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I know exactly how you feel. I had the sleeve and did great. Had to have a revision due to complications and had a bypass. In both surgeries, I never ever lost physical hunger, nevermind head hunger. I still have head hunger to this day. And yes, I have times (not a whole day, but just certain times during a day here and there) where I eat something I definitely shouldn't be eating. Have I over-eaten? Yep. Have I eaten things I shouldn't? Yep. Am I failing my surgery? NOPE. I still feel some guilt when I "cheat" but you know what? It happens. Life happens. The point is you have to recognize that you had a slip, it is what it is, tomorrow is another day to start over and get it right. There's all kinds of online support groups, online therapy, and bariatric forums (like this one) that can offer help, support, suggestions, and accountability. You can do this, just remember WHY you did the surgery. Remember why you wanted it and why you jumped through all the hoops to get it.

Congratulations on making your decision to take your life back. Only those who are obese truely understand how limiting and challenging it is as well as its impact on you psychologically and emotionally. There are a number of reasons why people undergo a revision from sleeve to bypass: they develop GERD, weight regain, don’t lose as much as they hoped. Don’t know the rate of this occurring. Doesn’t mean this will happen to yiu.I know people who have had a revision on this forum and people who haven’t. Personally I have three friends with a sleeve all between 4 & almost 7 years out and no revisions. I ‘m 5.5 yrs out with my sleeve and am happy with it & my younger brother just had one done. But we’re all different & the surgeries work in different ways to different people. Sometimes surgeons will recommend bypass over sleeve because of the weight their patient has to lose, weight loss and gain history, pre-existing conditions (like GERD, etc.), etc. Are you able to ask why the surgeon/clinic is encouraging you down the path of a sleeve rather than bypass as this is less common (more common to recommend bypass over sleeve). My cyclical side wonders if it’s because a sleeve is a less complicated surgery, takes less time to perform and sometimes doesn’t require an overnight hospital stay. So do they want you to have a sleeve because it’s less demanding on their services. Ultimately it should be your decision as to which surgery you get. Have a look at some of the you tube videos by Dr Matthew Weiner (pound of cure) & Dr John Pilcher. They cover many topics so you’ll need to work through quite a list (great resources for you post surgery) & will have some on the differences and benefits of the different surgeries. All the best.

My boyfriend plays Tarkov and omg it seems so complicated! Definitely a tough one to get into, but rewarding as you say!

Did you have the same problems during your liquid and pureed phases? If not it might be worth going back a step to purees as summerseeker has suggested. I do understand that chewing food really thoroughly is basically the same thing, but it takes the guesswork and possibilities for errors out of the equation. I know I am weird but I quite enjoyed my pureed food (because it was my first non-protein drink intake for almost a month). So tasty 😍 At 2.5 weeks I was just just onto pureed food, made with a LOT of liquid, and I was eating about 40-60mls (1-2oz) of goo for a meal, depending on how much protein was in it. We are all so different. I have seen people here thrive on solids much earlier. If your surgical team are confident that it isn't a post op complication you might have room to experiment a little. At 2.5 weeks fluids are paramount - there is wiggle room with protein and other macros in most programmes. I hope it all settles really quickly for you - sounds unpleasant.

When I had the Sleeve, and other than the gas pressure I experienced, I went home the next day and I was on my feet and feeling better by day 3 and feeling back to myself by day 7. It really was a breeze thinking about it now. It seems straightforward, not complicated at all-- what SADI entails. My surgeon also did an EDG on me a couple of weeks ago and told me that my sleeve was in great shape and he did not want to revise it. So, really I'm just going in for the Switch. Thank you so much for getting back to me, and sharing your experiences with me. Since I've been talking with more people I've been feeling better about the surgery. Everyone seems extremely happy with their decision to do it and is very excited for me to get it done. Everyone has sent some great positive vibes my way, which has helped with the anxiety over it. So, I thank you and everyone for that! 💜 I'll be sure to post an update after surgery.

Everyone has different plans from their doctors but in all of them I have never heard of being on regular food after 2.5 weeks. Do you mean non liquid phase and that you are normal food but soft? I hope so as that is all your stomach should be handling now as you can't digest normal food at this stage, which is what may cause the vomitting and pain. It should be no water 30 minutes before and after a meal so maybe if you are only leaving it 10 minutes that is causing the problem? I did have gas issues but it was caused by complications so not the same for you I am sure. Could you ask your doctor about taking something to help with reflux?

If your BMI is only 36, then there are many different reasons your surgeon may not want you to do the LSD (Liver Shrinking Diet). I would listen to what your surgeon says. You'll have to not eat 24 hours before your surgery anyway, and nothing to drink after midnight before your surgery. My guess is they feel that's enough for you. I wouldn't push it, if I were you. Anytime I had to deviate from my main eating plan, I worked with my nutritionist and spoke with either my surgeon or the nurse practitioner about it and we came up with alternatives together. I'm 2 1/2 years out from my original surgery and 1 1/2 out from my revision (due to complications from the 1st surgery) and I've been extremely successful. I suggest not doing things behind your team's backs. Speak to them about your concerns and see what you can come up with together.

I had the sleeve and was doing well until I was hit with all kinds of complications. I had the revision to bypass and couldn't be happier. It's like night and day. I think you'll do just fine.

I would avoid the week before and after Christmas because a lot of doctors take vacation and close some days for the holidays. Plus the staff is pretty much checked out anyways. If you do have a complication or concern you don’t want to have to be waiting for an answer or have to go to the ER and get stuck with whoever picked the short stick and is overwhelmed by a huge patient load. (Not saying those things always happen but they are more likely with the holiday).

7 years out this November (I can’t believe it’s been that long!) 1. The surgery did all of the work. I didn’t wake up hungry, I didn’t feel like I could eat more than recommended. I didn’t have any (initial) complications that slowed the weight loss process. 2. I was really strict and followed every rule pre and post op. I was super serious because I absolutely needed this to work. My motivation remains for medical reasons first and aesthetics second. 3. I limited calories from liquids. 4. I am finally ready to admit that I have a narrow palate. I don’t like most food and definitely not most fast food but in a pinch I will eat it *some* things. I cook the vast majority of my meals and most are very boring by foodie standards. 5. I was converted from VSG to RNY at my goal weight (GERD etc) and I’m sure the durability of RNY has made a difference in maintaining. 6. I was given a higher BMI range by my surgeon and thank goodness because getting any lower would have been a real struggle without added benefits. 7. I invested in plastics. I shouldn’t make sense or a difference but I didn’t want to mess up the work I had done plus removed skin and fat cells are gone forever. 8. I address the smallest regains IMMEDIATELY adjusting behavior and intake. I’m not ashamed of it or ignore it, I weigh often to stay accountable to myself. 9. I found what works for me and focused on that, adjusting as needed. I try very, very hard not to compare myself with anyone else. I never attached self worth or morality to weight (gained or lost). I think it helped immensely that no one ever bothered me about weight. I realize it maybe a different story if this wasn’t the case. 10. I check in yearly with my bariatric team.

Tough one. On one hand your body your choice, on the other hand no man is an island. If surgery goes well without complications, timing is a mild inconvenience. If complications happen you’ll want their support (physical and emotional) for the long haul and they’ll need time to prepare for major life changes. Also how does insurance factor into this? And what is your timeline? Are we talking surgery on Dec 1st or 20th?

I had sleeve revision to SADI (just the bypass portion) and I am really happy with my decision. My surgery was August 7th so I am about 2.5 months out and including my preop loss I have lost 55 pounds. I am over halfway to my goal. I have been eating 100% on plan though and exercising a pretty great amount (2.5-3 hours a day). The revision surgery gave me the metabolic Hca Hes tk actually do Al of that though. I never exercised or prepared fresh homemade food with my sleeve. Didn’t have the motivation. It made a pretty huge difference for me. Did your Dr do a endoscopy, barium swallow and gastric emptying study? Mine did those tree before deciding I was a candidate for SADI or Bypass. If the sleeve didn’t work for you long term then I would probably lean away from a ReSleeve. Just thinking why repeat history. Try something different but that’s just me. The research does say that the loss is more durable witb the SADI revision than the Bypass. Not certain about the ReSleeve but my guess is that too since the Virgin Sleeve doesn’t have the best statistics for durability. Also, resleeve is kinda risky. My Dr said he wouldn’t touch the sleeve with the SADI not because of my BMI but just because he doesn’t think it gives that much more benefit to justify the risks so that’s something to look into as well. Ooh and if you do have coverage for the GLP-1 and you can tolerate them, they do work. They don’t have to be long term for everyone either. If you take the time on then ti make real lifestyle changes you may be able to go off of them and maintain. Ibvuously If you just eat a few French fries for your meal you will lose, but will obviously eat more when you don’t have the meds but if you genuinely change your habits then people do maintain the loss. I have a friend that is almost to goal and she has been asking me for advice of what foods to choose to be sure to get her protein in. Kinda odd because she is smaller than me but I have heard a couple success stories with them. My friend has to force herself to eat. It’s a chore. If you do go that route, talk to your doctor about staying on the lowest dose that works for you. That’s the thing that many bariatric doctors usually recommend and it makes sense to try to avoid the side effects. . And some people go onto a maintenance dose after they reach their goal if they need it. Also, see about a three month supply when you do get to the dose that works because for my friend it’s cheaper that way. I strongly considered them but I didn’t have adequate coverage. I even considered postponing to see if things would change but my family Dr advised against waiting since these things can take a long time. There are pros and cons of each option but do your research. This is a good start but make anothet appointment with you surgeon if you have more questions. I did several before I decided. You probably only have this one more shot at this. Not a lot of surgeons will do a second revision ooh and that is one thing to consider if you do go with SADI, it’s newer so ask your surgeon if you had a complication god forbid what you would do. Mine actually brought it up that he would send me to another hospital to someone with more experience with the surgery. I mean obviously he would stabilize me but if I needed a revision because of malnourishment or something he would send me elsewhere. I kinda respected the fact that he would admit what his limits were and appreciated it but maybe you feel differently about that. Or maybe your surgeon is fine with revising if necessary but I would for sure ask.

Hi, he thought as i had great success and no complications initially, as as my restriction was gone, it would be the best option for me. Paying myself

Ah 2 weeks ago I did an inbody test and today I did it again to just see if I am going in the right direction. Well, I've lost "weight" but I think i only lost water and muscles I'm down 1 kg muslce and actually gained 300g fat! Ahhhhhh why does everything have to be complicated? The coach in the gym told ne to up my protien and take PT classes to focus on building strength and muscles but is she right or is she just trying to sell her services? I'll sit n discuss with my team on the 15th and decide what to do. On another note, I tried the power stretch class today and I stretched muscles didn't know existed hahaha it was amazing but tiring like I burnt almost 400 cals. P.s. attaching my 2 weeks and today inbody results

Yes I checked the reviews and they were good, he was the surgeon that had trained the surgeon that did my lap band years ago. He was late that day and I was the first patient of 7 so maybe he rushed through my surgery or maybe it was something to do with his finger injury a month prior. The surgical center said “your blood pressure is a little low so the surgeon wants you to spend the night at the hospital as a precaution, he will text your husband the address of the hospital to meet him at” so looking back yes I think they downplayed it to get me out of there. On the way I kept passing out. The hospital he sent us to was 49 miles away because apparently he doesn’t have rights anymore at the one that was a few miles away. I had asked his office staff previously what happens if there are complications and they said the surgical center is close to the hospital. A lawyer won’t touch this because the Dr. doesn’t have malpractice insurance (that’s something I kick myself for not knowing and hopefully anyone reading this learns from my mistake) and they say I don’t have permanent injuries from it. You would think with the trauma, stress and all the bills even besides the hospital bills, the hematologist, cardiologist, paying for someone to help take care of my specials needs daughter, the extended recovery time would matter but it doesn’t. Thank you both for the advice on the insurance and what to do with the hospital billing department. I get on all that first thing tomorrow.

So #1 is you definitely need to fight to get this rebilled properly. It's insane to me that they won't fix the billing. They get paid more for the proper procedure, so that's crazy that they won't fix it. Then #2 is you need to contact someone about starting a lawsuit. The surgeon should have called an ambulance for you. The surgery should have been done in a hospital. You should have been monitored closely and been up walking within 2 hours of being out of recovery and back in your room. Knicking an artery could have literally killed you and definitely should been noticed before 10 hours. Finally #3 is getting this covered by your insurance. BCBS should be covering any lifesaving, medically necessary health care and procedures. No, they won't cover care for non covered procedures, but that's usually just follow ups and complications of the NON LIFE THREATENING variety. Everything you've been telling us falls into the life threatening, surgeon negligence, medically necessary to SAVE YOUR LIFE category and should be covered. You need someone to fight on your behalf to get this stuff covered and either greatly reduce or even completely eliminate your bill. I'm from Florida, and while it might be done in some places to have a surgery like this in a surgery center and not a hospital, it's definitely not the absolute norm. Did you do extensive research on this surgeon, his reviews, compare him and his pricing to other surgeons? No way would I have had this surgery and NOT been in a hospital. Too many things can happen when you least expect it. This guy distancing himself from all of this, when clearly he screwed up, is the first HUGE red flag. Refusing to fix the billing error is the 2nd one. Not calling an ambulance and instead having your husband take you (effectively making it appear that you left on your own and went to the ER instead of him seeing an issue while under his care and calling an ambulance for you, so he can wash his hands of it and look like whatever happened was on YOUR watch and not his) is a 3rd red flag.

Sleevetobypass2023- Yes they did the sleeve at a surgical center (very common in Florida) they have private staff to keep you over night but at 10:15pm when it was time for me to walk again I was dizzy and my BP was low so they called my husband and told to drive me to the hospital that my surgeon text him the info for. By the time I arrived at the hospital I had already loss 2000cc of blood and looked 9 months pregnant. As far as the surgeon he said he is sorry, these things happen and there is nothing he can do. He won’t even help have the hospital correct the billing codes. BCBS told me they don’t cover any WLS or complications from it but they paid to remove my lap and 3 years ago.

A couple of things. I have never heard of anyone having a sleeve and not spending 1 night in the hospital. It was done as a same day procedure? And it should have been done in a hospital. Was it done in a surgery center and not the hospital? If so, why? When I had my sleeve and later my revision to bypass, BCBS paid for both. Why did they not pay for yours? Typically if you're self pay, insurance won't pay for any care pertaining to that procedure if it was something they already wouldn't cover. Have you reached out to the surgeon who did your surgery? What did they say about the complications? And I guess I'm confused about how an artery was knicked and nobody noticed for 10 hours. And yes, if you had a sleeve and it was billed as a lap band, it most definitely needs to be corrected.

I was self pay at a surgical center and had to go to a hospital 10 hours later for another surgery because of internal bleeding(nicked artery), needed several transfusions and spent 3 days in the hospital plus had to have more blood and iron transfusions after leaving that hospital. I’m now stuck with over $175,000 in hospitals bills and more still coming. BCBS is denying the claim because they don’t cover bariatric surgery or complications. The hospital billed it as complications of lap band instead of complications of gastric sleeve. I’m told it doesn’t matter because they won’t pay either but what if I want to appeal it, shouldn’t it be billed correctly?

Part of the process is then determining that you are of sound mind to make this decision. They probably just wanted to be sure that you understand that the surgery does carry risk and that things are going to change in terms of what you can eat and what you have to do to take care of yourself during the post op diet and forever after that like lifelong vitamins and smaller portions. Stuff like that. I doubt it was a right or wrong answer kind of thing, just more of them making sure that you know that it’s not a magic wand or a quick fix without risk of complication and what to expect after the surgery. I’m sure that your surgeon will go over it all with you again and that’s not such a bad thing. There is alot of information to take in and some programs kind of rush the process. I had to do extra appointments during the preop part too in order to get all of my questions answered.

I feel the same way! I am size 20 to now 12/14. Sometimes even size 10. I bought things online thinking I might be XL, because I was previously XXL, but they didn’t fit. Then I exchange to L and it’s still too big…Clothing size is very complicated now, but I am feeling the same excitement!!! Woohooo I would like to suggest don’t buy too much new clothing now because you will size down fairly quickly. I have to buy new clothes every 2 months or so. I bought summer clothes in July for the summer and they don’t fit anymore. I bought more sweaters for the winter and refrain from buying more. I know it’s so hard not to buy more!

Hi all, I had revision from sleeve to bypass on August 26th (5 weeks ago), the surgery itself went well, no complications or issues (so far - touch wood!), but I do have a few side effects that I'm concerned about. I had the revision to fix the severe acid reflux/GERD that I was dealing with from the sleeve and to repair a hiatal hernia - the acid is gone!! (I'm so happy about that!) - but, in its place I am now dealing with constipation (with crippling pain), constant stomach cramping (and gurgling, so much gurgling!), and terrible nausea (making it hard to consume anything, but especially hard to drink any protein drinks or zero sugar drinks). Per my surgeon I am taking a stool softener 3 times per day, plus drinking Smooth Move tea at night before bed, and they have me on Zofran to help with the nausea. TMI - my stools went from an olive green, almost clay-like consistency, to a pale beige that floats (in a matter of a few days - keep in mind that in the last 5 weeks I've had maybe 4 or 5 bowel movements). I can eat some food (I'm on week 2 of the soft portion of the post-op diet) without needing Zofran, but if I want to have any protein drinks I HAVE to have the Zofran. I feel so disheartened. I feel like I traded one problem for another, even though I know in my heart and my head that things will get better and I will find a good balance, I'm really struggling. I started back to work yesterday and I find myself disinterested in being out in the workforce anymore (I'm 53, way too early to retire), I just want to be at home in my bed cuddling my pets in an almost constant state of near-crying. I am on antidepressants, I don't feel like the surgery has affected the medications in anyway, overall I feel good mentally, I'm just not used to struggling this much physically and I'm at a loss as to what to do. I've been in near-daily contact with the surgeon's office and they are super supportive and have been trying to work with me, but I don't want to become "that patient" that sucks up all of their time and patience because "my tummy doesn't feel good". LOL You know what I mean? Anyway - not sure if I'm just looking to vent or looking for suggestions or what, I think I just needed to be able to say it all out loud because I can't have these convos with my family or friends without sounding like a constant whiner. LOL Thanks, Christine

I'm going to start with my obligatory recommendation to talk to your surgical team. There is a possibility your issues are complications due to surgery, or even other potential medical conditions. It's better to be safe than sorry and talking with a medical professional can help rule out some issues. With that out of the way, I will give you my non-medical opinion just based on what you posted. Again, just based on what you wrote, it is possible that what you're experiencing is related to the volume of exercise and your low calorie intake. While it's not exactly the same, this is similar to something we call RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). Feel free to Google that to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Both in the case of RED-S, and what you're describing, it sounds to me like your body is telling you that you're overdoing things. I love that you're being more active, but without properly fueling your body, you can actually cause some nasty problems (again, see RED-S). Keep in mind that your body actually only improves physically during recovery, which includes both proper rest and proper nutrition. Dehydration can also exacerbate the problems your having. Plus, while dehydration can always be an issue for anyone, for someone so soon after bariatric surgery it can be really problematic. One of the most common reasons bariatric surgery patients end up back in the hospital is due to dehydration. My advice would be to give yourself a down week from the exercise, which should do a couple of things. One, it will give your body a chance to recover some, which is a good thing. Two, it will help you know if this really is due to the volume of exercise and the incredibly low calorie intake. By the way, a down week, does not need to be a week completely off, Just stepping things down 25% to 35% is enough. For example, instead of walking 5 hours, shoot for 3 or 3.5. Do the same on your swimming. Taking a down week like this around once a month is really common for even pro-level endurance athletes. I promise it's going to help and not hurt you in any way.

I don't think my cat is impressed with my new lifestyle as he sits in front of the oven expecting to be served food however I don't think I have used my oven more than twice in the year since my op, now it is air fryer or slow cooker if cooking. Guess he misses his oven cooked chicken 😂 I know he missed me (his servant) while I was in hospital for so many months with my post-op complications as he has been so affectionate and chatty since I was finally released last November. For weeks I felt he would go into panic mode if I grimaced and had a bit of pain but I presume he was just afraid I would not be home to serve him!

One thing that helped motivate me to get started with at least 15 minutes a day was the physicians assistant said at one of my support group meetings before my surgery that just exercising 90 minutes a week which you can spread out over six days at 15 minutes each (which is 25 when you include your warm-up and cool down if it’s more than walking) But just that decreases your risk of “all-cause mortality” by 15%. The PA and surgeon agreed that no surgery, no pill, nothing else they can prescribe you is going to have such a phenomenal impact So exercise is pretty darn beneficial. I mean, I know for myself I was scared of a 2% risk of complications from the surgery that may or may not even actually kill me, but they’re giving me a 15% decrease of chances of mortality, that’s pretty huge just to dedicate less than a half hour of your day to walking around a little bit. And a brisk walk is all it takes for me to achieve the heart rate they’re speaking about because it doesn’t have to be full on high intensity, just raising it a bit. I’m not sure if it will be as profound for you but I heard that before my surgery and six weeks later it’s still ringing around in my mind as I’m exercising. I’m thinking wow you know weight loss aside, this is really a good thing that I’m doing for my health. After I got started, though I wanted to do more and more, but my goal is to do my 15 minutes, no matter what and that is my only expectation for myself at this point.