Search the Community

I've never counted carbs - whole or net. My program stressed eating balanced meals (not low-carb, like many of them do), and also, I'm not very carb-sensitive (I know a lot of people ARE). two weeks isn't that long for a stall. They usually last 1-3 weeks, and sometimes they can go ever longer as you get closer to goal. (the last few months I kept thinking, "well, this must be it...", but then I'd drop a couple of pounds). You can't really break a stall - it's part of losing weight. Your body has to stop and recalibrate every once in a while. The best thing to do is make 100% sure you're sticking to your program, and only weigh yourself once a week or so until it breaks. you may be far from over. I kept losing weight until month 20. But those last few pounds were a bear to get off...

Hi @texasmade88 Welcome!! Congratulations on the 22lb weight loss!! is that after your surgery? Currently, I have been stalled and I am trying not to get stressed out (although there is a small thought of omg what if I did this surgery and nothing changes for me). I won't be a month out until November 27th so I am just telling myself to chill. How are you feeling about the upcoming holidays with food and stuff? I am actually glad I will not be able to eat Thanksgiving dinner this year, it takes a lot of pressure off of me to hang out with the family.

Had my surgery Dec 1st! All went as planned and I think I’ve been pretty lucky. I have my 2 week checkup tomorrow with my doctor. So far I’ve only thrown up once and haven’t had any dumping or gas pains or anything. The only thing is a couple days this week I felt a little dizzy and weak, I think maybe dehydration or not getting enough calories. But I’m working on it and trying to hit my fluid goals a little higher each day. I’m very sick of protein shakes lol. I have to do 3 weeks of full liquids so definitely looking forward to soft foods Dec 22. I just tried cream of chicken soup (98% fat free, strained) tonight and it was such a treat to break things up.

Catwoman7 is right, this could be hormones... Some stabilize after a few weeks, others it takes longer, it depends a lot on how your individual body deals with it! I felt like I had the worst PMS for a few weeks, I cried at the drop of a hat, I was angry and moody and down. But it has balanced out. Also, major surgery all by itself can induce periods of depression post-op, this is not unusual and will fade in time. I had nausea daily for the first two months, then it suddenly faded away. One thing my intuitive eating coach suggested is starting my day with a shake or protein hot cocoa. This is because our tiny tummies can get a little dehydrated overnight and trying to put food in them first thing is uncomfortable. Easing into the day with fluids firsts rehydrates the tissue. Even with this I had to take nausea meds for 2 months twice a day. I found Zofran wasn't helpful so they gave me promethazine, it worked much better. And I never get much use out of omeprazole so I'm on pantaprazole in the morning and Dexilant in the evening. Don't be afraid to tell your team something isn't working if you try their medication adjustment and it isn't helping... Oh and one last thing, if you take meds for depression, you might want to let the person who manages them know you are feeling down. Sometimes depression meds need a bit of an adjustment a few months after surgery. Our absorption of things can change. But if you aren't on meds for depression, the above reasons are probably why you are feeling rather down...

Okay - I have a one month update! This has been a difficult month! I had my surgeries on December 15, 2023, and I got a tummy tuck with fleur-de-lys, 360 liposuction, Brazilian butt lift, breast lift / reduction with implants, and arm lift for both arms. It was a lot! I spent the first week recovering in Tijuana in the recovery house, and then flew home to Seattle on Dec. 21. I had two drains, one on either side on my groin area. The plane ride introduced the first main issue I had. The left-side drain got yanked in transit and by the time I got home it had come out. The right-side drain wasn't far behind it; it had come so far out that I accidentally tripped on it on 12/22 and that one came out as well. Now I was drainless but still had a TON of excess fluid with no easy place to drain from. So, all that excess fluid escaped out of the easiest places possible - basically all my nicely sewn up tummy along my fleur-de-lys stitches! I went to the ER; I was so scared that first night - I thought any small movement, my belly was gonna split open and spill my intestines on the ER floor, and of course I also had a cough and every coughing fit made me very scared. The ER doctor dressed my wounds that had opened up and reassured me that my belly wasn't going to split open. The next business day, I scheduled an appointment with a plastic surgeon and wound care in my doctor's office. Basically, my wounds were: Left breast: two large wounds along the vertical incision line; one wound at the T-junction under my breast (this one becomes important later) Abdomen: an 1-inch-long split along the fleur-de-lys line above my belly button; split near the bottom of my belly button Lower abdomen: 2-inch long by 2-inch wide by 1-inch deep triangular hole at the T-junction where the fleur-de-lys incision meets the tummy tuck; 2-inch long seam opening along my groin / right hip Various small wounds on my arms, tummy, and hips My back healed perfectly! I met with the plastic surgeon and he recommended ways of dressing everything until I could be seen by wound care on January 5. In the meantime, I had developed an abscess behind one of my wisdom teeth and had to have them pulled. I scheduled that for January 5 also because I'm a glutton for punishment, but I opted for just laughing gas cuz I needed to be clear-headed for my wound care appointment after. Remember that T-junction left breast wound? Well, that started to open up wider and wider in the week leading up to wisdom teeth / wound care day. It was leaking a ton of fluid, and I could see something black inside the wound, which I initially thought was some form of necrosis. January 5 came, the dentist yanked my three wisdom teeth, and me and my designated driver headed over to wound care. Well, wound care was just as stumped as I was because it felt plasticky and they could shine light through it. They had never seen it before at wound care, but turns out my left implant was deciding to be an explant... and needed to be taken out. 😞Wound care patched me up great and sent me over to my plastic surgeon to discuss the implant. Because I had literally had my wisdom teeth out that day, they couldn't do the surgery to take out my implant until the following week. I was really sad and went through all the stages of grief, including bargaining, with the plastic surgeon. I asked what my options were for saving the implant and he said it looks like it has to come out. I said "Looks like, so there's a chance it can stay in?" Nope. I also asked about my options for removing the right-side implant in the same surgery so there's at least symmetry. He said that because the right-side isn't infected or splitting open, insurance won't cover the right implant removal. This was the first time I stopped crying and grinned up at him, "So I have a week to get the right side infected, yeah?" 🤣 Nope, again. The plan was to just get both breasts (and literally EVERYTHING ELSE) healed, and address the asymmetry later. I got my left implant removed on January 11. While I was under, my plastic surgeon also removed a ton of exposed stitches from my various wounds that allowed them to heal up so much faster. My implant was small, just 285 cc's, and while there is a visible difference in my boob sizes, it's not too bad for now. I'm going to decide later whether I want to re-implant the left side or explant the right. So that's my very long one-month update! It's been a crazy wild ride. Oh!!!! I also don't regret it! Other than the whole left-breast-implant-loss-thing, that is. I feel amazing in my body; in fact, I was just telling my therapist that I finally feel like I exist in my body for the first time in my whole life! They excised about 18 pounds of excess skin in all, and I am still a little swollen and losing water and wearing my stage 2 fajas. I'm so happy I had these surgeries! With as much as I had done, it went about as well as can be expected, and one loss in what like ten surgeries? I'll take those odds. 😉 ~Kukui

Surgery tomorrow! RNY. About a week ago I was having some anxiety about the surgery. Why am I doing this questions. I spoke with my sister I-L who had the surgery a couple years ago. I prayed about it, which I realized I really hadn’t done. I am prepared with my “foods” and vitamins and medications. I noticed a few days ago, no more anxiety. I am at peace going into this. It is overcast and snowy here but I am choosing to find rays of sunshine.

a pound is likely just a normal fluctuation. People's weight goes up and down all the time. Have something salty the night before? Weight is up the next morning. Haven't defecated in a couple of days? Weight is up. That time of the month? Weight up a couple of pounds. If it's just a pound and you only started your new routine a week ago, it could just be that - a normal fluctuation. Check again in a couple of days and see where you're at.

AmberFL, we are pretty close! I lost 26 pounds from August (Consultation visit) to preop in December, then about 10 pounds on the liquid diet. I've lost another 6 pounds since surgery last week. You've lost about the same and you haven't had surgery yet, way to go!!! I wonder what size I'll end up at and what style I'll decide I need to wear now.

Anyone having issues with irregular heartbeats since having gastric bypass? I have been having problems with AFIB when I went through dumping the first few months and now 1 year out since February I have been in constant PVC (Premature ventricular contraction). My cardiologist is baffled. Been through all kinds of tests and my heart is healthy and have no blockages BUT even with meds it’s not going away. I am constantly having PVC’s AND when I eat my heart gets worse! I flutters like CRAZY!!!! Feels like I horrible panic attack, sometimes feel like I am going to have a heart attack or something. I have been in hospital, being monitored and back in hospital for testing and been on heart monitors. In 1 week wearing a monitor they recorded over 38,000 PVC’S 😱 I am at a loss here and never had these issues until I was revised to gastric bypass. I went back to Bariatric surgeon and he put me on reactive hypoglycemia diet he said that cannot cause PVCs, but it can cause heart, palpitations, and being on that diet has not made any changes. I go back to the cardiologist again for the 11th time on Tuesday after wearing my third monitor and I don’t know what is going to be done at this point. It’s really freaky that after I eat whether it’s healthy or not so healthy my heart does a freaking jiggly jig dance!!!! I thought I’d come on here to see if this is a problem that anybody else has heard of or experienced ?

Thanks Amber. I took the IUD out mid October. I went from spotting to bleeding. The plan was to go without bc for 3 months but I was over the prolonged bleeding and ended up trying a bc pill. It worked for 2 weeks then the bleeding returned. Now I’m attempting again to go 3 months again without anything and praying my body responds.

It sounds like you’ve been through a lot and now your body is catching up to it. I kind of feel the same as you, because the holidays are over and I’m looking for something to anticipate. I’m telling myself it’s ok to chill out. No one can be 100%, 100% of the time. (Side note, if it lasts for 6 weeks or longer seek professional help.)

Thanks Amber. I took the IUD out mid October. I went from spotting to bleeding. The plan was to go without bc for 3 months but I was over the prolonged bleeding and ended up trying a bc pill. It worked for 2 weeks then the bleeding returned. Now I’m attempting again to go 3 months again without anything and praying my body responds.

Yes, pre existing gerd is a hard no for sleeve in almost all cases. Sleeve won’t fix it & will likely make it worse necessitating a 2nd surgery to convert to bypass. I had reflux/gerd before my sleeve. The only reason my surgeon decided to proceed with a sleeve was because my reflux was mild & I managed it for years with dietary choices. I only took meds a couple or so times a year. If it was more severe, & I needed regular medication, he wouldn’t have done it. My reflux is worse & I take meds every day which manages it but the symptoms are different. We have similar stats in regards height & I had a similar starting weight (200lbs). Having reflux didn’t hinder my weight loss. Plus I’m menopausal (perimenopause & menopause was when I put on the bulk of my weight & pushed me to obesity). I lost all my weight plus more & have kept it off. And I wasn’t active at all Lol! Avoid comparing your rate of weight loss with anyone else. We all lose at our own rate & what is best for us & our body. Comparing usually leads to frustration & worry. Have you met with your dietician recently & gone through your meal tracking? There may be something you’re missing or need or don’t need. A stall of more than a month isn’t common. Try to increase your fluid consumption. You should aim for 64oz or likely more as you say you are very active. And yes, while muscle weighs more than fat it’s not that much more. Say a container of fat weighs 1kg. The same container of muscle weighs 1.2kg so we only talking ounces of difference. Have you been taking body measurements to better understand where you might be in regards to muscle growth?

First was at week 5. I had returned to work in a new area where an old work friend was based. I’d lost a good 10kgs (22 odd lbs) so noticeable. She’d known me from thin to obese & up & down so knew of my battles. She hugged me in welcome on my first day & then whispered I was looking good. I told her a few days later. She offered no judgement just good wishes. Everyone in that section knew I’d recently had a surgery but not what. Most presumed it was a ‘female surgery’ (it was a largely male section) & I didn’t correct them. I remember her reaction so well because on the last day of my contract (about 8 weeks later), they organised a farewell/thank you morning tea for me. Lots of sticky buns, cakes, etc. She whisperered she’d made sure there was some cheese & crudités so I could have a little bite of something & not feel uncomfortable. Such a considerate thing to do & all without fuss. Can’t recall who was last to notice I was losing weight. Sometimes people don’t say anything because they’re unsure how you’ll react or don’t want you to think they watching how successful you are or will be. Or if the don’t know worry you are unwell & again don’t want to broach the subject with you. So they say nothing. Your boyfriend is likely trying to be super supportive & nothing more. Depending on how much you were when you started, it can take a little while to really notice a change. For me, that 10kgs was almost a dress size, but because I wore a lot of loose, or elastic waisted clothing, my loss was sort of hidden. Gave you been taking photos or taking body measurements (weekly or monthly)? Sometimes the changes can be seen more easily that way than just in a mirror (body dysmorphia can blind us to the truth sometimes) or when pulling on your pants (until they fall down of course 😉). Congratulations on your loss so far.

Every program will be different, but your best bet is to wean off it as quickly as you can. Decaf is usually fine, so you may start doing half-caf tomorrow with the goal of getting to all decaf before surgery. It's less a problem before surgery because you can make yourself drink extra water to combat the dehydration coffee can cause, but it's impossible to do that after, so ideally you don't want to drink anything that makes you get dehydrated. On the other hand, some programs let you have one cup of regular coffee per day. Just don't go cold turkey if you want to avoid a killer headache. I spent two weeks weaning myself off caffeine before my pre-op diet started.

I’m not counting macros calories or even protein - I just know I’m eating not a lot - even if I’m having to eat out for every meal I’m trying to make good choices and eat protein first - I think I’m way way off 100g of protein a day though! My doctors did say not to stress the protein too too much though and aim for about 80g most days. I’ll be back in Paris to weigh myself for my 2 month surgerversary but haven’t been able to weigh myself since last Wednesday which was 6.5 weeks post surgery - I’d lost 12.5kg which is 27.5lbs - I’m happy enough with that as I had a lower starting weight. I have another 20 pounds to loose to hit a healthy BMI but I know things will slow down weigh loss wise fast for me and I’d like to loose another 44lbs total to be back at my pre Covid happy/non near constant leg pain weight. it’s hard not having access to scales here and not being able to walk as much as I’d like because Cairo at night isn’t the safest place for solo female walks at night and I’m basically screwed to a chair in a conference center from 9-5 and night falls here at 6.15pm !

I had my VSG on October 2nd. I started real food this past Monday. I'm losing an average of 3 pounds per week. My problem is that not only am I hungry, I seem to be able to eat more than what I should be. It feels like I still have my entire stomach. Anyone else experiencing this? My surgeon says I'm doing great, but I'm not so sure.

I had nausea until about 8 weeks out. It was constant and impacted my ability to eat, drink, and take my vitamins. A few things helped me (and others like me) that may help you: 1. Ondansetron only takes the edge off of nausea for me. It is rather ineffective for my body. I have much better results with promethazine, it actually manages to eradicate the nausea for a number of hours. I'd ask about a prescription to try it, at this point it is worth trying something else for the nausea and they have a number of meds out there that can help with this. I took it several times a day. 2. My surgeon told me to be gradual with my addition of vitamins. I had to take the chewable B complex everyday, and the little B1 pill because my complex didn't have enough B1 in it alone. But these were pretty gentle on my stomach. The actual multivitamins though he said are rather activating for the stomach and some people can struggle to incorporate them early after surgery. It could be these are contributing to your stomach pain and nausea, especially if your multivitamin contains iron, as it can be a little hard on a new tummy. So talk to your doctor about this, perhaps they can switch you to a bariatric B complex and let you try adding in the multivitamin closer to 3 months than all at once right now. 3. When my stomach would hurt I'd massage it in clockwise motions with firm, but not painful, pressure. I got twisting stomach spasms for the first few weeks with any food or water and this was the only thing that helped ease the pain of them. 4. My PPI needed an extra dose and for me, omeprazole is worthless. Some people metabolize it fast and for some it just doesn't work as well. Have they considered switching you to Pantoprazole? It is often used in the hospital because it is so effective. It might be worth switching to it to see if it is any more effective for you. A lot of bariatric patients end up having to switch around to find the most effective one for them. 5. Hydration is crucial early out of surgery. They should have had you exclusively focusing on hydration for the first two weeks along with the B complex. It sounds like your electrolytes are off, probably because you are chronically dehydrated. Nausea is made MUCH worse by dehydration!! You are 6 weeks and still struggling. Unfortunately at this point you DO need to be trying to get in some protein with your hydration to prevent malnourishment. Greek yogurt is great for this, but there are other options too. Have you tried any protein water powders like SEEQ or Syntrax Nectars? These are easier to stomach and come in nice flavors. SEEQ watermelon is seriously tasty. LOL Try some sample packets!! It is okay if you can't hit your full protein goals yet, every little bit helps. If the change in meds doesn't help you at all, I hope they consider doing some imaging and a scope to ensure you aren't experiencing something like a stricture. They are rare, but they do happen, and they can cause issues with progressing the diet. 6. Water flavoring packets can help with getting in more water, as does sipping it around the clock out of those tiny cups until you get the hang of getting more water in. It can and does feel like a full time job and you will feel like you are floating! This is normal. Electrolyte powders are a great addition to water at least once a day because they really help you get minerals you are missing since you aren't eating them in food! And try a variety of things and a variety of temperatures. Some hot broth or tea, some flavored water over ice, something room temperature, sometimes the tummy has an opinion about what the best temp is! I am so sorry you are dealing with these issues 6 weeks out. It sounds like your team needs to be more proactive in trying different meds and doing some testing to figure out what is going on. Honestly, some do struggle like this for a while. On occasion some end up with TPN for a while to help them get the nutrition they need. It sounds like you aren't quite at that point because you are keeping some foods down, but it is an option if you continue to struggle and end up in the hospital repeatedly for low vitamin levels. Some find a month or two of TPN can get them past the roughest part and then their systems are able to handle food and water without issue. It really depends on the person. But you don't want to go that route if you can avoid it... ❤️

One week since my sleeve surgery. Some observations: Dehydration: They warned us this would be the biggest challenge and they weren't kidding! The doctors fixed a hiatal hernia they weren't expecting and they must have tightened it up pretty well. Drinking anything is a chore, and sometimes painful (though that is gradually going away). Seriously though, keeping a steady inflow of liquid takes mental focus. I'm getting better every day but hitting that 48oz minimum takes effort. What I'm Drinking: Vitamin Water Zero and Protein Shakes. I wish I had done more flavor profiling before surgery. My Gold Standard protein shakes are fine but the flavors are kind of meh. I'm so much of a cheapskate though, I'll stick with the Double Chocolate and Cinnamon Roll options until they run out. I liked the Unjury Cookies and Cream, but that brand is expensive and...again...cheapskate. How I'm feeling: No external pain. The core pain in my abdomen when moving around is largely gone...I only notice when I have to bend way down to pick up something. I won't say my energy is up, but I feel lighter. My feet aren't swollen. Clothes are fitting more easily. I'm going on progressively longer walks (but take along a bottle, the cotton mouth is real). Bleh: I hate ground up pills. The taste stays with me all. night. long. I can't wait to graduate to mushy foods! Never thought I'd be so excited for applesauce.

I feel you. I was in a similar place last week, mentally/emotionally. You'll definitely get through this. I'm glad you're consulting your doctor tomorrow, especially if the meds are contributing to your malaise. Right now, it sounds you're in a really tough place. Between the recovery diet being restrictive and not feeling well enough to eat, it's like this viscious cycle. The drugs and lack of nutrients/calories make you feel weaker, ill, and can zap your energy so bad it's hard to force yourself to eat/drink. (Sleep all you need to though -- our bodies definitely need that for the healing process!!) In the meantime, try to remember why you decided to go on this journey. For me, I'm looking forward to less joint pain as the pounds let up, getting my diabetes and blood pressure under control, being able to keep up a little better with my active nieces. Heh, and being able to shop for clothes that make me feel good instead of making me feel hidden. Are you on any supplements? Chewable multi vitamins and calcium/ vitamin d3 need some time to build up in your system but are definitely helpful in feeling more alive & awake.

No one tells you really how difficult it is to get in your protein post op. I am unable to drink the required Protein Powder it makes me sick to my stomach. Everything protein powder, protein water, protein yogurt seems to all have a chalky aftertaste. Can you guys give any suggestions or highly recommended products to get in protein that don’t taste chalky and disgusting ? Most ready made shakes taste overly sweet to me now . One month post op next week surviving on water, Jell-O, pudding and broth.

Hey everyone, it’s me again. I woke up early this morning feeling pretty good and refreshed. I think I’m still proud of myself for doing my walk last night. I told my husband that I was proud and I know that it’s not really that big of a deal but it feels huge to me and he reminded me that after my sleeve I never exercised so it is a big deal. When he would mention it I would just tell him what my surgeon said that it’s really a pretty small part of weight loss. I left out the part where he said that it is still important for physical and mental health though. So I guess the fact that I am less that a month out this time and trying a different approach already is a pretty good thing. I went to do my grocery pickup this morning and got my supplies for my first week of soft foods which I get to start tomorrow 🎉 I ordered a lot more that I need for sure. The guy just kept adding bags to the trunk and my fridge has never been so full. I got out my book that my Dr gave me and it doesn’t mention a portion size for soft foods. The handout the hospital gave me says 1/2 to 3/4 cup though so I guess I will stick to 1/2 cup to start and make sure that’s okay. I just took a little nap since I woke up early and plan to walk again tonight. I have been scouring the Internet for a solution to my shorts riding up. The best thing I can find is to put a boning in the seam so I think I may order some and give that a try. I guess I have to drag out my sewing machine and relearn how to thread it and all that so I’m not sure how long I will procrastinate before I do it. I did order a pair of inexpensive yoga shorts to wear in the mean time and good news is when I measured my waist and hips to get the right size I realized that I have lost two inches in both. My only concern I have now is that one incision that’s dented in still. Everyone says that they think It will be fine but i just don’t know I think it’s going to stay like that honestly and worry that when I lost and it’s extra skin it’s going to look even worse. I guess no one but my husband will ever see it but I really wish it would just flatten out I hope everyone else is having a wonderful holiday weekend and feeling better and better each day. I know that I am.

Hi Angela, I had gastric sleeve in Aug 2023, and had an itchy rash on my chest and stomach about 3 weeks later. I consulted my surgeon’s office, and they thought it was hives or a reaction to medication. They recommended I stop taking my new multivitamin. After two weeks of itching, I had some prescription antifungal cream and applied it just trying to get some relief. It went away immediately. Just had some sort of skin fungal infection. I’ve never had that before…just althlete’s foot. But I’m guessing our bodies go through some trauma after surgery and have a weakened immune system. I’m sure your doc can write you a script. Worth trying. Oh, and since others are updating, I am down 70 lbs. I need to exercise more than the occasional walk. Honestly this has been pretty easy for me, I’ve been able to tolerate a wide variety of food and adjusted well.

Surgery complete! It was on the 12th. I’m not going to lie -it really hurts. The first day or two was pretty rough. Besides my stomach hurting my throat was so angry from the tube. I’m going to blame that on my snoring… I find that every day I’m feeling much better than the last. From the start of my liquid diet a week before to now I’m down 12 lbs. that makes me very very happy. Definitely the most productive weight loss I’ve ever had. Im 6 days post-op and feeling pretty good- I get a twinge of pain when I use my stomachs muscles like laying down or sitting up but just a twinge like a 2/10. Now I’m ready to get going- I want to get the weight off and keep it off.

Sorry to hear you're dealing with all of this, it sounds rough. I know not all seasons of life can lend itself to it, but stress will cause the body to retain fat and prevent burning it. If there's any way to unload some of the stress, either by working out, meditation, going to a "rage room" where they let you smash stuff, anything that helps, it will help the weight loss process resume. I know its not always possible, having just come out of a season of life that felt like constant stress for 8 years with no seeming end. It was like I couldn't lose weight regardless of what I did, but I was always in a state of stress. I'm definitely not living a stress free life by any means now, but after years of therapy and practice, I guess I'm a little better at managing it now. That being said, my surgeon suggested a "reset" if weight regain happens 1 year+ after surgery. It was basically go back to the pre op diet to jump start things for a couple weeks, then slowly start adding back items from your normal diet, but keep watch to see if any of those are causing a stall or regain. Focus on hydration first, then protein, then unsaturated fat, then other fats, AND THEN carbs last. I wouldn't go as extreme as keto, but try to aim for single digit carbs per serving of something, or under 50-60g per day. Carbs are easy energy for our bodies, so it prefers to burn that first, and store any excess as fat, just as a survival mechanism. Everyone is slightly different, but some people's metabolism can be thrown off by certain imatation sugars and sugar alcohols. Even though they're 0 or low calorie, they can still trigger an insulin response like sugar or starches. You may want remove the biscuits for the time being and see if those may be the trigger for your body. Best of luck to you, and hoping things improve for you from here. Stay strong!