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Currently at the end of Day 4 pre-op liquid diet. First 3 days were hell but today was more manageable. It seems to be getting easier for me. Today we celebrated my daughter’s Birthday & I packed myself a shake & some SF Applesauce to take with me so I wouldn’t eat anything at the restaurant or Arcade. I’m definitely loving all the weight I’m losing before surgery lol. Are you getting more excited everyday that passes by? I know I am!

Hi there!!! I have been summoned, I see lol Ok, so a little about what I've been through, and then I'll give any advice I can. I had the sleeve in May 2022. Initially, I was doing awesome. Lost a lot of weight, got off several meds, health issues corrected, it was awesome. Right up until it wasn't. Around 6 months post op, I started noticing some reflux issues (which I had never had before). It steadily got worse and I had to have a barium swallow (NASTY!!!) to see what was happening. I had severe GERD, gastritis, and esophagitis. I also had a narrowing esophagus. So I was put on Nexium (40mg once per day). The GERD steadily got worse and worse until I was put on 80mg of Nexium daily as well as Pepcid for break through (which I took daily). It still didn't completely help. I was on such a high amount of PPI for such a long time that I ended up developing an OBSCENE amount of polyps all through my stomach and duodenum. This year, I had 7 surgeries to remove all of the polyps, stretch my esophagus, and have a revision to a bypass. I also had to have the part of the stomach that's bypassed removed because that's where so many of the polyps were forming. When I had the sleeve, I had so much pain, trouble tolerating anything cold, trouble taking pills, trouble getting in enough water. It was completely miserable. With my revision to bypass, it was like the heavens opened up and the angels started singing to me. No pain meds at all beyond Tylenol. Up and around within 4 days. Was able to take pills from day 1. No GERD at all. No constipation like with the sleeve. Able to get my fluids in from day 1 (drank a 20 oz of water in the hospital within 2 hours of getting back to my room from recovery), no issues with temps of liquids. My only regret is that I didn't just get the bypass to begin with. Because of all the surgeries, my abdominal wall weakened and I developed a ventral hernia that was repaired 3 weeks ago. Still recovering from that one. I was freaked out at first at the thought of getting a bypass. It's why I opted for the sleeve to begin with. I was afraid of dumping, I was afraid of malabsorption, I was afraid of getting a stricture. Well, I only dump if I have too many carbs, so I just avoid them for the most part (I never even get to my allotted amount, I'm always way under). I haven't had any stricture, but if I do, it's a super easy fix (and after everything I've already been through, I'm not even a tiny bit worried). And malabsorption is only an issue with extended release meds (I don't take those now) and vitamins (take bariatric ones or double up on the regular ones). There was nothing to be worried about, but I let the chatter from those that weren't in my position freak me out and cause me to choose the sleeve instead of the bypass. My advice to you is to not listen to anyone else. You and your doctor know what's best for you. The revision will give you your life back. Being pain and complication free is worth its weight in...well...everything. When you look at everything you've been through up until this point, the recovery from the revision will be a walk in the park. It's better for your health (physically and mentally) and it will allow you to get back to your life. This surgery is supposed to afford us the chance to have the life and health we've always been meant to, and complications can really do a number on us. The revision will be a godsend to you, mark my words. I don't have a single regret.

Super interesting thank you! My only co-morbidity was reflux. Interesting that the sleeve would be expected to cure that for 54% of people like me and bypass 63%. I had thought the differences in risks were much greater. I plumped for the sleeve because I knew that in the past when I lost a lot of weight my reflux settled and I thought I was gambling on it settling again. It did, but the gamble and the odds I based it on weren't right.

Stalls are common & a necessary part of your weight loss. It’s when your body stops & assess the changes you’ve made & resets things like digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. based on your changes & new needs. Think of it as your body taking a breath to understand the stress you’ve been putting it through. Once it understands what you now need, your weight loss will start again. Stick to your plan, don’t stress your body more. Your stall will break when your body is ready. They usually last between 1-3 weeks but it can be longer. Can be difficult to compare what others are doing or achieving at a certain point in time. I was barely eating 900 calories at 6 months. Barely touched a carb except what was in vegetables & fruit & barely any sugar (still average less than 10g added sugar a day often only 5g). Most are eating way more than that. With your calorie intake you will still lose weight but I agree, your dietician is your best help.

I am surprised at the BMI of 39, most insurance will cover it with a BMI of 35 and two comorbidities after that it seems like once a person hits 40 BMI you only need one, and sometimes no comorbidities, and a BMI of 50 or more will usually get covered on BMI alone. None of this exempts you from any other insurance requirements though. If you are self-pay you should not have to worry about this at all only what the clinic wants you to do. As for heavier clothing, putting rocks in your pockets, and filling up on fluid before a first-time weigh-in, I did not do it, BUT I know others have. It could be a good idea if your insurance is going to require you to lose a percentage of your body weight before surgery approval. At that point, you'll be wearing the lightest breeziest outfit you have with no shoes.

I have my first consultation next Tuesday, and if my surgeon's office holds to the same rules as when I went in five years ago, they require you to lose 10% of your body weight prior to surgery. I'm really frustrated by this because I feel like I'm doing the surgery because I CAN'T lose weight by diet and exercise. If I could, why would I do it? How did you pull it off for those of you who had this requirement? I have to admit, it feels fairly impossible right now.

For me it was twofold. The change that made the biggest difference was increasing my electrolyte intake. Lucozade/Gatorade and the like can help with the dehydration and electrolyte imbalance some, but look for other electrolyte supplements. In the US, there's a brand of drink powder called Liquid IV that has helped me. More of the needed minerals and less of the artificial sugars and flavoring, and there may be something similar where you are (I noticed UK beside your user name). That being said, make sure that whatever fluids you are taking aren't diuretics that will cause dehydration. Coffee, tea, and drinks with caffeine can cause your body to flush more fluids out, and take electrolytes with it! If you do have to have a drink like that, be sure to balance it out with 2x the volume in water throughout the day. Like if you have 250ml of tea, try to aim for an additional 500ml more in water afterwards. The other change for me, while not as dramatic in reducing the dizziness, was that I was on medicine for high blood pressure. I met with my physician and he reduced my dose in half, and that seemed to eliminate the light headed feeling I had when bending down to tie my shoes. Other medications can cause this when its dosed in higher quantities than what your body needs, so as you lose weight, these may need to be adjusted. Good luck and hopefully you can get this resolved soon!

I’m finally here Monday oct 30th at 6:30am getting a little bit nervous now I kicked this pre op diet butt have not been hungry the last couple of days even got a little energy but the weight stopped not losing anymore on the pre op just waiting on Monday to get here

I lost all of my excess weight (over 200 lbs), but it did take close to two years to do it. Weight loss slows down the further out you go, but if you continue to work hard, you can always lose more weight.

I’m finally here Monday oct 30th at 6:30am getting a little bit nervous now I kicked this pre op diet butt have not been hungry the last couple of days even got a little energy but the weight stopped not losing anymore on the pre op just waiting on Monday to get here

That is such a worthy cause for weight loss, I wish you nothing but success!! I haven't had surgery yet so I can't comment on when losing stops. But I do know you need to be careful not to cut your calories too low after surgery. It will trash that newly reset metabolism and make weight loss even harder. I know it is counter intuitive but you have to fight that instinct to go so low. I'd advise a good heart to heart talk with your surgeon and dietitian. There are options to boost your weight loss if it stops (like meds), but if you keep your calories too low your body is going to start thinking it is starving for real and hold on to every pound to protect you. 💚

Yup, the 3 week stall is real. It varies as to when it strikes you but it seems to get everyone. It is the body recalibrating after surgery to the reduced calories and weight loss. It'll break, sometimes it takes a few weeks to do so, but it will break! Make sure you are all tracking your measurements, often people lose inches but not lbs...

Hello. I had my RNY on Oct 9th. I have recently graduated to soft foods, yay!! So far, I haven’t really noticed many changes to my taste perceptions. Some things taste mildly different but I still hate and enjoy the same foods as I did pre-op. My cravings for sugar have vanished however. Unfortunately , I’m still stuck in the 3 week weight stall for 12 days now. But overall, I do feel great and sleeping soundly through the night most nights. Waking up feeling rested and refreshed most every morning. That’s the biggest changes I’ve noticed.

I called again this morning and the person who answered let slip that the entire weight management center at the hospital is closing. So, I am not the only person impacted by far. He said that a manager is supposed to call everyone to explain, but still nothing has happened. Maybe tomorrow? As for what happens next, I'm not sure. The hospital was recently acquired by another big Boston hospital, which has a bariatric department of its own. I assume they are trying to integrate all of the departments across the system to eliminate redundancies, but their communication so far has been appalling. Why they wouldn't have planned for this by shutting down the pipeline of patients months ago so that all surgeries were completed before the closure is a mystery. I attended my full day immersion class in August and completed all my requirements on October 6. At that point, they were booking 10+ weeks out and there was no indication anything was changing. This isn't an independent bariatric practice where I could see there being management or money issues, but a center that is part of a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. I find it shocking to say the least. I've spent most of the day wishing whichever faceless bureaucratic suit responsible for this trips and falls into a fiery pit. Clearly emotional intelligence was not a job requirement.

March 7th... I'm down 63 and the team would like me to be at a loss of 75-85 at a year, so I hope I can make it. I'm at my lowest adult weight, which is great, but I can eat a wide variety of food, and being home all day makes it tough to not oversnack. But feeling pretty good and thankful most days!

Thank you so much for your response ChunkCat. Truly you make me feel so much better anytime I read your responses. I truly am sorry that happened to you too, I'm so glad someone stood up for you. I should of said something, but my anxiety kicked in and so I kept quiet and tried not to bother the nurses. I guess the surgeon felt I was already open so better something than nothing haha. Least that's what I feel happened when they saw my liver. I'm not mad at them just emotional. The surgeon visited me the next day and expressed he was sorry that he couldn't do the bypass. He also said he was very happy with the results and that he feels I will have just as much success if not more as the bypass. He also said that once I lose weight my liver should shrink more so we could discuss bypass down the road if I still feel strongly about it. I been on a waitlist for months to see a psychologist actually. This is because I have a lot if underlying trauma, C-PTSD, severe Anxiety, major depression disorder, etc. They also believe I could have more mental health illnesses, so they want to investigate so they can help me more. I think searching for a therapist also would be wise, but I struggle with opening up to people. I am very guarded. I also don't remember chunks if my past because I believe my mind blocked some out as a defense mechanism. I know there is bad stuff there but I don't remember it all if that makes sense? Sorry if I'm being a downer. 🖤 Also thanks for the suggestion of trying protein water!! I heard about those but I was nervous that they may affect my IBS too, but knowing you battle IBS too makes me feel more comfortable giving them a go. My IBS is so painful when it happens. It almost seems more frequent and even more painful now. I hope as my body heals and adjusts that this will not be as much of an issue. Thanks again for your input. Truly appreciate you.

I agree with the others. Plus this is the time to really work on healthier eating habits. That's not to say you can never have those things again (because you can, at least occasionally), but really use these first few months when you're not as burdened by hunger to "upgrade" your eating habits. It'll pay off big in the end - plus healthy food choices are good for so many things, not just weight loss.

I am lucky I have Kaiser, so its already approved when I got the referral so yay!! Was the cardiologist a requirement for your insurance? He didn't mention that to me, but my appt was literally okay you did the orientation, the nutrition class, now lost 15lbs get that official weigh in then call us and we will get the next step going....I am very anxious and I am self sabotaging myself! I was 5lbs away 2 weeks ago then gained 5lbs because I let myself just not care now back to 5 more lbs. This is so hard!

I hate to cook too and still struggle to get as much water in as they want. I do get the minimum 48oz/day but don't always make the 64oz they want. I was so glad to stop eating cottage cheese and yogurt! I scoured the grocery isles for food that looked good and was easy to make (Or better, didn't require making). I have to admit I got a little bit of attitude about my diet when I was ALMOST, but not quite, meeting their calorie and water goals, telling them that I was struggling, and they scolded me and raised my goals. I have a spreadsheet that calculates calories and protein from every food I get with a nutrition label and buy low fat, low sugar foods so the calorie and protein count meets my goal. I got a frown from my nutritionist when I told her I eat ham every day, but I gave her a "look" and told her my calorie and protein goals were being met and she refrained from scolding me. I buy Kentucky Legend Bonless Quarter Sliced Ham because it doesn't have lunchmeat texture and I can just weigh out my portion and eat it cold. I got another frown when I told them I eat beef jerky, but reminded them that 100g of protein is hard to do, jerkey is low calorie and high protein, and I chew it VERY well and spit out gristle. If they have to cut a ball of gristle out of my stomach, then I'll stop eating beef. I switched nuts for peanut butter toast when I started getting hungrier. I eat a lowfat sharp cheddar with crackers. Quaker makes a protein Banana Nut Instant Oatmeal. I also eat 1/2 Atkins Chicken Margherita or Healthy Choice Simply Steamers Grilled Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo (1/2 is less than my 6 oz, but it's easier to just take half and eat the other half the next day and the math is easier too). Those 2 were the best my WalMart carries for frozen food Calorie/Protein ratio that I also liked. For an added vegetable I eat 2oz canned french style green beans with 1/2 oz Velveta low fat cheese heated in the microwave. Tyson makes a fajita chicken that microwaves well if you put a dollop of water on the plate. Turkey bacon doesn't really satisfy my bacon cravings, but turkey sausage is really good. If I'm craving sweets I'll eat a Quaker Caramel Rice Cake or a few dark chocolate chips. Luckily I crave salt, not sweets, and the salt cravings have almost gone away. If I'm going to be away from home for a few hours I pack an insulated lunch bag with a serving of ham, cheese and crackers, and jerkey to take with me. If I'm going to be gone for a day or longer I pack my food in bags and a cooler. I got married a little more than 3 months after my surgery and ate what I wanted at my wedding and during the honeymoon, I just kept the servings really small and took protein with me to make sure I still got enough protein and because I needed to eat more than 3 times a day. After that, I allowed myself one meal out each week, eating my 6oz and taking the rest home. Hubby ate most of the leftovers. After I reworked my diet to include tastier, real food, I switched my protein powder to a Collagen with the added missing amino acid. It mixes best with warm or hot liquids and was approved by my nutritionist. I still use 2 scoops a day, 1 with my protein oatmeal and 1 with my sugar free hot apple cider. I met my goal weight at 7 months, just in time for a Halloween party, and I allow myself a small cheat almost every day (my nutritionist told me to add 100-200 cal per day to stop losing weight and i decided to add a tasty snack rather than rework my diet). I watch my weight to make sure I'm not overdoing it. If I eat out, that's my cheat and it replaces a meal. I order what I want and ask for a container BEFORE the food is served so I can pack away all but 6oz before I start to eat. Some cheats aren't really cheats. I've added in apples, pineapple, strawberries and mango. Breyers Carb Smart Fudge Bars have 50 calories, 3g fat, 2g sugar (0 added), and 1g protein. It's only a cheat because of the low protein/cal ratio. Pure Protein bars could be a meal substitute instead of a cheat and have 180-200 cal, 3-4.5g fat, 2-3g sugar, and 19g protein. I like the Chocolate Salted Caramel that's a little chewy and the Chocolate Mint cookie, which has more of a grainy (cookie) texture but tastes really good. At a party, I may eat a bag of chips (~150cal), or I may give in and eat a single Reese's cup (105 cal). OK, maybe a bag of chips AND a single Reese's cup, I'm weak. Dot's Seasoned Pretzels have 130cal per oz. An entire bag of buttered flavored popcorn has 150cal (DO NOT LICK THE BAG). It's nice to eat something tasty and not worry about if it has enough protein. I just had my 9 month bloodwork done, it's all fine.

BTW this is what BSBCNC said to me. They just seem like they auto deny and don't even check records as we have been so compliant and have plenty of evidence. It sucks because I don't even live in NC - I only have this because I work remoltely for a company in NC and live in CA.. We are gearing up for the peer 2 peer now but here is what was said: Revision of a primary bariatric surgery to a gastric bypass is covered when you meet one of the following scenarios: (1) You have regained weight after your original surgery. In this case, you must continue to meet basic criteria for weight loss surgery, including nutritional and psychological assessments, and you must have documentation of compliance visits (including compliance with nutrition and exercise recommendations) after your previous weight loss surgery (2) You have severe reflux disease that has not been responsive to optimal medical management (maximum medication therapy, diet alteration with the assistance with a nutritionist, and change in activity and positioning). Failure of medical management must be documented, and studies to support persistent untreatable reflux must be submitted. Review of your provided records reveals that you have regained weight after your previous surgery; however, we have not been provided with compliance records from your prior post-surgical visits. Additionally, it does not appear you have undergone optimal medical management for your reflux or that studies show severe signs of reflux.

I unfortunately fall in the "small percentage" Arabeque mentioned like you most likely could be. I, since surgery still feel hungry and no, its not head hunger. I, like you probably do find it annoying to have gone through all this only to be fighting the hunger yet again. I do know they say it can take up to 6 months for the nerves that register "full" to repair as they've been severed during surgery and I still don't feel full (its been 3 months). I just stick to what I'm told I should be eating and figure the battle continues. Lets hope your hunger levels out or its just the "head hunger" everyone says it could be. Just stick to the plan, drink water when you feel hungry and as others have said distract yourself. I know its probably not what you wanted to read/hear but its the hand dealt - learn ways to handle it. In my case, I want the weight gone and to be healthier more than I want to eat - so I ignore the hunger. Good luck - baby steps to thinner and healthy.

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 had my VS in 2012, lost 150 lbs and maintained that loss almost effortlessly for 8 years, then Covid hit and in a matter of 3 months I gained 80 lbs back WITHOUT CHANGING MY EATING HABITS!!! I feel like I’ve been robbed. By no fault of my own, the weight came back and stayed. I still can only consume 4 or 5 bites to eat and I’m full. I just don’t understand why this happened and if I do a revision to a DS will that help?

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

My moment just happened. I have a recurrent abdominal hernia. The general surgeon I met with initially really pounded it in my head that my weight was causing this problem. He ended up referring me to a bariatric specialist surgeon who I see on the 16th after a CT scan of my hernia tonight. That visit will determine how they are going to treat me - surgery to repair the hernia and mesh first or push for WLS. I've been researching like crazy and I'm starting to dream of a life where I'm not diabetic, I don't have sleep apnea and I can go to the thrift store and buy clothes again.