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i had an arm lift (and breast lift, and tummy tuck...all in one shot in Dec 2019). i always disliked my upper arms. when i was thin (and thought i was fat) i was self conscious of what i thought was the size of them and rarely wore sleeveless tops. then when i actually got fat i NEVER wore them. if i had to go to an event the warranted (an arm-baring) dress, i always wore a shawl. fast forward to the weight loss and i was left with some saggy jiggly upper arms. while they looked okay when my arms were at my sides, i really did not like the look of them flapping in the wind when i raised them, lol. and i raise them alot, ha...i'm one of those raise-your-arms-in-the-air-and-wave-them-like-you-just-don't-care kinda gals, lolololzzz. so i had them done about a year post op (6-ish months after i reached goal). LOVE EM. while i did wear sleeveless again after the weight loss, i feel a lot less self-conscious about them after the arm lift. and really, it makes all the difference :).. now i do have very prominent scars on my arms (i scar very badly, and knew this going in), but for some reason the scars dont bother me as much as the flapping did. Go figure. recovery is no joke though, i'll be honest. had i not done too much too soon, i would probably have been good to go by 6 weeks...but i didn't, so my recovery was more like 3+ months. that was over 5 years ago now, and i've been wearing tank tops and other sleeveless tops all year round since, hahaha. it really all boils down to what YOU are comfortable with...i was told by countless of people that i didn't need to/shouldn't get it done. but i got it anyway, because the only person who can say i need it is ME. if you have the means and the desire, the option is yours. Good luck! ❤️ some pics: 1st link: 6 months BEFORE the arm lift 2nd link: Day before VS 3 weeks after arm lift 3rd link: 6 months AFTER the arm lift

It seems like more and more new users forget to use the sidebar with surgery info and progress. While it's obviously anyone's choice to keep the information private, it makes it so much easier to help with questions when you have an idea of where people are in their journey. I'm wondering if it's simply because more users are mobile-only? Maybe they don't see the sidebars (I use BP on desktop only)? Maybe they don't even know it's there? It's especially helpful when someone asks about nutrition, complications, phase-specific worries and stalls to understand right off the bat where they are in their journey. There's a world of difference between stalls happening for a BMI52 duodenal switch patient who had surgery 7 weeks ago and lost 10 lbs total and then a sleever who's a year out at BMI24. It's getting harder and harder to tell as fewer and fewer new users use the sidebar. Maybe we the site could help nudge people to fill in the info?

10 days after surgery for me, if i remember correctly.

Sleeve surgery 8/16/23 starting weight 279. Current weight 221. Pic is from 10/14/23

I'm so sorry you are having to do this for so long. My surgery is tomorrow. My doctor only required 10 days, and that was bad enough. I was told, however, that the first 3 days are the worst, and I found that to be true. Your post date would have been your 3rd day. Praying that it gets easier for you! The past few days, while hungry, I just didn't care anymore about the hunger. What has gotten me is the fatigue. Best wishes to you!!

Had my speeve done yesterday 3/5. Procedure was quick and uneventful. Woke up in recovery with no belly pain but an awful burning sensation in my chest. Nurse said this was likely trapped gas causing the pain. It has not subsided. I have been able to sleep, take liquid meds and walk a bit. I feel good about the surgery and curious how the next few days will go. I would say discomfort level is about 6/10. Not so much painful, just difficult to get comfortable. Will keep y’all posted.

Agreed catwoman7 - that was my BIGGEST concern. I was trying to remember how high into the 180's I hit and I found my paperwork. I had gone up to 187 (17 lbs over my weight I had been holding stable on and mentally remembering the 'brief period' at 167, I felt I had gained 20 lbs but it was really more like 17 from my 'stable weight). Prior gains I had ALWAYS kept within a manageable 5 to 10 lb window. We have an adult daughter with multiple mental health issues that moved back in with us over a year ago and the combined stress between her needs and my job was seriously impacting every aspect of my life. I'm also seeking a new therapist that also specializes in clients who are considering or have had bariatric surgery who can help me with multiple issues as I never want to return to food again as a 'medication' for stress and heartache.

Had my speeve done yesterday 3/5. Procedure was quick and uneventful. Woke up in recovery with no belly pain but an awful burning sensation in my chest. Nurse said this was likely trapped gas causing the pain. It has not subsided. I have been able to sleep, take liquid meds and walk a bit. I feel good about the surgery and curious how the next few days will go. I would say discomfort level is about 6/10. Not so much painful, just difficult to get comfortable. Will keep y’all posted.

Just made this. It serves 8-10 2-3 oz servings. Has sat well on my stomach in the pureed phase. 1 lb. soft tofu 1 bag of cauliflower stir fry rice with edamame and carrots Marinade 3 TBspoon soy 1 Tbspoon hoisin sauce 1-2 Tbspoon sriracha sauce 2 dashes of soybean oil Tsp spring roll sweet and sour Squeeze excess liquid from tofu by putting on a plate and laying 2-3 plates on top about 20 minutes. Dump excess liquid. Put tofu and marinade in zip bag for overnight. Put bag of cauliflower rice in microwave for 2 mins Drain tofu of excess marinade. Stir fry on med hi with a little soybean oil. It will look like scrambled egg that goes in stir fry rice. Add cauli rice and stir up to heat through. Slotted spoon to serve. No this is not restaurant stir fried rice. But it is also not carb heavy or calorie heavy. 1/3 cup is 68 cal, 2 fat grams, 7 protein grams, 6 gr carb.

I went back and forth for at least 10 years on this. Fortunately, I didn't have the health issues you have, but I knew if I didn't get the weight off, I wouldn't live to see my 60th birthday (I was 55 at the time). I went into it thinking it was a "dangerous" surgery, but I thought it was even more dangerous for me to stay at almost 400 lbs. I was happy to learn that these surgeries are no longer dangerous (like they were years ago) - they're actually very routine now and quite safe - safer than hip replacement surgeries, which they do all the time. So I took the jump. Absolutely the best decision I've ever made! I'd do it again in a heartbeat - in fact, I'd go back and have it done every year if I had to!

From October up to my two week liquid diet I lost 60 lbs. That was a 4 1/2 month span. Two week pre- op I lost 15 lbs. My surgeon said I will have stalls. But, then I'll have times where it will seem like it's falling off easy. I'm impatient as well. Back in June I tore my meniscus and it requires surgery. They won't do surgery until I hit a certain BMI. I'm within 10 lbs of hitting that number. Lose a couple pounds a week is still a victory. As you said, this process takes months.

Same here I hit 198 on Monday and was shocked 😳 and happy 🥳🥳🥳 I haven’t been under 200 in over 10 years

yep, yep and yep, i went from being an avid avoider or sweat pre-op, to a dedicated walker around my kitchen island post-op, to walking around the block, to walking around the block multiple times, to RUNNING around said block, to running 5K every other day...etc. i had a bit of an exercise lull (for me) due to an injured toe for a couple years for a bit back there, but today (at 5+ years out) i perform some sort of dedicated exercise 1-2 hours every day (the majority if which is in the form of pilates or hot yoga or running, with a side of 10-15 mins of strength training). full disclosure: i probably have some sort of low grade mental issue/addiction because i actually feel sorta bad or fomo-ish if i miss a day. mr. keeps telling me that need to take a rest day but i just cant seem to do it without feeling yuck. am working on it...🤷🏻‍♀️

I have an appointment with the family Dr on the 22nd and will show her what is going on to have it documented.. I honestly did not know if I would do skin removal cause I did not think it would be an issue but I am only 10 weeks Post op and still have 95lbs to lose so I am sure I am going to need it.. I will try the baby powder/ cornstarch blend..

Is there anyone in October getting a Vgs? My date is 10/18/23 I’m so excited!

Not gonna lie, it's been a rough month so far. I was doing okay heading into May. On May 1, I reached 203lbs, which officially was the lowest I have been since my 20s. The next day it bounced up, but then I lost steadily, down to 201.6. And then yesterday morning, when I was heading to my 3-month check in with the dietician, I was back up to 203lbs overnight! What the heck?!? Nine days into the month and all progress erased! And then my dietician said everything I'm doing nutritionally is good, but I've only lost 19 lbs since surgery according to their office scale. I go back on the 21st to see the nurse practitioner and am going to ask what can be done if it hasn't improved by then. My loss of momentum tracks almost exactly to when I started taking my doctor's advice to get regular exercise. It was supposed to speed up my progress, according to the surgeon. Instead, in the past 3 weeks I have lost a total of 1.4 lbs. Color me unimpressed. Finally, my dietician said I should try to reduce my reliance on protein powder, which I have in my morning smoothie and at night before bed. She wants me eating more "real" food (though, in my defense, I do not rely on soft foods and have chicken and vegetables and such every day). So I had scrambled eggs and fruit this morning and it all made me really sick. What a start to the day. Smoothies made me feel good and I'm seeing little reason to give them up. I had smoothies all the time pre-op. I'm hoping they'll run some blood tests at the next appointment to see what's up. Like @RonHall908, I have also been exhausted lately and can't concentrate.

Everything is better with cheese. Extra cheese. Full fat, since I can't eat much of it anyhow. Also from, well, day 10. I couldn't eat much of anything before that. The dairy industry's stocks went down as a result. All things in moderation, including moderation. Good luck, Tek

I had gastric bypass in July of 2019. Highest weight was 400 before losing a bit on my own. Current weight varies from 167 to 173. I still feel some restriction to this day. My meals are usually small although I know we can all 'eat around' the restriction by eating smaller, but continuous meals and this was a slippery slope I fought back against. About 2 yrs ago, I started having right sided pain. It felt like the pain I used to feel when I ovulated so I assumed it was ovarian. Saw OB & had 2 ultrasounds and they couldn't even see right ovary (and the left was fine. Since they couldn't 'see' the right one, they said that was good since there was no obvious signs of..I don't know tumors, growths? The pain continued to worsen & I finally had gall bladder taken out 1.5 yrs ago. I adjusted diet again to deal with gal bladder being gone and things seemed ok. A few months after that the right sided pain returned. About 4 mos ago, the pain got so bad at times I'd be in a ball on my bed considering going to ER (which I HATE doing). Went back to primary got CT scan. CT came up with no findings. Then he referred me to GI doctor for colonoscopy & upper GI. I thought finally 'this was it, we've ruled out most other things'. I also had seen blood in my stools and it was old blood, like coffee grounds so I thought ok, not hemorrhoids? Just got back home from colonoscopy & upper GI. I thought doing prep was bad yrs ago, but much harder having had bypass surgery. Good news is no polyps or other concerning things. Bad news is main finding was on bypass "Patient's surgical anastomosis noted to be widely dilated, raising possibility of Dumping Syndrome as a cause". OK, most know what dumping is. I thought it was post surgery when we ate food (i.e. sugar, high fat) that processed too fast, etc. and you had dumping. Is the type of dumping they are alluding to different from our post surgery dumping? They recommended I see gastric bypass revision specialist. Has anyone else had revision NOT due to 1st bariatric surgery not being successful but for a "medical reason" like this (other than GERD, heartburn). I'm not even sure insurance will pay, but I have 2 yrs worth of history on this pain. Even it if does pay, I dread what this means for me - more hair loss? If I do this, will I need another revision in 5 yrs again at which point I'll be getting up there in age. I also still feel restriction kick in although yes, nothing like 1st 2 years My highest right now hovers at 173. I hoped I'd get to 150 but closest I've come is 167-168. Is revision another 'nuclear detonation option'? I've also wondered with the CT scan, etc. is there any chance of some straggler/stone from my gallbladder surgery 1.5 yrs ago that should be considered? Should I post this in the revision group instead? I read through some and was unsure. Are we allowed to cross-post? Any input would be appreciated. This is causing issues on my job as the pain hits out of nowhere (not X amount of time before OR after a meal, that I have been able to discern. Thank you!

I am 9 months out from my surgery and about 10 pounds from my surgeon's goal (15 from my goal). I have been strength training four days a week for the past two months and was told to up my calories to around 1300 at that time. And...I have been stalled for about a month at the same weight. My resting metabolic rate is over 1500 calories (because I am burning calories on top of that), so I know I am in a calorie deficit. I know I should "stay the course" but I am doubting myself now...wondering if I should go down in calories. I am getting around 100 g of protein a day. Drinking 70 oz water or so. Very little cardio, though. Thoughts? What was your journey like once you got close to your goal? Thank you in advance!!!!

For those who have had the surgical procedure, on a scale of 1-10 (1 being not worth the worry and 10 being couldn't have survived without it), what value do you place on the use of a recliner during the days immediately following your surgery?

Long story short - had gastric bypass in July of 2019. Highest weight 400. Current weight 167 to 173. I still feel some restriction to this day. Meals are small and I don't eat high fat, high sugar food. 2 yrs ago, I started having right sided pain. It felt like ovarian pain so saw OB & had 2 ultrasounds nothing showed up there. Pain worsened & had gall bladder removed 1.5 yrs ago. Adjusted diet again to deal with gal bladder being gone and things seemed ok. A few months after the right sided pain returned. About 4 mos ago, pain got so bad at times I'd be in a ball on my bed considering going to ER (which I HATE doing). Went back to primary got CT scan. Nothing found. findings. Then he referred me for colonoscopy & upper GI. I thought finally 'this was it, we've ruled out most other things'. I also had seen blood in my stools and it was old blood, like coffee grounds so I thought ok, not hemorrhoids? Just got back home from colonoscopy & upper GI. Good news is no polyps or other concerning things. Bad news is main finding was on bypass "Patient's surgical anastomosis noted to be widely dilated, raising possibility of Dumping Syndrome as a cause". OK, we know what dumping is. Thought it was post surgery when we ate food (i.e. sugar, high fat) that processed too fast, etc. & you had dumping. Is the type of dumping they mention different from post surgery dumping? They recommend I see revision specialist. Has anyone else had revision NOT due to 1st bariatric surgery not being successful but for a "medical reason" like this (other than GERD, heartburn). I'm not even sure insurance will pay, but I have 2 yrs worth of history on this. Even it if does pay, I dread what this means - more hair loss? If I do this, will I need another in 5 yrs?. I also still feel restriction kick in although yes, nothing like 1st 2 years My highest weight right now hovers at 173. I hoped I'd get to 150 but closest I've come is 167-168. Is revision another 'nuclear detonation option'? ANYONE have a revision specialist in the North Texas area they can recommend so I can at least get a consultation (north texas = Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, Keller, Bedford, Euless, Hurst and Denton) I've also wondered if there is a chance of some straggler/stone from gallbladder surgery 1.5 yrs ago that should be considered? Any input would be appreciated. This is causing issues on my job as the pain hits out of nowhere (not X amount of time before OR after a meal, that I have been able to discern. Thank you!

Aww-gee-thanks! I just took what my surgeon said would make me successful, made myself a plan, and did it! For anyone who has a brain that works like mine (MORE details, please!!!), this makes life easy, post-op! At my 1-week appointment, everyone was telling me I didn’t look or move like I had just had major surgery, my color was great, I looked so energized and happy - and I did! I felt so great, and this was even BEFORE I started my multi. He told me “exceeding expectations” at every follow-up appointment I’ve had, to date. All I did was what my surgeon said was the formula for success. FLUIDS, PROTEIN, MOVEMENT. It’s that easy! AND, I have lost HALF of my extra weight, as of yesterday! I’m so happy! And I haven’t done anything besides what my surgeon said would make me successful. I had lost 19 pounds on my own, before my first surgeon visit. I lost 16 lbs from my consultation to surgery date. The rest of my losses have been post-op, which has been 38 lbs, as of yesterday. Yesterday, I started Week Ten Post-Op (my surgery was April 2nd). The full long term list is: Water, Protein, Movement, Supplements, Whole Foods, Go To All Your Appointments & Participate In Any Extras Your Surgeon Offers (My surgeon does monthly group webinars with post-op patients! It’s so great!) Also, I hope nobody takes this as bragging. I just want to show if you do what they ask of you, there’s no other option besides being a success! You can’t lose! Keep it simple by remembering your basic job right now: Fluids, Protein, Movement. You CAN and WILL do it! There’s no way to fail, this time! Even if “movement” for you means walking a circle around your couch and then sitting down, that’s a start! Just move your body, drink water, get protein.

I crushed my thyroid pill and emptied the omeprazole and ursodiol capsules into a little bowl and mixed all three with 2 Tbsp of applesauce. It took about 10 minutes to get that down. I'm going to need to check with my primary care doctor because my blood pressure the morning I left the hospital was 92/54, so I have not been taking my blood pressure med since they told me to stop it the day before surgery. I need to go check it at one of those machines at the drug store later today.

I started my journey in late July and was planning on surgery over my Christmas Break ( I'm a teacher). Due to a rare side effect from medication I had tendonitis in 3 areas and could barely walk. My NUT told me last month that she thinks I'll be cleared for surgery mid to end February depending on PT progress. I was getting super excited and even more motivated. Then I looked at the calendar and realized that surgery would probably be in mid to late March. I hate to use 10-15 sick days this close to summer break when I don't have a lot built up. What would you do? I'm also freaked at the possibility of switching insurance carriers March 1, but that's a different story!