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Hello All- i posted for the first time just about three years ago with some anxieties as a spouse with my wife prepping to undergo the gastric sleeve. I originally noted being concerned about our lifestyle changes, relationship impacts (I had heard all the horror stories) and most of all health concerns into the future. The community was incredibly supportive and I had learned tips and useful knowledge that helped me coach and support my wife through it. I am happy to say we are better than we ever have been and her self confidence is through the roof. However the MAIN reason the surgery ever was even considered was to get her diabetes that started while she was pregnant with our first child and got very concerning bad with our fourth has still stuck around and caused issues….. First- this is Life changing not just for the partner getting the surgery, but the spouse too. We used to be foodies and that all had to go out the door. Same with alcohol. Two bites and you are full, a pint and you are drunk. So activities, dates, etc. and new hobbies should all be prepared for well in advance. Luckily we are both athletes and coaches and this allowed to have an outlet that wasn’t our prior foodies and beer/ brewery culture pastime. Two- Relationship, anyone who tells you that this leads to automatic divorce/ break up is paranoid or lying. Out of her support group offered by our health network, I think only 1 or 2 of about fifteen women ended up separating and that was from the other spouse cheating. I have to say that in many ways, after four kids and all our activities, youth sports and coaching- it created a second honeymoon period for us and really strengthened our romance and relationship because we both focused on our health again jointly and the magnetism increased dramatically. Third- It might not fix the problem…. We did not jointly go into the surgery for cosmetic or weight loss reasons. It was the diabetes and the doctors said it was a solid shot to cure or mitigate the disease. It was for a while, but it keeps back up. despite healthy eating, despite exercise and coaching, despite the surgery- medications came back into the picture and so did the celebrity weight loss drug (which is really supposed to be for diabetes…) This has been keeping everything under control but is a case of the cure being as bad as the sickness. The side effects are brutal and definitely have a quality of life impact, but we both want to live to see grandkids someday….. Fourth- dysmorphia is VERY really. We are both naturally larger people. I was a lineman in high school and college and she was a softball catcher in high school and college and ended up also playing women’s rugby there as well. Even with the surgery she went from an XL to L but she got her college/ high school figure back and as such her confidence went through the roof and started dressing like she hadn’t in years. With the medication though??? Her figure, face shape, everything changed. Down to a Small or Medium. For almost a year and a half she hasn’t recognized herself in the mirror. It’s a double wham with the surgery and the medication. Between her best friends and myself (we have all been in the same friend/ team group since college) the support was to have fun with it and go with the flow. Instead of worrying about it (the dysmorphia) it was embrace the change. All new clothes she could never wear before, she’s been a redhead now and then blonde and still is. Cut her hair shorter, started wearing makeup (never really did)- all just to try and put a positive spin on it. I’ve been the spoiled recipient of having a brand new girl (don’t think I haven’t romanced and spoiled the you-know-what out of her), but at the end of the day it’s been mitigation of all the life changes. The last part has been the most detailed because it’s the most recent and to me has been the most impactful- NOT having the surgery do its intended purpose and the dysmorphia we’re both very difficult given the efforts and life changes made. We’ve done everything we can to make lemonade out of those lemons though. We had an anniversary vacation better than our honeymoon this past summer (she has always been way out of my league and these days it’s very much over the top- I feel incredibly spoiled) and we have made time to ride our bikes together with our oldest babysitting the kids and we come to each others games when we coach. I would tell any spouse; husband or wife of someone who is going to have the surgery and then or also do all the meds: 1. Support. It’s a huge deal and you need to show up. 2. Don’t get insecure about your relationship because of the surgery. If you are worried it means you might not have a great relationship to start with…. 3. You will need to change your life too. Because of my size and my weight lifting, I need a lot of protein and calories. I will never look like a Hollywood star (like she now does) and always an NFL lineman- BUT- if I bring a cannoli, pie or a full growler into the house in addition to steak/ salmon, etc it’s teasing and not fair. You will need to learn self control to support your spouse… 4. Inspire and come up with ideas for positive re-enforcement. If the dysmorphia or depression sets in, you need to find fun things to do, supportive steps to take and positive angles to keep things going. 5. If you are doing all this as a spouse, what about YOU??? Are you going to die a martyr? Take care of YOURSELF too. I go lifting 3 times a week, go fishing in season. And for my 40th birthday when she asked what I wanted?? I got us a long weekend on the Cape, bought her some dresses I wanted to see her in and sent her to get her hair, nails, toes, eyelashes, etc.. done. Said I wanted a long weekend with my movie star wife. It was a great time, kid free and continued to strengthen our marriage. Anyways- why am I writing this? Posterity? Self reflection? Not really…. I just want to give Spouses a roadmap. It’s a huge change and you need to navigate the waters well. If you do you will benefit as much as your loved one. Good luck.

I had surgery on December 4. I rapidly lost about 13 pounds. Since my appointment on the 19th I’ve only lost an additional 4 pounds. I’ve been drinking more water add I’m still on soft foods. Is this normal or not? I’ve also been utilizing my treadmill and weights three times a week.

It’s going well so far! I’m down 50 pounds so far going on 3 months post op on the 18th. On Jan 15 I’m going to get my 3rd fill adjustment. I’ve had two so far and it’s been working out great.

It’s going well so far! I’m down 50 pounds so far going on 3 months post op on the 18th. On Jan 15 I’m going to get my 3rd fill adjustment. I’ve had two so far and it’s been working out great.

Hey there, That’s awesome! Doing this journey going from not eating carbs and then reintroducing them as needed is key. I’ve lost weight, but it comes in stages. I’ll lose inches first, then the scale will be stuck. Then all of sudden the following month, boom, ten pounds gone. I was weighing daily then weekly and now I weigh every other week. Protein is vital.

One thing about mental hunger or cravings is that they're almost never strong enough for me to actually get into a car and drive to a store to buy something. The first few weeks, I would end up digging until I found something else to eat, but the fewer options you make available, the more you have to admit to yourself that you're just bored or (as is often my case since I work from home) procrastinating. There have been times I would find myself staring into my pantry and I'd have to ask myself what exactly I thought I would find there. It's all canned beans and pasta sauce now. Generally I just ask myself if I want a snack badly enough to drive to the store for it, and the answer is always no. Oh, and I do all my grocery shopping online for pickup now to minimize the chances of throwing impulse buys into my cart.

**Trigger warning: domestic abuse** My name is Georgia, I am 27, and I have been 'bigger' for my entire adult life, and a lot of my childhood too. I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) insulin resistant type, and an Underactive Thyroid, both of which cause me to put on weight quickly, retain weight, and makes losing weight extremely difficult. I can't even remember the countless amounts of fad diets I have been on, or the amount of times I have tried to lose weight, but failed again and again. When I was 18 I was going to the gym 5-6 times a week for over an hour, I was doing HIIT training and Tai Chi, and I was jogging, eating well etc, but I still only managed to lose 2 stone in a year - make it make sense! I didn't know back then that I had underlying conditions that made it hard for me to lose weight, so I internalised a lot of the guilt in not being able to get healthy, and it resulted in me putting on around 6 stone from then until now. I was also a victim of domestic abuse/violence, and a lot of the verbal abuse that I suffered was centred around my weight - constantly being told by my ex-partner that I was fat, he would pinch my thighs, tummy, arms etc, telling me he was seeing how many inches I could lose. It completely broke me, and I started binge eating in secret. He ended up leaving me, telling me that he could no longer be with me due to my weight and how it made me sexually unattractive. I think I am probably just over 20 stone now. My back hurts when I walk, I cannot look in any mirrors without feeling low, I don't feel comfortable going out in public, and I am exhausted all the time. Every time I went to my GP about something, I was always told I needed to lose weight, as if it were a miracle cure and so simple to do just by trying hard enough. It was always blamed on me not putting in enough effort - and those in the UK will know that the NHS isn't a simple thing to navigate and the waiting lists for obesity support are long and often disheartening. Around 2 years ago I was put on a waiting list for weight loss management with the NHS. I was finally accepted in September of 2023. This is a year long commitment to the weight loss management pathway (Tier 3), in which you have to lose 5% of your weight in order to then be put on to another waiting list for a referral for the actual WLS (Tier 4). I have been told that this can take a further 4-6 years. I had a harrowing thought that by the time my WLS actually came around, I'd be well into my 30s, still desperately unhappy with myself, and I would have put on even more weight and probably be immobile. I can no longer do this to myself. I deserve better. I made the decision to look into private weight loss surgery, and I had a free consultation with a recommended surgeon just before Christmas 2023. This was genuinely the first time that a medical professional sat me down and talked to me with some humanity about my weight. He told me that with my conditions (particularly the insulin resistance, and hormonal imbalance), that my metabolic rate needed an entire reset, and this was not possible to do without surgical intervention. He explained that the difficulties I have had in trying to lose weight and being unable to, are not my fault (though of course I accept responsibility that getting here in the first place is my fault), and that surgery is recommended as perhaps the only thing that will enable me to lose the weight. I have never felt so seen, and so heard. I booked in my surgery for May 2024 there and then. So, now I start my journey, and I was looking for support, and here I am. I look forward to posting on here and using this thread to update everyone once I have had my surgery! I am quite an open and honest person, so if anyone wants to reach out to talk, my inbox is open

Hey lovely! So I have the following piercings, I will rate them by my personal pain & healing process!: Philtrum - this one was quite a painful facial piercing. Around 8/10. The healing was a little rough, lots of swelling. But by far one of my favourite piercings. Septum - honestly minimal pain on this one! 2/10 when getting it pierced. Healing was a breeze too. I forgot it was there haha! Labret - this one was probably 3/10, healing was quick and quite painless too Conch - pain was more so a 4/10, healing was longer as it is through cartilage but as long as I didn't sleep on my ear it was fine! Tragus - pain again was around a 4/10, but the healing process was a bit fussy. Sometimes flares up with pain if I sleep on it. Venom (double tongue piercing) - this was about a 7/10 getting pierced, but my god, the healing process was awful. I really do not recommend getting this one if you have not had any other piercings before! The healing was a long process, and I couldn't eat anything more than fluids & puree's for weeks until the swelling and pain had gone. It was a lot of pain. But, with all that being said, it is my most favourite piercing out of them all! All I would say is that you should research the piercer you are planning to see, look at reviews and make sure you have a consultation with them if they offer it to see which piercings may work for your anatomy Piercers should use implant grade titanium, preferably internally threaded jewellery But genuinely go for it! I love my piercings and they are such a fun way to express yourself!

Thanks for sharing. In a little over a week I'll undergo a 360 with a breast lift and implants and these are very encouraging. I admit to being afraid of the pain too, but everyone has said that it's worth it. I figure if they could do it, so can I.

You look amazing! Who is your surgeon? I'm having surgery in Tijuana, Mexico on 1/12. My surgeon will be Dr. Rodolfo Castillo. I'm getting a 360 Belt Lipectomy with lipo and a breast lift with gummy implants and it's costing $12,699. It doesn't include transportation because I have family in Southern California, but it does include everything surgery related: meds, compression garments, pre and post op appointments with the surgeon, lab tests, night at the hospital and 6 nights at a recovery house. I'll spend another week recovering with the family in S. CA. If all goes well, I intend to go back and get my inner thighs and arms done and probably a face lift.

Two years ago I bought a 3-in-1 winter parka that I'd had my eye on for a very long time, finally deciding to just do it. Now, 3 1/3 months post-op I can wrap it around in front just like one of those bathrobes and have put it up for sale on eBay (it was over $400, otherwise I'd just donate it locally). Now I'm on the hunt for the same jacket, 4 sizes smaller.

Had a couple NSVs last week. I stayed at a hotel for a couple of days and for the first time in at least 15 years I went swimming in a public swimming pool! I've always liked swimming but I haven't gone for a long time because I was uncomfortable taking my shirt off in public. The second is that my hotel room had bathrobes and last time I stayed there, their "one size fits all" bathrobe was way too small for me, this time it actually seemed too big!

Hello and welcome. The time will fly by, I promise you, Don't over prepare. Do not buy in loads of foods and drinks. After this surgery your tastes could change, mine did. Don't go and read scare stories of others having this surgery. Even on this site most people come and ask questions when they are having problems. They rarely come back when they are doing better. Its scary when its just so one sided. Expect a 3 week stall and many more of them as you go along. The first one is scary as you always imagine you are doing something wrong or messing up. Be careful who you tell about this surgery. Lots of people do not take the news as you would imagine. I, like others on here only told my husband and son. Clean your home. Just in case you are sore on your return from hospital

I just got home from my appointment and am happy to say that I'm now scheduled for surgery on February 21. I was able to meet with the dietician right after my appointment with the surgeon and she went over the differences between my old program and their protocols, which are similar with the exception that I will need to do the 2-week liquid diet (my old place only did 2 days). I head to the hospital tomorrow for pretests and then just have to wait the 7 weeks until surgery. Time to get back to my good eating habits after the holidays! I thought everyone was very nice and I got a lot of sympathy for what I'd gone through with the center closing. I was told one patient who is now at the new practice actually arrived at the hospital the day of her surgery and only then found out it had been cancelled. No one even called her. I don't even know what I would have done had that happened.

Dr gave me Allopurinol that I took for 3 months. My last blood check was good, so he had me stop taking it. I haven't had gout before, but this weight loss is bringing it out.

I have not had gallbladder removal, however I did have a similar knife stabbing pain after my RNY surgery. It was at about 2.5 weeks post-op. I had to apply pressure as standing/showering etc was so uncomfortable. Definitely that hot sharp knife in my side feeling. It was due to the internal stitch to the muscle and the surgeon/med team told me it was a common pain and that wearing a binder is ok when needed, but not to have it on all day. Thankfully it did pass after about a week.

At one week post op the only I was told to track is my fluids intake. In fact the first 3 weeks I was only told to make sure I get my water and protein shakes.

I agree with @Spinoza. You’re still healing. It takes about 8 weeks for you to heal & that includes all those nerves that were cut during the surgery. A lot of messages aren’t getting through or the signals are different as a result. It’s why sticking to your portion size is very important (it always will be) but especially in this healing period. In a few weeks, & when you’re on solid food, you’ll start to feel those signals again including your restriction. Liquids go through your digestive system more quickly so what signals you may still have don’t get a chance to get through. You may even find when they return your signals for full & hungry are a little different too. Some say they sneeze or their nose runs when they’ve had enough. Keep eating slowly too as it takes at least 20 minutes for the message to get through that you are full. The goal should be not to eat until you feel full but until you’ve had enough & don’t need to eat any more (not just want to eat more). I wasn’t hungry or really interested in eating for almost a year. It is a blessing of the surgery while you are losing. In actuality, after our hunger returns, many of us say we wish we still weren’t hungry like we were in the beginning after surgery. Though not hungry, I knew I had to eat so I ate to a routine, ensuring what I ate was nutrient dense & in appropriate portions. There’s a lot of things to learn & understand about your eating & your body. It takes time but you’ll work it out. All the best.

I havent been eating bad things like my husband made a 16 hour smoked pork roast i had three pinches of the meat, I have been doing yogurt and soup i did oatmeal mixed with my protein shake once also. I cant do more than 2/3 onces of food at a time… mostly im doing soup and yogurt now though. Its not really unhealthy food but I had gotten confused with the diet and started the soft foods one week earlier the doctor didnt seemed worried though. It just was messing up my head thinking im off track. Im down 16 lbs so that’s got to be okay. Thank you for the peanut butter advice i love fit pb I’ll probably go buy powder protein shakes and start making them instead also I dont do dairy so maybe that’s another factor.

I didn’t have any pain like that after my surgery & was off pain meds by day 5 too. Mind you the gas pain was still pretty bad a week later. Was surprised as I had none with my sleeve & it was the same surgeon like you. Give your surgeon a call. Better to be sure. PS Did they use the same incisions as from your bypass?

Yeah that happens. I did that with my pre op diet. I am starting my walking on Monday morning. I am 6 days out so I don’t want to do too much but I want to get started. I can’t wait for week three 😂

Girl you and me both my hunger isn’t really there more than my thoughts of wanting to eat food to feel normal again. Its been emotional for me and bc of my sampling food it makes me feel more down. It’s frustrating not being able to drink water or pretty much anything my water/ fluid intake is so low. Im soooo over these protein shakes i bought and the thought of them now has me wanting to gag lol. I’m not reallt taking in any protein shakes and just doing soups but can only do 2/3 ounces at a time. I can do yogurt i had half a cup for lunch and a few tablespoons of tomato soup for dinner. Feel free to message me anytime my surgery date was 12/18 im happy i got the surgery but definitely want to feel normal again. I’m being patient but if i could have at least be able to drink water it would be easier. i had a hiatal hernia and its been so hard to drink is anyone else feeling that feeling? Then when i do drink its like im swallowing air 😫😩😫

Yea I am at week two going on week three i misunderstood my diet and was eating soft foods a week early lol but I do find it hard to swallow the most annoying part is not being able to drink water comfortably really anything ive tried hot drinks and for some reason its better for me to take warm drinks. I got sugar free hot cocoa bc its been cold so far so good also caffeine free spearmint tea has been great. I’m down 16 lbs so far im hoping for a good 10/12 lbs moving forward per month but we shall see! I’m going to start my walking routine tomorrow and im excited for that. Happy loosing 🥰

Hi friends! I have a question for y’all! I am about 3 1/2 weeks post VSG and my hunger has returned with a vengeance. I’m not sure why. I’m trying to remind myself of everything I’ve learned and remind myself of things I am permitted to have. But I’ve been sampling small bites of various things to see what my tummy likes and what it doesn’t like anymore. I don’t want to fall back into old patterns and eat just because I like the taste or because I CAN tolerate it, you know?Has anyone experienced their hunger returning? Still struggling to get enough water intake so maybe that has something to do with it? I’m averaging 32oz water a day. I wish I could drink normally because I used to easily get 64 Oz/day, but sipping has shown to be a challenge for me lol. Thanks ahead of time friends!

Is anyone tracking calories and carbs 1 week post op? If so, what is your calorie intake? I am under 300 but wanted to know if anyone else is tracking.