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LOL... You're two weeks out and you're expecting your stomach to be tiny? In addition to what everyone else said, your stomach may still be swollen from the surgery process itself. I am 9 months out and my stomach still sticks out compared to what I expected for the size I wear (medium/10). Like others have said, it may be that it will always be where I carry excess weight and it may be that there's some excess skin in the mix.

Yep just been there I slowed right down to the point of stopping at the 8 month mark. Now at just over 10 months I have finally dropped again. Hopefully it will keep going but it's slow probably a kilo a month.

Day 10 of pre-op liquid diet. Surgery scheduled for 6/13. My dr has me on a very strict 2 week liquid only 800 cal 60 grams protein max. The nutritionist explained that it’s to shrink the liver and make more room for the surgery to work. I wish I was able to have some vegetables…. Kinda miss chewing food.

I never had the band or anything else. I’ve had bypass and it has helped with GERD issues for the most part. Only a small portion of us get dumping, like 10% or so? Anyone can correct me, please. I still have to plan meals, weigh and measure everything to keep myself on track. I work it as hard as any time before surgery only the surgery reinforces portion control and increases my odds for loosing and keeping it off. You will need to meet medical criteria to getting bypass or mini bypass. It sounds like you’ve done a lot of work to get to where you are now physically and emotionally! Congratulations:) There’s a thread on here or two about band to sleeve/bypass. You might find better info on there.

I did not do any trial runs, but I can say I had to do it. I had my gallbladder removed in April of 2019 in what was my very first ever surgery/hospital visit (not including ERs or urgent cares). I had to do 10 days of the pre-op for the exact same reason as the bariatric surgery - to shrink the liver. Day 3 I remember being the worst part of it all. Day 1 & 2 you're thinking "I can do this, it ain't so bad." Then day 3 comes and you want to die. And then after that, you're just resigned to being miserable for whatever days you have left. 😂 I could only have 3 shakes a day for that one. For this diet I get 4 shakes a day, so I am hoping that it will fulfil hunger better this go around. It's hard, but it's not impossible by any means when you keep yourself in the mindset that you are doing this for YOUR health, and that if you cheat or mess up it's YOU who has to suffer with whatever complications could arise (including having to forego laparoscopic surgery and be cut open). It definitely helped to keep myself on the wagon.

I’m scheduled for July 6th! I can’t believe it. I’m not focusing on losing weight per se but I am focusing on increasing my activity level so it won’t be a shocker for my body post op. I am eating whole foods and incorporating more protein but I am still allowing myself a few indulgences here and there, because, need I state the obvious? So far I have lost a few pounds but I’m mostly maintaining. I have worked my way up to an hour = 19 miles on my exercise bike every other day, I know that’s going to help me IMMENSELY post surgery.

I'm so happy I found this post. I just had my pre-op appointment and my surgeon informed me he uses Gabapentin before surgery for pain control along with a pain blocker they use before recovery after surgery. I've honestly been wondering if I should cancel the surgery because I have a low tolerance to any pain on top of my 10-year RA diagnosis. Please, can anyone tell me how this new strategy worked for you? Sent from my SM-N976U using BariatricPal mobile app

Surgery at 10:20 today. Leaving for the hospital in about 90 minutes. Positive thoughts, prayers greatly appreciated. I’m having gallbladder removed, hernia repair, RNY. Best wishes and good luck to everyone who went yesterday, who is going today, and who is anywhere on this path. ❤️

Both of my surgeries I brought a bunch of things, both times I didn't use anything. They kept telling me to bring my CPAP machine - I never even plugged it in. I had to get up every two hours to walk around anyway. I brought my tablet to play games and/or read books - never even turned it on I brought my phone which I didn't use the first time, the second time I used it for about 10 minutes to video chat with my kids I brought a puzzle book to work on - never took it out of the bag

My surgery is 10:20am tomorrow. I just finished school. My kids (8th graders) were so sweet. We have a group text on our phones so my husband can let them know when I’m out of surgery. 🥰 I’m having my acrylic tips removed right now, and I’m thrilled at the length of my nails and how healthy they look. Trust me, though, if I can be back here on Saturday getting myself put back together, I will be. DH purchased the extra long phone charger, and I want to get PJs and maybe other stuff. Shopping keeps me occupied. 😊 That’s it for now. I’ve been 800 calories/day since last Tuesday. Yesterday I was hungry and had hunger pangs. I kept having ice pops and drinking water. Today I’m good. My go-to drink has been zero calorie blueberry iced tea but it’s kind of a purple color and my pre-op instructions say nothing red or purple 48 hours prior to surgery. My Covid test yesterday was negative which thrilled me because it is going through school like wildfire. Wishing you all heartfelt prayers for easy surgeries and uneventful recoveries.

My surgery is tomorrow at 10:20am. I'm 67. Fingers crossed. I'm keeping super busy, and that is helping. My school day ends in 15 minutes.

I have read a lot of stalls between weeks 2 and 4. I watched a video that talked about the three week stall. The doctor explained at first we are losing a lot of water weight. Then as we get fluids we gain fluid but is losing pounds. So it does not show we really are losing. If you do measurements you can see that you lost inches during this time. If you will google the 3 week stall with weight loss surgery or sleeve .... you can fine a lot of videos from different doctors. I am in a stall going on 10 days. I have heard people talking about long stalls but started losing faster. If your exercising you might gain muscle but losing fat. I belong to several gastic sleeve support groups ob face book and learned alot.

I'm scheduled for 10:30. It's normal for us to second guess the choice. I hope all goes well with your surgery 🙌

My dumb self ate a greasy piece of chicken and almost 10 mins later I get a headache- anyone experienced this? Im 3 weeks post op revision surgery- yep I’m a mess ! Never again tho!

Costco had jeans online on sale for $10. I bought the next four sizes smaller than the ones I was wearing before pre-op diet. They came 2 weeks PO. I’m returning two pairs. Too BIG lol.

I'm in a similar situation. Surgery May 19, lost 10lbs immediately and now am stalled. I'm getting my protein and usually my water in. I feel like I don't any restriction on food, eating a little less. I'm sticking to around 600-800 calories. I'm a little frustrated for sure.

I thought about bariatric surgery for over 10 years. The decision to go for it in the end wasn't precipitated by one event, more an accumulation of little embarrassments like the seatbelt on an airplane only just buckling, my hairdresser having to bring out a special chair for me in case I broke the new fancy ones with the spindly legs, reaching a BMI of 40. Even after those it took me months to decide who to go with - I definitely looked at Eastern Europe because it's so much cheaper there but my partner was so worried about me having surgery abroad that in the end I just paid up and did it here. I spent my entire adult life believing that I should be able to lose weight on my own (I could) and keep it off (no chance). I really wish I had just gone for it 10+ years ago when I first considered it. I think you're absolutely right to do ALL the thinking before going ahead and I wish you the very very best of luck wherever you have your surgery.

major complications and dying from surgery are VERY rare. That was more of an issue 30 or 40 years ago, but techniques have improved tremendously since then. but yes - I had the same worries and went back & forth about having surgery for about 10 years before I did it. I think what decided it for me was the realization that I was more likely to die from complications of being obese than I was from complications from the surgery.

I have thought about weight loss surgery for a few years and seriously for a year now. I've been overweight for over 20 years, and in the last nine years I have gained around 44 pounds. Currently I'm around 80 pounds overweight with a BMI of 37. Like so many here, I've tried so many things to lose weight. Meal replacement shakes, weight loss club, exercise, different kinds of low carb eating etc., with diminishing results. The last time I lost any significant amount of weight was almost decade ago, when I was pregnant with my son. I lost about 22 pounds from before I was pregnant, but I gained it back double in the years that followed. I was at my highest weight in 2019, and since then I've managed to lose and gain the same 10-15 pounds several times. Before I was a mom, I used to exercise regularly, but as a new single mom with a full time job, I didn't have the time. I started with a low carb diet four years ago and started exercising in a gym a year after that, but then covid came and all the gyms closed. I started having blood pressure problems at the end of 2019, and it has gotten worse since. I'm now on two different medication for blood pressure, plus Metaformin for blood sugar. I got covid last winter and after that my stamina is a lot worse, so I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle I keep losing. I have the money to pay for surgery, if I go overseas to have it. I'm in northern Europe and am considering two private hospital in Eastern European countries. I guess I'm afraid of complications, of dying and of not getting the desired results. A part of me feels I should just be able to exercise and do keto to lose the weight, but I've tried it so many times and failed. As I said, I'm a single mom and want to live a long and healthy life for my son, who does not have another active parent in his life. I've only told one friend that I'm considering this surgery, but I hesitate to tell my family. I'm the only overweight person in my family and I'm not sure they'll be supportive. Did anyone else struggle this much with deciding to have surgery or not, and what finally helped you to decide?

some people don't lose ANY weight the first week. A lot of us come home from the hospital up to 10 lbs heavier due to the all the IV fluids they pump into you. that said, 5 lbs is pretty normal. Most WLS patients (at least normal ones - not the kind who are on "My 600 lb Life) lose in the 15-25 lb range the first month. So 5 lbs in week one is pretty normal.

I'm way "tighter" in the morning. When I mentioned it to my surgeon on my 3 month check up (I'm 10 months now), he suggested drinking hot tea or coffee first to relax the throat, muscles... Etc.

Hi guys! I'm back from the other side.... Surgery was Wednesday, came home Thursday evening and have been sticking to a really strict water and protein schedule since then when I really feel like napping.... I'm thinking of it as laying a groundwork for my new life. Haven't been perfect about finishing the portions within 30 minutes but have met protein goals and fortunately water is still really satisfying and goes down easily. One thing I didn't expect was the referred pain from the gas to persist this long after surgery. I'm able to be still and get some relief but it's uncomfortable. I did choose not to fill an Ultram prescription and have only been taking Tylenol because my incision pain has been manageable, and the shoulder pain is really more nerve pain than musculoskeletal. Something I would've bought before surgery if I'd known is a better pill crusher (I have a good number of oral meds) that I wouldn't have to work so hard to use manually. Also, they recommended liquid Tylenol, I was only able to find children's Tylenol in liquid so had to drink 30 ml to get an adult dose which is a lot and the texture doesn't feel great so I've ended up using the tablets and crushing. This forum in general was such a lifesaver in helping me know what to expect, and my post-op nurse was actually 10 months post op RNY herself and she was so nice and encouraging.

I smoked a pack a day for 20 years, kept going to the ER for respiratory problems. I started vaping over 10 years ago, and I immediately got off cigarettes, never visited the ER again. My lung x-rays are so clear, there isn't a doctor who ever guessed I was a heavy smoker. I'm thankful for that. My surgeon is not against caffeine nor nicotine, only combustible cigarettes.

@loli_lotus oh my lovely I feel your pain. [emoji3059] I have also battled with depression and my weight for many years and I also had all the doubts and questions that you have. I first considered the surgery 3 years ago, all the doubts and questions made me change my mind and I decided to try dieting again ( because I thought I could do better this time). Fast forward 3 years and no matter how hard I worked at dieting, I struggled to lose weight. I finally had surgery this March! I still had doubts, questions and family trying to dissuade me but I finally realised that I couldn't do it myself I needed a help. I didn't want to spend anymore time sad and obese with no confidence or self esteem. I'll be honest, it hasn't been easy, I've had to deal with emotions that I previously ignored by eating. I now have counselling to help me deal with this. I reacted extremely well to surgery and for 8 weeks the smell of meat repulsed me, this happens when your hormones change after surgery, it doesn't happen to everyone though. I now struggle to eat a great deal and have to eat little and often. Food was my best friend and now I don't enjoy eating. I find it a struggle to eat more than a few mouthfuls, but I keep reminding myself that it won't be like this forever and I need to take advantage of this. I also remind myself that I chose to have the surgery and how much more confident I am already! I have lost 36lb in 10 weeks, dropped two dress sizes and now feel OK looking at myself in the mirror. Everyone reacts to surgery in they're own unique way and it is a personal decision that only you can make. It isn't a quick fix and it is a difficult journey, but you are already putting in the hard work of working on your mental health. For me, the positives far outweigh the negatives. I now look forward to going out and doing things I previously would avoid and I'm continuing with my counselling sessions to make sure that I don't return to emotional eating in the long run. I hope this has helped you, I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you, sending you a huge hug x Sent from my SM-G980F using BariatricPal mobile app

Wise words from @GreenTealael & @catwoman7. Yes, it is your body not theirs & yes only you know what goes on in your head & your body. We are all so different physiologically & psychologically there is no one size fits all. If there was no one would ever have a weight issue & there would be only one diet that works for everyone. The surgery offers you the opportunity to really learn about what drives you to eat, why you made certain food choices, etc. You’ll also start to work out what your eating routine & food choices needs to be (notice I didn’t say diet). That is what your body needs to function effectively (physical health) & what you need to include to still enjoy & live your life as you want (contributing to your mental health). How I eat now will be different to how you will eat in the future. There will be similarities of course. but it won’t be exactly the same because what my body needs to be healthy & what I need for my mental health won’t be the same as yours. The surgery provides the opportunity for you to do the work into understanding your eating habits & your emotional drives to eat, to reflect on your food choices, etc. A lot of the success of the surgery does depend on you being able to do this work. As part of the surgical process you will be given access to dieticians & therapists to support you to identify the causes & strategies to manage or deal with them. The surgery also temporarily changes your taste buds, your tummy can be sensitive to certain flavours or foods & there is a restricted diet to begin which can be used to break addictions to certain foods or tastes. The physical restriction limits how much you can eat too. I know people say surgery is the easy way out. Believe me it isn’t. Appetite suppressant medications take away or mute your real hunger. Your head hunger, the psychological drives to eat (cravings, boredom, emotional traumas, addictions, etc.) are still there shouting at you to eat. Your gain, lose & gain cycle likely occurred because when your ended the diet, you went back to eating the same way you did before. The issues behind your weight problems were still there. You still didn’t know how to recognise or manage them. Exercise is great & has lots of benefits. But the truth is exercising alone accounts for only 10-20% of any weight loss. You have to diet too and … well … I tried medications, a myriad of diets & tried all sorts of exercise programs. Sure I’d lose weight but I always put weight back on. For exactly the reasons I gave above. After the surgery, I look at food totally differently. I still have cravings but I recognise & understand them better & they don’t have same power over me. Ultimately, it’s your decision. All the best whichever path you chose. PS - I’m a rambler too - can’t you tell 😁. Just embrace it - I do!