Biddy zz 🏳️🌈

Hi everyone I had a roux-en-y gastric bypass with fobi pouch 5 years ago (well, 5 years and 11 days to be precise). In the year or two after surgery I was a regular poster here and got immense support from people going through the process at the same time as me, as well as from those who were living with the changes, so I though I’d come back and share for a bit. I have the same story as many of you I am sure - a lifetime of weight loss, weight gain. I had a bit of a distaste for serious exercise but I’d walk happily. I know I ate (well, still do a bit) to deal with feelings - especially loneliness. Stressful jobs over the years, I am 5 foot 7in tall and my weight seesawed until at 100kg (220 lbs) i got a gastric band. That was good, helped me loose maybe 25lbs, but eventually the refill port broke and it had some other issues where it broke, so I made the decision to get a bypass. Because I was back up to 120kg (165lbs) ’My’ bypass has a fobi pouch - so instead of having a small rounded stomach, I have a longer thinner one with a permanent band (made from a baby’s catheter with permanent suture through to make a tied-off loop) in place around it, so it will never stretch. Anyway, it has been a resounding success. I initially dropped to under 60kg (130lbs). I remember worrying ‘how do I make this STOP! Then settled at about 62-64kg. My partner was concerned I looked a bit skeletal, and I run (sometimes) and cycle (a lot) now, so encouraged me to consider putting on a bit of weight for my own health, and I did and feel better for it - so now I sit happily at about 66-67kg - just under 150lbs. There were times when it was tough work. There still are - I occasionally still get sick with that horrid ‘dumping’ if I make an unwise choice, but the benefits outweigh that so much! I want to thank users of this board - the best bit was each problem I encountered, I found someone else had encountered it and overcome it. And it helped me hang in, see it through.

I agree - get on down to a doctor. It isn’t right! It could be a muscle tear but also an ulcer, or any number of things. Best to know. Keep us posted?

Hi there - I had open surgery (my surgeon prefers that approach) and I felt rubbish for a couple of weeks. These first few days are worrying, weird, unpredictable - it passes! But it is so hard to believe that when you’re in the middle of it. One thing puzzles me about your post - what is the ‘no water rule’? I was told drink water/broth/liquids every chance possible. The mantra was “sip, sip, sip, walk, walk, walk” and it seemed to work!

I strongly recommend the thread “the importance of doing the head work”. Although someone said this regain is likely a nutrition problem, I suspect it is likely an eating/food intake/food choices problem! Some doctors sell this surgery as ‘set and forget’ but it isn’t! The initial weight-loss phase with a new small stomach is just a chance to start in with new habits - less addictive sugar, more veggies and grains etc. All is not lost! Can you reset now, go back to your original diet plan? It will be hard at first, but in 3 weeks you’ll be in the groove and losing again...

Can you give us a bit more info? Revision to what, do you mean? To undo the RNY? To a duodenal switch?

Yep, go easy on yourself. Firstly, you gain water from the op and then have to lose that. Second, have you EVER lost 13lbs in 2.5 weeks before?! Be patient, and stick to your programme - use this time to train yourself in those new habits, and before you know it, you’ll be walking straight out of your clothes!

Hooray for us post-menopausal women taking a later in-life leap and getting this new life! I am two years post op. I was taking magnesium to help with restless legs before surgery so I kept that up. Initially I took a multi that I got from the bariatricpal store here. Then as things settled in it became apparent I would need B12 supplement, and 6 mo later, it was clear I needed folic acid too. My surgeon proposed them. And recently my iron has dipped so I take an iron/vitamin c combo tablet a couple of times a week (as I remember to). It is funny - I see loads of folks saying they chose a sleeve not a bypass because of the vitamin deficiencies - but it is so easily remedied! I am so so healthy now - I LOVE my new lease on my post-menopausal life!

I am a band to RNY revisioner and absolutely have never looked back! I chose the band originally because it was reversible, easier surgery, somehow not as drastic and I thought easier to manage with few side effects. I could not have been more wrong! The RNY is a breeze! And the impact on my life! I am now 40lbs lights than I was with the band, am a regular runner (I have never done exercise in my life!) and feel like life is a whole different game now! Go you - you got this...

Hi there One idea - go into your profile and tell up some details - height, weight, date of surgery, surgery type. Your profile still says pre-op so it’s pretty hard to say anything useful. Only getting your protein by supplements is fine if you are 10 days out from surgery, but not so much if you are 10 months out!!

I weigh daily. It doesn’t suit everyone, but there is pretty compelling research showing that one single factor correlates most strongly with maintaining weight loss - and that is daily weighing and writing it down. Or, in my case, logging it in myfitnesspal. I have promised myself - never again will I have to ‘diet’ more than a day or two. So I have a weight. I am relaxes 1lb either side of that. But above that? I have a careful day and fall back into my happy range. Heaven knows, I have too many clothes I love to have to start again, again!!

What brand? Tomboyx are my favourites since Tomboi in Australia stopped making theirs...

What a great attitude you are bringing to this journey. I loved reading that. You are SO right - these foods are back to old you, not forward to healthy new you. It does change, what we automatically think of as a yum treat. Some days I catch myself craving cashews with chilli-lime! Where has the old me gone? That said, those old carb cravings - sweets, chips, bread - still holler for my attention! But more and more I understand it and make choices - mostly healthy - rather than being a slave to the hollering! (I also wake up on tuesdays, Thursday’s and Saturday’s and think ‘oh yay, it is run-day’ - which is DEFINITELY a foreign person inside my brain!)

I agree. Does your surgeon even DO the roux en y bypass? If not, this might be why he’s pushing the sleeve? The general advice - if you ever got reflux, go for the RNY because you almost can’t get it after that...

I like ‘tomboy’ boyleg style undies and I confess to having bought 30 since my weight loss! I have pink/lime green, orange tartan, black with rainbow waistband, blue, yellow. I have them long for snow days, and short for hot days. I have cotton, micromodal. I have ‘wicking fabric’ for running in. And I have another couple in the mail. I am addicted! This is my FAVOURITE part of weight loss!!!!!

I remember being utterly convinced they had cut me open, sewed me up, and forgotten to do the important part! But I soon realised, everything about my stomach and eating was suddenly very different!

That surgeon is a sexist fool, but sadly many surgeons are! Sometimes I wonder if being self centred and opinionated makes them want to BE doctors, of if they get that way from everyone pandering to their in their privileged lives! But. I hope that you l him do his best work on you, and then YOU did your best work on you! How is it going? I am well below goal. And I am LOVING building muscles. I feel stronger than I ever had, and the other benefit - good arm muscles make that loose saggy underarm skin, thigh skin, even belly and butt skin not NEARLY so bad!

My surgeon was very relaxed - your body will tell you, just go with it. But I read a lot, and tried to ensure enough protein. I had protein soups from the bariatricpal store - a lifesaver. I couple were average, some were nearly tasty! Cottage cheese. With chipotle. Or chilli. Or fruit purée. Or anything for flavour - I tried a variety! And I just tried not to worry too much, and NOT to let the carbs creep back in. And it sorted itself. I stayed healthy. And got well below goal.

You have a GREAT attitude. And given that the success of this surgery is hugely about attitude, I reckon you got this!

That is great advice. It isn’t happening to you, it is you. This is a HARD journey. Start weighing every single day. Log it (eg myfitnesspal app) - research shows the best indicator of long-term weight loss change is daily weighing and logging. Make a new eating plan. Plan to stick to it religiously for just 3 days. Get started on the change... now!

I couldn’t weigh for 12 days as I was recouperating in a hotel. But at the end of that - I was well into losing. but I think it varies a bit. It will happen!!

Hi @CashmereAndBones I had really bad craving days! I got my RNY in another city, and recuperated in a hotel - watching FoodTV (which I don’t have at home!). Dreaming of fried food, of diners and baking, while eating protein soup from the bariatricpal store! And feeling ever so sorry for what I couldn’t eat. But it passed. Now I have very limited ‘cravings’ - I am well below any goal I imagined and I find myself thinking ‘ooh, I would like some chilli-lime cashews’ which is new! But cake or jelly beans at work are still hard to resist. And I am learning, this surgery is not a ‘get out of jail free card’. If I eat that crap, I will gain. I can’t recommend strongly enough - use this time to forceably retrain your mind. Reprogramme yourself. Not ‘I can’t eat that 😪’ but ‘I don’t eat that 😋’...

Thanks - I have ordered a container to try. 18 months post surgery and I think my current whey powder is now upsetting my stomach, so I am keen to try a variation. My absolute favourite is one shot of coffee, scoop of powder, dash of milk and 7 ice cubes, in NutriBullet - coffee slushie. I call it my ‘Forever Breakfast’.

My surgeon is tracking 1700 of his patients. After one year almost all we’re still on under 1000 calories a day. After two years, about 1500 average...