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1) a (well fitting) faja...i bought mine off amazon and had my mom tailor it to fit me...i was/am on the small side and those things did not come in my size...unless i paid $300+ (CAD) for them from specialty manufacturer. 2) a cane. dont laugh! i borrowed one from my mom because omg the back pain from walking around hunched over. i have not-so-fond memories of me hobbling around costco and the mall like a little old lady: 3) scar tape. it works. 4) a firm/hard pillow to sleep on to be elevated (i slept sitting up-ish) and to help get out of bed...i just took one of the back cushions from my couch downstairs and used it for as long as i needed. 5) a stool or something to sit on in the shower. i didn't do massages, but i've heard its helpful.

One year ago today I had my sleeve surgery and my nightmare began. 12 months later I am doing much better I know that, my infections have gone, I have lost 47kg/103lb and my energy is improving BUT I am finding today very difficult. Today I just feel really sad and keep crying when I realise how much of the last year I lost what with the four months in hospital, all the stress (not just for me but for my family) and how I am still recovering all from what was supposed to be just one night post-op in hospital and then a few weeks of recovery. I thought I was doing better mentally and emotionally but today I just wish I could have just stayed in bed. Anyway I just wanted to say thanks to all here how have answered my questions, given support etc., it has made my journey a bit easier.

1- F ,40,5.4” 2- 0 3- 198lbs 4- 185lbs 5- 170lbs 6- 158lbs 7 - may 2024 is 1 year

I HATE meal prepping yet I do it every weekend..reluctantly 😂 I work full time, finishing my bachelors full time, 3 kids. Seriously cooking at the end of the day is the last thing I wanna do LOL i do have chicken in the freezer that I’ll air fry with some veggies. Make the family something easy that’s usually fattening. My dietician went MIA till the end of the year, I called my bariatric office and have yet to get a call back. So yay me 😮‍💨

I am on a similar diet now. Two shakes and then a low carb dinner of the same portions of lean meat and veggies (mine adds non fat sugars free snacks and a small amount of fruit or starchy veggies). I do that for two weeks, BUT, two days before I switch to a liquid diet and then the night before (it doesn’t specify the time) I drink only clear liquids and after midnight it’s nothing (excepts a few hours before I drink a really small amount of Gatorade). Everyone is a bit differnt but I agree witb you that actual food six hours before doesn’t sound right at all. I would call. I was given the wrong info about my diet too. Personally I would ask to hear it from the dr or a medial assistant. I was given the wrong info about the need for the Liver Shrink Portion alltogether. The front desk seconded what the nurse that did my paperwork told me but I still didn’t trust it. Yesterday I met with the dr to clarify and it was good I trusted my gut because I am in fact supposed to do it and it started yesterday.

Follow up: Surgery went well. Doctor was very pleased with it and my post-op. Tomorrow is the one week mark and I feel pretty good. Following the protein and water intake rules. Using a medicine cup to drink from so that I remember to sip helps a lot. Anyway happy to report that surgery at 60 is going even better than it was at 50 so far!!

Has anyone had experience with needing to take amino acid supplements because most of the 'complete' protein powders they are unable to have? I'm pre-surgery but allergic to the whey protein in milk, and in trying some other protein powders, found that soy, pea, and egg protein powders cause digestive havoc of the TMI variety. I've found that collagen protein powder and hemp protein powder I am perfectly fine with, but I know collagen is missing one of the essential amino acids and hemp protein while complete is low on the essential amino acids. The dietician seem flustered that I can't have whey protein and I've not been able to find anyone talking about using amino acid supplements to make an incomplete protein complete. Also totally open to other suggestions for protein in the weeks pre- and post-surgery while on the liquid diet.

Also keep in mind your nerves that register full were cut to reduce your stomach. It will take several months for them to reattach and possibly start working again! Its why the dieticians want you to measure/weigh everything - they know your eating capacity! As others have said; pay attention to your body's indicators, there are several and not everyone experiences the same or all of them: 1. Sniffing/runny nose 2. Hic ups (I personally get this one) 3. Racing heart or more pronounced feeling of beats (I also have this) 4. Pain 5. Shortness of breath 6. Coughing 7. headache 8. ? Yours maybe different and unique - just pay attention to what your body is telling you!

I'm right there with you. The last 3 days have been constant cravings, so I'm back on the protein shake diet for the next week. I'm working with my therapist to get set up with a coach that's trained to deal with eating disorders and retraining myself. I'll check back in if that leads anywhere. Hope you're doing well, and that things are improving!

I lost 57 lbs before surgery. I went on to lose about 180 more lbs after surgery. So no, losing weight before surgery won't keep you from losing after surgery. You may not see as big of a drop the first month as some people do, but that's because much of that is water weight, and you've already lost that (you'll still lose weight that first month, though) Stalls are normal and you're likely to experience several of them along the way. Most of us experience the first major one about the third week post-op - so don't freak if your weight loss stops for a couple of weeks around that time.

I just finished day 3 - so far, it was the day of the most temptation, but I made it through!

I agree with @NickelChip, you’re not a failure. Not just from a statistical perspective but also from the perspective that you lost weight & kept it off for a while. That in itself is a success because we know how hard it is to lose any weight at all let alone keep it off for anything more than a week. Yes, there has been some discussion around the long term effectiveness of the sleeve but I think it could be said of any of the surgeries - it may work for some but not all. And what sometimes defines as a success may differ too. Too many external and internal factors can affect how successful you are in the short & long term too. I had my surgery when I was almost 54 because peri menopause & then menopause did a number on me & my weight. Quickly pushed me to my usual high weight then I swear overnight, to my all time high of 91kg, (Hormones are the gift that just keep giving whether you’re producing what you need or your production is decreasing as you near &/or are in menopause.). So yes, being in peri menopause or menopause could mess with your weight. I’d get in touch with your surgeon and ask him about a revision, GLP-1 meds and any other options. The fact you are ready & want to do something is such a positive position to be in. All the best.

as for whether subsisting on a very low calorie diet for a prolonged period of time affects your BMR (metabolism) in the future, there are arguments for AND against. one particular study that i found intriguing was the "Biggest Loser Study"..that found that contestants that participated in the study ALL ended up with lower BMR's than before weight loss...EXCEPT for the one contestant who ended up getting WLS. that one person's BMR did not lower like the rest after his wls, in fact, in went back up. obv, the sample size was very small, and the subjects were only observed for 6 years, but still. something to ponder. you can read the study here if you are interested: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4989512/ or, if you want an easier NYT-read of the same study, here is a link to a more reader-friendly version: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html now for a personal anecdote: i was 300 calories A WEEK for the first two weeks, then 300-400 calories a DAY for a couple months, then 500-600 the next couple months, then 700-800 until i reached goal at at 7 months. i'm 5'2" and at 7 months i was 127 lbs. fast forward almost 6 years post op and i am consuming 2200+ cals a day and i'm just under 120 lbs. however i also do quite a bit of dedicated exercise (1.5 to 2.5 hours daily), plus other active stuff i just do for fun in daily life. BUT...when i wasn't exercising as much as i am now, i was maintaining at about 1800 calories a day...so at least for me, i don't think my BMR/metabolism was negatively affected after a sustained low cal diet...if anything, i think it got better...though i probably have all the exercise to thank.

Greetings, So I really hit a low point with some financial stress that I went through with a small business I have and reverted back to my old ways of dealing with things - very poor food choices over a couple of months. I feel terrible, but I am ready to get back on track. However I have some concerns. I am able to eat anything and even drink at the same time now - a year and a bit out from surgery. I don't get the "foamies" if I eat too much, etc. I don't get the full feeling that I was still getting right before my crash. What I am saying is - I am worried that the "tool" that was supposed to help me is no longer there to help keep me in check. I know the stomach can't be stretched to what it used to be, so I am fine with that knowledge after doing some research. However I am wondering once I go back to eating properly, drinking more water and getting my protein - will things go back to how things were prior to my 2 months of screwing up or is that probably gone forever now with feeling full, etc. Like I never had the surgery. I looked into a pouch reset - but it seems there is a lot of misinformation out there. That this is not a real thing from what doctors have said - like drinking just shakes for a week again or whatever will NOT reset your pouch. I would appreciate feedback on the above and if anyone went through something similar - what was your experience to get your sleeve back on track. Thank you very much. HM

I've been using them for 3 years now and have had no issues my blood work has been great since been using them. Where the regular bariatric vitamins weren't working at all even taking extras I was always lacking against my teams advice I started using the Gastric Bypass package vitamin patches And even my team was surprised at how high my numbers were

it was probably 3 or 4 months for me, but I started out at over 300 lbs. It was probably more like five months before a LOT of people started noticing. But then at that weight, I just looked huge no matter what - people wouldn't necessarily notice a 40 or 50 lb difference (plus I also wore baggy clothes at that weight, so that probably factored in, too)

i don't know what my numbers were, but at my 1 week post op appt my doc had me take b12 out of my vitamin regimen. and he would often comment on my higher levels at most of. my followups (but i never thought to ask what he considered "higher" levels). full disclosure: i stopped taking all my vitamins around 1.5 years post op (by choice, not direction) and all my labs since then have come back with zero issues. i had my 50-year-old-woman full range of tests and checks and screenings a couple years ago and i am the picture of pure health (my words, not theirs, lol) congrats of feeling great, and with the labs to support it! YAY!

Hello again! Yes, @ShoppGirl - that's exactly what it was, now that you mention it that rings a bell! It was Heparin to help prevent blood clots. Maybe I won't need to B12 since I do still have my gallbladder - time will tell! I, too, had forgotten about the recipes on Baritastic until earlier today when I went to add the recipe I ended up using for the chicken salad I had for dinner. I need to get some fat free mayo; today I cheated and just used two teaspoons of regular mayo because that's what I had; and also sweet relish as opposed to dill relish. Are you taking an ADEK supplement? My nurse was insistent on my having to take them as a SADI patient post-op, so I ordered some from Barimelts that have thankfully not tasted terrible and dissolve quickly. It's a GREAT reminder about the recipes in Baritastic - thank you, @draikaina8503 for the reminder as well! When you get your staples out I'd suggest asking them to be liberal in their application of steri-strips, especially for ones that are on the sides or at an angle. Having that extra support against the pulling really did make a big difference. Weirdly, so has using antibiotic/pain relief ointment?! I'd never really experienced 'pain relief' from that ointment (generic over the counter) but I was shocked to find that after I applied it my pain did actually lesson! Who'd have thought?? Also, I totally kept the two reusable ice bags from the hospital and have been using them this whole time because they were softer than the ice packs I had and the ice being able to move around a bit as it melted was just more comfortable. I'm glad you'll be able to get back on your Adderall and normal medications now! I will say that nice warm showers also feel really nice overall during recovery, especially if you have an alternate shower pressure setting that can go easy on the surgical site and maybe more pulsing/massaging on the back. Just my own personal experience. I came across an inspiration idea for the puree phase today when looking around on Amazon! A friend of mine had given me about 2/3 of a container of the 30g powder protein in Vanilla and I realized that oatmeal is a great thing to add it to! I feel like if I cook the oatmeal and let it get soft and fluffy, then add in the protein powder with it to the food processor that I bet it will be perfect AND help me get my protein goal! Plus since oatmeal is high in fiber it should help with regular bowel movements. I even thought I might add some of my zero sugar caramel macchiato creamer to it in order to give it more flavor without adding an artificial sweetener. I do have some xantham gum though should I need it. I'm planning on exploring what types of purees I can make with my greek zero sugar vanilla yogurt, various fruits, and that protein powder. I'm not sure why but something just CLICKED earlier when I was in my kitchen and I realized that between the ricotta, strawberries, blueberries, low fat cottage cheese, and protein powder that I actually have a lot more options than I'd previously considered! You can also mix protein shakes with sugar free pudding instead of milk - but word to the wise, learn from my mistake and don't make up too much at once because at about day 3-4 it starts to separate and get runny. Before that it's quite tasty and filling, though! My chair isn't bothering me quite as much today after I laid a thick folded blanket down on the seat for cushioning; and I think part of my discomfort may have also just simply been from constipation and gas that needed to be passed. I'm proceeding with caution on starting new foods that I haven't already tried, but I will say the chicken salad sat really well on my stomach. I even 'cheated' and crumbled up two Ritz crackers on top for some texture variant - it was the first 'meal' I've eaten really other than my half a scrambled egg this morning that I found to be satisfying. I'm using the timer in Baritastic to make sure I go 30 mins before and after eating without a drink - that's still been rough but as long as I distract myself the time goes by pretty quickly. Oh - @draikaina8503 - I'm not sure if it is allowed for you per your doctor, but I've dealt with the dry mouth using sugar free jolly ranchers sparingly. I'm so sorry you're struggling with getting water down, but glad you're getting some relief with ice chips! Sonic definitely has better ice chips; as do a few gas stations here any there. Ice chips are SUCH a nice thing to have available. I'm cursing the fact that I don't have an ice dispenser in my fridge - sadly it isn't that fancy - but it sure would make it easier to fill these ice packs than having to fight to crack an ice tray and refill lol @Onemealplan - Yeah, what's with the ice cream? That sounds delightful lol - I mean, obviously one ounce wouldn't be bad - It just wasn't something I thought of myself as being allowed to have! Now you've got me thinking of all the sugar free varieties I saw available at Braum's in their store section! I guess I can also finally have my sugar free popsicles - Woohoo! Also thank you to @Rob Nissam for your insight about the gas and general knowledge sharing! I hope you are doing well on your path and in recovery! @AndreaJD - Thanks for the suggestions about what purrees are working for you! I'm all ears when it comes to tips to carry me through these next two weeks. I was thinking about my cream of soups earlier and how I can now have them warm. I know I need to buy some unflavored protein powder -- Does anyone have a suggestion for an unflavored protein powder they've found works well and mixes well? Just curious what's working and what if anything isn't! Wishing all of you the best in preparing, having surgeries, and recovering from them in the coming days! This forum has been invaluable to me and I'm grateful to all of you for sharing your tips and experiences so far!

Hi a little on what’s happened to me. 16 months ago I had to have gastric sleeve as my hiatus hernia and other issues had strangled my stomach. I had the hiatus hernia repaired at the same time. 4 weeks later I had to go in for a stretch as I couldn’t stomach soft foods. 3 months later I was still on purée and soft soft foods. We did more testing and surgery again to fix the hiatus. Things didn’t progress past the purée. I was sent to our state capital to see the head surgeon. After running more tests they found more issues. My stomach had moved above my heart. Causing most of my eating issues. I had surgery #4, 8 weeks ago. After a 3 Hr operation they repaired the hiatus, fixed my Nissan fundoplication and had to staple more stomach away as I had a pouch. I was on liquid for 3 weeks, purée for 3 weeks. But a day after starting soft foods I am back to liquids/purée as everytime I ate it felt like an air bubble was blocked and I was vomiting. now everytime I drink/eat/swallow saliva I get a sharp stabbing pain. The surgeon has said I may have to have bypass. how has everyone coped with GB and any tips for me please?

So I had the sleeve three years ago and gained my weight back. I am pending revision and the dr did an endoscopy and found a hiatal hernia and some gerd. He then ordered a UGI and a gastric emptying study to get some more information to decide which surgery is most appropriate. I just finished the gastric emptying study and after only two hours the food was completely out of my stomach which may explain why I always feel hungry a couple hours after I eat. I am hoping maybe there is a treatment to slow down my stomach emptying and I won’t even need surgery or if I do it will be more successful this time. I see the dr in a week and I’m sure he will have an answer but I’m just curious if this is truly faster than normal and if anyone else has had this issue.

My hair started thinning around 3 months post surgery. It thinned out until about 9 months out and then slowly stopped. I cut my hair to juuuuuuuust shoulder length and used volumizing and thickening shampoo and conditioner, and it's really helped. The longer your hair, the heavier it is and can make the thinning more noticeable.

HI all, The surgery itself went well, the GERD is gone and my hiatal hernia has been repaired, however, I am dealing with terrible constipation (so much pain!), stomach cramps, and nausea (especially when trying to drink protein drinks or any zero sugar drinks). My surgeon has me on stool softeners, Miralax, and Smooth move tea, and Zofran for the nausea to help me to drink and consume more protein (they say I am in protein deficiency). They also want to get me an IV infusion to up my fluids intake with the hopes that will also help with the constipation. Mostly I'm just mentally and physically exhausted from it all. I know it will all be OK and a resolution will come eventually (whether it's a few weeks or months though is why I'm kind of worried about it all), but in the meantime I am at my job and uncomfortable sitting in my desk chair, feeling like I'm cheating my time because of how much I spend in the ladies room, and so close to a breaking point (there are other work issues) that I just want to quit so I can stay at home and convalesce in bed with my pets for a few more years. LOL I have lost a few pounds, which is a bonus (SW 286, last weigh-in was Sept 17 and I was 279, I think I'm probably below 275 at this point) since the surgery wasn't to lose weight but to fix the acid reflux issue. But I kind of feel like I just traded one problem (GERD) for another (constipation) and it's really dragging me down mentally. I hope everyone here is doing well and not dealing with any major issues post-surgery! Christine

Maybe check with your care team regarding your liquids too? I'm wondering if you're flushing the protein shakes out too quickly if you're drinking that much water. I know all programs are different, but for the first week my team told me to aim for at least 32oz clear fluid (including water but also any sugar free clear liquids like broth, jello or gatorade), and at least one shake per day, slowly increasing it as I felt able. By the end of the second week they were 'hoping' for around 48oz clear liquids and two shakes per day, but they were happy I was averaging 1.5. Are you drinking your fluids slowly? Part of they reason they ask is because we're dealing with a smaller stomach all of a sudden, and getting us to train ourselves to eat slower and more mindfully, etc blah blah -- but part of it is also to slowly re-train our bodies / nerves / etc to recognize what our 'new full' feels like, the sensations as our stomach fills up, etc. I have to admit I had a lot of trouble with that -- still do -- because I still have barely gotten those sensations back. (I have the opposite problem -- I can't feel when I'm hungry or when I'm full yet, so I have to rely solely on portion sizes at the moment) I guess the third thing to maybe bring up with your care team: how is your body digesting the protein shakes? Some people are suddenly lactose intolerant, or suddenly can't process certain sweeteners the same way, etc. If you find that it's moving through you really quickly (urine or loose stool), it may be that your body is just dumping it out. It might be worthwhile to try a different protein powder/shake brand, or one with a different protein base. I know whey is supposed to be one of the best, but whey is a dairy product and maybe you'd have better luck with collagen, pea protein, etc. Good luck! I hope it gets easier for you soon!

I was sleeved in March of 2015 (HW 405, SW 357, LW 238, sustained 260 for a few years), had some regain where I hit 315, so I went on a hybrid Optifast/Numetra diet through a program at Kaiser (my then insurance in California). It worked well, I dropped about 50 pounds and was happy with that, but then I had some mental health issues including some passive ideation, so I decided to move across country (technically back home) to Delaware and share a living space with my brother and his wife and pets. Since that move I've gained back the 50 pounds I lost, I have another hiatal hernia, and severe acid reflux/GERD so now I'm on the path to revision to bypass. Thing is, I never wanted bypass, that's why I had the sleeve in the first place, the reworking of my internal plumbing scares the heck out of me! I've known a ton of people who've had it with no issues, but I've also known a couple who passed away from complications (granted, that was 20 years ago, and I know things have improved medically since then). But the idea of having dumping syndrome, and malabsorption, and needing to take vitamins and supplements forever - UGH - I'm freaking out!! 😨😖 I have an anxiety disorder (SAD & GAD) and my anxiety has been through the ROOF the past few weeks! My surgery date is August 26 - 13 days from today! - and I started my pre-op diet the other day (Monday), but part of me wants to cancel everything! However, there is a part of me that can't wait for the relief from the GERD. I guess I'm not asking for anything here, mostly just venting my anxiety. 🤣

Ugh. Getting back on track after vacation is harder than I thought it would be. I have no desire to cook and I'm craving snacks and sweets like crazy because I know they're in the house. I had done a thorough job of getting all the snacks and candy out of the cupboards leading up to surgery, but with the kids home all day for the summer, I've bought some things for them, and we also brought home stuff from our trip. Resisting the temptation when it's just in the next room while I'm working is HARD, especially because having a snack was often the way I would deal with avoiding a project for work that I didn't want to do (I work from home). Add on top of that the beginning of hunger returning and an increase in how much I can comfortably eat in one sitting and it's a battle. Plus the weather has been miserably hot so if I don't get out to walk first thing in the morning, it's not happening. Needless to say, my weight has bounced up a pound this week. So frustrated!