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My team doesn't focus too much on calories or carbs. They focus mainly on protein, at least 60 g a day and I've been losing up till a week ago. I always get more than 80g of protein in a day. Also, the calories I consume aren't crap. They've always been impressed with my weight loss every time I've been to my check ups. I absolutely need to do more exercise, so I will be working on that.

High B12 is common after surgery. Mine is always over 1000. In fact, I know vets who swear they feel better if theirs is over 1000. The only time my clinic ever said anything about my high B12 level was when it went over 2000 a few years back. And even then, they just suggested I cut back a bit on my supplement. Otherwise, it's met with a shrug. weird liver numbers are also pretty common after surgery. Rapid weight loss is hard on livers. My liver numbers didn't settle down until I was a year (or maybe more) out...but they did eventually stabilize (i.e., in the normal range). P.S. those hemoglobin and MCHC levels are so close to normal that I wouldn't worry about them. Your doctor or surgeon will let you know if they're in issue, but I'm guessing they're probably fine.

Hi everyone, My 3-month mark was January 27th, 2024 for RNY. I was cleared to eat regular food in the normal way (not liquid, puree) 2 days before Christmas. I just had my labs done today, and my 3-month checkup with the clinic is on Feb 12th, where we will go over labs and diet expectations. So I will know more then. From my highest weight, I have lost 61lbs/27.69k so far, since surgery on October 27th I have lost 39lbs/17.69k. I feel like I should have lost more, but I am right on track. I was exercising at the gym 6 days a week since mid-November, up until 2 weeks ago when I got snowed in. I am hoping to get back to the gym tomorrow, but I am overwhelmed looking for a new job/career change and I would like to move to Nevada. I have noticed that the exercise seems to help me with the weight coming off and I have been building muscle too, especially in my arms and legs (most excited about arms). I take full body measurements every month on the 27th. I started doing this the day before surgery in October and I have found it very encouraging, especially since I struggle with feeling I should have lost more. I would suggest everyone do this, there are some great cheap templates you can download from Etsy. The first month after surgery I lost 0lbs, nothing and I was super upset, how can no weight come off when all you get to eat is protein shakes, and it's a struggle to get them down? So I guess I hit my stall right out the gate. My surgery did go very well. I only stayed one night in the hospital, and I was eager to get home, I did throw up the entire time after surgery (that day and the next day) but I did not have pain or gas and I was able to walk around easily. TMI but I did start my period the day before surgery, so FYI bring your own pads to the hospital, the ones they have are terrible, and no you can't use a cup or tampons. I will let you know how my lab report turns out and what they tell me on February 12th. Oh and anyone living in Las Vegas or Henderson NV and can help with a job, that would be awesome I have a bachelor's in Business Management with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship, and I can learn to do anything quickly, but I would need to make enough to afford an apartment on my own. (it's worth a try)

Hello, How is your wls journey going? I'm similar to you in that I'm 5 11.5 tall and around 265 pounds. My surgery date is Jan 10, 2024 and scheduled for the SADI. However, I may go with the sleeve because I don't want to lose too much weight. Goal is to stay around 190 pounds.

I cleaned my house 2x the night before surgery. Then I decided to just stay up and watch a bunch of movies and listen to music. I never slept. Looking back, I was very anxious. Likely of the unknown. So here’s what happened the morning of my surgery: I drove to the hospital, parked and checked in. I was given a clipboard with tons of paperwork to fill out. There was a lot. I was give a scannable wristband to confirm my identity. I talked with the person who came with me trying to keep my mind off of what was happening. We talked about a lot of random things, but mostly what I was doing the next month. That helped me to believe that there was a future beyond the surgery. The nurse called me in. I gave her a the clipboard and was asked to verify my info. My wrist band was scanned. She measured my weight asked me to give a urine sample. I brought back to a room and given the preop gown to change into a bag for all the things I brought with me. My companion was also allowed in this room. The nurse asked me to confirm name and my date of birth and scanned the wrist band. She measured my blood pressure O2 levels and started an IV line with saline. Next in was the anesthesiologist. I once again confirmed my info and was asked questions previous responses to anesthesia. Since this was my first surgery with general anesthesia I asked what it felt like and he it explained everything very well. The surgeon came in and once again I gave my info but this time he asked me to verify what surgery I having. He asked if I had any questions or concerns I did not. Last person to come in was the nurse who is brought back to the OR. This is where it began to get real for me I was a little nervous. When I rolled into the OR everyone was clapping like it was a party and they were congratulating me in advance. It was pretty special. One by one they introduced themselves and their positions. I was moved from one bed to another. Then the dance to hook me up to cardiac monitors and other devices began. I was giving instructions on how to move which way to roll and everything that they were going to do before it happens. I was never left in the dark. When anesthesiologist came in I was hooked up to the IV he explain what would be administered. The oxygen mask went on and I was told to count backwards from 10 to 1. I didn’t get very far. I felt extremely tired, blinking a few times before drifting off to sleep. This was a dreamless sleep that felt like only a few minutes when I began to awake in the recovery room. I asked no one in particular if the surgery happened. I drifted in and out of sleep for a while. When I finally woke up I was in the hospital room, I would stay until I went home. I Hope that helps!

this is the main reason I didn't tell very many people about my surgery until I was several months post-op - and even then, it was usually just to other obese people who wondered how I lost so much weight (because all of us who've been there know that "diet and exercise" just isn't a permanent solution for most of us). Sorry you have to deal with her insensitive comment. People can be so rude!!

A little about me. 45-year-old, male. Fought my weight my entire adult life. Chronic IBS. GERD. Heart attack in 2016. Heart disease. Diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea in 2022. Fatty liver disease. Metabolic syndrome. Diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos - Hypermobility Type in 1997. Currently have chronic pain in both shoulders and both hips, especially when sleeping. This is due to the EDS. I have SLAP tears in both shoulders as well as partial rotator cuff tears, and frozen shoulder on the right side. Married. Twin 13-year-olds. Quality of life really hit bottom. I decided to take control of my life. I had my first appointment with the Dr back in November. Just had VSG on May 18th. Severe gas pains for about the first 5 hours after surgery. Like really bad. Gave me dilaudid to help with the pain, and it did knock the edge off. I was able to get up and walk, drink a little, and pee. Let me go home about 6.5 hours in recovery. The first nights sleep was brutal. THE HICCUPS! Why did no one tell me about the hiccups?! I was able to wear my apnea mask just fine, but every time I got up to pee (about 5 times total), the hiccups would start almost immediately and last for 30 minutes or more. I was shaking the bed and keeping the wife awake, they were so bad. Also had some mild reflux with a little bit of the foamies (I got those before the surgery when the reflux would flare). 1st day after surgery, much better. Very few hiccups. No nausea. Got all of my fluids and protein in. Even walked about 8000 steps (I would've done anything to make sure the gas pain didn't return). Now I'm on the third full day after surgery, and each day has been better than the last. Still tired. Off pain meds for the entire day today. I can't stomach the clear protein, so I'm drinking full (creamy) protein diluted 50/50 with water. No issues so far. I think I have overdone it with walking too much too soon, because I feel really tired and weak. I'm going to cut the walking down to 5000 steps and see if that helps. My ABS are pretty sore, especially immediately after sitting/laying. They tighten up pretty quick. Still a long road ahead, with 1-2 shoulder surgeries later this year. And I know there's still a long road ahead with my weight loss journey. I appreciate everyone's candidness describing their issues (poop, slime/foamies, etc). I like to know what to expect. No regrets.

I don't think you are going bald, just going through what so many of us have had to cope with. I had long thick straight hair pre-op and thought I was doing really well when I got to month four with no hair loss and then it was like a horror movie for two months. Clumps would come out if I washed my hair, I would cry in the shower when I saw what was in the drain and my hand after just a light touch wash. I kept my hair tied back and washed just once a week during the two months but you could tell where I had been by following the trail of fallen hair, I seriously shed more than my cat! I was so self conscious about it as had bald patches but thankfully others couldn't tell it was mostly underneath. I ended up cutting my hair up to chin length so it was not as obvious. After six months the hair loss stopped and now it is about regrowth, it is nearly as annoying though not in anyway upsetting. I have been getting my hair cut every couple of months so that my existing hair is as close in length to the new hair (which is coming in with a curl) and I have to put mascara in my hair if I go out in public as there are baby hairs sticking up all over the place, looks like static hair. I took special bariatric vitamins for hair for three months, no idea if it helped but I was prepared to try anything. I also got a couple of wigs but ended up not needed them. For washing my hair I used a really soft shampoo made from oat milk. Basically I just want to let you know that what you are going through is normal after the surgery, you couldn't have prevented it, it just happens to most patients as the body is coping with the weight loss and it will get better.

Agreed with these comments. Definitely up your Protein where you can and cut out excess carbs. Anything past your minimum range, and they slow down the process of burning excess fat. Also processed foods along with excess carbs can cause more fluid retention, which causes your weight on the scale to increase. Granted, that is fluid weight, and not fat weight, but it can also cause inflammation and make you feel tired and bloated.

I agree with this. At your starting weight you should have been offered a Duodenal Switch or a SADI procedure. If you weren't, I'm assuming it is because your surgeon can't perform those surgeries, so just offered you the sleeve? If you were offered these options, why did you opt for just the sleeve? My highest weight was 320. Two surgeons agreed I should have a traditional duodenal switch. I did the research and agreed with them, though originally I just wanted the sleeve. I was terrified of the switch portion of the surgery, especially because I've had ulcerations of the small intestines due to my autoimmune disease. So my surgeon called and consulted with my GI doctor and together they decided the DS was the best option for me and worth the risk because of how many benefits it would offer me. So I decided to accept my fear and go with the DS anyway. I'm so thankful I did and that it was an option offered to me. It has changed my life in so many ways for the better... The sleeve is the first part of a duodenal switch, that's where the sleeve operation actually came from. The intestinal part can be added at any stage by a surgeon qualified to do it, but only a small percentage of surgeons can perform it, as it can be rather complex. We see revisions from sleeve to DS all the time in my support group.

best way to avoid the comments is to tell no one. i thought i could avoid it by telling the 5 people i am closest to AND trusted not to tell anyone: Mr., The Kid, Sis, Mom and BFF. Surprisingly, it was Mom and BFF who were the commentators. Mom asked why can't i just diet, and that she was scared for me to go under the knife for an elective surgery and to pls reconsider. I told her yes, i'll think about it, and did it anyway. BFF said something along the lines of "people use cliff notes to cheat on writing essays, this is your cliff notes for weight loss!" I let slide her poor attempt of a joke as we go way back, and i love her. I answered back along the lines of, yep i'll need all the help i can get! ...and did it anyway. though i will say i got way more (unwanted) comments as i lost weight by the people who didn't know i had surgery. i just became a master of changing subjects. good luck! ❤️

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Congrats and good luck! I had mine last Monday, and had similar doubts going into it. The first 8 hours afterwards was the worst, but it wasn't so much that it hurt, it was more just an uncomfortable feeling. That combined with coming out of anesthesia and the way I overthink things didn't help, haha, but around 8 hours afterwards it started easing dramatically. I felt way better the next morning and walking was easy after that. Definitely recommend walking and Gas-X to reduce the pressure feeling. As for the scale not moving, just remember that weight loss is not linear, it comes in waves. Whenever there's a sharp change to our body, our mind overreacts because it thinks we're under threat and its trying to save our life, even if its something as simple as a diet. The fat we accumulated was as a defense measure to protect against starvation for our ancestors, but we as humans haven't adapted to the plentiful amount of food and high carbohydrate availability that we have present day. Think of our fat cells as little balloons that can store pieces of fat as a potential fuel source for starvation protection. As we go into a deficit with our calorie restriction, the body is forced to burn those pieces of fat, but those balloons remain, waiting to be filled back up again "just in case". If our body thinks it is threatened after a significant amount of that fat fuel is burned, it will temporarily fill it with water/fluid to keep the balloons in tact. This is where the "water weight" you may have heard of comes into play. So even though the fat itself is gone, those balloons are hanging on for dear life, thinking they're trying to save you. Only after some time passes, the body decides that its safe to shed those empty fat balloons, and you'll have a "whoosh" of weight loss after a stall period. These stalls can be 1 week to a couple months, which makes it very easy to get discouraged. When (not if) you get to a stall, just remember to stay the course. You had an entire lifetime to condition your body that your higher food intake was the normal amount required for survival, so it won't be convinced that everything is ok with a reduced caloric intake for a little while. Your weight loss will appear like stair steps instead of a straight line. Also anticipate slight gains during these stalls. That is just the water retention, and not fat reappearing, so think of it as "fake weight". As you get close to your final goal, and you're exercising more, remember that muscle weighs more than fat, I think about 1.5x as much. So as you build muscle, it will offset the number on the scale. That is why the scale number isn't as important in the final phase of your weight loss journey. It can be discouraging if you're only chasing the number, so keep in mind all the other victories towards the end. Think of the energy you have, an easier time breathing, the ability to do things you couldn't before, being able to wear clothes you never thought you'd fit in, and the additional years added to your life!

The pouch reset diet is an old wives tale. You can’t ‘reset’ your pouch. You can only reset your head & thinking. If you think you are eating more than you should, watch your portion sizes carefully & your frequency of meals. Portion control will always be something we have to take care with because as the months pass we are physically able to eat more. Our restriction eases. Our tummy, while still small softens & is more pliable. And our hunger returns. We can also learn how to eat around our smaller tummy. I was told to eat about a cup at 6 months but as your surgeon said everyone’s journey is different and you may have different needs in regard to how much, what & when you eat. Check with your dietician for the best portion size of proteins, vegetables, etc. & frequency of meals for you. Then you just have to keep to those recommendations. As I always say, all because you can (in this case eat more) doesn’t mean you should. I’m glad your surgeon is so supportive & is willing to look at other ways of helping you to lose more weight & get closer to where you want to be.

I'm 5 weeks post op RNY, I eat 3 meals of protein, 2 oz per meal, and add 1 cup of fairlife milk and a protein shake. If I'm feeling hungry I'll add 2 oz of greek yogurt or protein pudding for a fourth meal. I usually feel a bit hungrier on days that I swim. I exercise every day and I can tell when I got too into it, I feel tired and hungry. So far the easiest to digest have been ground turkey, smoked salmon, chicken, tuna, and cottage cheese. I'm still drinking chicken broth when I feel like I need more salt and if I forget that, I crave chips. I also pretty much eat my weight in sugar free popsicles.

Usually eating when it's not a snack? Today for example, I wasn't feeling well so I slept for awhile. I didn't eat breakfast and I didn't eat lunch. I made Tyson chicken nuggets and I fried them to make them extra crispy (bad I know, should have baked them). I had a serving plus one extra nugget with chic fil a garden herb ranch. I had some rice with butter and creo. A few sweet potato fries and a couple pieces of sliced beets. When I write it down, it sounds like a ton. I didn't finish all the rice or the beets. 2 to 3 hours later (I try to aim for 3 or 4). I had ramen soup. No problems eating that and I was able to eat it all. Gosh, I can't believe I'm able to. I had a candy cane about an hour later. Around 10:30pm tonight, I had a serving of mini marshmallows, sugar free dark chocolate pudding cup with sugar free whipped cream. One and a half Keebler Stripped cookie with a few sips of milk and a little after, a few sips of iced tea. Why am I like this? Why am I able to eat this much at once? Is my stomach stretched out? Should I ask to check my stomach? My 1 year appointment is February 21st. I really want to get back to tracking, it's definitely something that helped me stay on track. My weight was 3 ish pounds less than it is today. A few days ago it said I gained 5 pounds. So yeah, it's up and down and I know it's because of the poor eating. Does anyone use timer reminders to make sure you drink your water or to make sure you eat slowly?

Hi sorry I’m new here I had my surgery December 19 so it’s been like 2 weeks and 3 days so the first 7 days i lost 17 pounds but right now I’m loosing weight very slow like a pound each day its that normal or mybe I’m doing something wrong right now I lost 27 pounds total 2 weeks and 3 days

I understand your disappointment with one more hoop to go through. The good news is that if it is obstructive apnea (not central apnea) you will likely be off of CPAP once you lose weight. I was on CPAP for years (after I hit 220 pounds) and no longer need it due to the weight loss! Hang in there...this is such a hard time...the waiting.

Hi everyone! I am just reaching out for some guidance. For those of you who have gotten gastric sleeve, do you think it is worth it? Those who have type 2 diabetes, did this control your blood sugars/improve A1c? I've never had surgery before, and I am thinking of doing this, but I am terrified of recovery and how my body will react with such a huge change. I am T2DM and have PCOS and weigh 250 lbs. I've always yo-yo'd with my weight and now I've found it very difficult to lose it, and I want to be able to feel good about myself again. I don't know anyone close to me who has done it, I've been relying on TikTok users telling the audience their story.

Figured I'd join in! Had DS surgery on 12/18. Pre-surgery weight (about 1-week before) was 415, currently down to 375. Had to spend 4 nights in the hospital due to some complications (had very LOW blood pressure for a couple days due to kidney's not working properly) but improved each day. Felt very little pain (unless coughing/sneezing). Glad to be a part of the community here. Currently in pureed food stage, looking forward to the soft food stage in another week!

Life just throws it all at you some times & I’m sorry you’ve been through a lot. Unfortunately the pouch reset is a fairy story/old wives’ tale. What needs to be reset is not your tummy but your head. Remember all that head work we had to do in the beginning? The stress, emotions & changes you’ve been experiencing has likely meant those old bad habits have snuck in again & you’ve been turning to food to comfort yourself. It’s easy to become complacent too. All completely understandable. Don’t know if you were a food tracker or not, but tracking even for a couple of weeks like @Spinoza suggested will help you identify what you may need to adjust - food choices, protein & fluid goals, portion sizes, nutrition. Then start by making one or two changes & another one or two a couple of weeks later. Small changes are easier to adopt & adapt to. Probably aim to get back to about where you were when your weight stabilised & how you initially maintained. Maybe contact your nut/dietician to help you get back in the right mindset. Therapy may help you manage & better cope with the stress you’ve been experiencing too so you don’t turn to food. You’ve been successful for ten years. You can do it again. All the best.

I am 4 months since I started pre-op. HW - 469.8, Pre Op Weight - 450.6, 12/4/23 Weight - 340.4 Pictures are Pre-Op to today (12/4/23) Down 129.4 Overall, 110.2 since Pre-Op, and 90.4 since surgery (Aug 15, 2023) Still have a way to go for goal (250).

if you're following your diet, then it's either hormones, water retention, and/or full intestines. With any of those, your weight will go back down within a couple of days. Those are all very normal fluctuations. If they're playing with your head, just cut back on how often you're weighing yourself - maybe just do it once a week.

I'm 10 months post op and have been in a stall for months and I've been contemplating starting a semiglutide. I've never not been hungry, nor have I been able to stop the constant food drum beat in my head even a few weeks post surgery so I fully understand the "white knuckling" it part. I've spoken to my surgeons office dietician and the psychologist at the clinic who actually was the one who suggested it after I told her the "food chatter" is so bad that its become my walking cadence "I am still hungry" over and over. I spoke with the psychologist because I wanted help with my anger, anger over the fact I went through all this to get healthy, stop the constantly thinking of food ...I've done and have been doing my part: I'm still "hungry" and no matter how much protein (80 grams) I eat, sticking to my 800 calories, drinking my water....my brain says eat. I'm tired of the constant battle. I'm angry because I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do...and yet I'm right back to the diet mind games I have to do ...work out instead of eating, clean the house..hoping the chatter will be blocked off or side tracked....etc.. I'm tired of this battle..I don't mind IF the weight is coming off, its a battle with results but it hasn't been for two plus months now the same two pounds over and over. So I understand what you're saying wanting it to help..and why you tried it! I'm glad to hear its worked for you! I have an appointment with my GP in 2 weeks to request the prescription as recommended by the psychologist and dietician. We shall see because there is NO way I can afford to pay $1000 A month. How long before did it shut off the brain chatter? At this point if it can stop that I can quit being angry...and continue to do the right things ..healthy things without the wondering why and if its worth it!

At my largest I was size 24. I'm currently size 18 and I still have things in my wardrobe that are size 16. Once I shrink beyond that I will either have to buy new clothes, go to a tailor and have my current clothes altered or rock out baggy clothes until my weight stabilizes. I'm trying to have a no buy year for 2024 so my plan for this calendar year is to make due with belts, tailoring , baggy clothes and dresses until next January, with the exception of underwear and bras which I refuse to wear incorrect sizes for.