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I kept all of my size 18-22 clothes (size 14 since December). Hasn’t been that long, but I don’t yet have confidence that I can maintain the weight loss. I feel I can continue the healthy habits I’ve adopted, but my body has seemed out of control for so many years that I don’t know that it will continue to “make nice” with my new habits. That I can control what I eat, my sleep, activity, etc., but not how my body will respond as far as weight. I guess time will tell. But I did keep all my smaller clothes from around 2004 and was glad to wear the classic ones again!!

Fortunately, I haven’t ever been called fat as an adult. But the numerous times I was bullied throughout grades 5-12 made up for it. I did get asked by a colleague once if I was pregnant (um…nope…) and people have made many positive comments since I lost weight. So, I know people were always looking and judging…just didn’t say it to my face. Like Ms.sss wrote, people suck! It’s just made me all the more caring and empathetic to people who are obese or going through other tough situations.

I was not able to drink quickly at all for months. Although I was not considered dehydrated, it took me all day to drink 4 cups of liquid for weeks. Now, I can drink one cup in a minute. If I am going to be in the heat, I make sure to hydrate well in the hours beforehand. Hope this helps!

Being able to reach the car gas tank release lever by simply bending at the waist instead of stepping out of the car to do this! And one of the biggest…tucking in a shirt! I look great! I hadn’t done that in probably 15+ years…and my teen said my legs looked longer!!!

No bald patches, per se, but I had new growth on one upper temple, and nearly a bald other temple. Rest of head is covered fully, but so much thinner and drier. Still trying to figure out how to style to maximize the hair I have. Pre-op I had long, thick, shiny hair…but I gladly trade it for the weight loss! I didn’t get full protein/supplements till around two months post-op due to vomiting, so hopefully others will do better!

Sorry things are not feeling so well right now! I concur with previous posters. When I was 6 weeks out and still vomiting several times a day, I wondered if things would ever feel good again. I had to spend all day sipping fluids, and didn’t get my fluids, protein, or full supplements for probably 2 months post-op. But my body eventually got back to “normal” and I am healthy. I can drink 8 oz. water in about a minute now. Maybe try a bit of Crystal Light with some unflavored protein powder? Or fruity protein powder? Bone broth with soft chicken? (Try the packets for ease). Soft chicken with beans and shredded cheese? Soft baked fish like Tilapia? GL, this will get better! PS - Sorry to hear about your other half leaving for a few months…. 😢 It will be special when they return and see the new you.

My surgeon explained that a minority of people will have Gerd after surgery. He said that for the vast majority of those people, medicine alleviates it. He said there is a small percentage, I forget whether it was one or 3%, for whom the medicine does not work, and they need revision surgery.

Pre-op BMI almost 42. Current BMI 27. I was obese for 20 years. Yes, I do have excess skin. It’s mostly on my upper arms. With higher-waist (but normal) underwear and an awesome bra, the only time it’s noticeable is when I wear short sleeves. I choose clothes that accentuate my slim parts, and I have to say I look really good in them! 😊 My upper arms aren’t enough to bother me. I look for clothes that have sleeves down to the elbows when possible. Having surgery is a huge deal to me (pain, recovery time, cost, risk of anesthesia) and I am not willing to undergo it again unless it’s really necessary. I hope this helps, good luck!

So sorry to hear this! I’m glad that your providers are figuring out what is going on. Hopefully the spasms will subside soon, and you will be healing. Hopefully you will be on your journey towards eating and drinking regularly (for gastric sleeve, that is). This was not my scenario, but I had esophageal spasms and then vomiting for two months. I followed the doctor‘s advice, and it did eventually subside. I then had a normal response to the sleeve, and have lost most of the excess weight. So hang in there, and sip slowly throughout the day if allowed. Even though your recovery is not the usual, you will likely have good results eventually, once you pass this hurdle!

My husband was initially against it. He was afraid it wouldn’t work, or that I would regain the weight. However, he was supportive of my decision. Since I’ve lost the majority of excess weight, I think he is happily surprised. Time will tell if I can keep the weight off permanently.

Update: I found a recipe for no sugar added breakfast cookies. They have oatmeal, natural peanut butter, bananas, raisins or sugar-free chocolate chips, etc. With protein powder added, they are not too bad for 2 cookies. And they smell wonderful coming out of the oven, which I think is the emotional aspect being satisfied. If I don’t use artificial sweeteners, my Littles can eat them, too!

Clothes are my favorite! I am looking forward to the summer when I will finally buy a new swimsuit for the first time in over a decade. And going to the swimming pool without feeling so self-conscious.

At what point did you stop losing? I’m almost at a year, and have gone up/down the same 2 pounds for 2 months. I am happy at this weight (would love to lose another 10-15 pounds to be at a “normal” BMI), but am wondering if this is typically the end of weight loss. I’m feeling pretty good about continuing the daily maintenance it would take to stay this way long term. I’m not willing to do much else to lose weight because mentally, I feel I’d start obsessing, which would backfire eventually. I want to be at peace and not gain. 😊

It’s your call; you know what will be best for you! I didn’t tell anyone but my husband. It’s no one’s business. However, I also didn’t want the added pressure or judgment. If I lost weight, people would think I took the easy way out. If I didn’t lose weight, people would think that I am so pathetic that even weight loss surgery didn’t work for me. I didn’t need all that!

Thank you for the replies! Highest weight: 249 (thanks to the pandemic for accelerating my emotional eating) Surgery weight: 225 Current weight: 149 (lost 85%+ excess weight, depending on date of comparison) I don’t track calories. As we all know, the mental part of this can be equally hard as the physical, sometimes more. Just trying not to push myself to the point at which I feel deprived and I’m working too hard. And like Spinoza wrote so well, picking a battle I could never win... I also read an article recently about how a BMI of 27 is perhaps the best. Interesting! https://www.medpagetoday.com/primarycare/obesity/57821

Yes, Benefiber and .5 cap Miralax every day in Crystal Light works for me.

Thank you for all of the ideas! Kids are too young to bake, but they help add ingredients. Thanks for the delicious bread idea, that might work. As I’ve not baked with artificial sweeteners, I don’t know the proper ratio from the amount of sugar in a recipe. Does anybody have a website for this?

Yes! I was thrilled to be out of the hospital, it was a horrible stay with poor nursing care due to the pandemic. However, when I came home, vomiting continued for weeks. Because I was not cooking, my family would get all types of carry-out that normally I would enjoy with them. So depressing. I missed the food and being with them to eat. When the vomiting stopped, and I was able to at least have a french fry, I felt that I was not being deprived, and my mood lightened. The eating plan became more natural, and not so regimented. To the original poster, a couple months have passed since your post, I hope you are feeling better both physically and mentally. 😀

Vomiting is so tough. I had vomiting for two months and was only recommended to return to liquid for one day in the first month. The pharmacist recommended a slow-release iron pill that I took separately from a multivitamin (I use Bariatric Pal capsules) that had no iron. This did the trick, maybe try it?

One of my doctors recommended it. Before that, I thought it was only for super obese people. I wonder if some doctors also think this way. I have a family member who is a doctor, and although she was not against the surgery, she said that she has had many patients regain weight. To me, this was a warning not to let myself be one of them. I ran it by two of my other doctors, and they were both supportive. Funny enough, I had brought it up to one of them on a whim several years prior, and was discouraged from looking into it because my BMI was on the lower end, and insurance would not cover it likely. In the end, you have to do what is best for you. Good luck!

It is great to be thinking about this ahead of time! I agree with Splenda above, taste can change. I started drinking protein shakes a few weeks before surgery. I found two that I liked. After surgery, I have only been able to drink protein shakes on two occasions. They made me vomit. I do use Syntrax Nectar unflavored protein powder, to add to Crystal Light, oatmeal, pancakes, etc.

Thank you for this post, and for the replies! So timely. Congrats on the 65 pounds! I’ve lost about 80% of the excess weight (BMI now 27), and I’m wondering if this is the end of the line. Could I do more exercise, and eat even better? Yes and yes. Do I want to find sustainable practices for the rest of my life, and be content (not neurotic about food and exercise)? Yes also. I like what mini gastric bypass dude said, try something new and see how your body responds. However, it would need to be something that you could do from here on out, in order to maintain. I think being a bit on the heavier side is better than going up and down?

Has anyone tried the new Genepro, 3rd generation, sold in the orange canister? I was disappointed the old one (sold in white bags) is gone, as it was the only unflavored protein powder I couldn’t taste nor smell. Others make me nauseous. I read bad reviews of the new formula on Amazon so wanted to see if anyone here has experience with it. Thanks! Edit: upon reading the fine print, the new version has a larger scoop and only a third of the protein of the old version. Not just bad volume wise, but also nutritionally and pricewise. Looks like I will need to find the old version or use a different brand from now on.

I’m starting to feel this way. The scale has gone up or down 3-4 pounds for about two months now, and I think this may be the happy point for my body. It is within my surgeon’s zone of success, actually towards the lower end. And to the original post, it is hard to get in the right headspace to lose those last few pounds, but even if it occurred, the question is, could we maintain it forever?

Kudos to those of you following your gut, and having the patience to wait!