones, it's a lot easier to maintain the loss. I couldn't have done it without the surgery.

as others have said, screwed up menstrual cycles are common the first few weeks or months after surgery due to the hormone surge. Some women report hormone-related emotional weirdnesses, too. It should all stabilize once your rate of weight loss slows down.

yes - I've heard of it developing a few years out from surgery.

this came up yesterday on another forum, so I googled it and found an article on one of the medical sites (may have been an NIH page - can't remember). It said topicals can potentially cause GI issues, but oral NSAIDs are much more likely to.

unless you've eaten an extra 10,500 calories this week, that "gain" is either water or intestinal contents (i.e., "poop"), or a little of both. Daily fluctuations are normal, whether you're dieting or not. If it's playing with your mind too much, cut back your weighing to once a week - then you'll see overall trends rather than the daily fluctuations.

exactly the same here. Even though I wish I'd have done it in my 30s, I don't think I would have been ready and probably wouldn't have been as successful. Plus those of us in our age range probably remember the days when these surgeries were still pretty risky. They're just not anymore. It took me awhile to become convinced of that. I'm so happy I had it and wish I hadn't waited so long.

that's a great way of putting it! I personally wouldn't worry about the extra two grams, either. She's obsessively restrictive, in my opinion. It's not like it's a bowl of ice cream! I probably shouldn't say this because I often preach that people need to stick to their plan, but my last dietititian (who just recently left - haven't met her replacement yet) was really into "intuitive eating" and hated the fact that I count calories. HATED it. I finally just quit letting it come up in conversation. I'd smile and nod. I know intuitive eating works for some people, but I know myself - I'd intuitively eat my way back up to 300 lbs again if I didn't constantly monitor my calorie intake (and it's not like I punish myself if I go over some days - that's life - but overall, there's a certain level that I try to average). That's worked for me. I'm not going to give up something that's worked for me. your dietititian reminds me of people who fret because their vitamin has 20 calories in it. ARRRGGH. Just walk from your bedroom to your living room and you'll probably burn that off...

they typically last 1-3 weeks. Mine lasted two weeks and then I dropped like 6-8 lbs within a couple of days. Hang in there, stick to your plan, stay off the scale, and know that it WILL break and you'll be on your way again!

lots of us!

they used to take gallbladders out routinely during WLS, but they don't anymore. Lots of us take ursodiol (Actigall) for the first few months after surgery now. It doesn't completely prevent gallbladder trouble, but it greatly reduces the risk. I never had any issues with mine (almost eight years out)

there's something very wrong there. I'd go back to my surgeon, too.

the majority of sleevers don't develop GERD, but about 30% do. Usually it's mild enough that it can be controlled medically (PPIs, usually), but in some cases it's so severe that the only option is revision. I don't know the percentage of those who have to get a revision, but it's probably pretty low - but still, yes, it's something to consider when trying to make a decision. some people with pre-op GERD are willing to take the risk, and often they luck out and it doesn't get any worse (and for some, it improves), but I wasn't willing to take the risk. I was afraid I'd be one of the unlucky ones, so I went with bypass. I love my bypass and am glad I made that decision. I think a lot of surgeons prefer doing VSG because it's an easier surgery (for them) and there are fewer potential complications with it (although honestly, not many people have complications with bypass, either), but they'll often suggest RNY to their patients who already struggle with GERD, because there's a change it could get worse. RNY will usually improve if not cure GERD. good luck with your decision - it's not an easy one. And remember that ultimately it's your body and your choice. My surgeon did say he'd do the VSG if I wanted it, but he wanted me to at least consider RNY since I had GERD. I'm glad I made the choice I did - but he would have done either one.

lactose intolerance or intolerance to certain artificial sweeteners can cause that, but if it's happening in response to water, too, then that's not it. I hope they can figure it out for you - that would be awful!! also, various colors of poop aren't that unusual during the first month after surgery. Although I'd at least let my clinic know if another two or three weeks go by and it's still looking weird.

yep - stick to your plan, stay off the scale, and wait it out. Stalls are a normal part of the weight loss process. I think of it was your body having to stop and recalibrate once in awhile. As long as you're sticking to your plan, the stall will break and you'll be on your way again.

I didn't have them with my bypass (they used surgical glue), but two of my plastic surgeries involved a few staples. I don't remember it hurting when they removed them.

unfortunately, chronic constipation is an issue for a lot of us (with others, it goes away after they can start eating more fibrous foods like fruits and vegetables). I'm one of the former. I take a capful of Miralax every morning (and have for years), and for the most part, that keeps it at bay. But I still have issues maybe once a month. When that happens, a night or two of milk of magesia usually solves the problem. Oh - and like someone above said, I also take a magnesium tablet every day. That probably helps with keeping it at bay, too (those tablets are usually 250-400 mg. A shot of milk of magnesia is probably 5x that (or maybe more - I'd have to look at the bottle) - so magnesium is definitely a known "de-plugger". But the amount in a typical tablet is OK for every day use, and it helps with preventing it - I wouldn't do milk of magnesia as a daily prevention method - it's too strong - but for those times when you're already severely backed up - it does the trick - at least for me)

I was allowed to swallow pills as long as they were the size of pencil eraser or smaller as soon as I got home from the hospital (I've heard other people on here say they were allowed to swallow pills that were smaller than an M&M). Bigger pills I had to wait two or three weeks on, or until I was able to do it without difficulty. Only two of my pills were larger than that, but fortunately one was calcium (so I just got a chewable version), and the other was one that the PA at my clinic said was OK to skip for a couple of weeks. so I would say if you were able to swallow it without any problem, I wouldn't worry about it.

I went with bypass because I also had GERD before surgery. Not everyone has issues of their GERD getting worse after getting the sleeve, but I was afraid I'd be one of the unlucky ones whose did, and I wasn't willing to take that risk. But some people do take the risk, and for some it turns out OK. I'm pretty much on autopilot when it comes to taking vitamins. I take a small handful when I get up in the morning, and another small handful around dinner time. And my iron before I go to bed. I really don't even think about it much anymore. But yea, slacking off on vitamins has more consequences for bypassers than it does for sleevers, so it really is important to stay on top of them. taking tiny sips of water and eating microscopic pieces and portions is really just the first few weeks or months after surgery. I drink water at the same rate I always did, and I eat pretty normally now (except in smaller portions). If you swallow too big a piece of food, your stomach will let you know. I love my bypass and wish I would have had it years before I actually did. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!