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nope - it's far from over. Sounds like you're experiencing the infamous "three-week stall" a little early. The "three-week stall" happens to the vast majority of us - if you do a search on this site for it, you'll find over 17,000 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding). That first major stall can really happen any time during the first month or six weeks after surgery, but it's usually the third week, thus, the name. It'll last 1-3 weeks. The best way to deal with it is to make sure you're 100% on plan and stay off the scale for a few days. It WILL break and you'll be on your way again. And know that this is likely the first of many stalls. It's just a natural part of weight loss.

I had surgery on 11/9. I’ve lost 20lbs since surgery 247 down to 227. I have stalled the last few days with no budge on the scale. Should I be worried? It seems pretty early for a plateau?? I’m tracking and getting between 300 and 500 calories a day. Is my weight loss over? I just can’t believe my weight is stalling already. I guess I just need some encouragement.

I too lost & gained for years. I think most of us did. Like deaths & taxes I could guarantee if I lost weight I would gain it all over again & it would start within weeks. I have never been able to maintain a low weight for as long as I have since my surgery & certainly not a weight this low. Yes, my new set point, faster metabolism & smaller tummy helps but the time the surgery gave me while I was losing was the greatest benefit. It was during this time that I changed my relationship with food & changed the how, what & why I ate. I had never done this before with all the diets I’d been on.(I was almost 54 when I had my surgery so I’d been on a lot of diets.) Not being interested in eating or hungry meant I wasn’t constantly thinking about eating & what I was missing out on while dieting. I used felt any diet i was on was a punishment for having gained weight again. Now, while there are some foods I don’t eat anymore or rarely do it’s not a punishment or I’m missing out. It’s not a diet just how/what I eat & I’m healthier & happier for it. Yes, you’ll often find stories of people struggling or having issues on forums, social media, etc, As @summerseeker said they often come to such sites looking for support or advice. Complications can occur with any surgery but they are very low with bariatric surgery & much lower than with other very commonly performed surgeries (appendectomies are higher than sleeve). The complications & risks of developing co morbidities are much, much greater & debilitating. Yes there are chances of post surgical issues like dumping, foamies, strictures, etc. but they aren’t really that common & are pretty simple to manage or remedy. Like strictures are rare & can be easily repaired with a simple surgery. Dumping & foamies can be managed with dietary choices. I have some issues with the foamies but I just consider them a quirk of my tummy & I had a pretty quirky tummy before surgery so this isn’t even a minor deal. I’d rather have a quirky tummy than be obese, constantly battling my weight & beating myself up about it. Have a chat with your surgeon & ask them for the stats about the surgery itself, any long or short term issues & what can be done to manage or remedy them & their experiences. Ask as many questions as you need. You won’t be the first to come to them with concerns or trepidations. The ultimate decision can only be yours & I wish you the best of luck what ever you choose to do.

I’m doing great! Lost 48 lbs so far, feel fantastic. I mostly eat protein, but I have been sampling with other things and find that some things don’t agree with me, like bacon for sure, and oatmeal. But otherwise most food is fine and I am so happy about it. I never did this for weight loss but it’s been incredible anyway, and I am really enjoying new clothes. How are you doing?

I had my gastric sleeve in March of 2012 with a starting weight of roughly 283 lbs at consultation / start of my journey. The lowest weight I was able to get to was about 185-188 lbs which was in early to mid 2015. Later that year, I developed a wrist injury and eventually needed surgery in 2016, and began around late 2015 to early 2016 putting on weight. From October 2016 to now I've essentially regained all of my weight back. I am contemplating revisional surgery at this time, and looking around for surgeons. I have a consultation with one surgeon set for Nov. 27th with Dr. Alibhai in Irving, Tx. (If anyone has any experience they can share, please do.) My other choice of surgeon would be Dr. Matin who did my mother's Gastric Bypass around 2007. I'm wanting to revise to the DS....but, now I am reading and learning about the SADI DS and I now don't really know which one of these I would like to do. My mom is trying to talk me more into doing the gastric bypass rather than the DS. I understand she's worried, she knew someone who recently passed away who was having complications with her DS....I don't know the specifics, but that is the gist of her reasons for not wanting me to go with the DS. At the same time, I'm 10-11 years out from my Sleeve surgery, so I've also had some thoughts about if I could possibly get a re-sleeve along with the DS. (At this rate, I think I've decided I want the DS, just not certain if I want the traditional DS or the SADI version. If anyone has any experience with Dr Mustafa Alibhai and / or experience with Re-Sleeve + DS / SADI revision, could you please share? I would really like to get back to the 180s at the very least. I felt soo much better at that weight, even though I was still a good 50-70 lbs over weight (I'm 5'3). Thank you!

This lady at church asked if I was sick because I lost weight so quick! This was my 1 month post op. I said no I’ve been loosing weight since January. I have not told folks that I had the surgery.

December 6 is my surgery date, I just got that today. Feels like it’s been forever but it’s really only been three or four months now. all I have left is November 29 a video call with a RN about my weight from that morning my medication list And my new Vitamin list which I’ll be getting from her. Then November 30 I have to go to a three hour “second Pre-op class“ I have to start my two week liquid diet this Thursday Thanksgiving 😞 that’s OK though does anybody have any suggestions about things I need before surgery? any help is appreciated!

I weigh more than you so that's not relevant, but I had the DS surgery 3 weeks ago. You want to talk about rewiring your intestines for weight loss?? Yeah, did that. I had a moment of panic after the surgery when it really truly hit me that I'd permanently altered my body and couldn't predict how it would look 30 years down the road. And then I internally slapped myself and reminded myself that how my life was looking pre-surgery in 30 years was death or disability even worse than what I have now, and that NO ONE can say what their life is going to look like in the next 30 years, or even in the next year. Life doesn't work that way. Nothing comes with guarantees. I was very afraid of the complications a DS can have. But I decided complications from diabetes and high blood pressure and high cholesterol were worse. You may not have these now but you may very well have them in the next 10 years. I was perfectly fine until I was 37. I have had no major complications so far, just some nausea. My tastebuds have changed and it turns out avocado no longer tastes good to me and I can't taste sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. I'm told that will balance out in time, its the hormones playing with my tastebuds like a pregnant woman. For two weeks my stomach did these twisty cartwheels inside me every time I drank or ate something, but that eased too, as I knew it would. I had family and friends rather skeptical of doing this surgery, especially because I am that 1% person who always gets the rare complications from things. But turns out so far I've had a rather boring recovery and I hope that continues to be the case, but if it doesn't, I'll deal with it. Because I no longer want to live the yo-yo life of trying desperately to normalize my weight on my own. I have lost 21 lbs in 3 weeks post surgery! I didn't think this would work for me but it is working... Yes, for the first few weeks getting that water in feels like a huge chore. But eventually you find your groove... Same with protein. And as my dietician reminded me today, they are GOALS, not absolutes that have to be perfect on the first day. I couldn't get down protein drinks for the first two weeks. In the end you will do what is right for you at this time. If you don't do the surgery now you will do it later down the road and be one of the people who wishes they'd done it sooner. I wish I'd known about this option in my 20s, I would have lived a very different life.

I’m doing great! Lost 48 lbs so far, feel fantastic. I mostly eat protein, but I have been sampling with other things and find that some things don’t agree with me, like bacon for sure, and oatmeal. But otherwise most food is fine and I am so happy about it. I never did this for weight loss but it’s been incredible anyway, and I am really enjoying new clothes. How are you doing?

I told myself I could do it on my own too. I lost those same 45+ pounds over and over and over again through the years along with attaining a sluggish metabolism through low calorie dieting. Your body will constantly fight to get back to that higher abnormal weight setpoint we made for ourselves. It's exhausting. Regaining the weight always involved a few more pounds and eventually co morbidities. You might not have any now, but you will. Not trying to be negative but realistic. Also, as I got older, maintaining all the added exercise to try to keep it off became unattainable. WLS is way more than just food restriction. The surgery resets that setpoint, so you are no longer working against your own bodies stubbornness to stay at a higher bodyfat %. Don't pass on doing it based on fear. I would be more scared not to do it, knowing what I know now. GL.

Since you've been doing your homework, you probably already know that your chance for any complication is just under 6% and your chance for a serious complication is about 2.5% with the RNY. On the flip side, you have about a 74% chance of curing your sleep apnea and a decent likelihood of reaching a BMI in the healthy range. I am scheduled for surgery next month, so I can't tell you about my experience with it yet. What I can tell you is why I am choosing it after almost 7 years in my hospital's non-surgical weight loss program. I am 5'6 and 49 years old, with 2 teen/tween daughters. At the start of 2017, I was 249 pounds and on blood pressure meds, no other co-morbidities. My primary care doctor referred to me to the weight management center. They said aim for 1500 calories per day, 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week, and check in with them every month. I was motivated and started tracking my food and exercise. I went in for nutrition, psych, and medical meetings as directed. The weight came off. I was thrilled! I got down to 202 in 6 months. I was so close to being under 200, and I was certain I could easily get to at least under a BMI of 30 to no longer be "obese." Piece of cake! Or rather, some suitably healthy cake alternative. Like apples, maybe? And then I stalled for months. I never hit that magical 199 on the scale. I kept doing everything the same and my weight didn't budge. I ate a little less. I exercised a little more. I gained 5 lbs. I gained a few more. I became discouraged. Life happened. I would lose 10 lbs, gain 8, lose 5, gain 15... I tried various meds but couldn't afford them longterm. I lost health insurance for a year and couldn't afford to go to my regular check-ins, which I know were partially responsible for keeping me at least a little motivated even when the scale didn't cooperate. I got health insurance again, and went for my physical. My blood pressure had worsened and now I was prediabetic. My doctor urged me to go back to weight management. I had to wait 3 months for an appointment, and despite wanting to lose some weight in the interim (so the doctor there wouldn't be disappointed in me), I weighed in at 251, which tipped me over to 40 BMI. That was the most I ever weighed. When the doctor recommended I consider weight loss surgery, I knew that was the answer for me. One thing I learned in all this is people can lose weight, even a lot of it. The likelihood of keeping it off longterm without meds or surgery is around 10%. Between a 2.5% risk of a serious complication or a 90% chance of being obese and on blood pressure meds the rest of my life, and risking diabetes, I prefer to take my chances with the surgery. It's not the losing weight that worries me, but the keeping it off that I don't think will happen without it.

My RNY is scheduled for one week from today. I was all in until a couple weeks ago. I am a person that likes a lot of information so I've been watching a ton of videos and joined a few groups like this one. I know there are always chances of complications but the more I look, the more I'm seeing people that went through them, and people that really regret having it done. So now I'm basically terrified. I know no one can tell me what to do. I'm more or less talking it out myself by listing the pros and cons, but I'd also love to have input from people that have gone through it, especially if they are around the same size and situation as me. I am 5' 7" and my highest weight that I recall was 266. I have lost weight and regained it a thousand times in my life. I started the bariatric program a year and a half ago at 254 but a few months later for family issues I had to drop out. By that point I had lost weight on my own and was confident I could do it myself this time, but of course gained what I'd lost and then some. I started again this past April. I am really in the kick ass mindframe since then and have gotten down to 212 - actually 209.5 as of this morning. I'm again in that frame of mind thinking I've lost 55 on my own, I can lose the next 50 as well. And it is definitely possible, though it would be difficult. Keeping it off even more difficult, though again possible. I really have no major health issues, the primary reason is because I'm tired of being this size and failing constantly at losing it myself. I'm tired of shopping in plus size, tired of being scared about sitting in theater seats or a rollercoaster. Tired of seeing pictures of myself and not recognizing that person. I do have sleep apnea and use a cpap. I had a pre-op scope and they found I have grade B esophigitis, though I have no symptoms and very rarely get heartburn. For that reason I was hesitant to get a sleeve, and so many people that get a sleeve are going back for a revision that I decided gastric bypass was the way to go, and my surgeon agreed. I think if someone could see my future and tell me I wouldn't have any major complications and everything went smoothly, I would not even hesitate to do this. My insurance will cover it, I have the time off work. I feel like I'm mentally prepared to do what needs to be done - but I also know many people feel that way but underestimate exactly how it'll go. I feel like I have a pretty good pain tolerance and can get though that ok. Things I'm nervous about: major complications, of course. Getting in enough water and protein in the small amounts you can take in at a time (although I know it can be done). Food aversions - I'm a fairly picky person anyway and you read about people that can't eat anything without feeling sick, even a long time after surgery. Future pain and inability to take ibuprofen - I am allergic to Tylenol and get hives so I'm kind of out of options in the future. I have told a few people because I don't want the negativity ahead of time. Some are jealous and wish their insurance covered it and think I'm crazy to have second thoughts. Some have said look at how well I've done on my own, I can do this on my own without surgery. My husband says he'll support me but he also says he thinks I look great now and don't need it. He's gone to a couple classes with me and was visibly horrified when shown a video of the surgery, and I think he's more scared than he lets on. I have 2 daughters 16 and 21 that are very much momma's girls - one is nervous for the surgery, the other says 'you do you, dawg', lol. Both of them struggle with depression and I would be gutted if something happened to me because I'm not sure they'd handle it well. This is turning into a novel, I'm sorry. I had 2 women that have gone through it say no way would they go through having their guts surgically rearranged for just 45 pounds. And then I see others on here roughly my size that are happy as hell they went through it. And again, I know no one can tell me what to do. I am just trying to get as much info as possible. I don't necessarily buy the whole "my cousin had this surgery and these horrible things happened" stuff, or even "my cousin had this surgery, never had any complications and is thrilled with it" - but when I hear it directly from the people that went through it, it carries more weight. Thanks if you've gotten this far!!

Lily2024 first, congrats on making a positive life changing decision. My advice to you is if you go into your RNY with the strongest foundation possible then that is the best case as you have weeks of lower calories and activity. That said, there can be arguments made to which is better: weights vs cardio? I think a balanced approach between the 2 is always prudent. At the end of the day, the best workout plan is the one you stick to! So most importantly stick with what you enjoy so you are motivated to stay committed to the plan and pick back up when your recovery plan allows. Hope that makes sense. Generally I work out 5-6 days a week which involves mix of weights and cardio. Training for the Ironman, I spent most time focusing on the 3 disciplines: swim, bike and run. In hindsight, I wish I would have made strength training more of.a priority in that process to help with foundational strength and recovery. But I chalk that up to lessons learned! Learn2cook: thank you and yes I have plenty of pictures of my progress. Journaling is an area of which I need to improve but I have started jotting down some notes.  As for other goals, yes! My current goal is to get back to normal or whatever my new normal is. It’s funny how life hands you tests along the way. On 10./29, I suffered from an Ischemic stroke where clots hit 2 parts of my brain. Turns out I have a hole in my heart that’s a birth defect. I have my issues but it could’ve been much worse. A blessing was going into the stroke being in such good health. Had I still been obese, I may not be here today. So now I need to channel my Ironman attitude into putting in the work towards my recovery. So my fitness journey isn’t over but surely has taken a Detour. But attitude and effort are the only things I can control so I will do what it takes. Good luck in your journey!

I'm so sorry you are going through this @Ashley Amari!! That is a LOT of hair loss. It is so shocking the things our bodies do when under stress. When I was in my early 20s I had an autoimmune flare and lost over 1/3 of the density of my hair. I've always had fine hair but a lot of it, that's no longer the case. In time some of it came back, but I kept having autoimmune flares and with each one I'd lose more and more. It has stabilized now that I'm on a biologic to stop the flares, and it is growing back now though I don't think it'll ever be as thick. But I am DREADING the shed from surgery. I had one after having a hysterectomy. It has all come back from that, it wasn't any worse than the autoimmune triggered ones, but at least it all came back from that! I have high hopes for you that while you have lost a lot for now, it should come back, and often comes back even healthier than before, probably because of all those vitamins we are taking! LOL There is *nothing* we can do to avoid this shed cycle, it is natural after a major surgery and serious weight loss, so don't worry it is something you did. It isn't. It will come back in its own sweet time and until then I bet you'll rock the hell out of that wig!! ❤️

I don't know if the OP was a troll but I think the post has merits for the reflections it has created. My partner sees a therapist that specializes in eating disorders. She seems to be rather WLS negative because she sees patients that struggle with it and regret it. But in talking about it I realized for most of these people the regrets are driven by unrealistic expectations or having food addiction issues they've never dealt with--they weren't prepared to say goodbye to their relationship with food like Babyspoons points out. The surgery is hard on our minds and if our head game isn't strong it will take us down! Unrealistic expectations are so damaging to one's long term happiness. I don't know if it is the individual's issue, or a combo of that and surgeons painting a fairytale picture, but I had pretty frank discussions with my surgeon and GP about what I could expect from the surgery. I don't expect to lose 50 lbs in this first month. I don't expect to ultimately get down to 130lbs. I've set a reasonable goal for myself and we all agree it is attainable if everything works right. Not everything works right all the time. But I picked the surgery that had the highest chance of giving me what I really wanted---a loss of my co-morbidities. I decided that if I could kiss my diabetes and high blood pressure and high cholesterol goodbye, it would be worth the surgery even if I don't lose all the weight. Of course I want to lose the weight, but I'm a pragmatic person and I had to really dig deep and decide how I'd feel if I never meet my weight loss goal. I didn't want to be stuck with regrets, I hate regrets. But I think most people don't do this internal work pre-surgery so they are left trying to reckon with it all post surgery when expectations don't meet reality. I think there is a lesson in that for all of us...

7 years after VSG I have gained back 40 pounds (lost 102) and now I am dumping. It is very strange because it happens with almost anything I consume and any quantity. I am thinking of going on a mostly liquid diet to get the 40 pounds off and hopefully stop the dumping. Any advice is appreciated.

I’m 12 hours out from surgery. Or at least from having to be at the hospital. Having some protein broth. It’s actually pretty good it’s chicken soup flavored protein powder that you had to hot water. My doctor ok’d it for the pre surgery diet. Luckily my program only requires 2 days of liquid diet before surgery. They used to require the two weeks but claim studies have shown 2 days is enough. Still nervous as I said in my last post because I am high risk because I have kidney failure and heart failure but everyone cleared me for surgery. They do think I will have issues with infection and leaking because I am on chronic steroids. My highest weight was 509 pounds and my weight today is 399 pounds. I am 6 feet tall and my goal weight it ideally 180 but I will be happy at 200

I had my surgery when the internet was young. There were perhaps 2 or 3 main WLS message boards not unlike bariatric-pal, along with several 'blogging' sites where a few folks detailed their experiences, generally in text. I kept a journal form history from the moment I decided to have surgery until about 2 years post-op, which included appointments, milestones, and stuff I found interesting, then the next year was my running journal in much the same form. Though I wrote my entries in a form that was to be read, I never really intended to share them publicly, though eventually I did just that anonymously out there on the internet somewhere. My only caution is to remind you the internet is forever. There may come a day when you'd like to allow your WLS and weight issues to fade into the past. Be sure you don't reveal too much. Good luck, Tek

Update: Gastric Bypass Date 8/16/2023 Starting weight 376 Current 295 Down 81 pounds. My heaviest was 387.

Updating now that I'm 6 months out. 1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT Female, 50, 5 feet 0 inches 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 6.4 kilos or 14 pounds 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 148.6 kilos or 327 pounds 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 137.6 kilos or 302 pounds 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 127.8 kilograms or 281 pounds 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery 117 kilograms or 257.4 pounds 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery

36 down, 14 more to go... submit your stats if you haven't already and I will reward y'all with a nice little report, LOL! 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...)

Dr. John Morton, Division Chief of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Yale School of Medicine, discusses if the new injectable weight-loss drugs are having an impact on people choosing bariatric surgery. https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/yale-doctor-discusses-differences-between-bariatric-surgery-and-weight-loss-drugs/3145715/?amp=1

Hi, i'm almost 3 month out, got my Bypass on 1. September 2023, i Had a lot of problems, and a lot of ER Visits, it seems like the Exit of my Pouch narrowed down so much that i couldn't even Drink anymore, they Stretchted it to 1,2cm's the "normal" size should be 3cm, they Already told me i need a Second Surgery and one of my surgeons said that maybe the Doctor who did that did it on purpose so i would "lose weight better!" with a giggle, What an A-Hole. I'm kinda off all things i've read on that Topic, i can't eat any kind of meat or Cheese, it would not sit well and i will Vomit a lot. I Live after 3 Month, Out of Protein Yoghurts and Pudding. I can tolerate Crisp Bread, but again can't do something on it very much, i'm Kinda at a loss Right now, But i Lost in that 3 month's around 40Kilogramms. but i feel pretty bad in General, since i feel like "i will never be able to eat even the Portion sizes i should with bypass".

Oh, our changing taste buds. It can be quite intriguing. First there is the temporary change after surgery which I think the anaesthetic contributes a lot too. But then after removing certain foods from your eating, you can lose your desire for them or even enjoyment of them over time. Which can be a good thing with certain foods. I embraced my dislike & sensitivity to anything sweet & rarely eat traditional sweet foods or drinks anymore. Same with alcohol - probably average a glass a month (though with Christmas & Christmas parties coming up I may have a few more through December - LOL! Getting your family on board & understanding your eating now can be challenging. Maybe remind them that you are doing this with the support of a medical team & they are extremely happy with what you are doing & have no concerns. Your digestive system has been altered & you physically can’t eat the over large portions you used to which is a good thing. Maybe add that you are determined to be successful with your weight loss to be a healthier you & would hope you would have their support not their criticism & judgement. But you know your family best & what will resonate with them most. All the best.

Perfectly normal. You’ve always fluctuated & always will. You probably never noticed it before because you may not have weighed yourself as regularly as you do now. You may also discover over time you may have a pretty constant fluctuation rate. (My stabilised weight fluctuation is about a kilogram.) Yep, hormones, fluid retention, pooping/not pooping, etc. can affect the number on the scales. Add to that we don’t eat the exact same things in the exact same amounts every day. Same with drinking & the activity we do. Even our general health can affect our weight even having a cold. Your doctor has seen it all. Be honest with them at your appointment. That way they can offer you their best advice. Do you still see your dietician? A visit with them may also help to ensure you are on the right path. It can be easy to miss something. Do you track your food? If not it may be worth doing it for a couple of weeks. All the best.