Introversion

I'm three years out...I lost 15 pounds the first month and 12.5 pounds the second month. Thereafter, all of my losses were single-digit (1 to 7 pounds monthly). I was a slower loser and it took me nearly 18 months to lose 100 pounds. The speed and rate of your weight loss doesn't matter nearly as much as your ability to keep it off for life. I'm dancing on a cloud because this is the first time in my live I've been able to maintain any type of weight loss. Weight loss doesn't matter as much as weight maintenance. Society focuses too much on shedding pounds as quickly as possible when 95+ percent end up regaining. Weight maintenance is the key. Good luck to you.

I was insured by BC/BS of Texas at the time I was sleeved 3 years ago.

Your surgeon or pre-op handlers would, in all likelihood, inform you of any abnormal findings. The pre-op testing usually consists of a complete blood cell count to ensure you are not anemic or that your white blood cell count is not unusually elevated. A comprehensive metabolic panel is also drawn to ensure your potassium levels aren't abnormally high or low since this could cause cardiac issues on the operating table. The CMP also provides an indirect snapshot of liver/kidney function. My pre-op testing also included a nutritional panel. It revealed I had moderate deficiencies in vitamins A and D.

Yes, it is as common as a full moon. Look up the "three week stall" or "third week stall." This infamous stall happens to many bariatric surgery patients sometime between the second and fourth postoperative weeks. It usually occurs around week 3; hence, it is called the "three week stall."

My insurance company had the same requirement, but I was unable to fulfill it since I had not visited any doctors offices or clinics in the three preceding years (I was uninsured from 2010 to 2014). I provided self-reported weights to fill in the gaps and this sufficed enough for the insurance company to approve payment for the sleeve.

We should also be cognizant that a low-carb diet doesn't necessarily mean the protein content is high. Many clinicians have been able to put type 2 diabetes into remission by prescribing low-carb high-fat (LCHF) diets. For instance, the nephrologist I referenced in my previous post doesn't believe in high-protein diets because protein stimulates insulin production in addition to placing potential strain on the kidneys. http://foodmed.net/2016/07/cure-diabetes-jason-fung-2-steps-lchf/

It sounds as if the nurse at the bariatric clinic subscribes to the dogma from the American Diabetes Association...you know, the same guidelines that have partially contributed to increasing numbers of sicker diabetics over the past few decades in America. http://www.diabetes.org/mfa-recipes/about-our-meal-plans.html The ADA recommends a low-fat, moderate carbohydrate, low sodium diet. Per the ADA, carbs should be spread out throughout the day and be 45% of a diabetic's diet. Of course, more progressive clinicians such as Dr. Jason Fung have put type 2 diabetes into remission by advising formerly diabetic patients to greatly curtail carb intake while increasing dietary fat. https://idmprogram.com/treatments-that-cure-type-2-diabetes-t2d5/ You see, fat does not precipitate an insulin response within the body, while carbs do. Insulin drives fat storage. The less carbs you eat, the lower your insulin levels.

My starting weight was 225 pounds. I'm 5'1", so that placed me at a 42 BMI. After one week on the pre-op diet I weighed in at 218 on surgery day. I got to 118 pounds approximately 18 months post-op.

Well, your progress is slightly faster than mine had been...I had lost 54 pounds at the 6-month mark. Just keep plugging at it and continue to marvel at an amazing weight loss tool that you will have for life. It will not matter in the long run if you attain goal in 10 months or 30 months. What really marks you as a genuine success story is your ability to keep the weight off, not how rapidly you lost it. Good luck to you.

I made the mistake of assuming my weight loss would be speedy. Instead, virtually all of my losses were single digit (1 to 7 pounds monthly) and it took me 18 months to lose 100 pounds. I made the mistake of comparing my weight loss progress to others. The more comparisons I made, the more depressed I became about my snails pace progress. I made the mistake of concluding I'd be the one anomaly for which the gastric sleeve wouldn't work. I made the mistake of downplaying the strong genetic component that drives weight loss after bariatric surgery during the first year. I made the mistake of not having enough faith in the process. Now it's all water under the bridge.

You aren't doing anything wrong with the exception of weighing yourself every day and perhaps expecting to post daily weight losses. Sleeved weight loss occurs in a non-linear pattern: we lose a few pounds, then stall/plateau on occasion. We may even retain a few pounds of water weight before the pounds start dropping again. Also, look up the third week stall. Many sleevers stall sometime between the second and fourth post-op week, but it typically occurs in the third week. Good luck to you.

My starting weight was 225 pounds. I'm 5'1". I lost 7 pounds on the pre-op diet and weighed in at 218 on the day of my surgery. Good luck to you. I will send prayers per your request.

I'll be three years out this upcoming April... I didn't resume my coffee habit until 2 months out. Drinking coffee too soon post-op can result in discomfort and other side effects due to its high acidity. You're only a few days out. http://www.laparoscopic.md/questions/coffee-safe-drink-after-bariatric-surgery I drink at least four cups of coffee daily without any ill effects. Your mileage may vary. Good luck to you.

Only a very small percentage of bypass patients and sleeve patients experience dumping: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4875983/ If your wife opts for a bypass, there's no guarantee that she'll experience adverse reactions to ingested sweets and simple carbs. If your wife cannot control her sweet tooth, she might need to abstain from simple sugars regardless of the bariatric procedure she chooses to undergo,

I'd also be hungry if I ate mashed potatoes, Cream of Wheat, and other starches at just a few weeks out. Personally, these foods don't provide me with much satiety or fullness due to the lack of protein. Are scrambled eggs, chili, refried beans with melted cheese, and tuna acceptable in the soft foods phase that has been prescribed for you? Although most bariatric food plans allow potatoes and hot cereals, many bariatric patients experience chronic hunger if they don't prioritize protein. Good luck to you.

Thanks. Gleaning new info is surely a benefit of participating in bariatric forums since our healthcare team cannot possibly teach us everything we need to know. The professionals at our bariatric surgery offices can only scratch the surface in regards to the knowledge they bestow upon patients. Figuring out the rest is entirely up to us as individuals. The learning curve is part and parcel of our lifelong journeys toward improved health.

Nope...I understand your fears, though. Nonetheless, it's been empirically proven that diet and exercise don't work long term. You can lose the weight through old-fashioned diet and exercise, but your internal biochemistry will fight valiantly to get back to 250 pounds. And...the long-term obese body usually wins. Your odds of keeping the weight off are about 2 percent. So, in all likelihood you'll be revisiting the idea of surgery in the near future. I sympathize with your fears about developing a clot. Then again, very few elderly people exist who are obese. Obesity will lead to a low quality of life and untimely death. Good luck to you.

If you lost 1 to 2 pounds in a week, you're NOT in a weight loss stall. A true stall occurs when you're not losing pounds or inches. Also, numerous fortunate people travel through their weight loss journeys without ever stalling, so it isn't a foregone conclusion. Personally, my '3rd week stall' occurred a week early, during the second week. Keep in mind that, as time passes, there will be weeks where you don't post a loss at all. My losses were painstakingly slow...after the first 2 months, I posted a monthly loss of 1 to 7 pounds monthly. Yes, virtually all of my monthly losses were in the single digits and it took 18 months for me to lose 100 pounds.

Fluids don't cause restriction in many people...they remain in the sleeved stomach for a few brief minutes before entering the small intestine via the pyloric valve. This is normal. You, in all likelihood, won't feel restriction until you start eating real food such as hard protein (e.g. chicken breast, beef, pork) and fibrous veggies (e.g. broccoli, squash). Slider foods such as chips, popcorn and crackers don't even trigger restriction. That's why they're known as 'sliders.' These foods slide like a slurry.

I forgot to address this aspect of the original poster's question. Revision from bypass to sleeve is possible. In fact, it's been performed on a few occasions. However, revision to a less potent surgical tool is usually ineffective. https://www.sages.org/meetings/annual-meeting/abstracts-archive/revision-of-roux-en-y-gastric-bypass-to-sleeve-gastrectomy-and-hiatal-hernia-repair/

Welcome. Why would you want to revise from a more powerful surgery (gastric bypass) to a less powerful one (the sleeve)? I'm attempting to make sense out of it. I'm pleased with my sleeve. However, I lost 41 pounds at 4 months out. You're 4 months out and lost 40 pounds. What do you think will happen by converting from bypass to sleeve? I'd give your bypass a chance to work. Revision is risky business. Good luck to you.

During year 1, the amount and rate of excess weight loss (EWL) is mostly dictated by genetics. Those with two copies of favorable genetic markers on chromosome 15 will lose rapidly, regardless of what they eat. These blessed souls will lose weight while grazing on Krispy Kreme donuts and chili cheese fries. However, since these people failed to adopt healthy habits during year 1, a.k.a. the "honeymoon phase," they usually begin regaining weight during year 2 as the influence of genetics decreases. It's also important to be mindful that the 50%-to-70% excess weight loss (EWL) statistic places all sleeved persons into the same statistical cluster, resulting in an average. So, people who lose and maintain 100 percent of excess body weight (EBW) are clustered with everyone else, including average responders who lost 60 to 70 percent of EBW, and the poorest responders who lost less than 30 percent of EBW. After all numbers are crunched, the result is 60 to 70 percent EWL. Therefore, the results of a person like me who attained goal weight and lost almost 100 percent of EBW are placed into the same statistical data mine as the hypothetical woman with undiagnosed depressive disorder who only lost 40 pounds post-op in year 1 (and regained it all by year 3) by self-medicating her depressed mood with chocolate-covered peanuts and Mountain Dew soda. Most people don't lose 60 percent of their EBW and call it a day. Some lose 100%, some lose 75%, and some lose only 25% of EBW.

I'll start by mentioning I'm nearly 3 years out. Per a recent resting metabolic rate (RMR) test, I'm able to eat approximately 2200 calories daily without regain. As an active 120-pound female in my mid 30s with more muscle mass than most females my age, I've been able to eat that much without regaining as long as I maintain my activity levels. Not everyone who is 3, 5 or 10 years out regains. The research studies tend to throw everyone into the mix including the maintainers and the regainers. I've read hundreds of regain stories on these forums and other sites. The common theme is backsliding into old habits. There's usually some mention of falling off the wagon, eating more fast food than usual, indulging in sweets, or grazing mindlessly on sliders (chips, popcorn, crackers, cookies). Sometimes the person downplays the poor food choices by saying, "But I exercise 60 minutes daily!" 60 minutes of jogging at 5 miles/hr burns 500 calories, yet we can eat back 1000 calories in only 10 minutes by enjoying 2 apple fritters, or 2 slices of deep dish meaty pizza, or 2 Starbucks frappuchino drinks. Newbies: many people at 3 to 5 years out truly can eat this much since these foods are soft. Don't get me wrong...I'm definitely not blaming the victim of a massive regain. However, I haven't met a single WLS patient who regained on a daily diet of lean rigid protein and non-starchy veggies. Yes, my hunger returned at 8 to 9 months post-op. However, I can consciously choose to eat more baked chicken breasts to conquer the hunger. I can also choose french fries or Doritos. The choices we make contribute heavily to our maintenance successes or failures. Again, it's rare to hear of someone who regained on a diet of turkey and steamed veggies.

Well, for me, this was the easy way out... I'm in my mid 30s. Through yo-yo dieting I've lost and regained 200+ pounds over the past 2 decades (e.g., lose 30, regain 50, lose 60, regain 100, lose 50, regain 90, rinse/repeat). I could lose a lot of weight, but could never keep it off. As soon as I reached a normal weight range my body fought like hell to fatten up again. Every single time. Yo-yo dieting is hard. Losing weight the old-fashioned way is hard. Regaining massive amounts of weight over and over again is hard on the body and crushes the spirit. But weight loss surgery? Yes, it's been my easy way out. Others may feel differently. Other than post-op soreness and fatigue, surgery has been far easier than doing it the traditional way. It's also easier to keep the weight off, which is what matters. I'm nearly 3 years out with no regrets.

Excess skin is a badge of honor, IMHO. It signifies that you valiantly fought the battle of the bulge and conquered your weight problem. I'm going to be brutally honest here...I know we're not doing this for looks, right? Loose skin may look unsightly, but most morbidly obese 363-pound bodies don't look particularly good or healthy. Good luck to you.