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I love stories like this. For all the weight we lose, we gain so much we never thought possible. My big deferred dream was getting to ride a motorcycle, and last spring I started!!! Congratulations and keeping kicking butt at whatever you do in your life. You've earned that celebration.

You certainly need to get a second, and probably third, opinion to find out what's going on; they should be able to explain to you, in layman's terms, what your situation is and what the options are for treating it. That is usually a straightforward and insurable step here in the States, but I don't know what hoops you may have to jump through in the UK. It does sound like something's not right in what they did (which is why you want a second, impartial and uninvolved opinion,) as strictures are not common with sleeves that are done correctly; they are common and easily treated with an endoscopic dilation in and RNY, and that may work with a sleeve stricture, or may not depending on what caused it (usually a misshaping of the sleeve.) I did quite a bit of research on these topics a few years ago when they found a cancerous polyp in my stomach; fortunately it was very early and all treatable endoscopically, but all of these various options were discussed and researched. There are some Facebook groups specifically for patients with partial or total gastrectomies, which is what they are proposing for you. The most common approach here, and what it sounds like they are proposing for you, is a Billroth 2 gastrectomy, which has been around for about 140 years, and is the basis of the RNY gastric bypass, The main difference between a partial or total gastrectomy is whether they can use some of the remaining stomach to form an RNY like pouch (partial) or remove all of the stomach and attach the esophagus directly to a loop of intestine, or an additional roux limb as in the RNY, and form "stomach" pouch in the intestine where the esophagus is attached. So, going without the stomach is possible and entirely livable (there are several books on Amazon about "eating without a stomach" which go over what is basically a normal bariatric diet progression.) To the surgeons I was dealing with (at a major regional cancer center,) the total gastrectomy was a much bigger deal surgically and recovery wise than the partial, as attaching the esophagus directly into the intestine was a much touchier procedure with a more extended recovery and healing time (on a feeding tube for several months,) than going through even a small pouch of stomach tissue - something else to consider with whatever choice you have in surgeons (try to find one who has done a lot of these.) One of the things that stood out as fairly common amongst the Facebook group was problems with bile reflux, and you can see how that could easily happen by looking at the altered anatomy. The surgeon I was dealing with said that he did not experience those problems if he kept the various limbs within certain minimum lengths (which presumably some other surgeons didn't do in order to minimize malabsorption and weight loss,) so another point to consider in finding a surgeon who has some direct experience with these problems.

First day here! My surgery is scheduled for 11/16–yes the Thursday before Thanksgiving! i won’t be gaining weight this Holiday season. Dr. Jones at NEABaptist is my surgeon.

I am having a bypass on 25th October. I'm UK based so not had to lose any weight beforehand and so I'm currently around 270lbs and 5ft 8inches tall. I start my pre-op on October 11th and it's a yogurt and soup diet which should be relatively ok as I love both. Not sure if I'll love both at the end of the two weeks though!! Best of luck to all of you having surgeries early October!

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.

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.

Yes, I do currently I have a nose piercing, 3 dermals in my neck, a conch, a triple ear lobe, and then two more on one lobe so it makes a triangle shape. I also think the little titanium clip the Dr. put inside my right breast should count lol I used to have a double conch, but I took one out and it closed up before I replaced the jewelry. I also used to have a Monroe, labret, tongue, auricle, and double cartilage, I also had my septum done twice but I no longer have it. After surgery, I am going to do my auricle again as well as some other ear designing. I want to also get one more nose piercing next to my current one and another on the other side. After I am happy with my weight I am going to get my belly button done, I never did it when I was younger because I was a kid and only "preppy girls" got that. I personally feel like a hoop is the best jewelry choice for the nose because it is easier/less annoying to take care of and heals better.

It’s a very different situation. I had RNY back in 2004. I lost a lot of weight and maintained it for 18 months. Then it started creeping back on. When I was finally ready for a revision (somewhere around 2014-ish, different team), the team kept losing my endoscopy results. I finally lost interest. In the last few years, I’ve felt ready to try again. My insurance has changed, as have revision methods. My insurance approved a procedure called Endoscopy with Argon Plasma Coagulation. They make the opening to the stomach pouch smaller by zapping it and creating scar tissue, making it smaller. I had the first procedure in 2022. Unfortunately, the surgeon didn’t tell me that there were more to come. No one reached out to schedule the next procedure. I assumed that the revision consisted of that one procedure. That’s why I thought the revision wasn’t working for me. When I spoke with my surgeon, she was surprised that I had done as well as I had with just that one time, as well as the fact that no one had contacted me to schedule the next procedure. I’ve had the second procedure, and I have continued to lose weight. I know the stalls are maddening, and if it continues for more than a few weeks, talk to your surgeon.

I am absolutely terrified today after seeing my consultant. I had gastric sleeve surgery 26/07/2022 not for weight loss but to remove a stomach tumour. January this year I started getting stabbing pains under my left rib but wasn't really having any nausea, sickness or difficulty eating and drinking. After a CT scan in May and an endoscopy in August they found my stomach is strictured/stenosis. Today my consultant has told me the only option is to remove my stomach fully and sew my esophagus to my bowel. He said stretching it is not an option. I have an odd feeling (numerous reasons why) that they botched my operation and are trying to skirt around it. My consultant and surgeon keep changing the story. Like only an insignificant amount of stomach was removed. Then it was a full gastric sleeve performed. Then only a tiny amount removed again. Then the tumour was a GIST (sarcoma cancer). Then its just a benign tumour caused by pancreas cells. I've never known such confusing, arrogant, unsympathetic and clueless consultants and surgeons before - they're very worrying. Especially considering my surgeon is also doing private work for Spire. I'm absolutely broken. Any advice or anyone that has had a similar experience would be appreciated. As a side note this hospital in Liverpool has now given me a fear of hospitals. I was put on an oncology ward which I've been in before in a different hospital. I've always been a regular at hospitals over the last 20 years with pulmonary embolisms, 2 cancer scares, chronic illnesses etc and its always been a pleasant stay (even after surgeries) and a bit of a break and a chance to get some rest as I have 3 children. While in this new hospital after surgery it was like a third world hospital. I was lay in someone elses stale urine for a week before they agreed to change my putrid mattress. I caught scabies on my arm and oral thrush that spread to my esophagus and lungs. There was no shower so I had to wash myself daily in the sink. Finally they allowed me to use the mens shower as there was no womens shower which was literally just a shower cubicle with a door leading onto the corridor, nowhere to hang your towel or clothing and due to a blocked drain the floor/tray was flooded so my feet were in stagnant water along with my towel and clothing on a carrier bag on the floor/tray. By the end of my shower everything was soaking wet so I had to "get dry" with a wet towel and put on wet pyjamas before going to my bed and putting the curtain around to get properly dry and changed again. I had pneumothoraxes under my diaphragm and collar bone but was given the wrong and tiniest amount of pain relief. I was left to withdraw from my daily medication that I've taken for 5 years and left writhing in agony with the gas pain, pneumothoraxes, parasthesia and an intense burning sensation through my veins along with a massive headache, vomiting and aversion to light. No one would listen to me to help me to get my pain level under control and I could go on and on about the lack of care and the feeling of death and impending doom on this ward.

This has been amazingly helpful to hear everyone's experiences and advice. Thank you so much for the understanding, support and great information. I've learned a lot and I'm grateful. I'm fine on my 1000 calorie diet for now until I reach goal and then I'll do some experimenting and see what calories my body wants to be at. I know I'll have to keep watching it over the years too because I'm worried about that 3 year gain I've heard about. It was a shock because I just wanted to feel like I had achieved becoming normal if that makes any sense. Now it seems that 2000 calories isn't exactly normal so I don't have to feel left out. Thank you for the support and help!

I’ve been worried these past few weeks, since I went on a work trip and felt I messed up with my eating plans. I honestly think I have hit a stall because of this. I’m not seeing or feeling any changes in the way my clothes fit. HOWEVER.... I just had my yearly OB check up, and for the first time in over 20 years... there weren’t any cysts on my ovaries!!! I have been diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) since I was about 17-18, when I was still a healthy weight. It’s something that wouldn’t go away with diets, medicine, or anything else. NOW, 8 months after my WLS, still weighing about 50 lbs (23Kgs) more than I did as a teenager, I’m PCOS-free, with no meds!!! And chatting about it with my medical team, they reminded me that the changes are not only on the scale.. but the overall improvement of our health. And not to let a little bump on the way (trip) or a stall to negate all the progress that I’ve made.

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

Congrats on getting past the stall! I hope you get your "new" knees soon! I really don't understand the reason the nurse gave you tho, yes your body is/was healing, but, with minimal eating AND healing your body should be not only using what the minimal meals you're eating to heal but whatever reserves you may have i.e. fat aka weight - which usually means more weight loss not less. Sorry, just my working in healthcare along with my past physiology schooling at odds with that reason...it may be true, it just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe someone can explain it to me?!

I too had a stall (RNY) and was shocked because my food consumption was almost nothing. I checked with the surgery NP and was told this is quite common because my body was focused on healing not losing weight at this point. Once I started eating more and after about 5 weeks post surgery I started losing ~ 2 lbs a week. Seems slow but I'll take it. I Just keep plugging along and we will get there. I was so hoping for new knees by Christmas but at this rate (I still have 40 lbs to lose to be at required BMI) I guess it'll be by early Spring, hopefully.

Most, if not all, of us have experienced a stall in weight loss not long after having the surgery. Check your bowels; you may be constipated. Just stick with the program. Talk to your surgeon, if you don’t see progress. I did that and discovered that I had had only the first of several procedures in my revision surgery.

I don't track, I only ever spot-check my calorie intake. Right now I'm maintaining my current weight, at between 1,200 and 1,300 calories per day. I have about 15 pounds to go, to get to my goal weight. But, I'm happy where I am. I'm an easy keeper, right now. I'm healthy. I can accomplish most things I want to do. I would like to lose the extra few pounds, but I don't really feel like working that hard. I reckon that when I can start working out, I'll start losing again.

I feel your pain...the water consumption along with the waiting before and after eating makes it a chore trying to get the large amount of liquids in..especially because I'm not thirsty. I keep waiting for the intolerance to foods, the feeling of full (yes, I'm aware it takes months for the nerves to regenerate to fill "full") something that would keep me from wanting to eat other than I didn't go through all this to not lose weight. Add on top of that I've not lost any weight for 10 days - I've about had enough! Yes, I'm getting my protein in, no I'm not over eating (1/4 cup max each meal 2 meals with one high protein shake) its just stuck! I know I'm supposed to let the program work..but hey!! I'm doing my part..when does it do its part? 😋 So, yeah I feel your pain!

Did they test you for Graves' disease? I assume they ran thyroid tests, but I have a number of people in my life who have had Graves' and the inability to keep weight on despite eating constantly is a top symptom.

5'3" woman here and I'm maintaining on 1200 calories per day, and that's with at least 90 minutes of cardio per day. I can relate to the feeling of shock about having to stick to such a low calorie count forever because I wanted to cry when my surgeon estimated that my maintenance calories would be around 1200-1400, maybe 1500 if I worked out a lot. Being short is a real drag. So as I see it, you have a few options (which you can mix and match to find a balance that works for you): Adopt and maintain eating habits that keep your calories low. I have found some go-to low-calorie foods that allow me to keep a low calorie intake without making me feel too deprived because I enjoy what I'm eating. 3 years out from surgery, my restriction isn't what it was immediately post-op, but it still helps, especially when I'm filling up on salads and other low-calorie veggies. Increase your exercise. Unfortunately, that doesn't help a whole lot because diet contributes far more to weight management than exercise, but for me, increasing my exercise from 60 minutes/day to 90 minutes/day allows me to maintain about 5 pounds lower with the same number of calories. Accept a higher maintenance weight. A lot of people get way too focused on a number on the scale as their goal/maintenance weight. The number on the scale, or your BMI, doesn't tell the whole story. You list your goal weight as 140 pounds, but if you are satisfied with your health, quality of life, and appearance at 150 pounds, maybe that should be your goal weight, and you can maintain that with slightly higher calories than 140.

I agree. It's all trial and error. I stay in and around 2000, and I have been maintaining since December. When I started maintenance, I tried to stay below 1600, but that wasn't enough. I ended every day too hungry. More than anything, listen to your body. It will tell you when it needs more food (or needs less). Post-op, most of my head hunger is gone. My body does a good job of telling me when its hungry. I watch my weight like a hawk, weigh every morning. I know some people advise against it, but it works for me.

She and I are the same height, so BMI targets are the same. The BMI formula is the same for women and men. We all know BMI is a less than ideal measure, but it's a reasonable approximation of what a "healthy" weight is. 130 is really scraping the bottom of the "healthy" BMI range.

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 had this happen (I'm an inch shorter than you and at one point had gotten down to 91 pounds, unfortunately.). My situation was caused by an autoimmune condition; among other things it made it so that my enlarged spleen was pushing against my sleeve, reducing my capacity to nearly nothing. It was awful because I could FEEL that I was hungry and I wasn't able to eat. I ended up resorting to, at my dietitian's advice, drinking part of a shake intended for people needing to GAIN weight (Ensure Complete, I think is what it's called, the bottles have about 300 calories). As I am someone who gets dumping syndrome, I had to break it up into very small portions (about 1/3 of the bottle) and I would drink that portion 30 minutes after my meals. It helped; I'm back up to 103 now which is where I feel most comfortable. Another really dense food that shouldn't mess with your blood sugar or macros would be peanut butter. It's one of the highest calorie things you can eat, but it's also full of healthy fats and protein, especially if you choose a low sugar variety. I know it's hard, and it's a hard thing to talk about to most people because no one really understands how distressing it is to suddenly find yourself underweight when you spent years struggling to lose (I got a lot of "Exactly why are you complaining?" even from people who meant well.). You're not alone. I know it's a real problem that is really upsetting, and it's OK to have feelings about it.

Not necessarily; men typically have a higher percentage of muscle mass than a woman who is the same height and weight. While everyone is different, in general a man will be able to consume a greater number of calories in a day.

i would be wary of any dietician that prescribes the same maintenance caloric amounts to all their patients without taking individual size, weight and metabolic rates into account (among a multitude of other factors!) i would be especially be wary of any dietician, when asked for a reason for his/her prescription, answers with "i don't know". as with all things, listen to what you are told and advised, but also make informed decisions on how to deal with your body based on observations of its responses to stimuli (i.e., caloric intake in this case). the 2000 calorie suggestion is an AVERAGE and does not apply to all. STATISTICALLY, only a small very very small percentage of the population actually requires exactly 2000 calories. the vast majority of the population fall above and below 2000 cals. thats MATH people. with that said, i am a 5yr post op, 5'2", 51 yr old, currently 117 lb female that maintains at about 1800 cals a day...and has been doing so for about 2+ years. (i used to maintain at 2300+ cals a day, but i was exercising like a fiend those days so it made sense). everyone will have varying maintenance calorie levels...if u can figure out yours and adjust as necessary, you are golden. Good Luck! ❤️