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I like the compliments but I also use it as fuel to stop eating and to keep trying. After all the nasty rude comments this is a welcome change to my ego and when I’m exhausted and exercising I focus on the good changes and push on. After my surgery I hit an almost 4 weeks of no weight loss. It was heartbreaking and I almost gave up. Those positive comments kept me trying and sticking to the diet. My problem was I was on the wrong type of protein supplement but it was torture. Take the compliment as a positive. I tell people I will be the grandma on the beach wearing a thong and looking fabulous . YEAH.

Even though my surgery was in July 2023, due to all the complications I suffered, I only consider that my journey started in January 2024 and even then it was a struggle most days to just breath and get out of bed but I have been doing and feeling much better since around May/June this year after (what was hopefully) my final WLS related procedure. I now feel comfortable in myself and enjoy the lighter side of life. Since the surgery I have lost almost as much weight as I now weigh (62kg/136lb/9.7st vs 58kg/127lb/9.1st lost) which amazes me, I didn't actually think it was possible to be this 'light'. I didn't grieve food as I was just too exhausted most of the time to give it much thought so in a way I take that as a positive. I am trying my best to respect my new stomach in that I give it small yet good/nourishing food choices and allow myself the occasional treat and glasses of wine. I have enjoyed finding and trying out new recipes. I took up aqua aerobics and pilates in February and used that to help build up my strength and then in October joined the gym which I love. I find it funny now how my body and brain tells me I need to get up and walk, and I obey, whereas in previous years I would have just ignored the notion and stayed on the sofa. I love the feeling of wanting to move and then being able to move, not restricted by the weight. I also see in myself how I am changing, pre-op if I had a set-back or upsetting day I would usually sit on the sofa for hours/days and drink and eat on repeat but now I think it out, do an activity etc to get through - for example a couple of weeks ago my beloved cat of 16yrs had to go to sleep and it was so upsetting for me (and still is) and in times gone by I would have stayed in bed or on the sofa with a bottle (or three) of wine, popcorn, chocolate etc but this time I scrubbed clean the apartment one day, sorted somethings out for donations another day, went to the gym and just focused on the movements, went for walks. I just hope that I can keep up this sensible me for the years to come! In the last year I have learned to listen to myself, take care of myself and not take sh*t from anybody and I intend to keep that up for 2025. Also for 2025 I look forward to continuing as I am doing now; mindful eating, exercise and enjoying life. Happy New Year everyone 🎉

My date is January 22nd. I’m both excited and nervous. I will learn tomorrow what I need to do the weeks prior to surgery!

As much as it would be great if we could reset our tummy to the loss of hunger phase after surgery we can’t. You can reset your thinking and your head though it’s not easy. Start by going back to tracking everything you eat and drink & maybe keep a second record of what you were feeling at the time you ate or drink to see if there are any specific emotions (boredom, frustration, anger, sadness, happiness, stress, etc.) driving you to eat or any events that occured or situations you were in (Friday morning tea at work, socialising, at the movies, a sporting game, holidays). Identify things you ma have let slide: portion sizes, protein intake, food choices, fluid intake, snaking, etc. check your activity levels. Then make a change. Drop a snack or work on reducing your portion size. After a couple of weeks make another change or two like increase your activity, or increase your fluid intake or swap out some food choices to better ore nutrient dense lower calorie options. And so on. Gradual changes are much easier to adapt to and adopt and always seem more achieveable. Become more mindful about your eating. Are you eating because you need to eat (real hunger) or just want to eat (head hunger - associated with emotions, situations or events). Eat slowly to allow time for your full/had enough message to register (takes at least 20 minutes). Slowly work your way back to how you were eating when you were first maintaining. You’ll get there. All the best.

Can you add in some raw veggies and fruits? Apart from your daily salad that is? At 18 months post op I was still chopping up carrots and celery and cucumbers into sticks every morning and sticking them in a tub in the fridge and if I wanted something to eat (not to say I was hungry, just wanted to chew) I would go for those first. Or a small apple or even a handful of berries. Honestly, you'd have be eating them all day to reach 200 calories with a sleeve. I might also completely ditch as many white carbs as you can - that mashed potato might not be adding many nutrients to your diet and it's so calorie restricted you do need to pack them in at this point. Good luck - whatever tools we use there always will be times when we stall and it's so demoralising. If you stick to 800 calories you *should* start to lose again - hopefully soon. I'm sorry your dietician isn't being more helpful and more pro-active. As the others have said - totally reasonable to ask for more specific advice about what you can do to change your current eating.

2024 was a very tough year for me and my family. Both my mother and husband Dx with Cancer. My poor darling Mum old lasted 21 days from Dx. I haven't really had a chance to deal with it, have been drinking a lot! Christmas hit hard. Fortunately Hubby is doing well, but Chemo has knocked him around, poor fellow. Last round this week, so fingers crossed it all goes well and he gets the all clear!! 2025 goals: Successfully get through PreOp (starts 1st tomorrow😬), Op (16th Jan) and Post without issue!! Finally lose the weight I have been carrying most of my adult life! Spend less money! Find some exercise I enjoy and do it regularly. Be more grateful and appreciative of all the good/great things I have in my life. Happy New Year everyone!!!

@AmberFL today's the day 😁😁 I know all will go well and I hope the hubby takes care of you in the next few days while you recover, he'll get the benefit in a few weeks 🤣

I’m glad you asked this! I am 1 week post-op and still up 2# from my pre-surgery weight. Finally meeting my fluid goals and almost at protein goals, hoping that scale will start moving and give me a momentum boost!

Yes, Core Power is a Fairlife product. They actually make a number of different products, so it can be confusing. Fairlife Core Power Elite is 42 Grams of protein in a 14 oz serving, for 3 grams per oz Fairlife Nutrition Plan is 30 Grams of Protein in a 11.5 oz serving, for ~2.6 grams per oz Fairlife Core Power (Regular, not Elite), is 26 Grams in a 14 oz serving, for ~1.88 grams per oz Finally, they have "Fairlife Ultra Filtered Milk", which also has more protein than regular milk. it has ~1.6 grams of protein per oz. If you compare that to an 11.5 or 14 oz serving respectively, it would have ~19 or 23 grams of protein. For comparison, regular milk has about 1 gram of protein per ounce. Edited to add that all the "shakes" (in other words everything except the milk), are flavored and at least to me taste about the same. As such, I'd recommend Core Power Elite for most folks here since it has the most protein for a given volume. I use the milk religiously for everything I'd use regular milk for as an additional way to get more protein per day.

2024 was a great year. I lost a sh*t ton of weight and became HOT and athletic again, landed a dream job, my relationship transformed and its the best its ever been, I am thriving and thankful. 2025: Travel (3 trips booked) Build my booty back Manage my anxiety through guided meditation Read 40 books (read 38 in 2024) Save more (have been so reckless with my spending) Continue eating the way I do, never depriving myself of anything but never going overboard with anything either, taste and put it down if I didn't like it, prioritize protein, nourish my body and continue to be anxiety free regarding food and lifestyle

as everyone has alluded to above, the number on the scale is often not very indicative of your overall progress. i had a goal weight and goal BMI number. turns out neither were where i wanted nor ended being at. its weird because a certain weight number looks totally different on me at different times. at one point in my life 115 looked "fat" on me. 5 years ago it looked malnourished. then 3 years ago it looked awesome. these days (i'm 6+ years out), i go by how my clothes fit me (i.e, body measurements). so long as my clothes still hang well on me, i'm all good! when they start getting looser or tighter, then i'll make efforts to correct. so i guess i'm saying if your clothes start hanging looser on you, that is a better sign of your weight loss vs. the number on the scale. good luck! 😍

@melissa i am on a low fat high protein (definition-eat nothing) for two weeks. I am struggling and its only day 4.

HOW Long does this thirst thing last???? So 3ed week after total gastrectomy, similer to bariatric surgery; but the whole stomachs out. My body is telling me thirsty All the time, it lessens when i eat something but i am going insande. I will try popsicles and ice.

I agree with you, I definitely feel so much better and in less pain! I just can’t believe for 4 months I’ve been in this stall when it seems that the first year is major weight loss for most people 🥺 I do have regular check ins with my dietician and have been following the advice they give and they also suggested adding some calories but it’s hard to fit in my stomach. But no excuses I gotta do it. Just frustrating and no one on my care team seems to be alarmed or offer any medications even though it’s been 4 months of this. lol

Thank you so much! I actually use Parrot Pal app to track my calories and it gives me an average each week of my calories and protein! That’s the number it generates for me from all my tracking, which I do pretty religiously. I’ll try adding a little more cals it’s just hard because I can’t fit in a lot each day. Thank you again.

Adding to the things that may not be accurate: BMI. BMI is an average that was reduced to a simple algorithm: BMI = weight (kg) / [height (m)]^2. In words: weight * (height * height). This calculation is intended to be a rough estimate to start with not the end all be all it has become. Such a calculation is closer to "correct" at the middle or average height and weight. Tall people skew to a lower BMI, short people skew to a higher BMI. The taller / shorter we are the more the BMI skews lower / higher. Body type also can skew higher or lower BMI. Not all of our bodies are built the same yet the BMI assumes they are. The more muscle we have the more the BMI doesn't work right. Body builders show the extreme of this effect. Arnold at his younger best would weigh in at a very high BMI. But us humans can build enough muscle to screw with our BMI. BMI is a rough starting place. Once you have the number, it doesn't really matter. How we feel, our health both physical and mental, how our eating and exercise are feeling. These are the real measures. Whew, done with BMI. But the post goes on. Then another part of this whole thing is Goal Weight. Simply, It may be wrong. If we're aiming for a certain BMI or BMI range the BMI discussion above should cause us to think. If it's a weight we were when we were young(er), our body has changed since then. If it's a weight our surgeon or medical team created it is another number intended as an idea that has been turned into a goal to measure us by. If it's based on those on-line calculators they give the average progress and result of someone with our demographics: We as individuals are not average. Goals are not written in stone. As a target to aim for when you start the process, it's fine. As you progress things change. Our bodies may tell us the original goal is unrealistic. If our body is happy and healthy at a different weight perhaps we should listen. The thing with goals, we are over the moon when we lose 10, 20, 50 pounds more than goal. Look how unconcerned we are about missing our goals by 10, 20, or 50 pounds. Why is missing goal by 10, 20, 50 pounds the other way so devestating? We misjudged our goals both ways. Ultimately, it's where our bodies that decided where to stop. If we have goals, we should continually evaluate them and change them as necessary. We have more information about our process now than we did when we started. More now than last week. Be honest. Be realistic. Good luck, Tek

I am sorry to say this but you will either loose hair or you won't. There is nothing you can do about it. Its a fact. Muscle is a different matter, protein does help there. I had a super fierce restriction due to swelling. I had to eat tiny meals about 8 times a day. I split my 3 meals into little pots and as a grazer this may be a way forward for you. I struggled to make my 60 gram protein quota. I survived, and eventually so did my hair. Look for protein yogurts in the supermarket. A 200 gram yogurt will have 24 grams of protein in it. They were a game changer for me.

Great advice from @SpartanMaker as usual. I’d also add if you’re lifting weights you’d be building muscle which is heavier than fat. So you could have been losing some fat during this time while building muscle. May be consider having a dexa scan to measure your current muscle, fat & bone density. Then have another in a couple of months to compare. Are you still in contact with your dietician? If not maybe arrange an appointment. Because you are aware of your average daily calorie intake, I presume you’re measuring and tracking every thing you’re eating and drinking every day. I’d take this with you to the appointment and ask the dietician to go through it with you in case you are missing something not only in regards to calories but nutrients as well. If you’re a random tracker like I was and am, vigilantly track everything for a week or two before seeing the dietician. Don’t give up though. The scale may not be moving but I bet you’re fitter, stronger and generally healthier than you were before.

While I absolutely do not agree that it’s likely you will GAiN weight on 800 calories, 800 Calories can be a pretty good amount of food depending on what you eat. for example this is 757 calories and it’s 100 g of protein. breakfast: Caramel “Proffee” made from a premiere protein caramel shake with iced coffee mixed in. (It’s really good and filling with the protein btw). lunch: three eggs omelette with 2% cheese (1 ounce) and tomatoes and onion (1/2 cup). dinner: grilled chicken breast (3 ounce) and zucchini and onion (1/2 cup). snack: oikos triple zero yogurt I use the Baritastic app and I always have the same breakfast but then before I have lunch I plug in my plan and an idea for dinner to make certain it’s okay macro wise. I do pay some attention to calories but protein, added sugars and fat are more important. I also pay attention to my carbs because on some days my exercise is higher and I actually need to increase them a bit. If your dietician is not asking about your activity and your food choices and inky giving you a cookie cutter plan without real guidance I would be asking more questions. These plans need to be tailored to you specifically. if you are having a difficult time finding foods you like that meet the criteria you are definitely not alone. I had to do a ton of research and trial and error with recipes to find a couple weeks worth of meals that I enjoy and I was doing 900ish calories. I scoured the web and found low calorie recipes and also ways to cut calories from things I knew I enjoyed. Basically type “healthy” in front of anything you like and you should find ways to make a more bariatric friendly version. Some days you may need to reduce calories further by having two shakes or egg whites instead to budget for a higher calorie dinner. I don’t love to cook so I make double batches of things and freeze them in individual portions. this has been my lifesaver. For the 800 calories you may have to do a lot of lower calorie lean meat and veggie type dinners unless you cut calories during lunch. For instance instead of 3 eggs you could do five 5 whites and you could even omit the cheese if you need to cut calories further. i would imagine you could still lose on a little higher calorie budget and you have more flexibility in your menu but it may not be as fast as you would like. Either way, check out Baritastic (or another calorie tracking app). It’s very helpful to see exactly what’s in different food and to play around with these meal ideas on an app because you can add and delete and adjust the measurements to figure out how to make things work to fit your plan.

Hi. I had mini gastric by-pass almost 3 years ago and it was the best decision ever. There is a MGBP forum here but not that active. You are right, it is not that popular compared to gastric sleeve or the other surgeries but for me it was effective and did not have any severe side effects / recovery time was very short. Maybe because it is relatively new compared to the other WLS.

I turn 50 in a little over 2 weeks. 1 week before my surgery.

A few things stood out to me about your post. 1137 calories is oddly specific. Since most people can't be that accurate with their food intake, I'm curious why you used this specific number? Can you elaborate? For example, most food logging software is only accurate within about 10% plus or minus, even if you are really meticulous with weighing everything. Keep in mind as well that if you are eating very many processed foods, Manufacturers are given a pretty wide latitude in terms of the listed calories, so those aren't near as accurate is you might think. Most people drastically underestimate their overall calorie consumption by as much as 20 to 25%, even if they are logging their food. There are a number of reasons, but things like guestimating certain amounts, using "average" calorie amounts for some items, and not counting certain types of foods are common errors. In short, you may actually be eating a lot more than you think. I'm also curious how you came to the conclusion that 1137 calories per day is the proper amount for you to lose weight? It's entirely possible your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), is anywhere between say 900 and 1700 calories per day. While BMR is just one component of your overall calorie burn per day, it's typically the largest single component, even if you are super active. If you are only working out 3 days a week, I'd not put you into the super active category. My point is that while it's not super likely, it is possible that you are actually eating at maintenance right now. Especially if you are eating more than you think. (See points one and two.) Scales are a REALLY terrible way to track success since they don't account for variations in other tissues besides fat. Water, which is a huge component of your overall weight can fluctuate dramatically day-to-day. Ask yourself honestly, are your clothes fitting differently? There is a pretty good chance here that you have been losing fat, but made up for it by retaining water in your muscles. This is super common in people when they work out, especially when they start a new fitness routine. There's also a small possibility you are actually adding some muscle mass, especially if you are new to strength training. Muscle is much more dense than fat, so if you gain muscle and lose fat, your clothes will fit better, but you might weigh about the same. My advice is going to sound counter-intuitive, but I'd suggest adding 200-300 calories per day to your diet. Preferably lean protein. Do this for 4 weeks and then reassess where you're at. If you are really currently eating at maintenance (as you might think from weeks of no loss), then you would be expected to gain a tiny bit in the next 4 weeks. If it's as I suspect and you're actually eating too little right now, eating a little more may actually up your metabolic rate as well as change your hormone balance. This could be just the thing to kickstart some fat loss in the next 4 weeks. Best of luck whatever you decide.

I’m six months postop gastric sleeve and have lost 29.2 lbs post op. I have been stalled or going up and down 6 lbs for the last 4 months. I have been eating 1137 cals 80g Protein a day on average. I work out three days a week cardio and weight lifting. I’m so so sad that I’ve not been losing weight as I have dreams and goals of losing 80 more pounds to be a normal BMI. Has anyone gone through this and made it out on the other side? I asked my practitioner to please help me by prescribing me Zepbound which helped me lose before my surgery. I really need the metabolic support, but she will not until I’m a year post op. I don’t know what to do to achieve my goal. I feel so broken and like my body is working against me. Age 37 5’3.5” Highest weight before Mounjaro 293 Starting weight pre op 243 Current weight 212 Perfect blood work just high Cholesterol (genetics)

I had surgery on 12/2. I started my preop diet on 11/15. The entirety of the last 6 weeks has been nothing but just protein powder. Premixed protein drinks. Clear protein. I am to the point where I can actually no longer stomach any amount of protein drink. They have started making me nauseated. And a lot of it is that I have to take my time with them and I can't just down them quickly like I used to. So far I have tried: -All of the fairlifes. These used to be my absolute fav. So far, the regular nutrition plan 30g protein chocolate ones are the best, but hard for me to find, especially in bulk. The strawberry/strawberry banana ones and vanilla ones are way too sweet. -A lot of premier protein flavors are gross to me. They were gross before surgery and are extra gross now. Same with MuscleMilk brand. -I have unflavored Isopure that I put into a lot of things, and this is fine as long as someone else makes whatever I am drinking and doesn't tell me that they put protein powder in it. It's like I can immediately tell, which tells me this is mostly mental. -Dutch chocolate isopure powder. Okay, but still protein powder-ish. -Isopure clear drinks. So far these have been my favorites, but it's a lot of liquid for me to take in, 3x a day, especially when I'd just prefer plain ice water. -H2Protein: sometimes these are too sweet, sometimes they are okay. I just ordered some of the protein shots in hopes that maybe the 3oz size will make it easier to get my protein goals, which have been severely suffering these last two weeks. Any advice?

Just checking you had your surgery in May so you’re 8 months out? Mmmm 800 may be a little low for you given your height and gender though that is a conversation to be had with your dietician with consideration of your needs and activity. I’m a lot shorter than you, female, likely older & wasn’t very active when losing and I was eating about 900 at 6 months and at my goal & I kept losing. Even now I maintain at my weight eating about 1600 calories. Though if you’re not hungry do you need more calories at this time?? I do disagree with your dietician saying if you increase your intake you will gain as you will continue to lose weight eating more calories if you’re still in a deficit (i.e. eating fewer calories than your body needs to function). It may slow down your rate of loss though. Yes, this time of year can be difficult with so much food and so many treats. It really does come down to making the best choices you can when you have little or no control of the food available. Consider portion size. Can you swap out anything? Try to balance your intake across all your meals during the day. Keep focus on your protein first then vegetables. Avoid carbs and limit what sweet treats you may indulge in. And if you’re not hungry you don’t have to eat because everyone else is. If you’re contributing a dish, make something you can eat without compromising your plan. Remember this is not everyday but just this time of the year so don’t beat yourself up if you do go off plan though try to get back to your regular eating style/plan as soon as possible. I’m 5.6 yrs out and I still follow these guidelines in these types of situations. After four Christmas gatherings with full on meals over a couple of days, food to prepare & leftovers to eat, I am glad to be back in my own home, with my own food choices and my own eating routines. I weighed myself this morning and I only put on 300g (0.6lb) over Christmas & being away a week so the guidelines do help to keep things under control. PS What are the shots you mentioned?