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Just wanted to say hello. Stumbled upon this fourn as i was looking for a new protien powder. So here is the low down about my journey so far. I Had gastric bypass on 10/15/24. My heaviest weight was 477 lbs that was in April of 24 the day i walked in to the weight loss center. My day of surgery weight was 457 lbs, as I approach my 5 month mark today's weigh in was 346 lbs that's 111 lbs in 5 months and 131 lbs since april...every day i feel better and my mobility improves. This is the best decision I have ever made!

I've lost a significant amount of weight and feel more energetic and confident. The procedure was straightforward, and the recovery time was minimal. I appreciate that it doesn't permanently alter my anatomy, unlike traditional gastric bypass.

I had been part time following the pre ops diet and cutting down on my food sizes a few weeks before I got news of my operation date : may 26, the same date 5 years ago I knew I was going to gain weight because of pregnancy complications. So the first two and the half weeks I just did more pre- ops eating (modifast in 4 different flavors) . They are quite tolerable. I usually had a normal (small sizemeal) in the evening with the kids. Now starting last Sunday, (18 may) I am on a full water fast for 5 days. Meaning my fast ends today at 19:20. I have my modifast oatmeal ready should I really need to eat something at that hour. Tomorrow Saturday I shall be on liquid pre ops meals as prescribed. Sunday will be another day on liquid only in preparation for my operation on Monday. I tell you what this is my body and I am determined to get it back. The operation is not a magic pill. It is just a tool in my toolbox. The way I think about food and how and why and when I ingest it- that to me is the magic. I am focusing very much in discovering my cues and knowing what triggers my eating habits. I am learning to say no all together when I am invited to that snack moment at work to eat what so ever what when I truly know I do not need it. - I am learning to say ’No’ and knowing it will be okay. I take it a minute at a time. We shall get through this and we will not turn back. I want to be able to jump into every photo without cringing I want to feel good and run about with my kids without feeling pain, exhausted and above all guilty. I am doing this for my boys and then for myself. We will be alright guys. We got this.

Does anyone smoke post surgery, preferably wax. It seems to help after I eat if I'm having any discomfort, and I havnt gotten the munchies since surgery thank god. Plus I have more will power to give in to the food, I'm too excited to keep losing weight ! Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

...and lets not forget good ole fashioned therapy. its easy to know what to do, harder to actually do it, and close to impossible (without help and introspection) to know WHY you can't seem to do it when you already know exactly what to do. it may (or may not!) help to completely get all the weight off, but it will at least help to calm your mind and be at relative peace if you don't. good luck!

a lot of plastic surgeons suggest you wait for a year after hitting your lowest weight, because it's very common to have a 10-20 lb rebound. I waited two years, and I'm glad I did since I did gain that much (actually, a little more). They say a gain of more than 10-15 lbs can affect the results.

Welcome. Sorry to hear you're struggling. I want to touch on a couple of things you said since the truth may be different than what you thought? First, I want to hit on this idea of a "pouch reset". There really is no such thing. Your stomach expands and contracts normally, just like a non-surgical stomach. You can't make it appreciably smaller just by eating less for a few days or weeks. Sometimes people feel like this makes a difference because it mentally helps reset what it feels like to be full. (A lot of people overeat after a few years.) If you really want to go down this road, you certainly can, but just understand it's not going to magically reset the size of your stomach. It might help reset your brain a bit, but the effect won't last long if you go back to eating too much at a time. You can get the same effect by just reducing portion sizes. Second, I want to touch on you gaining muscle from going to the gym. There are a few things to unpack here, but let's start with the fact that scales are NOT your friend and I would strongly advise you to not use the scale as the thing you use to gauge your success. Let me give you a hypothetical situation: If I could give you a magic potion that overnight made you look just like a fitness model, but it also made you weigh 300 pounds, would you take it? I don't know what your answer is, but I'd guess that like most people, you probably would in fact drink the potion. I don't have a magic potion, but doing strength training in the gym is kind of the same thing. It just takes a lot more work and time. The point here is that muscle is a lot denser than fat, so you can in theory be even heavier than you are now, but still look a lot thinner because you've changed your body composition to favor more muscle mass. Keep in mind that most people find more muscle mass more attractive (well up to a point anyway). Also, you are NEVER going to actually lose weight from doing strength training. it's not a great way to actually burn calories, so thinking you're going to go to the gym and lose fat just isn't realistic. Cardio at the gym isn't much better, so don't think that's the secret either. It will burn more calories, but the reality is a couple of things happen when you do cardio (or resistance training) at the gym: You'll be hungrier, so you tend to eat more than you would otherwise (this might be why you're snacking more). It will seem subtle and may be almost unnoticeable, but you will move less the rest of the day because your body is trying to recover from the workout. This means you don't actually burn many, if any additional calories. Said differently, your body will do everything it can to keep you right where you're at, so it is literally slowing your metabolism down to make up for the calories you burned exercising. I'm not trying to discourage you from working out. It has a LOT of health benefits, but as a way to actually lose weight, it's not so great. Now once you get to your goal weight, working out at least 5 hours a week can REALLY help you stay at your goal weight, so keep that in mind as well. The final thing I'll add here since this post is already pretty long is that the one sure-fire way to lose fat is to eat fewer calories than you burn in a day. I know that seems fairly obvious, but people think sometimes they're special, or that it doesn't apply to them. I don't know how many calories you're eating right now, and it honestly does not matter. Right now, whether you're eating 1500 calories or 3500 calories, you're eating at maintenance for you. If you want to lose fat, then you've got to eat less. The way to do that is whatever way works for you. There is no secret diet that works for everyone. All diets can work if they have you eat less than you eat now. You've got to find not only what works for you, but what is a sustainable way of eating for the long term. Crash diets almost always fail, so I wouldn't look for something that works in the short term. What you need is something that you can do for the rest of your life. Best of luck.

I’m having surgery May 15th. I did not need to do a preop diet. I just need to stay at the required goal weight. I am 5’5, 219 40 years old. Anyone out there starting out like me? Care to share?

Semaglutide (and other various GLP-1 agonists) effectiveness can be dose dependent. 4 weeks is likely not long enough to see changes especially if you are still at the starting dose. Here’s a link with some decent easy to understand info: https://www.richlandmd.com/cosmetic/semaglutide-dose-for-weight-loss/ Also these meds are used in conjunction with lifestyle modifications. According to a meta analysis reviewing multiple trials “We observed that aside from the administration of semaglutide, reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity were also part of the intervention. Hence, semaglutide alone probably will not be able to achieve an 11.85% weight loss” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9758543/ Take a look at your early post op diet plan and give that a try again. If you didn’t have one, I can share that mine was protein forward (80g minimum) with minimal carbs (under 50 g and mostly complex) and low fat (20g) and almost no calories from drinks unless they are protein shakes. *edited to add: These meds can cause constipation so any weight gain could be due to that You really should consider checking in with the prescribing/administering physician to ask about your progress. Best of luck!

Well, we are all different so take this with a grain of salt, but I was the same BMI prior to my preop diet as you are now so relatively close and I just looked back at my weight log and Iwas losing about 6 pounds per week on average in the beginning, but I also had the SADI which is quite a bit more aggressive than the sleeve or even the bypass so my loss statistically should’ve been more rapid than yours with a sleeve. Frankly, I think that you are doing very well with losing a pound a day and I wouldn’t be too shocked if it does slow down a bit. It definitely will not be a perfect line where you lose the exact same amount every day though. There may be times when you even gain a pound or three and hold it for a few days and then one day you will just drop those 3+ another pound. But if you only log your weight once a week, even if you must get on the scale every day, if you only look at the once a week or even once a month, your trend will be far more consistent. Some people only get on the scale once a week or once a month. I know I couldn’t do that but it really would be better for your mental health if you could hide your scale and just do what you’re supposed to do and trust the process.

Did you get a date yet for your arm lift? My wings, even after seven/eight months of weight work, in the pictures I had to submit to the Dept of Health here.

Aah, stalls. The eternal battle of weight loss. But yes, you can continue to experience stalls of varying lengths until you stop losing. Plus you’re getting close to your goal weight (or your new set point) so your rate of loss can slow right down to what seems like nothing - like measuring loss in ounces not pounds. The last 11kg I lost took about a year so less than a kilo (about a pound) a month on average but in those last months it was almost at a dead stop with fluctuations until it finally settled & didn’t change. Did you carry most of your weight in your abdominal area? If so, this might be why you are still carrying weight there as it is where you had the most to lose. Losing an inch off your thighs will look like you’ve lost more than losing an inch off your tummy because it is a larger area. But it wouldn’t hurt to speak with your doctor about possible build up of lymphatic fluid or lymphedema given your history.

I discourage people from getting hung up on the number on the scale, because the non-scale victories are so much more important. The number on the scale is meaningless compared to things like your health metrics (blood pressure, glucose, lipids, etc.), fitness, and mobility. I am also curious how you can say you are 0.2 pounds from your goal weight because my weight can fluctuate by 5 pounds in a single day, so 0.2 pounds is far more precise than you can realistically measure your weight. Drink half a cup of water and your weight goes up by more than that. Somebody posted a video on this site a while back (maybe someone can repost it if you remember) with a doctor explaining why your "best weight" is not necessarily going to be in the "ideal weight" range based on BMI, especially for bariatric surgery patients -- and in fact, for many bariatric surgery patients, a "normal" BMI may be too low. BMI has limited use in determining a healthy weight for any specific individual. It is kind of a primitive measure of body composition; a much better measure of that would be getting a Dexa scan, which can determine your actual body fat percentage and visceral fat (which is what has the highest impact on health). I never really had a goal weight. I was required to state a goal weight for my psych evaluation, and I think I put 180 pounds based on the average weight loss from my starting weight. I never thought I would get to a "normal" BMI, but I am actually hovering right around a BMI of 25 (I'm maintaining between 135 and 140) with a body fat percentage of 21%. My goal now is to stay within that range because I think that's about the lowest I can realistically go without plastic surgery (nothing against that if it's what you want, but I have no plans to do so) or extreme measures.

Wow! So happy for you! Our journeys have been similar! I started at 244. Was 228 day of surgery I think and I'm 190.6 now. I am more flexible and feel better all over. Hopefully the weight loss continues. I am not sure I want to get down into the 120s or 130s like I'd set before. Probably 140s or 150s will be ok for me. I'm 5'3" but I'm 51 so the smaller I get the more wrinkles I see! No likey! But will see. Congrats on your weight loss. I'm happy for you that you got to do this at your age. Wish I had! Keep going!! You look fantastic!!! 🤗✨️👏

I'm trying to think ahead before surgery. I have fibromyalgia, aka chronic pain and other fun stuff. It's hard to be overly active because it flares the pain and I'm down for awhile. Tips? Tricks? Is anyone else in the same boat? I guess my concern comes down to being active enough to help maintain weight after surgery. Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

I am sorry to hear this and we are here for support. A lot of times weight loss surgery may not affect the relationship, but I will say weight loss surgery does change us in many aspects. We are not the same people that we once were we evolve, we grow and have different outlooks on life. We have mindset shifts. Sadly, sometimes we outgrow people. We have different things that we want that we did not want prior to surgery, so I don't know a lot of factors can go into these relationship that we have with significant others and other people, I find that after the weight loss surgery my whole dynamic of who I want for a partner has changed. Bariatric life is hard and the work that we do is really really hard allow your self time and grace and then realize that you're a bad ass and that you're gonna hold your head up high and continue on. I am sending you light during this transition. ❤️

I think the thing many people get wrong when trying to transition between weight loss and weight maintenance is using an all-or-nothing mentality. By that I mean they expect to be either in "diet" mode, or "maintenance" mode, but that's not really how things work. To me, that would be like sprinting on a treadmill and thinking I can just stop running. Um, no. That would have really unpleasant consequences. You're not going to simply wake up one day and immediately go back to eating "normally". Instead, think of this more like a baby learning to walk. You're going to have some false starts. You're going to fall down a lot. In fact, you're probably going to fail more than you succeed. This is completely normal and is how you learn. Over time, you'll hopefully learn what works for you and what level of caloric intake is right. The point is, there are no "tricks" here. If you feel like you've lost too much, then just try different things to up your calories. Alternately, if you're heavier than you want, try different strategies to lower your calories, since there is no perfect solution for everyone. There's only what works for you. You didn't ask, but there are a couple of points I want to make here as well: There is no perfect number of calories for you to maintain. Let me say that again so you don't forget: there is no perfect number of calories for you! Our bodies are wonderfully adaptive and can maintain a healthy weight across a wide spectrum of calorie intake. It does this by up and down regulating your metabolism in response to intake. There is no ticking clock here whereby you have to lose the weight by a certain date after surgery or you won't lose anymore. It just does not work that way. I don't care if it takes you 9 months or 9 years to get to your ideal weight, you can get there and you can maintain at that weight. Best of luck.

Is a 30% increase of lowest weight normal? I’m pre surgery so I’m trying to gauge where I could be at. This person losing 151 lbs is amazing. Just trying to gauge where I might end up in 8-10 years if I work the plan

💪Huge congrats on your results. Looks like you'll be in the driver's seat and have the options available within your desired timeline I'm ignorant to the intricacies of the skin surgery but do have experience with your other question...in getting below the "obese" BMI labeling. It was a major rush...almost surreal. It was especially noted when I would go shopping for clothes. Being 6'4" and obese my normal stores were simply big & tall stores. Upon hitting closer to the normal height-weight range my options opened up exponentially. Felt pretty damn good to roll outa a dressing room and hand stuff back because it was too large. Too Large...wow. Life was a pile of fun living at that weight. A family health crisis occurred and it completely changed every aspect of life as I knew it. My health was such a distant concern as to have been off the radar for a few years. Getting back on the road towards normal height-weight range has been like riding a bike. All the tools, principles and prior methods are familiar and fairly easy to resume. The hardest part was getting my head wrapped around it. One thing I had to get firmly set in my mind was this: It is not selfish to focus on your own health, it is selfish not to. That is now hardwired in my noggin. . Keep on hitting those home runs. Winning always feels GREAT . 👍

The effects of surgery appear to be more durable than meds. So if you take Zepbound and stop, most people regain most to all of the weight over a relatively short period of time because nothing about your body has changed once the meds are gone. It's like your blood pressure going back up after stopping blood pressure meds. If you get surgery, it's permanently altering your physiology, so it keeps working for you long after the surgery is done. You don't go back to having a larger stomach or your intestines being rerouted in the case of a bypass. Your hunger and capacity do increase, so if you don't make lasting changes, yes, you can overeat and make poor choices over time that can lead to weight regain. It's a tool, not a cure. Some doctors will say that a bypass is more durable and "stronger" than a sleeve in terms of how much weight you can lose and how easy it is to keep off over time. The combination of surgery now plus adding GLP-1s sometime in the future (if you need them) seems to be an approach that more doctors are looking at for longterm maintenance. Of course, this assumes nutrition and exercise guidance is being followed.

hank you both so much — I honestly do know the rules and I really am trying to trust the process. But I just have this lingering question I need to ask — maybe for peace of mind more than anything. If I’m doing everything I can — eating clean, prioritizing protein, tracking, moving my body, staying consistent — will I definitely reach my goal weight eventually? And also… is regain really that easy? I hear people talk about it a lot and it scares me. Is it actually hard to regain weight after bypass if you stay mindful, or is it something that creeps up even if you're doing your best? I know everyone's different, but I'd love to hear some honest thoughts from those who’ve lived through it.

I set my goal weight at 155 lbs to reach a "healthy" BMI of 25, partially because I felt like it would be nice to experience going to the doctor and not having my weight come up as a red flag (although my doctor is really great about things like that), and partially because it was the weight I was when I graduated high school and I was curious to see if I could get back there. My "secret" goal would be to reach 151 lbs, which would mean I lost 100 lbs from my highest weight. I'm currently a week from my 1-year surgiversary and 8 lbs above my goal, so I'm pretty happy.

I put mine as the weight on the day I went to my first surgical consult, which was also my highest recorded weight. With the diet and lifestyle changes I made as part of the program, I lost about 13 lbs in the 6 months between then and the start of my pre-op diet. I lost another 13 lbs in those 2 weeks of liquid diet before surgery. But I want credit for all the weight I lost! Interestingly, Dr. Weiner recently said on a podcast that the weight lost on a pre-op diet definitely is credited to the surgery in his opinion. The reasoning was that if you go on a liquid diet, lose 13 lbs, and then try to keep that weight off without having surgery just by eating right, you are going to regain most or all of it in a matter of weeks. The fact that we lose that weight and then keep losing more weight instead of gaining is thanks to the metabolic changes of the surgery. He also told me in a live Q&A support group a while back to use my weight from before the pre-op diet as my starting weight if I wanted to plug it into a prediction calculator. I raised the concern of being a bit behind the prediction based on one of those calculators and he asked me what my weight was before the liquid diet. When we used that number instead of my surgery day weight, it tracked much better (and is still looking very accurate at 9 months out). He said if I had always been 225 lbs (my day of surgery weight) that would be one thing, but in reality, my "true" weight was somewhere between 238 and 251 in terms of what my metabolism was trying to overcome with the surgery. I feel like that's one of those big questions a lot of us have in the beginning and nobody really gives an answer on the calculator sites.

Hey! Stalls are really common, and I think around this point in the post-op journey it does seem to hit! My weight loss has stopped at the moment, but my surgeon did say to me that a stall is only really considered a stall when you have been stuck at the same weight for around 6-8 weeks! just keep doing what you are supposed to be doing, eating well, keeping hydrated and getting some form of exercise in and hopefully it'll break soon ❤️

I would be confused too. How a dietician could say that anything over 800 calories will make you gain weight is just ridiculous. Here in the UK it is guided at 2000 calories a day for an active woman and 500 calories more for a active male per day. For information - To maintain my weight I need to eat around 1600 calories a day. Anything less and I drop weight. I don't exercise, just walk and apart from one day a week where I volunteer, I am retired. I still have a fair restriction on my sleeve. So my advice to you would be go back to the dietician, check the facts, ask for a diet sheet and if they want you on 800 calories it must be so you can drop quickly. It does not sound sustainable if you are active. I could do this diet for a short time because I cook from scratch, log everything religiously and can cook and plan ahead. So this is what my 800 calories would look like - Breakfast, 2 eggs scrambled in 1 calorie spray oil [ PAM ] and 200mls of full skim milk for my coffee Lunch, 2 cups of Vegetable soup made without starchy vegetables, so no potatoes Evening meal, 1 x 6 ounce chicken breast, side salad with calorie free dressing and a 7 ounce jacket potato I hope this helps