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Hi everyone! I haven't been on this site in a VERY long time, but I am currently on a new weight loss journey and I thought I would report in with my experience and the hope that some of you newbies can learn from it. I had my VSG surgery on 9/1/2014, so 10 years ago this month. At the time of my surgery, I weighed ~260 pounds and I am 5'6". I have lost and gained weight a million times before that, with my highest weight ever having been 277 pounds. In the first couple of years after my surgery, I was able to get below my goal weight (165) all the way down to 154. During that time I trained for and ran in a half marathon and a full marathon, completing the full marathon in September 2016 (almost exactly two years after my surgery). I separated from my then-husband in May of 2016 and our divorce was final in December 2016. My life took a very different path after that and I did not stick to my healthy diet and exercise. I met my current husband in February of 2017 and while I love him dearly and he is THE BEST, he is a bit of a hedonist and we definitely supported each other in our hedonism. I became a connoisseur of fine craft beers and we have a large friend group who we go out with or have get-togethers with several times a week. I not only stopped running but stopped exercising altogether. Both my current husband and I put on weight in the seven years we have been together, especially during COVID, and I got all the way back up to 234 pounds! Last year, my husband was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, and, in April, we resolved to turn things around together. Since then, I have lost 30 pounds and I am on my way down to my new goal weight of 180. So, here are some things I want to report, trying to lose weight again for the first time since immediately after my surgery: The restriction still works! I cannot eat much more than about 200 grams of food in one sitting. Once I cut out snacking and stopped drinking as many calories (beer), it was easy to rely on my sleeve to restrict my daily caloric intake. My metabolism is still normal. As a 5'6 female weighing 203.2 pounds, I still burn ~2100 calories per day just by living, according to my Garmin watch and it definitely tracks with the calorie differential I am logging and the weight loss I am seeing. I still can't eat and drink at the same time. I usually have to wait about 45 minutes to an hour to drink anything after I eat a full meal. Being overly full is still an unpleasant feeling. Before my surgery, I used to love the sensation of being "stuffed." Since surgery and to this day, it is still uncomfortable for me if I overeat in one sitting. Not a pleasant sensation at all, but not painful like it was in the very beginning. I can still get dumping syndrome if I'm not careful. If eat too much sugar too fast, usually in the form of ice cream or a milkshake, I get dumping syndrome and it is VERY unpleasant, fortunately, it is very rare. Food can still get "stuck." Every once in a while, mostly when I am eating turkey or pork it seems, food can get stuck and it is completely miserable. Be sure to thoroughly chew your food!!! Especially dense meats. My advice to anyone who is post-sleeve and still losing weight or trying to maintain their weight: Snacks are the enemy! It's so easy to get in extra calories by eating smaller amounts between meals. Your sleeve won't help you at all with this. Drinking your calories is easy and dangerous. I haven't given up my precious beer entirely, but I have cut back and I am mindful of the type of beer I am drinking as some types are more caloric than others. You can just as easily drink your calories even if you don't drink alcohol. Be wary of soda, milkshakes, energy drinks, juices, and too much cream/sugar/syrups in your coffee. Keep up with the exercise. It doesn't have to be training for a marathon like I did in the beginning. Currently, my husband and I take a ~mile walk after dinner each night and we try to do one, long, 4-5 mile walk/hike on the weekend. Just that moderate amount of activity can make a big difference. Be mindful of calorically dense foods. Even though I can only eat 200 grams at a time, if it is 200 grams of junk, it can have a LOT of calories! I hope the lesson that all of you take from this post is that the sleeve is a tool and it is all about how you use it. It can work for you, even 10 years out, as long as you use it correctly.

You can do what you can do but do remember those cut nerves are still healing (about 8 weeks to be fully healed) so messages may nit be getting through as well or quickly. Probably best to tread more carefully for a few more weeks. Personally I still can’t chug. Any more than two mouthfuls & groan. But I drink slowly all day & night rarely feel really thirsty. I keep at a good hydration level all day I think.

OP you really must stick to your plan one week post op. Yes it is really difficult for some people and I'm sorry you're one of them. Solid food a week after surgery can honestly be dangerous. You won't feel full because the nerves to your stomach have been cut and sutured and you need to let them grow back. This is why you can eat anything. You CAN, but you SHOULD NOT. Drink drink drink. If you meet your fluid goals I suspect your hunger will be easier to ignore.

I had my surgery on the 13th as well, although my surgery was the sleeve. So here we are, a day away from our first week with our new internal mechanics. Iʻm just going to take a minute to congratulate us both for being brave enough to do this. While I understand that the "food onboarding" process differs from procedure to procedure and even surgeon to surgeon, I hope youʻll consult with your surgeon or program before you eat solids. My program considers sugar free jello a liquid. Would that suffice? I get it, believe me. I made my husband go to our local Pho restaurant last night and buy me just Pho broth because I couldn't stomach one more sweet drink. Regarding meds, I had to switch a couple that were time release to rapid release so that they could be safely crushed for daily consumption. Did your doctor tell you that all medications and supplements had to be liquid, chewable, or crushed for the first month? Mine did, and while the chewable vitamins and calcium are a treat because I get to chew them, crushing the others and trying to mask their awful taste with a protein shake is disgusting. I'm not getting used to it. Like you, I'm not in any pain and for the last two days, even the gas has been minimal, so I must've finally expelled all that surgery gas. Again, congrats on your big decision and hang in there.

Typically the growling noise is just fluids moving through the small intestine, and not an actual hunger cue, just as@Arabesque said. You will still feel hungry early on post-op because your body is used to a lot more calories than you're able to give it for now, but that encourages more fat burning. Your body will adjust to its new normal in several weeks though. It will calm down some, but it may be more noisy going forward because you have that direct funnel to the small intestine where fluids like to make noise.

First, there is no one right way to eat to lose or maintain your weight. There’s just the right way for you. I agree to the suggestion to get in contact with your old dietician or find a new one. I’d also teach for a couple of weeks just to check your calorie & nutrient intake. I’d also get in contact with your surgeon as well to see what other options you have - revision surgery or maybe GLP - 1 meds. You’ve likely reset your body’s set point. The surgery lowered it but returning to larger portions, poor food choices & bad old habits have raised your set point again. So you’re actually fighting your body now. You’re trying to lose weight & your body is doing all it can to hold on to it. Have a look at Dr Matthew Weiner’s Pound of Loss metabolic reset diet (not that I’m an advocate for any ‘diets’.) It may give you some ideas you could try to see if works for you. He’s a great source of information around all things weight loss, bariatric surgery, etc. (He has a website & a you tube channel.) If you like being active, I’d add in some weights. Building muscle will help burn more calories & help counteract any muscle loss you experience while losing. Walking will help with general fitness. Remember though, activity only contributes to about 10% of any weight loss. Oh & don’t listen to your family & friends when they offer advice about your eating, nutrition or weight loss. They mean well but unless they’re qualified nutritionalist, dieticians, bariatric surgeons or medical doctors or had bariatric surgery they really don’t know what they’re talking about. And they’re not you. You know yourself best. You know your psychologically, physiologically & emotionally self best & know how you want to live your life. All the best.

Had my gastric bypass on the 7th. Spent one night in the hospital. The gas pain is real. From my experience it seemed more intense than others have had. I have to be on a 2 week full liquid diet before I can start the puree phase. I can only get a bite or two of Jello down before I'm done. I could only get one protein shake down until today. Seems like I can take in more water than I should be able to. But, that's good. So that I can get the minimum of fluids in so I don't get dehydrated. I had glue, no staples. Overall, still sore nothing too painful just uncomfortable.

The title basically says it all. I get pain when I drink. Actually in the area they said the watch for immediately after surgery. My appointment is next week so I surely bring it up then. But do any of yall have experience with this?

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?

It was 5 weeks on optifast 4x daily, nothing else besides water. That said I was honest about not being fully strict on it. I did slip up a few times.

I had to do 2 weeks of a very low calorie high protein diet. Its actually going ok, but I do miss eating cereal more than anything else haha. 2 days before my surgery I start liquid only, then the day before I have to stop the protein drinks at 6PM, and NPO after midnight. I have to be at the hospital at 6:30AM for a surgery time of 8:30AM!!! Im getting more excited than nervous for now. Im sure that will change once the date gets even closer.

I had the 2 incisions that hurt for a couple weeks, and I was so afraid of ripping something if I wasn't positioned right. My surgeon seemed miffed when I asked about it. He said there's no way his stitches were going to come loose. "I didn't use cheap common thread," he said. Seriously?? LOL After that I just took my pain meds, slept on my side with a huge body pillow which I hugged tightly for support and quit worrying about it. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

I think you need to get back into contact with your dietician. Did you say whether you track your food & monitor your macros? Have you still be having regular blood tests as these will show if you are lacking in any nutrients & you can track & monitor any changes when comparing with your food data. This data will help your dietician to help you construct an eating plan that will meet your needs. There are tests to see if you aren’t absorbing certain nutrients. Like a stool test can identify how much fat is present & if you aren’t absorbing it effectively. I take Creons (pancreatic enzymes) three times a day to help with my protein malabsorption (curtesy of my gall removal - not a common side effect but I was just unlucky). They also help with malabsorption of fats & carbs as well as proteins. Worth a conversation with your doctor if it is discovered you’re have malabsorption issues.

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...

Thank you for this detailed accounting!! I hope you continue it as you heal so we can follow along. Glad it all went safely!! The recovery houses sound really great in concept for the first week after surgery. I think they have them in areas with a lot of plastic surgery, like in Miami too. It feels like a gentler transition than just sending you home or to a hotel with no care. Though I have heard the food is an adventure!! I wish you much ease with your continued healing...

I was 388 the day I went into my initial surgery. I had the sleeve and then revision to bypass due to complications. You can see all my stats in my signature. As of today, I've lost 160 pounds. My ideal weight (NOT my target weight, because my ideal weight makes me look sickly) is no higher than 155. The difference between that and what my surgery day weight was is 233 pounds. 65% of that 233 pounds would be 151 pounds, so I've already lost more than that. I have another 30 to go to hit my goal weight, and while it's slow going (I currently just started my 987964610 stall lol) I'll get there. Where there's a will, there's a way. You can do this. I've had 8 surgeries in the last year and a half....7 of them this year....5 of them because of complications. I have 1 more surgery scheduled for next year and then that should be it. And even with all my starts and stops because of surgeries and recovery time, I still lost 160 pounds. Imagine if I was able to just keep going and not have all these health issues.... Anyway, don't get in your head about averages and statistics and all that. Everyone's journey is different. Focus on your health, mobility, mood, and medication amounts drastically improving. Focus on how clothes look and fit on you, what sizes they drop to, and how you feel. These are called non scale victories, and they will absolutely SAVE YOU when you hit stalls. Focus on how you fit in a booth, or in "regular" seats in the movies or in doctor's offices. These things will tell you more than the scale ever will. Getting off meds, no longer having hypertension and diabetes, these were game changers for me.

I feel the same... excited and nervous. I was so lucky that the therapist who did my psych evaluation for the surgeon had the surgery about 10 years ago and has kept her weight off. I'm meeting with her again 2 days before surgery for some reassurance and help with the nerves. All you get for 2 weeks is skimmed milk? that sounds really harsh! I'm not even sure that's sustainable???

I was sleeved in 2017. In hindsight, bypass would have been better given my history of GERD. Fast forward years later, COVID piled the weight on (working from home, lockdown, job stress (worked in healthcare during pandemic) and I'm up 65 lbs. That i can deal with though. I know the bariatric lifestyle, and I know what I need to do to lose the weight healthily and such. It's the GERD. I'm up to 60-80 mgs of Prilosec daily, plus antacids and other H2 blockers as needed. I sleep elevated and just always generally feel like I have a pit in my sternum. I've subsequently relocated to a new state since my surgery, so I feel like I'm starting all over. I have an appointment with my PCC this week to discuss the GERD issue. Given what people are stating on this board, it seems like that a RNY may be an option. Honestly, I just want to know why it has escalated so bad over the last several years. It doesn't matter what it is; it comes up. I drank some unsweetened almond milk two hours after dinner, and about 10 mins later I literally burped it up like a baby. No warning, nothing... All over my bed. Other times, it's that hor burning awful acidic in my throat and chest. Makes me cough. I try to eat crackers to help absorb the acid, which is not healthy. I'm really quite scared that's something serious. What have your experiences been like? Will I go through a whole program again? I just want relief. What questions should I bring up with my doctor. What tests will they run? This is still a fairly new PCC relationship and several thousand miles away from where I first was treated/sleeved.

Hi! I was wondering if anyone who is 5+ years since surgery is still experiencing any issues? I find that when I eat certain foods, much like when I was about a year or so out, that I have a feeling of being too full and can’t keep the food down. It isnt all the time. And it isnt really if I eat too much or too fast. I still eat pretty small meals at any given time and typically just eat 6 or so very small meals. An example would be if I eat pasta, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 a cup may feel unbearable and too full and can’t keep the pasta down. It could be something random like a handful of jelly belly jelly beans. I would say it happens maybe 1 a week? Just curious if anyone else has this issue. I have done well at keeping the weight off since the surgery and have hovered around 130-140 for the past 2 years. I am fairly active 50’s, 5’5 female. Thanks!!

I made it down to 144 on my own but I finally reached goal thanks to plastic surgery. I'm still recovering from my surgery 3 weeks ago. I actually went to mexico because I found a great Dr that I loved his work and he is board certified in the US as well as Mexico and Cuba. He is known for being very safe and I had to be pre screened medically twice before he would even operate on me. He also works out of a hospital so I thought I had all of my bases covered but my luck is always bad lol. I had complications but I still received amazing care. My only symptom after surgery was a fast heartrate. They brought in all the guns and had a cardiologist, the surgeon himself, a radiologist and the surgeons partner all come in and test me and discuss on my care. My blood came back with a hemoglobin level of only 6.9 and the ultrasound showed a large hematoma. So they immediately wrapped me in a compression garment and then taped me even tighter and I was given 2 blood transfusions through the night. Early the next morning at 7 am I went in for a second surgery to remove the hematoma and to see if I had any active bleeds which I did end up having an arterial bleed which they then fixed. I was also given one more bag of blood. I have the pictures of me opened all the way up during the original surgery and you could not see any bleeding at all so I don't know how this bleed happened but they acted quickly and I felt safe and taken care of the whole time. My dr always has everyone stay at least 1 night in the hospital and I think that is what saved me. So many people go home right away and if that had been me with no other symptoms, I am afraid to think of what could have happened. I was never dizzy or nauseous or even really tired. Just a fast heart rate of 120 with spikes to 150. Unfortunately because I had to have 2 surgeries my front tummy tuck scars are taking forever to fully heal but they are still doing great. No infections, just slow healing. I had a lower body lift which is the cut that goes all the way around and is great for tightening the front and the back. Lipo to my back and flanks, a small bbl and breast reconstruction. So I did have a ton of stuff done and with hind sight I may not have chosen to do it all at once because I wonder if that was increasing my chances of complications After the fact though I'm so glad to have it all done and not have to face any more surgeries. They removed about 8 lbs of skin and 2 in fat. I haven't weighed this little since middle school and I'm still swollen so who knows what my final weight will be. I'm so happy with my results and will have to share pictures once I'm fully healed. My youngest daughter and I went shopping this week and bought crop tops to wear together to celebrate. I've never worn a crop top ever. So I'm looking forward to wearing it in the near future. Gastric bypass certainly has changed my life in amazing ways

My surgery is Jan 18th currently doing my liquid diet! I wish mine was 24-48 hours instead of 2 weeks lol

My Surgery date is 2/3/22. I am getting sleeved in Mexico. Pre-op diet starts in about 3 weeks. Who else is having WLS next month?

I have the worst luck, of course I'd be part of the 5% lol. I just had my post-op appt so it'll be a bit before I get my labs done. But if the pain and nausea usually go away after week 4, I guess I'll do my best to stick it out. Thank you!

Yes, it will pass (though they are still frustrating & upsetting) but it doesn’t necessarily mean your weight loss is over. I lost another 11kgs (24lbs) in about another year after I reached goal. And many others will tell you the same. While they lost the bulk of their weight in the first 6-12 months, their weight loss continued very slowly for another 6-12 months or more. So it’s not over until it’s over. My surgeon & his colleague also suggested I increase my calories when I was dropping below goal. I said I can only eat what I can eat. My dietician made a couple of suggestions like adding full cream milk powder to any milk based drink or dish. I tried it but found it very sweet. Over time, I was able to eat more both in volume & calories & was eating a wider variety of food sources just like I had along the whole way until my loss stopped at about 1300 calories. I eat about 1500/1600 now & maintain at basically the same weight. Maybe touch base with your dietician for some ideas or things you can swap in much like @ms.sss suggested. Remember to celebrate the weight you have lost & every pound you lose next even if it takes weeks to lose it. You got this.

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!