SomeBigGuy

Sorry to hear everyone is going through this with friends, loved ones, and coworkers, but I think it just goes with the process. There's jerks everywhere, and if they're making comments now, they were making comments before. I just had surgery 2 months ago, and I've already lost friends and cut off family members over it. It sucked, but it was needed. Typically those people are unhappy with themselves and waste time obsessing over how to nitpick everyone else's shortcomings and how they can turn that around to make themselves fill superior. All you can do is just walk away because any attention is "good attention" to them. Even firing back at them with a response feeds their ego, and makes them feel even more justified. Don't give them any of your mental energy, they haven't and won't ever earn it from you.

It's hard when it comes from family members, but I think its inevitable because every family and circle of friends has "that a**h***". If they're the kind of person the judge someone for the weight loss, they were already judging before the weight loss. Take pride in knowing that you live rent free in their head tormenting them As for you, just keep up the good work! People who haven't experienced it don't realize the work that is still required, nor the pain/discomfort that is experienced in the weight loss surgery process. Especially for people who's metabolism is just naturally geared toward not eating much or staying small. To them, they falsely believe that since it is so hard for them to gain weight by forcing themselves to eat more, then you must have voluntarily forced yourself to be overweight. They don't realize how foolish that concept sounds because they've never walked in your shoes. If they don't choose to make the effort to understand, they never will. It is hard brushing it off from people that are close, but as I mentioned earlier about living rent free in others' minds, don't let them dwell in your head. Evict them and go on about your day!

I had the Gastric Sleeve performed in November and I was back at the hotel by 7pm that night. I was able to walk several laps up and down the hallway that night without much trouble, just some gas pain. That trend seems to be more popular now since it is a lot less invasive of a procedure compared to the bypass or DS/SIPS/SADI procedures.

The Week 3 stall is real! I stalled and gained 6lbs back between weeks 3 and 5, and just now lost it back in the last week. I've had several people tell me weeks 3-6 will generally have a stall and a slight regain due to your body panicking over the rapid weight loss, and readjusting its baseline, so it is part of the process. I've also been told a second stall/regain will occur around the 3-month mark, and last up to 4 weeks, so prepare yourself for that. I'm bracing for that coming up soon. Keep in mind the weight loss won't be like a straight line, more like stair steps with the occasional bump back up before dropping again. Just stick to the diet, and switch to weighting weekly to prevent obsessing over it (like I did haha). Also, several months from now, as you approach your goal weight, remember that gaining muscle through exercise will make the number on the scale go up, but that's a good thing. Muscle weights 1.5x as much as fat, so as you gain it, you will continue burning off fat, which is the "bad weight". About 1 year out, you won't worry as much about the scale, and will celebrate the wins in smaller clothing sizes, more energy, and better endurance/stamina! Regarding the caloric intake, my surgeon and team recommended I keep aiming for 800-1000 calories per day, but I am a 6'1" male, so my base caloric rate may be higher than yours. I would check back with your doctor or nutritionist to be sure, but I think 1200 is closer to the target after 1 year. Also prioritize water and protein first, followed by unsaturated fats, then try for any carbs/sweets/starches/breads and saturated fats last. My plan has me targeting less than 50g of carbohydrates per day, not low enough for keto, but enough to keep the sugar cravings and fat retention down. You may need to check your macros as well. Best of luck to you on your journey!

I usually just say I've lost x pounds since the pre-op started and leave it at that. If someone asks about how much since my highest weight, I'll mention that one too, but I haven't gotten any more questions than that regarding the total weight itself. If they ask specifically, I'll share. For my weight tracker on this site, I did list my highest ever weight, but I did lose about 30lb between my peak weight and the pre-op diet over a couple years, but I left the 352 as a reminder to me of where I could still be had I not taken any action. If they come back with some snark about whether I thought the surgery was necessary, that's when I turn on the sarcasm with a non-answer. Luckily those have been few and far between so far.

Congrats on the 16 years of success! As we get older, our metabolism likes to mess with us, haha, but this is common. My surgeon told me that after a while, some weight regain will occur, but the best way to restart things is to redo your pre-op diet for 2 weeks, just to jumpstart things. His plan is at least try to get 64oz of water a day, start with 2 protein shakes for the two meals a day where you typically eat less. On the "big meal" each day, try to get in 6 oz of meat/protein of your choice along with as much leafy greens/broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers as you can. Cut out breads, starchy veggies (potatoes, carrots, etc) for the 2 week duration. Target 60g-80g of protein, and under 50g of carbs per day (not quite keto levels, just reduced). Calorie target was around 600-1000 per day, but it is meant to be temporary and not long term, just a jump start. From my personal experience, sugar/starchy carbs tend to send my cravings off the deep end for up to 3 days after eating them. I'm having to avoid bread, cookies, cake, candy, tortillas, wraps, potatoes, carrots, rice, and oatmeal whenever I start to regain. Some artificial sweeteners seems to set me off too, but I am a recovering Type 2 diabetic. I haven't isolated which ones affect me yet, but I can drink Fairlife protein shakes without having that sugar craving, and it has Monk Fruit, Stevia, and Sucralose. First day is absolute hell, but after 3 days it eases up considerably. Give that a try for 2-3 weeks and see if that helps with the weight loss. After that time, start working in your normal foods again, but give them a few days to see if any are triggering the new weight gain to happen again to see what's worth keeping. Slowly increase your calories to find the amount that works best for you long term. You want the range that lets you have the energy you need without weight gain. Some people may be only 1000 calories, others 1200, and others may be closer to 1800, so there's no exact number that works for every single person. Good luck, and I wish you well on your journey!

Hoping you're feeling better! I'm 5 weeks post-op but still have gas that comes back once a week or so. If I can't get to Gas-X, I have to walk around and do arm lift exercises while walking to help dissipate it. It tends to break it up for a couple hours, so I will do a short walk hourly if I can, even if its just for 5 minutes.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. I was denied by my insurance company for years, got a pre-approval in 2021, and then denied again after I started the program. I had to do months of song and dance to meet their requirements, and then they just dropped me. I appealed repeatedly, and they gave me some BS response like the governor of the state that my insurance is based in effectively declared all bariatric procedures as elective and unnecessary. I ended up having to save up and do some self-financing to have a self-paid procedure. It was stressful in the planning phase, but I am happy with my decision. The surgery team was very helpful, and are staying in regular communication 5 weeks out from my surgery. It is like a smaller used car payment (not a new car price at least!) but it was manageable. I had my Gastric Sleeve done in the US as I was unsure about going to Mexico. I can't speak to the specifics on the pricing, but MX seemed to be generally half the price or less than the US, but it can be a crapshoot for the level of care. Some in the US have some room to negotiate, but a lot are firm on pricing. Just do you research, take a break, and redo the research again to be sure if you go the self-pay route. Hoping your insurance comes to their senses and assists you with this. While this isn't a cure-all or "easy mode" approach to weight loss by any means, it is a very useful tool that will help your overall health and quality of life!

This is coming from a guy, so take it with a grain of salt. I had to go to an event requiring a jacket and tie last week, which was 6 weeks after the pre-op diet (4 weeks post op) weight loss began. When I put on my suit I wore previously in September, I looked like a little kid trying on his dad's clothes. I needed a shirt 3 sizes smaller than my previous, but only 1 size smaller pants. I would suggest waiting to shop until about 2 weeks prior to the event because its hard to predict where you'll be at that point. As far as the foods go, after having the sleeve done, I'm ok with some foods that I probably shouldn't be ready for yet (ground beef, salmon, high fiber/low carb bread which I have since cut back out since its not diet friendly), but others that I should be ok with are making me feel sick (leafy greens, broccoli, canned tuna). Again, I would just assess where you are a week or two out from the wedding, maybe ask them what is on the menu, but maybe plan to pack a diet-friendly snack in your bag just in case. Congrats again on your surgery!

Agreed, I'm not a doctor, but I had one last celebratory drink around 16 days before surgery, but none in the last 14 days leading up to it, and none since. The pre-op diet is mostly needed to reduce the size of the liver so that it isn't in the way during the surgery and/or causing other metabolic issues immediately after surgery. My diet was mostly liquid, but I was allowed up to 4oz of meat/protein in the days prior. I lost around 25lbs during my pre op diet, and they were ok with my results since my liver had reduced in size considerably from my previous CT scan a couple months prior.

Just checking in for the first time in a couple weeks. Surgery was on Nov 20, and doing well from that, however, I caught covid just before Christmas, so haven't been able to do much this week. It's still hanging around making work difficult, but luckily I can work from home. Just hoping its gone by next week because this sucks. Besides that, I had a stall with a 3-5lb regain for about 2 weeks before it started dropping again, but things are moving along again. That "week 3 stall" is real, so don't get discouraged by it, the weight loss will resume. @Meisha - I can relate, I had the Christmas + covid pity party, and ate chocolate and cookies I shouldn't have had, and I did not tolerate that well at all, lol. I guess in a way it was a good reminder to get back on track. Suddenly I wasn't as tired of protein shakes after getting sick from that.

@Char V - Sorry to hear you've had to deal with all of that. Hoping they can resolve it for you quickly! @sisyfitri - Hope you're doing well! I know what you mean about the appetite. My head keeps telling me to eat what I used to, but my stomach definitely throttles my intake if I overdo it. I'm getting better estimating what I can eat in situations where I can't measure, but still haven't perfected it yet. @ZeeGee - Glad to hear things are moving along well for you! My surgery date was Nov 20, and I was hoping to start hitting the gym with the rest of the New Years Resolution folks next week, but caught covid on Christmas Eve and still super weak. Hoping to get my strength back soon and get back at it later in January.

I don't know how I forgot this, but look into PB2 or other Keto peanut butter powders. It's mostly the protein and fat left behind after they dehydrate peanut butter and remove some of the carbs (not all, but enough). You mix the powder with water to get the consistency you want and can eat it like peanut butter. I've also used it in the past with non-bariatric friendly smoothies and shakes, but I'm sure there are recipes out there that are more friendly. Actually I think I'm going to look some up now!

Great to hear! Just a theory, but I think there's just enough people that flat out defy the pre-op diet completely that they just give a super strict diet plan to allow for some deviation, while still preparing the liver for surgery. I went off mine a little by including non-fat greek yogurt, but it got me through the shakes during the pre-op diet.

Its very easy to get dehydrated the first couple weeks after surgery, which will make you feel miserable if you can't stay ahead of it. Look for hydration enhancers like Liquid IV or other brands that are more effective at hydrating and restoring electrolytes than Gatorade or Pedialyte is. In addition to that, and as others have said, getting the anesthesia out of your system can make you feel weird for a few days. If there's any anti-nausea medicine you can take, you may want to look into that. Also gas! Definitely get some Gas-X to help get rid of the random pressure and pain that can show up anywhere from your waist to your shoulder! Any walking you can do in short bursts, and raising your arms up and down while walking, will also help dispel that gas. It stayed around for nearly 2 weeks for me before getting rid of it all.

Sorry to hear you're dealing with all of this, it sounds rough. I know not all seasons of life can lend itself to it, but stress will cause the body to retain fat and prevent burning it. If there's any way to unload some of the stress, either by working out, meditation, going to a "rage room" where they let you smash stuff, anything that helps, it will help the weight loss process resume. I know its not always possible, having just come out of a season of life that felt like constant stress for 8 years with no seeming end. It was like I couldn't lose weight regardless of what I did, but I was always in a state of stress. I'm definitely not living a stress free life by any means now, but after years of therapy and practice, I guess I'm a little better at managing it now. That being said, my surgeon suggested a "reset" if weight regain happens 1 year+ after surgery. It was basically go back to the pre op diet to jump start things for a couple weeks, then slowly start adding back items from your normal diet, but keep watch to see if any of those are causing a stall or regain. Focus on hydration first, then protein, then unsaturated fat, then other fats, AND THEN carbs last. I wouldn't go as extreme as keto, but try to aim for single digit carbs per serving of something, or under 50-60g per day. Carbs are easy energy for our bodies, so it prefers to burn that first, and store any excess as fat, just as a survival mechanism. Everyone is slightly different, but some people's metabolism can be thrown off by certain imatation sugars and sugar alcohols. Even though they're 0 or low calorie, they can still trigger an insulin response like sugar or starches. You may want remove the biscuits for the time being and see if those may be the trigger for your body. Best of luck to you, and hoping things improve for you from here. Stay strong!

I pretty much had an immediate stall, but I think it was where I went hard on my pre-op diet. Eventually, the scale started moving again. Also, after the trauma of surgery, your body will panic until it realizes the change are ok. That can include inflammation and a lot of fluid retention, especially if you've received IVs in the days following surgery. During that time, you can still be burning fat, but the fluid retention offsets that on a scale, which makes it extremely frustrating! It's typical to experience a big stall around the 3 week mark and again around the 3 month mark, each can last a 2-3 weeks each, so prepare for that. If you lost some weight during pre-op, you may be hitting that dreaded stall early. The weight loss will look more like stair steps than a straight downward line, with the occasionally brief increase in weight. So if that happens, don't be alarmed. Just stick with the plan, track your calories and macros, and check in with your doctor if something feels off. Eventually, once your body realizes its safe to let go of that weight, and you're not in a starvation/survival situation, it will start to drop! Best of luck to you!

Glad to hear you're feeling better!

For me it was twofold. The change that made the biggest difference was increasing my electrolyte intake. Lucozade/Gatorade and the like can help with the dehydration and electrolyte imbalance some, but look for other electrolyte supplements. In the US, there's a brand of drink powder called Liquid IV that has helped me. More of the needed minerals and less of the artificial sugars and flavoring, and there may be something similar where you are (I noticed UK beside your user name). That being said, make sure that whatever fluids you are taking aren't diuretics that will cause dehydration. Coffee, tea, and drinks with caffeine can cause your body to flush more fluids out, and take electrolytes with it! If you do have to have a drink like that, be sure to balance it out with 2x the volume in water throughout the day. Like if you have 250ml of tea, try to aim for an additional 500ml more in water afterwards. The other change for me, while not as dramatic in reducing the dizziness, was that I was on medicine for high blood pressure. I met with my physician and he reduced my dose in half, and that seemed to eliminate the light headed feeling I had when bending down to tie my shoes. Other medications can cause this when its dosed in higher quantities than what your body needs, so as you lose weight, these may need to be adjusted. Good luck and hopefully you can get this resolved soon!

Just a quick follow up, I'm 2 weeks post op and doing well. I was happy with my experience at Blossom. At first, I did have concerns with it being just a surgery center and not in a hospital, but I was treated well by the staff and surgeon, and haven't had complications. I'm also pleased with their level of communication before and after the surgery. I got checked out by my primary care yesterday and he was happy with the results too. At this point I definitely recommend them. Definitely follow their instructions pre-op and post-op, and it will make it easier.

The food addiction is real, and combining that with surgery not being an instant cure all that fixes your problems, while still allowing you to eat as you did before is a double whammy. I'm dealing with missing the food I used to eat, and it stays on my mind constantly still. I'm only 2 weeks out from my procedure, but not regretting it so far. As @ChunkCat and others have said, basically kissing diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol goodbye is what makes the compromise worth it to me. Five years or so ago, before I started having debilitating problems with all of those, I probably would've regretted it, but since my health declined significantly in the last year, to the point that I was a burden on my wife and family, I had to make this change. I don't know if this will help anyone that is on the fence or regretting having it done, but take it from me, if you can avoid having the uncontrolled blood sugars issues even with meds, not knowing if I'm going to pass out or have my heart feel like its going to beat out of my chest from hypertension and tachycardia, it is worth it. My dizzy spells and stroke-level blood pressure have already subsided thankfully. I'm already off my diabetes meds, just on a reduced dose of my blood pressure medicine, which my primary care thinks I can wean off of by March. Not trying to sound condescending, because you are going through a lot of trauma in this process, but consider yourself lucky that you can avoid this happening to you. It came out of nowhere and slapped me, and if this helps you from having it happen, I'm glad you had it done. Yes there's limitations after surgery, but you can live without that constant fear of death hanging over your head. Please seek the therapy you need to at least get things off your chest, but also to help learn new habits to replace the ones you spent a lifetime building. Just venting to my therapist helps me a lot. Sorry, rant over. Just wanted to help reframe things if I can.

I had mine on November 20. My surgeon had me go from clear liquids to protein shakes and broth on the 3rd day after, as long as I could tolerate it without getting sick, but had me hold off on non-clear soups or other creamy drinks until today. I've been able to keep down plain greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and egg drop soup since Saturday, and part of a scrambled egg today, even though I jumped the gun a little on that. I'm still waiting a couple more days before attempting softened meats. Definitely stick to what your surgeon/doctor says, and take it really slowly when introducing something new. If you have a bad reaction, wait 2-3 days before attempting it again. They warned me beef can be harder to tolerate at first compared to something like canned/pureed tuna or chicken, and may require a couple more weeks.

Everyone's gut is a little different. Any brand of protein shakes will slow things down for me if I have 2 or more per day. My friend who had previous surgery is the opposite, they have to run to a bathroom within an hour of drinking one. Not sure if its the gut biome or other biological factors, but it can definitely be the cause for some.

Head hunger is the worst for me, and if I eat anything with a lot of starch or sugar, I crave it constantly. I'm having to distance myself from anything with more than single-digit carbs, otherwise it takes me about 3 days to get rid of the cravings, which is misery. Also remember when chewing up and spitting out carb-heavy foods, just to get a taste, your mouth will absorb some of those carbs, which can trigger those cravings. Not so much with protein or fat heavy foods. I'm trying to remember my wife's motto, she says Little Debbies lead to Fat Deborahs. Although there's days I'd do something regrettable for one of their Christmas Cakes lol.

For me, Miralax, but the last step before I go to a doctor is a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Yeah it has a lot calories for its size, but it seems to prevent an obstruction for me.