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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.

Typically the growling noise is just fluids moving through the small intestine, and not an actual hunger cue, just as@Arabesque said. You will still feel hungry early on post-op because your body is used to a lot more calories than you're able to give it for now, but that encourages more fat burning. Your body will adjust to its new normal in several weeks though. It will calm down some, but it may be more noisy going forward because you have that direct funnel to the small intestine where fluids like to make noise.

They’re Creons & are a pancreatic enzyme. I take them for my protein malabsorption which began after my gall removal. I take one 25 000mg capsule 3 times a day. Started on a lower dose but it wasn’t enough. They were prescribed by the doctor who does the follow-ups for my surgeon.

I had mine removed 2 years & 1 month after my sleeve. Could have been because of the weight loss, menopause, my high bilirubin levels or simply my past eating. Had a stone about 1cm diameter but it certainly made itself known. That pain is the worst! Never changed what I was eating after surgery. Was eating the same the day after it was removed. Some people struggle with fatty foods in the long term after (my aunt describes it as feeling liverish 🤷🏻‍♀️.) but of course I don’t eat a lot of fat so wouldn’t know if it sets it off. My sister-in-law doesn’t have any difficulties with foods post her gall removal. Probably a case of just how your body reacts. Only thing to watch for the first month or so (again depends upon you) is you may have more stomach acid & have issues with that. Your gall regulated the acid entering your tummy & without it you may have a more constant stream until things settle again. Eat small meals more regularly & try a PPI for a little while to reduce the acid. The excess acid can cause diarrhoea & some discomfort in an empty tummy. I had regular bouts of diarrhoea & I remember my surgeon saying to comeback if it persisted for more than a month. It didn’t but every few weeks I’ll get bout of it. Don’t really get cramps or any of the other usual diarrhoea warning signals just a bit of a grumbling & need to go.My sister-in-law is the same.

I’m year 3 years post op Bypass and I gained 15 pounds It’s been difficult to accept, but it’s common. I can eat more, my appetite has come back and I had to do a liquid reset (protein) to turn the head hunger off. It works for me to do a liquid reset, weight loss pills (phentremine) did not work. I’m also strength training high impact Krav Maga 4 hours weekly. Not giving up, just accepting this part of the journey and resetting to continue reaching my goals. I’d like 10 lbs back off :)

I’m year 3 years post op Bypass and I gained 15 pounds It’s been difficult to accept, but it’s common. I can eat more, my appetite has come back and I had to do a liquid reset (protein) to turn the head hunger off. It works for me to do a liquid reset, weight loss pills (phentremine) did not work. I’m also strength training high impact Krav Maga 4 hours weekly. Not giving up, just accepting this part of the journey and resetting to continue reaching my goals. I’d like 10 lbs back off :)

I am a stubborn b**ch so I used that strength to get me through on the days I knew what was going on but a lot of the time I had no idea how sick I was. It was only afterwards I found out how bad I was and how worried all my family and friends were. I didn't mention it above but I also had a blood infection and then an allergic reaction to one of the medications - basically anything that could go wrong/happen did. They couldn't do the feeding tube via my arms as my arms got infected and the veins collapsed, I think I had 8 different IVs in my ams over the months, they just kept switching from left to right until all veins had collapsed. I ended up having to have blood draws from my foot at one point and had my IV in my neck. I actually thought I was going to be physically ill when the first told me they had to put the IV in my neck and had to be given a xanex to calm down and go to the the procedure room but it was actually ok then afterwards and so much easier than my arms. I know what you mean about the health anxiety side of things, I was worried about everything when I came home finally, it was a shock to my system to suddenly be without the constant checks from nurses and doctors and not know if a little twinge or cough etc was a bad sign or just normal. I had to take my blood pressure during the day and do temperature checks to make sure I was at a normal range. I was also afraid to go for a walk of a few minutes in case I then didn't have the strength to get back home so I just walked the bus route on my road as figured if I could walk to the end of the road and get stuck I would just get the bus back. Now I can do 1.5km or so around the block at a steady pace. I am not sure where you are in the food reintroduction phase but once you are able to eat more protein it should also help with the energy levels but I do think rest is key. Once I got into a decent sleeping pattern again, took a few months at home after the nurses rounds at 11pm 4am 7am etc., I really saw the improvements in my energy. That is great that you got the appointment for next week. Just keep asking them to check everything and be honest with them about your fears so they can discuss with you. Just give it time and let your body recover, it has been through a shock to the system with the weight loss and then the infection on top. I figure my horror show can only help others to not feel as bad if they are struggling a bit. It has taken me a long time to start to feel better and more positive but I think I have turned a corner in the last couple of weeks.

I have yet to get a date. I was trying for the Duodenal switch. Insurance denied, it was expected since that was the only bariatric surgery they don't cover, but it was worth a try. Resubmitted for Rouen-Y gastric bypass. Should hear back in a week or so. Hopefully I can get a surgery date in February.

If I remember correctly (it was 2017) the clinician told me immediately he would approve me and the official results were in my file within a week (this was before the hospital system I used implemented MyChart)

I had my surgery in the Uk. My package came with 2 years support. They told me to get a B12 injection every 3 months at my local doctors. I get dobbing big Calci- D tablets on prescription and take one a day. I also get full strength multivitamin Gummies from Amazon, my team said to take two a day. Every team has different recommendations. Once a year I have nutritional blood tests to see if my levels are ok, they have been. Like @Arabesque, I did not bother with any supplements for my skin or hair. At my age It just would have been a waste of money.

I've yet to get a surgery date. But, I was told I will be on a 2 week liquid diet pre op, to shrink the liver so it's safer to work around. Every Surgeon has their own thing. I've heard a wide range from 2 days to 2 weeks. I don't think they would be mad if you started a couple days early. Going off of what I was being told from the bariatric center I'm going to, the longer the better. As I said, every surgeon has their own plan.

Babyspoons, do you get the cryotherapy on just your body or do they do your neck too? A very rude esthetician pointed out my turkey neck this week while I was roaming through the mall. I'm pretty self conscious about it because it is a hereditary thing in my family (along with jowls). I don't want to do a facelift in my early 40s so I am searching around to see what treatments might be available for me to do as I lose weight so I don't end up with quite as much loose skin there...

Thank you for this detailed accounting!! I hope you continue it as you heal so we can follow along. Glad it all went safely!! The recovery houses sound really great in concept for the first week after surgery. I think they have them in areas with a lot of plastic surgery, like in Miami too. It feels like a gentler transition than just sending you home or to a hotel with no care. Though I have heard the food is an adventure!! I wish you much ease with your continued healing...

Yeah, I would just keep an eye on portion size to avoid overdoing it early on. I have a couple of favorite cookbooks out of all of the ones that I've bought (because I always overdo everything). They are: The Bariatric Diet Guide and Cookbook by Dr. Matthew Weiner (a bariatric surgeon), and Bariatric Meal Prep Made Easy by Kristin Willard (a registered dietician who specializes in bariatric nutrition). I would 100% recommend both of them and you can get them on Amazon. I like Dr. Weiner's book because he gives you what serving size to expect at different stages post-op. For instance, there's a chickpea curry with riced cauliflower. If you're at 1-3 months post op, your suggested serving is 2 tbsp curry and 2 tbsp cauli (which is 1/4 cup total). If you are 3 months to 2 years, it's 1/4 cup of each. If you are 2 years or more, it's 1 cup curry and 1/2 cup cauli. What I like is that it normalizes the reality that you start with really small portions and naturally eat more over time. I see so many people getting so nervous because they are hungrier at 1 year than they were at 1 month, and it's like yes, that's what is supposed to happen! I wish this book had the nutrition facts spelled out for all three portion sizes, not just the largest, because my math sucks with fraction. And I wish it had more photos, although the ones it does have are very nice and the overall quality of the book is high. What I like about Kristin Willard's book is it gives you 6 full-week meal plans and is meant for doing prep ahead, grab-and- go types of meals that you portion out in advance. Also, it is gorgeously illustrated with full-color photos for every single recipe. There is one weekly menu for purees, one for soft foods, and 4 for normal diet. They even include a shopping list for each weekly plan. In my opinion, (comparing to my surgeon's plan and what I see in Dr. Weiner's book) the suggested portion sizes are geared toward a patient who is 1-2 years post-op, so bear that in mind. You would probably get twice as many servings out of each recipe in the first year, and up to 4x the servings in the first few months. And of course both books are likely to have specific foods at a stage that your own program disagrees with, so you have to adjust accordingly. I'm also going to give an honorable mention to The Easy 5-ingredient Bariatric Cookbook by Megan Wolf, a registered dietician and bariatric specialist. The book loses marks for the lack of photos but gains marks for its stage specific portion size suggestions and for all the recipes being really easy to pull-off without buying out your entire supermarket for ingredients. The author is based in Manhattan, and these are definitely recipes you could accomplish with a tiny NYC kitchen and limited cooking skills. Honestly, if I had a friend going through WLS, I would probably give all three of these as a gift, along with a set of small (4 oz and 8-12oz) freezer safe food storage containers. Hope that helps!

If I remember correctly (it was 2017) the clinician told me immediately he would approve me and the official results were in my file within a week (this was before the hospital system I used implemented MyChart)

The snugger pants could be from working out. I have 3 pairs of pants which had slim/narrow legs which now are tight around the thighs simply from building muscle. I started focussing on my legs (use resistance bands at home) about 8 months ago. Didn’t notice it in Winter as my pants have stretch in them but my summer pants don’t. Had to buy new pairs. Haven’t gained (actually lost about a kg) so same size but wider legs. Bit torn by it. Muscle yay! But bigger thighs & tight pants boo!

Just got a call from the pre op nurse. Boy is this getting real!! I’m sure your instructions will be different so Idk if any of this is helpful fo anyone else but I typed it out for myself anyways and figured I may as well copy it here in case there is something someone hadn’t thought of yet. Please let me know if I am missing anything as well. Two Days Before (Monday) Switch to the liquid diet this morning. I also think I’m going to go ahead and pack that evening because there is enough to remember the night before. I have duplicates of all my toiletries and stuff I plan to pack so why not.(move my one rx so I don’t forget and take it in the morning) The Day before surgery: (Tuesday) Skip that one medication I moved starting this morning, switch from full to clear liquid this evening, remove rings, change sheets, take my shower with the special soap, take the nausea pill at bedtime and of course nothing at all after midnight. Surgery Day: (Wednesday) Wake up at 3:30am and take my allowed meds with 12oz of regular sugar Gatorade- finishing everything before 4:30, take my second shower with the special soap, toss towels in wash so they are clean post op, brush teeth and get dressed (which should be pretty fast considering I can’t put anything on my body or hair at all except clothes-no jewelry, makeup, lotions, deoderant, perfume-Nothing. (She said they don’t care if we stink. lol), Then head to the hospital at 5:15. *I have to remember not to pee after that Gatorade because they need a urine pregnancy test shortly after I arrive at 5:30. Turn off phone and give to hubby just before Surgery which is scheduled for 7:30am🤞 I asked about my meds. They say to leave everything valuable at home (except ID and insurance card) including wedding rings and medications but for the sleeve I was on some pretty new meds that they didn’t have in their pharmacy so my husband had to run home to get those. She said that very rarely happens but I could have them handy at home for him (in the original bottles) just in case. So, just a heads up if your driver can’t ever find anything like mine and you are on something less common it couldn’t hurt to leave them in plain view 🤣 I also plan to have a couple of things ready on the table that I will just ask my husband to bring me if it looks like I will end up staying a second night like my crochet bag, a book and some drink mixes (if they don’t have the ones I like). Things I can live without for one night but may want if I’m staying longer. I know at my bospital that they don’t give you a room until you are done with surgery and recovery so your bag has to go into a locker or something and they have to inventory all the stuff so they were very appreciative that I packed light for my sleeve.

I’ve been eating a lot of eggs lately. The pancakes I ate half a stack (kid and I split them to try) and didn’t eat the other half and sent home with the kid. 😂 Also, these fryums from the Indian grocery are a new addiction by air frying at 400 for 3 minutes.

Actually most people lose closer to 25% - 30% of their weight in the first 3 months. You may not see half the weight gone until closer to 6 months. And the last chunk can take another 6 months or longer to come off, depending on your surgery, your activity level, your starting weight, your goal weight, etc... To put this in perspective for you, I started at 320 but my surgery weight was 306. My goal is 180-170 lbs. I've lost 28 lbs since surgery and 42 lbs since my highest weight. I'm 2 months post op. I've been losing the same 2-4 lbs for the past month. I'm losing slower than a lot of other people, but I am still on track. I've lost at least 25% of my weight and I still have a month to go before the 3 month mark. So I am trying to just be consistent with my protein, consistent with hydration, consistent with activity and consistent with sleep. These 4 things are the most impactful things for weight loss. Percentages matter more than the numbers themselves. And I finally measured myself and have lost 26 inches since surgery!! Big progress. even if others are going faster than me.

I started my Ambien back a week after my gastric sleeve. And for that week every night when I would go to sleep, I would get up and sleepwalk up and down the stairs. Draw on the walls and the mirrors with red lipstick and I seen a little bitty, midget, looking trolls in the house.my doctor took me off of it quick. He said yeah it can have those kind of side effects so I guess it affects everyone different.

My Pureed stage is actually 2 weeks. It is so hard. But I’m going to keep the course.

I love this topic, I'm recently thinking about how I will want to dress when I hit my stable weight. I've reinvented myself many times over the years and now I'm going to again. Right now I'm only wearing sweatpants and pajamas since it's so cold but come summer there will be lots of dresses. I'm 7 weeks post op and already my swimsuits are baggy and I'm hesitant to get new ones, I don't know what size I'll need now, and I don't think it will fit for very long, but maybe worth it anyways then donate it. I did splurge on a pair of jeans that I love but they're starting to sag on me. This is going to be fun and a bit scary I think.

So how much protein does everyone else eat in order to keep muscle? I expect none of you count calories but you probably pay attention to your protein intake so give me some numbers please... I'm just trying to get to normal. The correct amount to eat every day calories protein carbs. As of yet I have not seen any doctor who could give me that information... I'm looking for a nutritionist who specializes in gastric bypass. Until then just knowing a protein amount to shoot for would help. I'm 6"3 39 ,180 pounds

I would advise you to get rid of the scale. I say this a lot and it's difficult to say it in new and interesting ways. Let's see... We don't need the scale to follow our plans. We can follow our plans to the letter and stall or even gain a pound or three, as is very common. In such a case it's easy to start considering "changing things up" to get the scale moving again. in the first several months we could completely abandon our plans and still lose weight. Looking at the scale will give many of us confirmation that we are doing well when in fact we aren't. Again, the scale is a poor guide. We should measure our success on how well we are following our plan. Are we feeling better? How is our mental attitude? Are health issues resolving? How about those clothes? Are you more active? Is it getting easier? There are all sorts of measures of success without a number on a scale. I was too large for a home scale so was only able to weigh in at monthly follow-ups. I'm confident I had stalls or even days where my weight was higher than the day before. I never actually experienced them. Every weigh in was lower than the month before. Never a temptation to "get the scale moving." You are at the beginning of this adventure. Focus on the things you can control. You can't control a number on a scale. Damn it, not new. Let's see if next time I can come up with a Hanzal and Gretel fairy tale where the witch is a scale... Good luck, Tek

It’s my week 5 now and I can add some toast and crackers in my diet. Which mean I can eat left over from my family. Lol I always rework my left over. Today morning I made salmon omelet with left over salmon and added low fat cheese. I should have added some onion as well. For lunch made chicken salad with left over rotisserie chicken as well. For dinner I made it fresh. 93/7 Ground beef with onion, and some cracker. make sure I cook my onion very well and I can tolerate it. I should add more veggies on my diet. Need to go food shopping soon.