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I had my surgery @23 years ago and there is SOOOO much I wasn't told. Here are just a few of them: * my hair would thin A LOT * I needed to take a multivitamin that included specific things like iron, copper etc. * I should eat a certain amount of each of these protein, carbs, calories etc. not just each less and healthier * the calcium needs to be citrate and spaced out to 3 times a day because your body can't absorb more than 500 mg at a time. * any pills need to be crushed I am in the process of trying to lose weight again to fix hernias from my gastric bypass (Roux en y) full cut. I have to keep telling my doctors "I was never told that"... it's very frustrating. BUT on a positive note I am learning so much and there is so much more available product wise to help me with my goals.

Hello! My name is Christine. I am 23 years post-op and due to how long ago I had my surgery and all they have learned since.... there is so much I need to learn. I have to keep telling my doctors "I wasn't told that..." I am now in the process of losing weight to repair hernias from my initial full cut surgery. I had a Gastric Bypass/Roux en y, back in 2000 (before so much was known and so many products were available). I thought I was ready with the proper mindset to have the surgery and be successful. I lost 95 lbs., but hit a plateau and became very discouraged. Over the years I put the weight back on plus some. I am now retired and realizing I need to get this weight off, not only to fix the hernias but to improve my quality of life in my "Golden Years".

Kristen... Most of my life I heard people say how they felt full. I never really did. I am 23 years post-op and I still struggle with the not feeling full issue. Unfortunately, this struggle led to my over eating and putting my weight back on plus some. I am now on a journey to lose again to repair hernias and improve the quality of my life. It's hard though! I was a teacher for 33 years (now retired) and eating fast was a necessity in order to finish before the kids returned and class began again. It's a tough habit to break, but a necessity for me to keep from over eating due to not feeling full. It has taken me MANY years to learn to eat slower so I can be more conscious of filling up. Different things work for different people, but if you eat fast, you can try eating slower and giving yourself time to feel full. Just know you're not alone! 😊

Everyone loses at their own rate. There are many factors that can influence your rate of loss (constipation, diarrhoea, fluid retention, your body’s reaction to the surgery, starting weight, medications, etc.). Though it can be difficult, try not to compare yourself with others. It will only lead to frustration & feeling you’re failing. You’re not failing. You’ve lost 4lbs in 11 days - yay! Remember too that many nerves were cut during your surgery so messages about feeling full or eaten enough either aren’t getting through or the messages are distorted. It takes around 8 weeks to be fully healed & when your messages start to come back they may be different to what you remember. It’s why it’s important to stick to the portion recommendations you were advised & to eat slowly (takes a good 20+ minutes for a full message to get through when you’re healed). Portion sizes do differ but 4-6oz at 11days seems a lot. My plan was 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food from purée slowly increasing to a cup at 6 months & 3 meals a day. Fluids were just sip, sip, sip, regardless of what I was drinking. So it took me a couple of hours to drink a shake or a cup of soup too. But that was my plan & plans differ. Check your plan for portions & also the foods you are allowed at each stage. I could have cottage cheese at weeks 3 & 4 purées & chili at the soft food stage at weeks 5 & 6. Congrats on your surgery.

Hi, I'm Sandra and I am having a gastric sleeve on May 6th! I have been lurking here reading as much as i can of other's posts and have learned a lot. My situation is a little different as this is my second bariatric surgery. I had lap band surgery in 2009 and now am having it converted because my band stopped working for me. I did lose weight but then gained a lot back and recently have lost some again but need to lose more. My reason for surgery is to be healthier and hopefully improve my arthritis pain and mobility. My emotions are currently all over the place, anxious, worried, happy and excited. I will start my liver prep diet in 1 week. Not looking forward to 2 weeks of shakes only. I really am not too concerned about the surgery itself, as I have had several surgeries, and the pain has not been bad afterwards. As for my overnight hospital stay, I plan to pack as little as possible. I will plan on wearing home the clothes I arrive in. I think moisturizer and lip balm are good ideas. I may take a light robe. Someone mentioned a heating pad, but I don't think most hospitals allow you to bring them (coming from a retired RN here). They can be a burn hazard if they malfunction. If I am only staying overnight, I may not need reading materials. I will likely watch TV and nap. Slippers to walk in will be needed. I wish you all the best of luck for an easy surgery and pain free post-op course!

@RonHall908 Isn't the slow weight loss the worst? I had my second mini stall this past week. At least it was 4 days instead of 7 like I had at the three-week mark. I truly did think, based on how quickly I lost weight in the pre-op diet phase, that it would be super quick after surgery. I lost 15.4 lbs in 2 weeks compared to 16.8 pounds in 8 weeks post-op. What the heck?! It's demoralizing at times. I still have 3 weeks until my next appointment with the dietician and 5 weeks until I see the doctor again. I'm really hoping I'm on track. They say the first 3 months is the fastest weight loss, and if that's true for me...it really sucks. The one thing I can handle large quantities of is water, or even something very liquid like a smoothie. 16oz in under 30 minutes is no problem. And I can eat a full 1 cup serving of bean and veg soup. Any kind of meat fills me up fast, though, although tuna salad is probably the one I can eat the most of.

Lol it means the same thing here in the U.S...its why I was wondering if there was a different meaning I was unaware of! My husband says I'm a cheap date now since all I order to eat is off the children's menu or an appetizer! As far as a cheap drinker..I've always been a light weight drinker aka "cheap" date..I start getting numb faced at two drinks! I also thought that's what ppl were doing here...did I miss something? I think we all fall into the text is hard to interpret emotions or angles...where ppl are coming from or what they're asking/responding to. I, unfortunately, am very analytical fact driven and dry with a side of as my husband says "Ice Queen" sprinkled in with a side of smart arse..so ppl take it wrong because its text and quite possibly in person too 😋. Understanding that I'm taken as being "angry, uptight or questioning of ppl or I lack emotions" I tend to think most are generally just asking questions with no ill intent knowing I'm taken wrong a lot (even on these forums)..so I try and give ppl the benefit of the doubt. Its also why I use emoji jic I come off wrong or confrontational. Unfortunately, some read into peoples statements/post; emotions and textual intent that just aren't there (or maybe they are and I just chose to ignore it or not see it). Either way, I personally haven't seen ANY hostility on this particular topic just as you said people discussing a difficult topic and asking questions -nothing more..so I agree!

I'm not taking any weight loss pills after giving it some thought .I have gained about a stone , but I'm not unhappy with that .I'm almost done with my dietitian and almost at the 2 year mark .I plan to exercise more and watch what I eat .It's still been worth it for me .

Chicken, Turkey & Bison ground meat is the easiest for me to eat and get enough in where I can get the protein I need. However, chicken breast is another matter. for some reason I can only eat about 2-2.5 oz of chicken breast. But I can have almost two cups of ground meat. Deli meats, I can get in about one to one and a half slices before I fill up. Greek yogurt with Pbfit2 chocolate and protein powder mixed is my go to. I can eat two cups and not feel stuffed. Weird thing is when it comes to eggs, I can eat two fried eggs easily, but two scrambled eggs and I can't finish it. Only thing I'm concerned with, is how very slow my weight loss is. I'll lose a pound or two, then go two to three weeks without losing. In fact, I weighed last week and gained a pound. I'm not sure how that's possible, but I managed it. The dietician and Doctor has assured me that's normal.

This gave me so much hope. I hate feeling like I look like a hunchback. I used to have amazing posture, but as I gained, I think that I lost confidence and sort of cowered in my own little shell trying not to be noticed. I've been working on bringing the posture back to what it used to be, but I cannot wait for the neck hump to be gone!!

Kristen it's not uncommon for people who are post op a few days to have so much angst. Follow your doctor and nutritionist protocols. Everyone loses weight at a different pace. The main thing is to stick to the program and despite what is preached about super fast weigh loss, it does happen but it's not the norm. The majority of people lose a a decent amount of weight, experience a stall, after time the body adjusts and then you experience constipation, and the body adjusts and you lose more weight. . Your best result is patience and sticking to the plan. I have family members who can eat a lot more than they thought they should. It comes down to what you eventually eat. Eating a ton of salad is much better than eating a ton processed food. Still eating a ton but with much different results. Stay the course and dont be discouraged, your body is going through a process and needs to sort things out.

Hello, my name is Kristen. New here. I'm 11 days post op. I'm on my protein weeks or phase 2 of 5 to weening back to normal foods. My nutritionist told me I should be able to feel full after 4-6 oz. I should drink a protein shake within 2 hours as my stomach couldn't handle it all at once. However, I'm finding out that I can eat/drink a lot more than that at once with no pain. I burp a little more but that's about it. I'm HIGHLY worried that this means I won't be able to control my food intake once I can have solid foods again and regain all my weight. I'm 11 days after and only down 4 pounds, which is another concern is that I'm not losing weight as fast as so many have told me I would, including the nutritionist. I do know that in some cases, inches fall down faster than pounds. I'm hoping that's my case but my pants so far fit just the same and the 4 #'s seems to be reflecting both pounds and inches. Has anyone also experienced this? Is this because I can stomach more than I was told I could? Am sorry eating too much? I have 2-3 protein shakes a day. I eat some chili or cottage cheese randomly these past 3 days. I also have protein20. A water/protein mix. I have around 40-60 oz of water a day (still working on my water intake) here and there I'll have sugar free popsicles. Have cut the popsicles mainly out as they have other bad things in the ingredients and I don't want a sweets craving. My nutritionist assures me I'm doing things right but I don't understand why I can eat a lot more than I'm supposed to and I'm losing weight very slow. It's super discouraging. I was looking forward to this surgery as a new life, new me and a better me. Not at all what I hoped for

Finally broken through my week 3 stall and it feels so good. I had zero weight lost for three weeks, from March 26 (2 weeks post VSG) until today. I didn't make any changes, just stuck to the program and waited it out.

I'm in the same boat as you, my weight is regain at an alarming rate. To those who say don't weigh yourself everyday it was weighing everyday that kept my weight in check

I had GS surgery in 2016 and lost 70lbs. Once I reached my final plateau at 165lbs, I gained back 10lbs and have stayed there for the past 8 years. The issue with surgery is that it's good for the first couple of years until your stomach adjusts, then the more you eat, the more it stretches. I'm an over-eater, so when I eat more than my stomach can handle, it comes back up. I can usually feel it when it reaches my esophagus and by that point, it has to come up. It's not vomiting, just spitting back out undigested food. Within the past month, I've put on 10lbs. Mostly stress related and lack of exercise. I've thought of taking Wegovy to get a jump start, but doubt my doctor will prescribe it. I just need to get back on track. So for those of you who think the sleeve is a tool that will last forever, your stomach will eventually stretch, and when you continue to allow it to stretch, you will be right back where you started. I just ate 2 eggs and sausage. That's about 80% more than I used to be able to eat. Just beware that if you don't manage your eating, no medication or surgery is going to work.

40 down, 10 more to go... took about 9 months to get this far, so am projecting i should have the min amount im looking for in about 2.5 more months... but the more the better 🤞🏼 1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery 8. Type of Surgery (Sleeve, ByPass, etc...)

Are you male? I was on a pre surgery diet of 1000-1200 calories max (female) and that's fairly common...Men 1300 - 1500 max.. The amount of exercise I did didn't matter (I was very active). I started May and my surgery was in August.. I was under the impression those calorie limits were fairly normal, am I missing something here? On average not trying to lose weight is 1800 - 2200 (maintenance) based on age, height etc..Sooo dropping to 1200 would still be healthy but allow for healthy weight loss. Lastly, I understand you're training, but after surgery you will be on even less calories (I'm almost 9 months PO and I get 800 calorie and your swimming event is 2025 - post surgery..so you'd be on calorie restrictions then..what's the difference between now and then?. Training is about building endurance and calories shouldn't matter as long as you're getting what is recommended and the right macros. Yes, everyone is different but your dietician knows your current weight, goals and objectives. I personally would do as your plan dictates if you want to go ahead with the surgery. Once you go and do your own thing (which I'm assuming is why you need the WLS in the first place) its very difficult to stay on the program. I also realize that your swimming event is important to you, but you need to decide what is most important - the swim event or becoming healthy. Something to think on...

@summerseeker, that's a bit discouraging to hear that your Fibromyalgia did not change with the weight loss. One of my doctors said he has a couple of patients, and their Fibro was reversed, which is what I'm hoping for (but not banking on!). I hope I'm able to take my medicine. I've run out before, and Fibro pain without meds was not fun!

being on these forums long enough i would assume that one should realize by now that everyone is different. we say/post it multiple times a day, every day. i don't like weight lifting . it's don't like olives. i don't like talking about my wls. others don't feel the same way. i get that. we are all different people getting our own versions of joy. i may not make the same connections to things as you do, and thats cool. i mean, some people have sex every day while others don't. some people weigh themselves every morning others don't. some people read books while others don't. why do people drink too much and become alcoholics? alcohol is so gross. this line if thinking is the close sibling to why do people eat too much and get fat? being fat is so gross. to paraphrase you: "but how did you get to the point where <eating> was enjoyable enough to do it often <that u end up being 300 lbs>?" the incredulity in your post is loud and clear...but really, if u think about it, its not that impossible to understand (especially from the point of view from a person who was morbidly obese) your intention may be not to sound judgy...but in my very insignificant opinion, you kinda do. but i mean, you are entitled to say whatever you want. i guess i just wanna ask you to take a pause and reflect on how ur post may or may not have come across. sorry. 😔 i don't normally weigh in this heavily in anonymous internet chats as i hate confrontation, but this touched a wee nerve for me. (i may just delete this post after i overthink it to death...we shall see...i have already edited this post a gazillion times in my overthinking, ha.)

I hope I don't come across as rude when I write this but everyone has different likes or dislikes and you clearly say you have never liked alcohol from the outset so good for you but the post does come across as judgmental. If someone likes to have a drink it is up to them as adults to do as they wish, be it too many calories etc. It is everyone's choice to make if they would like to have a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and deal with the consequences, if there are any like weight gain, reflux, dumping etc. Do you like eggs? I don't like the smell or taste of them so why do you eat them? Just making the point!

This situation is a catch 22 because no one knows exactly what the insurance requirements are and no one will tell us. The dieticians job is to help you lose weight, period. Whether that’s in your best interest or not is where it gets tricky. On one hand If you are in a supervised weight loss program (the six month requirement by a lot of insurances) they are trying to see if you can lose the weight on your own before they approve it. So in theory if you lose too much they could deem you not a good candidate for surgery. On the other hand, every pound you lose the heathy way should make you that much more fit for the operation (not if you malnourished though). Plus, if you really can lose it without surgery obviously not putting your body through surgery would be ideal. if the dieticians way is something you have never tried before and when you try it you feel like you can do it, losing weight without surgery is obviously preferred. BUT, just because the insurance company sees progress and decides that you should be able to lose it based on the trend doesn’t mean they are right (they are not doctors and should not be making these decisions IMO). I know myself I have probably lost 1000 pounds in my life but that’s because I have always lost a few and gained them back but never got near a healthy weight. Whether you have tried everything, including the dieticians way, only you know. I had sleeve three years ago and my high weight was 235 and I’m taller than you. So I was lower BMI as well. On surgery day I was 220ish and I was fine but I did not start losing until my pre op diet began. During my 6 month supervised diet I did follow the diet they set out for me to the best of my ability BUT the cheat days basically offset my progress so I didn’t really lose anything. Now I am considering revision and there is not any weight requirements as far as I know but I started at like 245 this time anyways so I’m not as afraid to lose a little. I asked him what I should do and he said to keep my Carbs below 40 for now (I am most likely having the SADI so carbs are gonna be most important post surgery). Well I am losing but less than a pound a week so no one is raising any eyebrows at my loss. Anyways If I was in your position I would reduce my calories by like 100 at a time and see how I felt after a week adjusting to that. (Mayne you can get to 1200 with the dieticians help and maybe you decide that you want to try it once the dieticians way before you decide). On days like you four hour swim I would ask the doctor their opinion because 1200 calories does not seem enough for that level of activity. I think if it was me, I would stick to eating healthy choices for now. Try out new, healthy recipes and get used to the food you will need to eat post surgery. I would try to get to the 1200 because they are the dietician but portion wise I would cut my calories slowly to get there and see how my body reacted at each stage. (Just be honest with yourself about whether you really need or just want the calories) if I was really losing more than ever before and it seemed like something I could sustain, I would then re-evaluate whether I should be jumping into major surgery just yet. But if I decided that i couldn’t do it on my own and for sure wanted surgery i would talk to my doctor about how much they would like to see me lose to be fit for surgery.

If you don't eat, your body will think it's starving and it will hold on to every little calorie, every bit of fat, everything to protect you. That will be what causes you to gain weight, or at the very least, not lose. You have to learn to walk that fine line between eating enough to stay healthy but not too much to cause weight gain. It's a learning curve, and takes a while to figure out. But you'll get there. Just make sure you get your protein in first, then carbs (from veggies and fruits), HEALTHY fats, and enough calories. The first 2 weeks, I never had more than 600 calories per day. Weeks 3 and 4 it went up to between 800 - 900 per day. Weeks 5 and 6 I was around 1000 per day. Once I was completely cleared for all exercise, I went up to 1100 - 1200 per day on non work out days and between 1300 - 1400 per day on work out days, depending on what work out I was doing that day. You absolutely HAVE to give your body the fuel it needs to survive and thrive. The point of the surgery isn't to starve yourself into being skinny. It's a tool to teach us to make better, healthier choices and stick with them.

Wow. Every cell in my body is telling me that this new regime is so wrong. I have no idea why anyone would want you on such a low calorie diet. It seems to me she wants you to diet the weight off rather than have the surgery. Did you ask why ? You are on the lower weight for the surgery. Loose much more and you may be too low to meet the criteria. My maintenance diet has me on 1500 calories and I don't exercise. If I worked and exercised as I did in my younger days, I would be on about 2200 - 2500 cals a day. You need to be fit and healthy for your surgery. Such a low calorie diet is too restrictive. Why is the diet not more future proofed, for learning new habits, like less carbonation, less sugar and less carbs. These seem to be the goals that are set by others who have to do a pre op diet rather than a pre op liver shrink diet. I hope others will wade in and help you here because to me its madness

Thank you all! One thing to edit/add is that I consider the "pouch reset" a myth also from the perspective of shrinking my stomach, but consider it rather a "mind reset" of what I did in the beginning and getting back on track mentally. As @Arabesque says, weighing myself daily - Another mental reset for me. I can easily stick my head in the sand if I'm not on the scale, so no matter how painful it might be (especially after my last cruise where I went overboard with the um... adult beverages like sweet martini's), sometimes it takes that dose of reality to get you back on track. I'm back down to my standard weight (was easier than I thought to lose 10 when I paid attention which is a problem in itself), I still want to hit my goal of 155 - One day.... One day at a time. Glad I stopped by here this morning - Getting ready to head out on the boat. Was initially going to pack the standard stuff, but inspired to change it up: Cut up veggies for snacks, more water and Gatorade Zero, less adult beverages in the coolers. Will make sure to take a picture and compare to a year ago so I remember WHERE I want to be vs. where I am. Thanks ladies and gents!

If you follow your plan, you won’t put on weight. You are consuming so few calories & even when you progress to purées, soft food & then solid food, you’ll still be eating so few calories & such tiny portions, that again you won’t put on weight. Not consuming calories, not meeting your protein goals (or at least being close to it) will actually be doing you more harm. Affecting your recovery & healing, putting your body into starvation mode, being nutrient deficit, etc. These will impede your long term health & weight loss. May be get in touch with your team & ask if you could see a therapist to work through this fear of eating. You don’t want to swap one set of poor eating habits with another & create new health issues. Trust the program. It works.