NeonRaven8919

Aaah scales. They have the power to make or ruin your day just by standing on them. Did you weigh more at your doctor’s than at home initially? I weigh differently at my GP, my follow up doctor, the hospital & at home. So they keep their records and I keep my mine. The actually weight loss is the same just the numbers are different on the scale.
Check your batteries. How old are your scales? As my old scales were failing my weight was erratic until they finally read I weighed like 100kgs more than I was. They went in the bin & I bought new ones that day.
Remember you have lost 43lbs in 4 months so averaging 10lbs a month. That’s fantastic.

Hello,
I had the Gastric bypass and the day of surgery until now, no insulin, no oral meds, no more glucose monitoring, I'm in remission. Asked my surgeon how this happens, and a part of the BariNation community and ask the surgeons that do questions and answers, and even talked to my endocrinologist to find out how. Being a nurse, I'm curious, and really want to know. Nobody knows, there are no articles explaining it, there has been research but there is no one rationale as to why it happens to a large number of us who have had Bariatric Surgery/Metabolic Surgery that helped with weight loss and reversed diabetes after 30 years! I'm still amazed.
Good luck finding your answer.

If this is for real, you need to seek psychiatric help. It is understandable that you may have conflicting emotions about the changes in your body, but to go through the process of a major surgery that has the purpose of long-term weight loss and subsequently seek strategies to sabotage the surgery is very unhealthy (mentally and physically).
I also think it’s pretty disrespectful to post this in a forum for people who have worked very hard to lose weight with the intent of maintaining the weight loss.

I wasn’t going to say anything, but honestly… I feel a little hurt by this post. At one point, I was 325 pounds. I wanted a baby more than anything, so I worked hard, lost 100 pounds through diet, and was finally able to get pregnant with my first child.
After I had my second, my weight climbed back up to 297. I wasn’t the mom I knew I could be. I couldn’t play with my kids like I wanted to, I didn’t have the energy to care for them the way they deserved, and I knew I was setting a bad example with the way we ate.
So I made a change. I got the surgery, fixed my eating habits, and got my butt in the gym. And now? I can do it all — and then some. My daughter tells me almost every day how happy she is that I lost the weight and can play with her and her brother. That hits me right in the heart.
I didn’t just do this for me — I did it for them. And I’m so proud of that!

I still find it odd. I am a smaller size now than I have ever been in my life and I'm only 8 months post op so (hopefully) will lose more.
Even my bike helmet is too big now and I have to get a new one! I never expected to be a size 14

Hello!

I'm not diabetic, but my mother was. She had bypass surgery in 2008 and she was able to reverse diabetes becaue of her surgery. It was only about 2022 or so when she needed diabetes medications again, but she had other health problems
It's definitely possible that this surgery will help.

I'm only 15 months post-op but I totally relate to this weird feeling! I went from a size 22 to a 16 and I still grab the bigger sizes first out of habit. Last month I was shopping for work clothes and kept holding up shirts thinking "there's no way this will fit" but then it did. It's like my brain hasn't caught up with my body yet.

the reasoning behind the advocacy of muscle building is that just the fact of having muscle mass allows you to burn calories by just EXISTING.
meaning: someone with 85% muscle mass will burn way more calories just BREATHING ON THE COUCH vs. someone who has only 50% muscle mass.
the flip side of this is that someone with higher muscle mass tends to be "hungrier" than someone who does not (and im talking REAL hunger, not head hunger), so it takes a bit more effort to not pork out.
in the end, as always, it all boils down to how far and how hard you are willing to go. further, some may have to work even harder than others just to overcome genetics and medical issues they are saddled with.
in short: cardio burns more calories IN THE MOMENT; but weight lifting/muscle building is more LONG TERM. both are hard and require consistent effort. choose your hard.
good luck! ❤️

Lifting and counting reps is repetitive and boring to me. Cardio i can just tune out by listening to music or watching something on netflix. I can make it fun and enjoyable Or since I already need to commute to work and I like going by bike, that's already cardio. There isn't really any way to make weight lifting fun or even just bearable for me. It's going to take all my mental energy to force myself to do it.
I know i need to do strength training and the hospital recommended at my 6 month post op review to use resistance bands but I can't imagine that's any more bearable than weight lifting and I know me. I'm never actually going to do a home work out.

Following because I'm in the same boat.
I've been doing cardio only because I hate weight lifting and that kind of thing and because I ride my bike everywhere which is fun and cardio, but i need to try and firm up the arm flab and I can't put it off any longer.
I think your regime is a good starting point for me.

Interesting. I always thought cardio burned more fat anyway, so when the doctor said this, I was a bit surprised.

I'm glad you don't have the 12 week milk diet. It was difficult and I slipped up occasionally, but it was helpful for losing weight and shrinking the liver. Because of the 12 week diet, I lost 12.9 kg (28lbs) in those three months.
My NHS trust just flat out said "no ozempic" At the time, it was because it hadn't quite been approved for the NHS But I wouldn't have wanted that anyway as it would mean injections for the rest of my life and a lot of people have endless diarhoea on those meds.
I had one session with an NHS psychologist and one group session. I don't really know about what tiers I had. I asked for a referral for the weight loss team, then I had an information session which was via zoom where each the nurse, dietician and psychologist gave some advice about the programme. Then I had an individual session with each one.
Once I was approved, I had fortnightly appointments with the medical team to check how my weight loss was going with the milk diet, pre surgery vitals and then the surgery itself.
I had a one month and 6 month follow up with the surgical nurse. Next month, I have a phone call with the psychologist.
It sounds to me like you are getting a lot more psychological support than I did, which I think is great. It really makes a big difference.

Yes I love Soup too! Easier to cook as well because I can just throw it all in the slow cooker.
I'm going to make a big pot of white chicken chili this weekend too

Yes I love Soup too! Easier to cook as well because I can just throw it all in the slow cooker.
I'm going to make a big pot of white chicken chili this weekend too

I wanted to address this because it's just not correct.
I'm not trying to discourage anyone from doing resistance training since there are a lot of benefits, but this idea that it helps you burn more calories is based on outdated science.
We used to think that adding a pound of muscle mass would on average burn an additional 50 or so calories in a day. More recent research shows it to be closer to just 6 calories per day. Considering that the average woman that strength trains might do well to add 10-12 pounds of muscle in a year, Strength training consistently for a year is only going to get you to a place where you burn maybe an additional 60-70 calories a day. For comparison, this is roughly the equivalent of 1/2 a scoop of your typical Protein Powder.
Yes, you do burn some calories as you do resistance training, but it's not even close to the amount you can burn doing moderate to heavy cardio such as running, spinning, etc. Resistance training does contribute to a higher level of something we call EPOC, or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption, but the contribution there is also minimal. Even with the increased EPOC amount, resistance training simply can't touch the amount of calories burned in moderate to intense cardio.
Once again, I'm not trying to discourage anyone from doing resistance training. There are some tremendous benefits, from increased health and longevity, to being more capable (and bad a$$), to making you look seriously hot, but as a way to burn more calories? Eh, not so much.

I love that expression and it's so true!
That's why I asked, honestly. I personally workout because I want to stay as healthy as possible as long as possible. Not wanting to die an early death is hella motivating, at least for me!
"Because I'm supposed to" just wouldn't cut it for me, especially when it gets hard. Not sure this will lead anywhere, but you might think more about if there's something else that could help keep you going rather than "just because". Maybe it's health related like me, or maybe it's something completely vain like wanting to look totally hott in a swimsuit. Nothing wrong with the latter if it works for you!
I don't know a ton about pilates, never having tried it, but I also wouldn't discount it for developing a strong & fit body. You can get incredibly jacked just working with bodyweight. Afterall, take a look at most gymnasts!

I found pilates great as my first exercise to do regularly post sleeve.
I did it once or twice a week for six months and it helped build up my strength. I would have stayed going but the place closed down and I joined a gym instead (can't afford both) .

My doctor said weight training will help me lose me more weight long term than cardio and I'm hoping to get rid of the arm flab and I've been told weights or at least muscle training will help.
I've tried crossfit and that's not really my thing either. Weight lifting has always been a painful and miserable experience for me. Reminds me too much of the gym classes in school that I always hated. I'm really too lazy for weight training and real fitness, but If my gp says I have to do it, then I need to find a way to do it.
She recommended resistance bands, but I won't ever be in the mindset where I'm at home going "maybe i should get the resistance bands out". I need to change my mindset, but if changing a mindset was easy, I wouldn't need half my stomach yeeted out to lose weight.
I've been thinking about pilates and I've been told that it's nothing compared to weight lifting and I guess that is true in some aspects, but again, better than doing nothing, and using my own body weight is a good workout. I would be interested in trying it anyway.

I forgot to mention that I went for my Vitamin B12 injection today. I have a new GP since I changed to new practice and she said she was going to refer me to an "exercise specialist" which I have never heard of in my life so I will see what she has to say. She may be able to suggest more classes for me to do as well.
Unrelated note, a good GP is a thing to be treasured. She was proud of my weight loss progress and she has had WLS too. Went form 140kg to 58kg (she's 5 foot) She suggested if anyone tells me again that weight loss surgery is cheating, I should sit on them to keep them quiet until I'm too thin for that and then just slap them.

I love wall pushups. Been doing them for almost 2 years now almost every single day. I stand about 1 metre away from the wall (which is almost 2/3s of my height - lol!) and do 35 ordinary pushups & 35 with a clap. Should do more but I am ultimately lazy.
I have distinct deltoids, triceps & biceps. Don't know how much stronger I actually am but my arms are toned which is what I wanted & not muscle bulk.
My 14yr old competitive swimmer niece complemented me on my arms last week & was comparing them to hers. I’ll take that. Though she did point out they’d look better if I had the loose skin removed. Aah 14yrs olds, they give & they take away. 😂

Welcome to the Bariatric Group!
Diabetes is a strange critter. With diabetes, you have to remember that your liver will push out glycogen and convert it to glucose overnight, that is why you have differing numbers with the same Breakfast. It is also dependent on what you ate the night before. I still get strange numbers, but I'm off all of my medications and insulin for diabetes and I'm only 7 weeks out from surgery. I haven't taken any meds or insulin since the day before my surgery. The highest I have been is 137, and I don't go below 83 mg/dl. I got rid of my Dexcom 7s to a needy friend, and will be giving my syringes and unopened bottles of insulin to my endocrinologist who I see next week on Thursday. Already, it has been quite a ride. From the hormones flying about, to not having to inject insulin and reduced medications, I'm moving better, walking a lot and recently was released to go back to the gym where I swim, cycle and lift weights. I can't imagine my life any different now, best decision I've ever made. Ask me in a year how I feel. LOL

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about 3 years ago, and after struggling with both my weight and blood sugar control, I made the decision to have gastric bypass surgery in March 2024. It's been quite a journey so far.
It's been about 15 months since surgery, and honestly, it's been both harder and more rewarding than I expected. Some days I feel amazing with more energy than I've had in years, and other days I'm frustrated with how little I can eat or dealing with dumping syndrome. My diabetes numbers are slowly improving, but it's been a balancing act figuring out how to eat enough Protein in tiny portions while not spiking my blood sugar. The good news is I'm off my blood pressure meds completely now!

In the summer, I'm a huge fan of "bowls" for lunch/dinner. Take a base of your choice like rice, brown rice, farro, quinoa, etc, add whatever veggies you like and then your Protein of choice. If desired, you can also add some sort of sauce/dressing. The nice thing is you can easily meal-prep these and even vary the ingredients slightly in every single bowl just by having a few different base/veggie/protein choices available. It's also easy to adjust them to your tastes, as well as change the proportions to fit your macros. Also, for the most part you don't even need to heat these up. I eat them cold (or more often at room temp), all the time.
I'm also a big fan of Soup (yes even in summer), because it helps me rehydrate (due to the salt and fluid), as well as get some food in me after my workouts. I totally realize that for many people, the thought of something warm post workout seems odd, but it works for me.
As to the amount of protein you're eating, I think that's okay (and not likely dangerous), but honestly is a bit higher than you actually need. I know in some gym circles, they push as much as 4 grams per kg of body weight, but there's not a lot of evidence that even strength athletes need more than about 1.6 to 2 grams per kg. Keep in mind that your body can't store excess protein, thus what it doesn't use for muscle repair just goes to waste or gets stored as fat if you're eating in a surplus.
Another consideration as @WendyJane mentions is that your ability to metabolize protein is limited. While I think the rate at which it can be metabolized is actually variable and likely somewhat dependent on overall bodyweight (some studies suggest it's around 0.3 to 0.4 g/kg/bw), the net effect is that it may actually be a lot less than 50 grams for most people. For this reason, it would be ideal to actually plan on eating about five meals a day, rather than the traditional three. Further, keep in mind that the ability to metabolize protein IS NOT the same as the rate at which your body can induce muscle protein synthesis (i.e. use protein to repair repair your muscles). That rate may be as low at just a few grams per hour!
That said, there's not a lot of evidence that high amounts of protein hurt the kidneys in healthy people. Yes, certainly if you have kidney disease, you should follow your doctor’s advice and limit your protein intake. For everyone else, the danger is pretty limited (or even nonexistent). I would say that if your higher protein intake is coming exclusively, or almost exclusively from meat (especially red meat), this is a lot more likely to potentially cause renal problems.
Now keep in mind that when we look at whether or not a high protein diet can cause kidney issues, scientists always look at EXCESS protein. In other words, it's not the total protein intake that matters. It's the amount in excess of your needs. As someone involved in strength training, you do need additional protein to repair your muscles. As I pointed out, your actual needs may be less than you think. Like a lot of things, it's best to not assume that more is always better. Obviously some protein is essential, additional amounts can be beneficial for some people, but there are potential downsides to eating more than you actually need.
Certainly your call, but you might try dropping that down to ~125 to 140 grams. This will open up some options to get some additional veggies or whole grains in you that will help with athletic performance, while still supporting your goals regarding body recomposition.
FYI, my statements about protein needs for athletes is based on the latest Nutrition and Athletic Performance position statement from the American College of Sports Medicine.
Sorry for yet another long post. I geek out on this stuff and just wanted to share.

Hello SammyGold,
Welcome to the Bariatric Forum. I was on a GLP-1 since 2013 without knowing it was a GLP-1, and it changed over time. I was prescribed it by my endocrinologist for my diabetes. What I did once I started on Mounjaro was to lose about 70 pounds, and changed my eating habits to Protein and veggies. That's all I ate. More Veggies than protein. I have a bad hip and decided I would take the next step and get the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Bariatric Surgery. While I am only 7 weeks out since surgery, I have seen a huge difference on the scale, and in the size clothes that I can wear already. My face doesn't even look like my picture anymore. I had to lose weight and get my BMI down so I can get a new hip, and I'll be getting that in August, I have exceeded the goal, and plan to keep on going. With the GLP-1s that I was on, I never experienced nausea, but that is a huge side effect for many. It has to be the right dose for you, so look carefully at the different meds, and find out what your insurance covers before you ask for a specific medication from your provider/doctor. Insurance companies are getting ridiculous about weight loss drugs and surgery. They deny due to the cost of the medications. 6 months worth of GLP-1s can cost what it would if you had a gastric bypass surgery!! So contact your insurance company to find out what they cover for weight loss. That is my big take away!

Last year, I got diagnosed with sleep apnea, and was made to start using a CPAP machine to sleep, I really disliked using it and I ever got used to it, and because of that, I made the decision to do the weight loss surgery
My surgery team said I should make short term goals to keep myself motivated on my new journey
Right off the bat, my only goal was to get rid of the CPAP machine, nothing else mattered, but after a few follow up appointments, I managed to really think of what I wanted to have
After some thought, my goal list grew:
1. Give up my CPAP machine
2. Buy and wear a bathrobe from Macy's
3. Hit 200lb minimum

I'm happy to report that today, my 1st goal has been met, my sleep apnea is under control and when sleeping my oxygen levels don't go below 92, my doctor said that if I wanted to, I can stop sleeping with it, and I happily left it behind with him

1st goal down, 2 more to achieve, I can't wait!