Search the Community

Considering there are a multitude of thyroid disorders, without a specific confirmed medical diagnosis, it would be impossible to offer an opinion as to how WLS could affect your prognosis. As someone who has dealt with the extreme swing from stroke-level hyperthyroidism cause by the autoimmune disorder of Grave's Disease to a partial thyroidectomy during the early weeks of an unknown pregnancy which placed addition stress on my remaining thyroid causing the destruction of all thyroid function; I have run the gambit of thyroid crisis scenarios including a couple of life threatening emergencies with myxedema comas. I am closely monitored by a team of endocrinologists who specialize in unique cases. How WLS could affect your particular thyroid issue would be best answered by an endocrinologist who specialize in thyroid disorders. As far as my 40 years of experience dealing with the thyroid roller coaster, my tsh, uptake, t3 levels and thyroid medication dosage were never affected by my weight. Good luck to you!

First congratulations on your life changes and healthy goal achievements! I very much enjoy working out and being active too. Just don’t trust whole heartedly what sport devices say word for word. They are really tracking trends and general steps. They tend to overstate actual calories burned. They also don’t account for older-than-50 bodies that burn calories far more efficiently. Several things could be at play so you will still have to do your detective work. Try talking with your dietitian or nutritionist. You may need more protein. You might be triggering your body into starvation mode too, and need to slightly increase your food intake. Make sure you aren’t coming down with a cold that increases inflammation like Covid. Are you getting 7 hours of sleep per night regularly? Is your bloodwork good? Taking probiotics? I stalled at the same time and found my bloodwork was off. But, I also talked with my surgeon who “walks his talk.” He suggested switching up my workouts. I used to live for the weightlifting high, but only lift 2 days a week now. I do more outdoor activities like rowing, biking, and hiking. Walking with poles burns far more calories. I’ve rediscovered walking with all my daily water in a backpack ups my morning walk too. Two years out I’m still finding my balance of food to exercise and still loosing weight. You’ll find it too.

First congratulations on your life changes and healthy goal achievements! I very much enjoy working out and being active too. Just don’t trust whole heartedly what sport devices say word for word. They are really tracking trends and general steps. They tend to overstate actual calories burned. They also don’t account for older-than-50 bodies that burn calories far more efficiently. Several things could be at play so you will still have to do your detective work. Try talking with your dietitian or nutritionist. You may need more protein. You might be triggering your body into starvation mode too, and need to slightly increase your food intake. Make sure you aren’t coming down with a cold that increases inflammation like Covid. Are you getting 7 hours of sleep per night regularly? Is your bloodwork good? Taking probiotics? I stalled at the same time and found my bloodwork was off. But, I also talked with my surgeon who “walks his talk.” He suggested switching up my workouts. I used to live for the weightlifting high, but only lift 2 days a week now. I do more outdoor activities like rowing, biking, and hiking. Walking with poles burns far more calories. I’ve rediscovered walking with all my daily water in a backpack ups my morning walk too. Two years out I’m still finding my balance of food to exercise and still loosing weight. You’ll find it too.

The last pounds are the hardest to lose. A real b*tch. But could you be experiencing a stall. I recall you were prone to them with your sleeve. Also don’t forget your new set point. Could this be the weight your body is happiest at?? How long has it been since you lost anything? For those who are interested, Dr Matt Weiner posted a video about set point (metabolic thermostat) a couple of days ago. Others, like Dr John Pilcher, will likely have good videos too.

I've been thinking of getting a helix piercing for quite awhile, just haven't gotten around to it! I have several piercings and a small tattoo (one I haven't seen well due to weight)..not sure I want to see it after the weight loss 😆! I say do what makes you happy!

Transitioning to maintenance was both easy & challenging for me. Easy was that I had already made my choices about how/what I was going to eat & had been eating that way for most of my weight loss. What I found difficult was being able to eat portions large enough to stop the weight loss & work out how much I needed to consume to maintain. It’s why I kept losing for another 11 months. Though I also believe this was where my body wanted to be. Yes, I weigh myself regularly & yes I worry about what I weigh right down to the grams. While I don’t consistently weigh & track what I eat every meal I am conscious about portion sizes & the calorie content of foods even when I’m dining out or socialising at a friend’s. I do random checks & introduce new foods/recipes slowly & carefully. And yes, I still do protein first, then vegetables too & aim to stick to nutrient dense foods. This is the longest I’ve been able to maintain my weight ever in my 58 years. But I’m not on a diet to lose or maintain my weight. This is just how & what I eat. (The power of words.) I enjoy eating & food but it’s a different focus in my life - it’s more about what I need & less about what I want. Hell yeah, the old mindless eating habits are still just there sitting on my shoulder. (Can’t eradicate them though would be amazing if we could.) A bit like that angel on one shoulder & devil on the other. I try to keep the Angel of new habits I’ve established as the dominant thinking & actions. On the days the devil is stronger, I usually catch myself but … there are times. Though I try not to beat myself up if the devil wins.

4 weeks, 3 days Sorry for the delay in posting. The first week after I got home I slept a lot, night and day. Eating and drinking enough is hard when you sleep so much, so I haven't been meeting my goal of 64oz fluid and 100gm of protein, but I've been getting at least 48oz fluid and at least 60-80gm of protein. My protein oatmeal with extra protein added and my Pure Protein Bars with 19-21gm of protein is a huge chunk of that. 3 weeks in, after sleeping most of the day my body decided it was done with that, and since I'd just slept all day, it chose to stay awake at night. I've been trying to get my sleep pattern under control, but when I went to bed at 10:30 I awoke at 1:24am refreshed from my nap and last night I went to bed just after midnight and woke up at 4am and wasn't able to get back to sleep. I think this time I'll be able to stay awake all day though, so I'm hoping to sleep through the night tonight. I've still been having a hard time with my diet goals since I am trying to sleep at night. If I didn't have the luxury of working at home on my own schedule, I might not be having such a hard time sleeping because I'd be forced to a regular schedule. My husband has had his reservations, but has been supportive through all this because I promised I'd take care of myself. When I feel bad for being gone so long and now sleeping on the couch instead of snuggling with him, he tells me that I've just had surgery and I'm healing, sleep when my body tells me to sleep, and if the couch is more comfortable than sleeping reclined in bed, sleep there. At least I'm spending a few hours snuggling with him at night now. A couple days after retuning home I took my surgical tape off and discovered that I'd pulled a couple stitches. Remember those painful sneezes? I'm pretty sure that's when it happened. I have mighty, full body sneezes that sometimes makes my arm go numb and always said I'll probably die because I sneezed while driving. The wound didn't reopen. There was no bleeding or seeping, there were just larger scabs and one had a tacky feel. The scar in that area in front is going to be uglier than the nice thin scar in the back. This isn't the surgeons fault and nothing would have been different if I'd been there for a follow-up and he took the tape off. I'm waiting for the last scab to fall off before I start using the scar gel and massaging the scar. I have been concerned about the puffy area just above the scar across the front. I told myself it's probably just inflammation. They tell you not to judge the way you look because you won't see the final results for 6 months to a year, but it's hard. When you look at before and after pictures, the after pictures are long enough after for the inflammation to be gone. I went to a friend's commitment ceremony 2 days ago and another friend there had a lower body lift and BBL here in the states with one of the best surgeons (they have more money than me). She had her surgery 10 days after mine and she has that too, so I feel better. To summarize how I felt moving around week by week: Week 1 was difficult getting in and out of bed and it was painful. Week 2 I had the roll and push method down pat so it was easier to get up and down from bed and I could move around better, but when I'd first get up I'd walk more hunched over and this was when I had the really painful sneezes. It was easy to not push myself and to remember not to lift things or bend down because I could feel the pain in my stitches. I was very itchy. Week 3 I was able to move easier and could reach for things, but I could still feel it pull at the stitches, but it was more discomfort than painful so I was having to remind myself not to lift things and to not twist. This is when the itching was at its worst. Week 4 I'm getting stir crazy because I am still not supposed to drive and I promised my husband I'd take care of myself, which means following doctor's orders even if I think I'm OK to drive. Because of the mini BBL he did, I'm not supposed to drive for 4 weeks, then for 2 weeks only short distances "if I have to drive". I was moving normal, but I could still feel it pull at the stitches, but not really uncomfortable, just a pulling sensation. I still itched really bad, but it wasn't as constant. Now I don't really feel any pain except now that I'm sleeping without the pillows and my hips are on the bed, I am not sleeping on my right side because the incision is still a little tender when sleeping with weight on it there. Thankfully I can sleep on my left side and it doesn't hurt. Of course, I haven't slept more than 4 hours that way yet. I was supposed to wear the compression garment 24/7 except when showering for 4 weeks, then for 4 weeks I can sleep without it. I cheated and slept without my compression garment and drove a night early. It was really nice to snuggle with my husband without it even if it was from on top of pillows and just for a little bit because I couldn't sleep. I snuggled lying on 2 thick pillows with my hip/butt between them because of the mini BBL. After talking to my friend who had her lower body lift and BBL here, I'm rebelling a little bit. She was told she could sit on soft furniture without a pillow and sleep in bed without pillows keeping pressure off her butt. I'm still obeying my doctors orders regarding sitting because I can't find an entry on Google supporting that you can sit on soft furniture, but after talking to her I decided to sleep without the pillows under me. I have a thick Temper Pedic Memory Foam pad and REALLY want to snuggle with my hubby and sleep normally. I sleep on my side and he didn't transfer fat to my hips, that's where he took it from. As mentioned above, I can't sleep on my right because it's still tender there when sleeping on it. Of note regarding my breast lift/implants. I don't talk about them because they haven't hurt at all until recently. I get twinges now at the lower scar. I've had implants implanted, removed, and implanted again, so 3 surgeries and the scar tissue at the bottom of my breast is pretty thick and now that the incision is healed I need to start massaging it to break that scar tissue up. The first time I had implants (2006) it did hurt. I had to lean to the side to get one hand wet, then lean to the other side to get the other wet, then rinse the soap off the same way because leaning forward hurt, and it took almost a year before I didn't look like I had super pecs (they sit high when they are new). I'm assuming it didn't hurt this time and they have already settled because the skin didn't need to stretch. Maybe the signals from the incision from the lower body lift overrode anything my breasts might have wanted to tell me as well. When I hit 6 weeks and "can drive", I'm going to drive to Missouri. My Mother-In-Law has cancer of the esophagus and they need help taking care of her. I can work from home and they can't, so I volunteered. She needs help bathing and having her diaper changed, her feeding tube needs cleaned and feeding bag filled, and she and her house needs taking care of. She is on hospice, but not close enough to the end to have daily helpers, but she has a nurse stop by twice a week and a helper come twice a week for a couple hours, so I can save heavy lifting for the helper. I'm going to ask my husband to take some 4.5 week after pics so you can see what it looks like soon after the incisions heal. I'll post again at other intervals so you can see progress as the inflammation goes away and the scar heals. Other than that, I will post if I feel I have something relevant to say regarding my progress. I'll only post about my MIL as it relates to my being able to care for her due to my surgery because this isn't a cancer support forum.

When I got the band I had been planning on getting a diamond band as my "reward". I got within 7lbs of my goal. I never got to goal and just started gaining almost to my band pre-op weigh. I revised to a sleeve on Thrus 02/09/12. I think I'm going to go ahead and get that diamond band as a reward for going through with the surgery. I think I deserve it! I was really scared. Afterall, I know I'll get to my goal with the sleeve and it'll serve as a reminder to follow the sleeve rules and that my sleeve won't fail me like the band did.

this i think is something often overlooked when people worry about gaining weight/getting pregnant after plastic surgery. do we all actually think we will stay the same size forever? like im going to stay the same weight and shape i was when i had plastics until the day i die? if/when i am no longer smokin hot (lol) i can always decide to have more plastics (unlikely!)...or just accept it and revel in the awesome run i had yes, your results may be affected if u gain weight (or lose weight!) or become pregnant or develop a stomach tumor, or get in a car accident, etc, etc. unless a decision will actually cause you or someone else HARM, waiting for the "perfect time" may have you waiting forever. im totally with @New To This23...live for NOW. If you have the means and the inclination, go for it Good Luck! ❤️

WOOHOO !!! Congrats on your weight loss ! That's impressive

Thank you summerseeker that is a really clear description. I’ve 4 children and avoiding those things in the house isn’t easy though I try, that said I find my biggest problem is the portions of things I eat more than what I eat if that makes sense so that makes me thing even more that this will work for me I hope you are super helpful I’m so glad I posted @bariatricks thanks for the honesty here, was it the ESG or the sleeve you’ve had? Can you pinpoint what the thoughts are at the times you feel regretful? I do have a worry about missing food, for instance last night I cooked the tastiest meal and I kept going as I just loved the taste, I think I’d have felt disappointed if I had to stop, that sounds ridiculous now I’ve actually written it down. I’m also worried about how much it will affect my social life as most meet ups are around food etc. all I know is my weight and discomfort takes up my thoughts 90% of every day and I’m hoping that can change

I’ve been in maintenance for a couple of years now, so like @catwoman7 can’t really answer your first question. Mind you I don’t eat all that differently. Just larger portions (& probably a little more good & bad fat 😉). Don’t be afraid to widen your meal selection & food selection. It may need you to do a little work to make a recipe healthier, lower in calories & to complement your plan (ingredients, cooking method). Don’t forget to check the nutrient content too. And it’s working towards how you’ll eat in the future. As to the stall issue - you can’t break those. It’s your body’s reaction to your weight loss. It’s the time your body needs to takes to assesses your current needs & adjusts things like your digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. Your body will take as long as it needs to do this. Stick to your plan. Don’t stress your body more by making changes to what you’re eating or your activity. Your stall will break when your body is ready. Still is frustrating I know.

I had no idea how far this surgery would take me. I also didn't want to dream too high. I had crashed and burned to many times before. I thought that if I lost 60lbs then that would equal what I managed to loose once with Slimming World and again with Weight Watchers and again under my doctor. I smashed through that target very quickly. Then 100lbs came and went. I used to watch the Greatest looser and always wanted to say I was in onderland as I don't ever remember being that weight. My scales clunked down to that dream target too. Now, I am in a place that I am happy in my body. I could happily stop loosing but very occasionally the scales go very slowly down. I posed your question to this forum a while ago. Many answered and told me that my body would tell me when it was at the right weight. It seems like it will. BTW, My NHS doctor wants me under 140lbs but the NHS here will not remove my loose skin so they can go fish . My surgeon and his team are over the moon with my progress. I know I paid for my own surgery but they could have turned me away, I was very unfit. I will always be grateful to them. Good luck at achieving any weight you decide on

I had it done, and honestly, the recovery was SO SO SO much easier with the bypass than the sleeve for me. I had a ton of complications and the revision was the best thing possible. My only regret is that I wish I had just done the bypass to begin with. Losing weight with a revision goes A LOT slower, and you don't lose nearly as much as you do with the initial surgery. But you'll feel so much better and be able to get back to living your life.

This is exactly what I was saying, just worded differently, but I should have left off "same weight" and stated that's the difference in weight goals tho...I knew better.

I am going on 25 years post gastric bypass.. Back when it was open surgery. total weight lost- 140 Now maintaining average if 160

Planning ahead and seeking local support as you progress through the stages of your weight loss journey is a great approach. While I can't provide specific book recommendations, I can suggest a few general types of books that might be helpful as you transition to stage 4 and beyond: Bariatric Cookbooks: Look for cookbooks specifically designed for individuals who have undergone weight loss surgery. These often provide recipes and meal plans tailored to each stage of post-surgery recovery. Nutrition Guides: Books that focus on post-bariatric surgery nutrition can be very informative. They can help you understand the nutritional requirements for your specific procedure and guide you in making healthy food choices. Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Books: While not specific to bariatric surgery, these books offer valuable information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, making smart food choices, and managing your weight in the long term.

Yes!! I tend to stick to the same foods. I'm not sure (for me anyway) is: 1. Fear of food effects 2. Not losing the weight 3. My hatred of cooking 4. I just know I like what I'm eating or 5 A combo of all of them! Of course I'm only 6 weeks out sooo we shall see, but, to be honest I've always been a picky eater (I almost died as a toddler because I was picky) - I just know what I like!

I’d worry about filling your tummy with a nutrient poor carb (pasta, rice, bread) especially at this stage when you’re on such a restricted diet still, eating so little & not being able to get in the more important nutrients. Remember protein, protein, protein. I presume you are still drinking protein shakes to get in the protein you need. What about making your own protein smoothies with more nutrient dense ingredients - like vegetables (blend & strain). What about adding a soft cheese to some meals or as a snack or some good fats like avocado. Add milk powder to cream soups, smoothies, etc. for extra protein & calories too. What about custard - calories & protein. You’ll likely find that once you’re through the first few months & the restricted diet, & able to eat more without vomiting & the other gerd related issues restricting your ability to eat & consume calories, you will put on weight & attain a weight you’re happier at. What does your surgeon say?

I had my VSG back on 3/3/23, with a heavy weight of 195. (Im 5’2”). Surgery day, I weighed in at 184 after a two week liver shrinking diet- two shakes a day/one meal. Yesterday I had my 6 month check up, an things are going really well. Weighed in at 129- and BMI in healthy range. Hair loss has been significant, but hoping that turns around soon… fingers crossed. Since I had my surgery in Mexico, this was my first meeting with Bariatrician and he says that im having really nice success- and that 8-10 months is about how long someone would expect to see results from VSG. (I’d heard longer). He also took labs, and all seems to be in good range- saw the results this morning. First two pics from today, last pic is before (I hated having picture made and can’t find one really near that time except this one. My goal this next few months is to take up a more structured exercise routine to build some muscle— so much of the pain I was having pre-surgery is gone. So glad to have taken this step for my health!

btw - I mentioned above that the old rule of thumb was that it takes about 10 X your weight in pounds to maintain your weight (although again, that varies according to several factors listed in my above comment). That's for women. For men, it was 12 x your weight in pounds (again, old rule of thumb that varies between people - although I do think it gives a good starting point - you can experiment with that and then go up or down depending on what your weight is doing)

Tenatively December 4th or 13th! I started back in June. I asked my primary about bariatric surgery and he gave me the refferal and was in my bariatric consult within 5 day. They set up all my nutrition and psychologist appts the same day. Got the all clear from my nutritionist and psych and they have submitted to insurance for approval. From the start I downloaded a food tracking app. Started tracking my food again since I'd stopped doing it years ago. Even taught my nutritionist about macros and modified body builder diets. And started upping my excerise. So far I've lost over 40 lbs going back on a modified style body builder diet and interested to see what I'll lose on my pre-op. The last couple weeks I've been pushing my protein more as well so hitting about 50% protein (around 100-110g) daily. Also calories are running around 650 - 900 daily and thats even a struggle. Slowly getting my husband on board now and started trying out all differing kind of recipes, protein powder and supplements. So far the Syntrax aren't bad (like the lemon tea and caribean cooler best), And I started following a handful of other baratric patients online (one had a DS, two had sleeves), and started aksing my friends who have undergone bariatric surgeries. Built bars will by my travel go to as well as CleanSimpleEats greens. Learning all tips and trick as well on how to get my protein in and make sure it works for my husband as well. Also, I never carry a purse, only a wrist wallet. So to help me be successful I bought a nice tote/laptop bag that will be the bag I grab when ever we go out (errands/travel/etc.) This way I will always have snacks, drinks, protein and water enhancers on hand and I don't have to settle for something not great. Also got a nice large shaker cup and it even has a pocket for my water bottle. So for my preop its 3 weeks and with my tenative date of Dec 4th, I won't be able to partake of thanksgiving unless it gets moved to Dec 13 and then I can have one thanksgiving dinner early in the week before I start pre-op. I'm actually getting more excited for the adventures my husband and I have planned and not having to think about how my weight will impact those.

It took me 3 weeks, but every insurance is different, Weight Loss Hospital Programs, pre-op weight loss requirements are different.

I had the SADI-S…it’s been 7 months. Right after surgery my bowels were in turmoil as expected. Diarrhea, constipation. Before surgery I had IBS. Once things settle down my BMs are much more consistent. Most likely because my diet is consistent. As Wellington states above, you can control and use your diet to control your bowel movements. Get out of line with your diet and you get out of line with the results. Yes, there is more flatulence and odor, but it is an acceptable trade-off for what I have gained. Don’t let the small things get in the way of a life-changing decision that can save your life.

Hi I have Kaiser NorCal and I went to my primary and just told them I want weight loss surgery. She sent a referral to the Bariatric department as I had a BMI of 38 and high blood pressure so I met the requirements, which for NorCal are a BMI over 40 or BMI over 35 with a health condition. I was contacted by the Bariatric department and I had to watch a video and take a test it was easy. Then I had to weigh in with their department and meet with a nutritionist. After all that was done, I was able to meet with the surgeon and he gave me a go away of what I had to lose in order to qualify. I had to do a psych evaluation. Once I lost weight I did some bloodwork and now I am scheduled for surgery on October 12 of this year. I started this process in January, I was scheduled for surgery in September, but got pneumonia the week of the surgery so it was postponed and now Kaiser is supposed to strike so I’m hoping that it doesn’t get postponed again you do have to maintain your weight the entire process and can’t even go over half a pound of your goal weight. Hope this helps.