catwoman7

a lot of people (most, actually) have a 10-20 lb rebound gain during year 2 or 3 - so if you haven't had that yet, it may help with the drawn look. Also, things sort of shift around after your body settles in at your new weight, so that also helps. Although I also lost over 200 lbs and looked older (well, probably more my age, since I looked younger than I was when I was fat). But I ended up having a face/neck lift, esp since I didn't like my turkey neck. it sounds like you're overly obsessed with your weight and eating. I've been accused of that as well, and I've backed off a bit - although since doing that, it's been harder to keep my weight in check. It's gone up a bit more, but it's still acceptable (well, at least to my PCP and my surgeon - personally, I'd rather be 10 lbs lighter than I am now). But I think I'm in a better place stress-wise since I'm not so obsessed with my weight and eating. I agree with some of the posters above that maybe it would help to work with a dietitian and therapist...

I think I chewed that much when I was an early post-op, but I don't anymore. I do try to thoroughly chew things, though, because a tiny stomach isn't capable of churning food like a full, normal stomach is - so you have to give it some help (by doing some of the digesting while the food is still in your mouth).

I eat crackers occasionally now (at seven years out), but early out, I personally wouldn't have. I'm sure they're not harmful, but you don't get much nutrition bang for your buck - and when you're only taking in a limited amount of calories, that's kind of important...

stalls are very common during weight loss. You'll likely hit several of them along the way. Make sure you're sticking to your program and try to stay off the scale when you hit them. They'll eventually break and you'll be on your way again. Keto "works" right away because carbs hold on to water, so those big drops are water weight (and over time it works because you're taking in fewer calories overall). You're taking in fewer calories NOW, too. The only thing Keto would do would be to let go of water, causing a temporary drop in weight. Water weight doesn't count. Just stick to your clinic's plan.

RNY or VSG? If you had RNY, I would agree with the person above - it's most likely a stricture. They're an easy fix - go to the ER and they'll do an upper endoscopy and stretch it out for you. You'll feel 100% better afterward (I had two of them - they almost always occur 1-3 months after surgery, so you're in the right window of time for one). if you had sleeve, I'm not sure (could be a stricture - but they're not very common in sleeve patients). In any event, I'd go to the ER. People can live for quite awhile without food, but not fluids. You need to get that looked into ASAP.

agree with the others. Slower weight loss seems to be the norm with revisions. On top of that, you're getting close to a normal BMI. The closer you get, the harder it is to take weight off. You may just be in a long stall (they do seem to become more frequent and last longer the closer you get to a normal BMI), but if you want to keep going, you can always drop your calories. However, if your body is happiest at your current 179 lbs and doesn't want to go lower, it'll be a constant struggle to keep it lower than that (dealing with that myself....). It can be done - but it will be a struggle. I've kind of thrown in the towel at this point. My weight isn't as low as I'd like but it's acceptable. But still, there are days...

I wouldn't think there would be an issue of having them both together, but check with your dietitian just to be sure.

I'd ask about the stool - it could even be something like excess iron, but I'd check to be on the safe side.

it's not super common but definitely not unheard of among bypass patients. Glad to hear you've got a handle on it...

contact your clinic - that's not normal.

it's more an issue for bypass patients than for sleeve patients.

I was told I could swallow everything the size of pencil eraser (and smaller) as soon as I got home from the hospital. That was all except two pills. I had to wait about three weeks before I could tackle those - fortunately, they were ones I was told would be safe to wait on. So I never had to crush anything.

I had gastric bypass at age 56. I started at 373 lbs and got down to a low of 138. Have since put on a few lbs (which is very common after you hit your lowest weight - most people have a 10-20 lb rebound), but then my weight stabilized. Have been pretty stable ever since.

I was on purees as soon as I left the hospital - but plans are all different. I'd check with your clinic to see if it's OK to progress,

that's going to vary a lot for people depending on several factors (how active you are, your metabolic rate, how much weight you're trying to maintain (you'll have to eat quite a bit less to maintain 120 lbs than you will 160 lbs)), etc. but in any event, no - you won't be eating 4 oz for life. NO ONE would be able to tell I've had surgery at this point - and it's been a few years since that might have been obvious. If they notice at all, they'd assume I'm a light or careful eater, like many of my women friends who have never been obese. I eat around 1700 calories to maintain - I can go higher if I'm exercising a lot (but again, calories will vary depending on those factors I mentioned. Some women here on BP can maintain on 2000 calories - others can only eat 1200). When I go out to eat, I'll usually order an appetizer. Or I'll order an entree and take half of it home - pretty much the same as a lot of my female friends. an example I often use is pizza. Before surgery, my husband and I would order a large pizza, and we'd each eat half of it. Now I can only eat 1-2 pieces before my stomach tells me it's time to stop. anyway, hope that gives you an idea..

no, you won't - not with that large calorie deficit. As others have said, you'll hit stalls along the way and your weight may fluctuate occasionally by a pound or two, but if you stick to your clinic's plan, your trend will be down. I didn't start regaining until I hit my lowest weight (in the 130s), but it's VERY common to gain 10-20 lbs after hitting your lowest weight (the rebound gain is usually in year 2 or 3). But while you're in the losing phase, as long as you're sticking to your plan, no. You'll continue to lose.

if by toilet issues you mean constipation, that's a common issue. Many of us take a capful of Miralax every day to keep on top of it (others take stool softeners or magnesium tablets). as for the food, I'd check with your clinic.

pre-op diets vary so much between clinics that it's hard to answer that. And some clinics don't even require a pre-op diet at all. My clinic didn't allow any solid food at all - just clear liquids and 4-5 protein shakes a day for two weeks. So...I don't really know the answer to your question. I suspect you'll be OK, but if you're concerned, call your clinic.

I just ate it straight as well! (at least in the early stages)

that could/would have happened even if you'd never had surgery. It's not that unusual after being with someone for a long time. HOWEVER, the difference now is, you have more confidence - plus you're going to be attractive to a lot more potential partners. In other words, you have more options - and you don't have to put up with an unsatisfying situation if you don't want to (not that I'm encouraging you to leave - you're certainly not alone in falling out of love with a long-term partner. Some people stick with it regardless - others leave - but you have more options now and likely, a lot more confidence)

I agree - I'm surprised your surgeon didn't bring this up with you. Normally gastric bypass is recommended for people with reflux. as for your other questions, 1 . Does GS affect your breathing in any way ? Haven't heard of this issue 2. is there any vomitation of blood in the mouth after surgery haven't heard of this - but it seems plausible since it's stomach surgery, so I suppose it could happen 3. Can I smoke my vape with nicotine after GS we were told no smoking/nicotine 4. Is it hard to swallow (water/protein drinks) in the days after GS for some, yes - but for most, no. 5. What happens if I miss my Vitamin tablets for a couple of days , will I feel weak ? a couple of days shouldn't be an issue, but I wouldn't make a habit of it. We have a few sleevers on here who were given the go-ahead to stop taking certain or all vitamins based on their lab results - but it'll be awhile before that kind of decision (might be...) made. In the mean time, you should be taking them regularly. 6. I suffer from Heartburn (gastric reflux)will my heartburn tablets be ok to take after the surgery yes, you can take heartburn meds, but again, I'm a little surprised you'll be getting sleeve surgery since you suffer from heartburn. Sleeve can make that worse. It's not inevitable - and it doesn't even happen to the majority - but the risk is big enough that many surgeons will recommend bypass instead of sleeve for heartburn sufferers.

Seven years out, I still sometimes think people are going to look into my grocery cart to see what "fat people" eat (although I didn't eat crap even when I was morbidly obese!), and I still sometimes get a fleeting fear that someone is going to say something or stare at me if I'm walking around outside eating an ice cream cone. Then I remember I'm not fat anymore, so no one is going to stare or say anything!

almost everyone has their first major stall sometime during the first 4-6 weeks after surgery. It's usually the third week (hence we call it "the three week stall"), but not always. i just did a search of this site for you on the "three week stall" - there are 17,500 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding). here they are: https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=three week stall your calories are fine. Just stick to your program and stay off the scale for a few days. As long as you stick to your program, the stall will break. Usually takes 1-3 weeks.

I took chewable Centrum (or the generic equivalent) the first few months post-surgery (I just take regular Centrum (or equivalent) tablets now)

it can take a week to have the first BM. And it's often a doozy! A lot of us take stool softeners to ease the "passage"... just so you know, chronic constipation is a common issue after weight loss surgery (but usually not as bad as that first post-surgery one). Many of us take a capful of Miralax or stool softeners to stay on top of it.