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Days 6 & 7 Yesterday was just another day. I slept around meds and feedings until about 3pm then binge watched Netflix. I'm still sore, but managing. Today I had my post surgery follow up with my surgeon, Dr. Rodolfo Castillo Calderon. He said I'm moving extremely well and warned me to take it slow and not bend. I found out I was using the BBL pillow wrong. He didn't transfer much, but I'm hoping I didn't kill it. He had told me I didn't need a BBL pillow since I work from home and have soft cushions and explained how to use pillows, but my pillows kept shifting at night so I wanted a BBL pillow anyway. You are supposed to support your weight on your thighs and let your butt hang. I chose the circular pillow and it puts pressure all the way around, including fat transfer spots. The BBL pillows are more like yoga blocks than bed pillows, very firm. I also got another lecture on the importance of belly button cleaning and stuffing it with gauze to keep it dry. He was annoyed that the staff at my recovery house used tape to hold the gauze when the compression garment would have held it in place without. He put some antibiotic on the open blister and covered it. If I were staying longer I'd have another follow-up or two. The stitches will dissolve and he didn't use drains. The pain meds I was given are available here over the counter, so I asked the staff to call the pharmacy and order me a couple boxes. I have the written prescription in case they stop me at the US border.

Do you mean you had sleeve to bypass revision surgery OP? Was it more for reflux than weight loss? Could you share some more info that would help others on their journey? Even if not - well done you on your loss and getting back on track.

I went on a trip this week..and I knew I'd be doing a lot of walking so I took my most comfortable furry sketcher clogs. They've always been comfortable for long days, well since I've lost weight they're now lose and as a result they flopped around and I have two huge blisters on the balls of each foot! So good problem with bad results...but still good!

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!!

My weight loss has stalled since November 5th. I know this is normal since loads of other people have mentioned experiencing a week 3 stall, but it is still disheartening to lose nothing for 11 days when I know I'm following the diet, focusing on protein, drinking fluids and keeping my portion sizes appropriately small. I hope this plateau breaks soon because it is demoralizing.

First, degrading someone because of their weight is simply UNACCEPTABLE. Period. That being said, I may have a different take on some of this. I've been VERY open about my surgery with family, friends, and co-workers (I've actually had two co-workers have the surgery after they saw my success). I WAS fat. Seriously FAT. Even if people didn't say things, I know darned well they thought them. Maybe it's because I am/was so open about the surgery, people are more comfortable saying "DAMN, I didn't realize you were THAT big!" when they look at before pictures. It doesn't bother me at all. I take pride in my accomplishment and try to use it as an educational moment. On another note, one thing I find myself doing now is sometimes thinking about how this surgery could change someones life. Not from a "OMG, did you see how much food they are eating??!!", but rather seeing someone overweight, struggling to walk, out of breath, etc (just like I was before surgery) and thinking to myself (I would NEVER say anything unsolicited) MAN, surgery could change your life.... Anyway, my takeaway, is that people ARE going to see you differently. Some are idiots and are going to say things they THINK are appropriate because now you're "one of them" and offend you. All you can really do is be proud of what YOU have accomplished and if they offend you, let them know.

Try exercise snacking. Multiple short bursts of exercise throughout the day. Each burst adds to your total for the day. So say 3 x 10 min sessions = 30 mins of daily exercise. Much easier to slot in your busy day. This is what I do. Try to add things during your work day like going for a walk in the your lunch break, walk/jog up any stairs you have at work. Hand weights, resistance bands are handy things to use at home at night. Some stretches (yoga based) can help you relax after work too & are great for flexibility. I have a mat on my living room floor in front of the tv. Put on Great British Bake off & do a session of stretches & bands. I also like wall push ups. (I stand about 90cm - 3 feet - from the wall & do 60.)

I don't have MS, but I do have several autoimmune diseases along with Fibro and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I am almost 3 months out from a traditional duodenal switch. I have found my energy level and ability to exercise has increased a lot, I no longer get post exertional malaise. I also have less pain because the surgery causes your inflammation levels to decrease and as you lose weight, those levels will continue to go down. Since I am so early out, I have not had any nutritional issues. However, my surgeon did advise I go with a longer common channel than the standard 100cm cookie cutter length that most doctors go with, because I have a history of nutritional deficiencies. I went with 175cm. I'm really glad I had the DS, I'd do it again every year if I had to just for the fact it put my diabetes and high blood pressure into remission immediately after surgery!! Plus I have more energy than I've had in 2 decades. There is a different forum that has more DS patients on it, you might try posting there. It is www.bariatricfacts.org I'm not sure if anyone there has MS, but they are great with recommendations. There's also a support group for DS patients on FB called "Duodenal Switch SUPPORT Group" and there are a TON of DS patients there, you might try posting and seeing if any have experience with the switch and MS. As for surgeons, I had my surgery done with Dr. Pilati at WakeMed Bariatrics in Cary, NC which is right outside of Raleigh. We have a number of excellent DS surgeons in this area because of our world class healthcare centers. I don't know of any in the DE area but the women at bariatricfacts might, a lot of them are vets of the surgery for 10+ years!

You got this. I was so afraid if I gained a pound they wouldn’t do my surgery, I didn’t gain and everything went well!!! Sending good vibes.

I signed up on here awhile back and waited to post anything until now and hope I can give some of my experience. March 1st of this year I had my gastric sleeve. I went in with a weight of 363 pounds and am 6’1. As of today posting this I am 225 pounds. Definitely was one of the smartest decisions I ever made for myself. Everyone’s journey is different. I was met with immediate energy following my procedure, like waking up everyday and ready to take on the world. And it’s still like that. For whatever reason for me, my eating habits and likes and dislikes immediately changed. I hated fish my whole life and now find myself craving it. Once loved ranch dressing, not it makes my stomach feel yuck. You hit these plateaus where your weight doesn’t change, sometimes for a couple weeks at a time, it’s easy to get discouraged but trust me, stay the course, don’t go back to bad habits and then bam! Next thing you know, you’re dropping a pound or two a day, followed by another plateau. This will happen repeatedly. For me I’ve noticed that walking 4 or 5 miles a day and being as active as possible REALLY makes it come off even quicker and maintaining a diet with no sugar for me has seriously helped. I treat myself to a little bit of carbs daily but mainly all proteins and it has worked great for me. Again, these are just the things that have worked in my journey and no two are the same. I’m fortunate that my job is pretty active so I keep track of my steps climbed and steps to get my exercise minutes in while I work. I also find a reason to be active when I’m not working. I wish everyone luck that is or has had this procedure done. And like I said, it’s the best thing I ever did for ME.

Dr Weiner resources are great as are Dr John Pilcher’s. Bounce back regain is always a possibility in the second & third year. I believe the average is about 10lb/5kgs so that could be a possibility. This regain can be from not being as vigilant, how you were eating wasn’t sustainable (too restrictive) & didn’t allow you to live & enjoy your life as you want, a change in medication, & your body & new weight set point resettling. And yes, muscle weighs more than fat so some of the regain could be from that too. (Maybe have a dexa scan to compared your fat & muscle mass.) Start by making one or two changes to your eating & then in a week or two make another change or two. You can start small. Maybe track your food to begin. Then up your protein & fluids if you’re not meeting your goals. Adjust your portions if they have become larger. Then drop some of your sugar or carbs or swap the highly processed refined carbs for low processed multi or whole grain options. Etc. Small changes are often easier to adopt & adapt to than large all encompassing changes. Doesn't matter how long it takes you to get fully back on track.

I am almost two and a half years post sleeve. At your stage I was eating around 800 calories I think, but if I've learned anything it's that we're all totally different! Well into maintenance, my typical day is: Breakfast: full cream milk latte. I have never eaten breakfast at breakfast time and never will. Mid morning: one or two fried or scrambled eggs, depending on how hungry I am. Generally one. Lunch: a salad with some protein (last night's dinner meat, tinned tuna or deli meat - sometimes cheese). Or more often soup - usually homemade and usually with either chicken or pulses for protein. Or occasionally, if I'm feeling really lazy and can take the sugar hit, 100g tinned baked beans with cheese and hot sauce. Snacks, probably three a day at this point: cheese (and usually a couple of crackers with that); 150mls [approx] full cream milk kefir or a kefir yoghurt; nuts (30g approx); seeds (20g probably); deli meat; fruit (I eat at least one portion of berries or an apple every day). I tend to keep lots of meat snacks in the fridge as they're filling and help me reach my protein goal. Dinner: whatever I've cooked for everyone else but without the carb element, or just a tiny bit. Basically protein and veg - in that order. But that includes fried chicken, bolognese, casseroles, sausages, roast dinners, fish pie (no potato topping) - everything I used to eat before my sleeve. Supper: I do most of my carb intake here. Toast and butter, porridge (oatmeal to you lot) with stewed fruit, crackers with butter (or cheese if I haven't cheesed out by then). Exercise: I do a 1 hour aerobic exercise class 3 days a week. I walk between 2 and 4 miles every day and I jog about a mile once or twice a week instead of walking. I am still amazed by what my new body can do. I probably should do more. This is my diet 90% of the time. I have lots of days when I stray badly off the path and eat chips (crisps) and occasionally chocolate. I also drink wine every weekend, which I accept is totally empty calories with no nutritional value. I just track everything and try to adjust if I can. I've had a couple of regains of a few pounds now (4ish), but so far I've been able to jump on those, ditch the rubbish (carbs mainly), up my exercise and get back to 140 or thereabouts. It's no problem at all - a couple of weeks of being more vigilant about what goes into my mouth and a few runs instead of walks. I really hope I can keep doing that. I may have to accept that my set weight is higher than 140 but I am loving it here!

I don't think that I have had this situation but many people have not mentioned my weight loss at all. Its odd because I have totally changed from a disabled person to one who can do anything my heart desires.

Sleeve in 2017 to revision Gastric Bypass Aug 2023 - Update Hi All! I can't believe how fast time has gone! I will be going to my 6 mth check up tomorrow 2/20/24. Everything is a lot better! As of today I am 173lbs, I'll update my ticker it's still at 183. I am able to eat more varieties that I cook at home. Can't tolerate beef to well but I was never a big red meat person. I am still on the fence with salads/raw vegs though I can tolerate raw onions and tomatoes. I CANNOT eat take out! Purchased chinese for my son as he was going back to college... tried a little and was bringing it back up the rest of the night! If I eat out it has to be at a place that actually cooks food like salmon, veggies, no added anything. Food prepared at home is MUCH beter because you know what's in it. I am not doing too well with my multi because I purchased capsules that I open to put in my protein smoothies (Unjury Vanilla) which I don't take every day anymore. I just purchase the multi-vitamin patch from the bariatric store, I'll update you on that later My food is mostly a diet consistency of pescatarian due to the low cal/high protein and the ease of my system digesting the food. I would occassionally eat chicken as well (ground, poached breast etc), turkey hardly ever because the meat is not as soft as chicken. My veggies are fine steamed, some legumes & beans (occasional), as far as grains or potatoes etc I try to not do carbs at all or keep them at a bare minimum (jasmine or basati brown rice) with an occasional meal...I've really gotten into sweet potatoes as I didn't eat them a lot before. Swelling is gone, skin is good, and I can visually see the difference in pounds and inches loss especially from a side view lol. I still have work to do (vitamins, eat more, move more) and I am working on it. BTW!!!! I am back in the health & wellness field as I start my new position next week. I took a pause last summer. Now as I am on my health journey I'll be helping my patients with weight loss and adopting healthier lifestyles. My goal is to lose 13 more lbs and as you all know after running so long and you can see the finish line in sight....your legs get weary and that last sprint is the hardest. It is good to move from "morbidly obese", to "obese", to now "overweight"...do you guys feel the same? Let me know how you all are doing!

I agree with summerseeker. I was already post-menopausal when I had my surgery so the period changes didn't affect me, but I read on here all the time about screwed up periods and mood swings during the first few weeks or months after surgery. It eventually all settles back down and regulates. But yes - it's supposedly due to the estrogen in your fat cells being released during the rapid weight loss phase. I had very little hair loss (not enough for anyone to notice) which occurred during months 5-9. It does happen to most of us. It can range from none at all to lots of shedding - although not like it does to chemo patients. It may or may not be noticeable to others. I almost never hear about people having to get wigs. At most, those with noticeable loss usually get short cuts so it's not as noticeable. Although again, you may not lose any at all or lose very little. And there's really nothing you can do about it. As mentioned above, it's already dead, and the shock of surgery (plus the fact we take in very few calories the first few weeks and months) is just speeding up the normal growth/shedding cycle. your weight loss is going to naturally slow as you get closer and closer to your goal. In fact, those last few pounds can be a BEAR to get off. For some of us, the loss stops naturally. But if you're wanting yours to stop and it doesn't seem to be doing it on its own, you can always increase your calorie intake to stop it. Keep in mind that it's very common to gain 10-20 lbs after hitting your lowest weight, so you might want to factor that in. I intentionally went below my goal a bit to account for that. And also, it's more common to not quite reach your goal than to lose too much, so stopping the loss usually isn't an issue for many of us. But again - if you're in the situation where you need to stop it, it's just a matter of increasing your calorie intake.

Hi all I had surgery on Aug 28 I went from 197 to now 173 which going down even 1 pound is better than going up. My goal is 160 which means I have 13 lbs to go. I have been sticking with my dietician’s initial recommendation- basically no white carbs. I was a potato head. Now if I want something with potatoes I use sweet potatoes instead. I quit rice and I was never a big bread eater. For the most part I stick with protein first and veggies. I continue to monitor sugar intake - the added sugar in food products- at home I have used Splenda for a couple years now. I don’t really snack I just eat my meals. My issue has been that I’m not hungry. My weight dropped then stalled and it wasn’t until I began to take in more protein that the pounds started coming off again. If you haven’t already I would suggest reaching out to your dietitian to reevaluate your diet and get some helpful new insights. Always be kind to yourself and give yourself grace. Celebrate every oz and inch that comes off.

I suppose this isn't really weird, but since my surgery and losing the weight I started running again. Around 220 lbs I was cleared to run regularly without damage to my joints as long as I did my physical rehab exercises for my knees and quads. I started amping up my running and started my mile at 15 min pace, today I have it down to 9 min pace for a 5k. I am doing my first 5k this weekend and I'm not nervous, scared, or worried I'll be out of place or injured. I've always wanted to participate in a race but couldn't because of my size which also affected my mental health...so I'm very excited about this and feel proud of myself.

so, whats the update? Have you lost any more weight in the last couple of months?

Awww, I'm sorry you have one more hoop to jump through! My advice for dealing with it is to let yourself honor that it sucks, that it is a frustration you don't want to deal with. Be mad about it! And once all the feelings ease, then put it in perspective. You'll lose weight better if you are getting better sleep. You'll have more energy with better sleep. You'll have your CPAP in the hospital with you in case you need it in recovery instead of having to use a hospital machine. And this need for CPAP is one more reason this surgery will be good for you and your body. Using it now is good caretaking and will make it that much sweeter when you can say goodbye to it because you don't need it anymore.

there are mixed feelings about pouch resets. Many say they don't really work, and also, they reinforce "diet mentality". Probably better to either wait it out, or else maybe drop your calories by 100 or so and beef up your activity. Arabesque is correct, those last few pounds are a BEAR to get off. I got to my goal, but it took me 20 months. After the one year mark, my loss slowed down to a crawl - there were months I only lost a pound or two. But I just kept at it. She's also right in that stalls are a part of weight loss. There were so many times during year 2 that I thought "well, this must be it...", and then a couple weeks later I'd drop another pound. Frustrating, yep - but that's the way weight loss works!

So I freaked out a little bit last night. On Tuesday, I met with my Case Manager, was weighted at 5 pounds below goal weight, and set a date for my surgery on Nov. 30. Yesterday, I started the process at work of prepping for my absence. Put my medical leave on everyone's calendars, starting setting meetings with my direct reports so they are set for success while I'm gone, started figuring out how I'm getting to and from the hospital (I live by myself, and while my sister is coming to the hospital with me, she doesn't drive so I have to figure out how to get to the hospital, get her back to my apartment from the hospital, and then get me home from the hospital when I'm done with my stay a day or two later since I can't drive myself). For the first time last night it seemed like it was really happening and I started to get some anxiety for the first time. Until now it's all been academic but last night for the first time it seemed very real. And what do I do when I feel emotions that I'm uncomfortable with. I eat stuff I shouldn't. I didn't go on a full binge, but I definitely did the late night, head hunger, keep looking in the fridge and picking at the leftovers thing. How have folks with experience dealt with the tendency to self sabotage? At this point, the only thing to keep me from having the surgery would be if I show up on the day of over my goal weight. I'm trying to be mindful and stay on target, but I still have a few weeks and don't want to screw myself over.

I had my RNY mid-September and while I'm in a weird headspace where I don't think I'm losing weight 'fast enough' compared with some of the stories I've read here (I know, don't compare, everyone is different; intellectually I get it, it's still something of a challenge sometimes...) I HAVE lost 55lbs. More importantly, the jeans I was wearing pre-op now fit like I'm trying to look like a 20 year old rapper wannbe, hanging half way down my ass if I don't cinch down a belt (which I've had to punch several new holes in and currently wraps around to my side when I use it), and I'm regularly wearing jeans that haven't seen the light of day since I blew up my knees (three months apart, one after the other in 2008)

First, I'm wondering, why are you having the surgery? It doesn't sound like you're unhappy with how you look, you didn't mention if you have any comorbidities like joint pain, decreased mobility, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc, and you don't have stats (bmi) that would cause a lot of concern. Second, I've only seen 2 or 3 people on this entire site that have trouble with losing too much weight. Increase your calorie intake, maybe cut the workouts to half, and that shouldn't be an issue. But it's exceedingly rare. Third, you will likely have some regain. It's just par for the course. Not everyone does, but most people do to an extent. If you stick to the plan and move your body, it should be minimal, but it's unfortunately a reality. Lastly, you will shed hair. A lot of it. Most people do. There are a lucky few that don't, but it's a reality the majority of us can't escape. It happened with my first surgery and with my revision. I used volumizing and thickening shampoos and conditioners, cut my hair shorter (it was down to my butt when I had my surgery and I cut it to just touching my shoulders), and styled it a bit differently. And it was fine. Not one person could tell (except me) and once the shedding stopped, it started to regrow fairly quickly. It didn't come out in clumps, it was basically excessive shedding that I mostly saw when I was washing my hair in the shower. It's not like I was losing hair throughout the day and it was all over my clothes or anything.

Do you have a dietician? If so ask them for more specifics. We all need the amount of information & depth of detail that makes us feel comfortable & confident about we have to do. We have different needs (food preferences like vegetarian or vegan, food sensitivities or allergies, general health, current weight, age, mobility, etc.) which is why I suggest you get the specifics from your dietician for what will best complement your needs. Your surgeon may have requirements too. As some general advice, start tracking your food (lots of tracking apps available like My Fitness Pal). Increase your fluids to 2L/64ozs. Reduce or drop any carbonated drinks. Reduce snacking. Reduce the highly or ultra processed foods in your current diet. Increase your protein & vegetable intake - look at around 4oz protein & a good cup of vegetables for a meal. Modify some of your cooking styles like use an air fryer or bake not pan fry. Swap simple carbs for complex whole or multi grains. Reduce the number of sugary/sweet foods you eat. You don’t have to do all these things at once, unless you have a tight time frame but certainly start introducing a couple of these things each week or two until you get more definite information from your dietician. PS If you don’t have a dietician yet, ask for a referral to one from your team.

I was wondering why Sharon Osborn looked so bad. I thought it was over doing the plastics. I used to work in a dermatology clinic and saw a lot of ppl who over did the fillers/botox and unfortunately, when they lose weight it shows up (fillers). Thanks for this post..now I know.