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A lot of things played into it, but honestly, it was when the doctor asked me if I would be interested in it. For background, I'm turning 50 next year, so yes, that milestone is in my head as part of it. My younger brother had VSG 15 years ago, and ever since then, I wished I could do it because he had such a great outcome. But at the time my BMI was 34, so I didn't qualify, even with high blood pressure. As my weight increased, my doctor referred me to the hospital's weight loss center. They started me on a non-surgical program, and it worked a bit for a while. And then it didn't, and I gained everything back plus some. I even tried Wegovy for a while, but I could never get it long enough to see if it would work because of the shortages, plus the discounts dried up and the out of pocket was crazy. But this past summer, my weight peaked at the highest it had ever been, tied with the day I left the hospital after delivering my second child. My BMI had reached 40. My body ached, my feet ached. I was bloated all the time. Nothing fit. My heart kept doing a worrying fluttery thing. I had to increase my blood pressure medication. With the pandemic, I had stopped going to the weight management center. My doctor told me to go back. This time, they asked if I would be interested in considering surgery, and I jumped at the chance. It was like the second the question was asked, I knew it was time. If they'd asked earlier, I probably would've done it then. But for such a long time I didn't qualify, and then I probably did but everyone seemed to think I should still keep trying on my own. When I found out my out of pocket costs would only be around $3k, I nearly fainted. I assumed it would be so expensive. My brother was self-pay and it was 10k. Instead, it's the same as two months of Wegovy! Now I'm just counting the weeks until my Dec 27th surgery date.

I usually eat whatever I feel like. Today I had coffee with half cup of 1% milk and collagen powder (breakfast). For lunch, I had a 120g slice of bacon, egg, onion quiche (homemade). For snacks, my go-tos are crispy grapes and strawberries. I eat all types of fruit, and often changes depending how I feel. Like yesterday, I had some of a fresh cacao fruit. Other days, I love frozen durian. Not sure what I'll have for dinner, thinking of two black bean tacos (I like the black bean fiesta) but I may make some oxtail soup with veggies. It's good for prepping several little bowls for later meals. Before maintenance, during stalls, I would cut back my calorie intake on my weekly average till it breaks. To help, I use a lot of konjac noodles because they are basically calorie and carbohydrate free. In maintenance, if I gain a couple pounds, I do the same to get to my accepted weight range. I have no secrets, it's boring, I watch my calories. I have to unfortunately. My exercise is to live an active lifestyle by constantly moving wherever I am, but I don't ever do a formal exercise plan because I can't exercise my way out when I eat too much lol (As the saying goes) and it makes me more hungry anyway. I move for health, not to lose weight.

I am 10 weeks out from surgery and felt a lot of pain for those first 4 weeks. Could not bend over to tie my shoes, felt like something was pulling in one area on my left side, dull aches everywhere in my abdomen. A giant, flat ice pack was my friend... the kind that you would find in a physical therapist's office. I have a couple on had for an unrelated knee issue. Here is where I got mine: https://www.optp.com/Chattanooga-ColPac Looks like there are some on Amazon, too. I was fortunate to be able to lay around for those first couple of weeks at least. Truly hope you feel better soon!

You make some really good points about needing to be a little selfish. I think of all the people in my life who need things a certain way, and how I go out of my way to accommodate. Oh, you go to bed really early, or you must eat dinner at 3pm, or you only like Italian food, or can't meet up at that time because you need to workout? Okay, I can be flexible! I'm turning 50 this coming year and it's only in the past few years I feel like I've started to learn to advocate for my own needs. And it's definitely a learning curve. It's so hard to remember that just because you could be flexible doesn't mean you always have to be. As for relatives and food, my strongest childhood memory is probably my very obese grandma, who seemingly passed down 100% of her genes to me (thanks, Grandma!), saying within the span of two breaths: "You know, you're going to be overweight like me and you have to be so careful with what you eat...want more Polish sausage?" I mean, bless her heart, she lived to 92 and was sharp and reasonably active until the last year or two, so if she passed that gene along to me, I'll take it. But you can't tell a person one minute that they have to eat healthy and the next minute present them with an entire family-size Tupperware filled with grapes as a snack because "grapes are healthy." Which I would eat all of even if I didn't want them so as not to hurt her feelings. Meanwhile, my mom was rail thin and always going on some sort of "eat grapefruit for a week and melt the fat off" women's magazine fad diet my whole childhood. Yikes. Family can do a number on you. And you're right, all that stuff will still be there to deal with emotionally even after the surgery...

Can we pretend this is an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and it's my turn to stand up front and bare my soul?...especially since I never had the balls to set foot in a live meeting during my 35 years of having a BMI score higher than my IQ. There's donuts in the back...JOKE😁 It's been almost a year since my sleeve surgery and I couldn't be happier with the physical results. I was 60 years old, 5'4" and weighed close to 210 when I finally made an appointment with a bariatric surgeon. I'm now 61 and 134 pounds...I'm still 5'4" though. The past few days I've been in deep thought mode and was just hoping to use this forum to vent and hopefully get some feedback, positive or negative. Dining out: It's going to happen. It was probably part of your life pre-surgery, so it's naive of you to think it won't be a part of your life post-surgery. So maybe it's just me and my family (obese mother) and significant other (F, normal weight), but the minute the menu appears, I get a barrage of "Oh..they have plenty of appetizers and small portions you can order. Be careful, etc. Did you see the vegetable plate?" OK, so I know my significant other and my mom love me and are probably just concerned about my health and eating habits post-op, and if I'm being overly sensitive, just tell me and I'll shut up, but when they say things like that, it's not helping! If anything, something deep in my primordial starving "fat" brain wants to order the biggest thing on the menu and attempt to eat it. When it happened yesterday at lunch, I calmly and nicely asked both of them if they could refrain from offering me ordering advice, as I assured them, thinking about the ordering process and the actual eating of said meal in a healthy manner was the number one priority on my mind pretty much 24/7. They didn't seem to take it too well. Which leads me to my next thought... I might be stereotyping, but I'm willing to bet that a lot of us here were never/are not selfish people. I'm sure there are pages of psychological data written about the personality traits of the chronically obese and the myriad reasons we ended up as we did. My point is, after bariatric surgery, you might have to become a little selfish. You may need to put yourself first, sometimes to the detriment of others. Obviously, it helps if you can do this in a nice manner, but with certain people and situations in your life post-surgery, you might just have to be a selfish a*****e. If your new lifestyle (diet, whatever you want to call it), exercise regimen, food habits, etc don't quite mesh with those around you, too bad. This is your last chance at success and you need to make YOU the priority. I walk a lot now...and it takes a lot of time. Some of that is time I used to spend with other people...now it's not always like that. Some have mentioned it. I don't care. I always invite them to walk with me but I'm not going to not walk because they want to do something else or don't feel like walking. When I think about some of the healthiest people I have known in my life, they were/are quite selfish when it comes to exercise. One of my friends has been to the gym every morning from 5:30-7:30 for 35 years. He never misses. It's not an option. That's amazing to me because despite the genetics of obesity, there's no question that having some type of exercise regimen helps at some level. Did I ever have that level of commitment? Only to stopping at Whataburger several times a week. So as much as I read pre-surgery and even with the psychological profiling the doctor did, I never read much or heard anyone talk about some of the changes I needed to make mentally to make this work. It seems like most of the pre-surgery discussion is about how to eat before and after the surgery and most of the psychological discussion is about not letting one addiction (food) be supplanted by another (drugs, alcohol, etc). The crux of this dissertation, if you're still reading, is that there couldn't be more truth to the phrase bantered around here...."They operated on your stomach, not your brain". Prepare yourself for some mental challenges that being thinner does not make any easier. I must look a lot better because everyone tells me so...but I don't always feel better. Some of the same issues I've dealt with all my life, totally unrelated to weight, are still around. It's not that I expected them to disappear, but I think at some level, deep down, many of us think/thought, "Oh, if only I weren't so fat, I wouldn't have to deal with this problem [insert the problem/issue of your choosing]". Maybe I was just being naive or stupid, or both, but even being "thin" comes with plenty of challenges. I know these are "first world" problems and I'm not trying to sound like a complaining, spoiled brat. I just wanted to let off some steam here in the hopes that I'm not alone. Thanks for listening.

I'm surprised you are 2 years post op and just now experiencing dumping syndrome. Kudos to you for avoiding rich, fatty or sugary food until now. (If that's the case.) Oddly I have only experienced it if I eat refined sugar. I made the mistake of eating birthday cake a couple weeks ago and found out very quickly that I cannot. Fortunately, I didn't have the rapid heartbeat, sweating or nausea but I spent the entire evening and half the night running to the bathroom. My body wasn't having it and went through me like water. I guess now I know to avoid it, since that was my first try. I have absolutely no problem with artificial sweeteners though. Is this a typo and meant to say, I can't eat anything? If so, that's a problem that needs to be checked out by your doctor. If you meant you are cleared to eat anything that only goes to show even if you can, you shouldn't. GL

You have a great reason to get to your goal. Have the IVF team said you need to be at 175lbs ? Huge congratulations on your progress so far. You need to have a little patience now. The easy part has ended and the work begins for you. I started at a similar weight to you almost 2 years ago. I have just upped my cals from 1200 to 1500 a day. I am still loosing but at a micro pace. I had a 3.5 month stall, a stone ago. I keep thinking I am done and then chunk ! the scales go down again. If I am truly honest with myself, I love the continued weight losses but my family and friends are saying whoa stop.

First off, congratulations on the weight you’ve lost so far! You should be proud. I am about seven months past surgery and I’ve hit my goal. As others have said, weight loss is very slow. I’ve only drifted down a pound or two in the last 2 to 3 weeks. It’s important to realize that you are still losing weight, so you are still working towards your goal. Some things you can do is take a look at how clean are your calories? Are you eating good, healthy food? Eating right keeps your body in-tune in all areas…keeps all the systems working harmoniously. Makes you feel good and keeps your MIND on track. Another thing you can do is look at your exercise. Keeping muscle is important as it burns the fat and cardio will help you in your daily calorie reduction. It doesn’t take much to energize your body to help burn even more calories. And above all else remember, slow loss is still a loss!!

Yeah, I was not told to count carbs either. Just was told to avoid pasta, bread & rice, like we usually all are, & to keep carbs lowish. I still keep my carbs lowish & still don’t eat bread, pasta or rice. I look to multi or whole grains & mostly those that are low processed (which will give you extra fibre) like traditional oats. Remember your vegetables & fruit have fibre which will compensate for having fewer carbs because you have to count whole carbs. Our bodies have different needs which is why someone may lose weight following one way of eating & someone else can’t. Low carb may work for you or may not in the long term. Now you are getting closer to your goal you can start to work out what your body needs in regards to nutrients to function effectively. What you discover can be quite interesting. I discovered I feel better with lowish carbs & very low sugar. I also feel better if I eat breakfast a little later (around 9am) after years of not eating breakfast or feeling blah if I did. Oh, yeah, you can’t break a stall. It’s a natural & important part of your weight loss. The stall will break when your body is ready & has adjusted (digestive hormones, metabolism, etc.) to meet your new needs. You’ve been putting it through a lot. Best thing is not to make changes which will stress your body more.

I didn't stop losing until I was 20 months out. But after the first year it was S-L-O-W going - like 1-2 lbs a month some months. 800-1000 calories sounds fine. I don't think I'd cut any more than that unless you're under medical supervision, like we are the first few weeks after surgery.

I've never counted carbs - whole or net. My program stressed eating balanced meals (not low-carb, like many of them do), and also, I'm not very carb-sensitive (I know a lot of people ARE). two weeks isn't that long for a stall. They usually last 1-3 weeks, and sometimes they can go ever longer as you get closer to goal. (the last few months I kept thinking, "well, this must be it...", but then I'd drop a couple of pounds). You can't really break a stall - it's part of losing weight. Your body has to stop and recalibrate every once in a while. The best thing to do is make 100% sure you're sticking to your program, and only weigh yourself once a week or so until it breaks. you may be far from over. I kept losing weight until month 20. But those last few pounds were a bear to get off...

I count "net" carbs ( Carbs minus fiber ) I love the low carb lifestyle ! Before surgery,I lost 40# doing low carb and my body slammed on the brakes and said "nope " at 210 and wouldn't let me lose anymore. That's why I went for surgery ! Now that I'm 5 months out - my body is saying NOPE again ....*sigh*... I've been stalled for 3 & a half months !! I honestly don't think there's any real way to break it ,we just have to wait it out. There's so many videos about people that say they KNOW how to break a stall. I think it's all BS - especially the ones that try and sell you a certain vitamin or remedy. We'll get there . PS ......... I'm giving you a standing ovation for losing 100 lbs !!!!!! You're an inspiration

Hi. I am almost 7 months post op. I have lost around 100 lbs. I need to lose 50 more to reach goal weight. My weight loss is at a stall for about 2 weeks. Do y'all count whole carbs or net carbs? I emailed my nutritionist, but haven't heard back from her. I want to know what has worked for my fellow sleevers and other weight loss surgery people. I use My Fitness Pal and it automatically does net carbs. They told me to stay under 50g carbs/day, but I'm wondering if counting net carbs instead of whole is affecting my weight loss. Also, what have y'all done to break a stall? Thanks!!!!!!!

Hello I know everyone is different, but I would really appreciate any comments as to when you finally stopped losing weight after your surgery? I am nearly 8 months post gastric bypass, but have at least another 2st 8lbs to lose before I hit my goal (my goal is to be outside of the obese category for my BMI). Whilst I would love to lose more than this, as long as I lose another 2st 8lbs I will be happy as my reason for undergoing the surgery (other than for my own health) is because I want to undergo IVF. The further out of my surgery I get the more I am consciously limiting my calories and food, because I am just so scared of the weight loss stopping and I am finding it a struggle to shift 1lb a week. Which is making me worry that soon my weight loss will stop. I would say I am eating maximum of 800 - 1,000 calories a day. Any info would be much appreciated.

I'm not exactly sure where to ask questions about plastic surgery but I'm hoping someone here might have some ideas. I'm wondering if I got a tummy tuck in early jan if I will be fine for my cruise I have already booked that leaves at the end of april. Its a 2 week transatlantic so a long time and a lot of walking. I would love to look my best for the cruise and see this as like the perfect ending but I also don't want to risk being in pain and ruin my cruise. Is early jan to the end of april for sure enough time to heal and be ready? I will for sure be doing the tummy tuck but depending on cost I might be adding other things in like the breasts and a bbl or at least a butt lift because I have nothing but saggy skin in the butt area anymore lol. Any thoughts or experience?

Hi all. Surgery dates are backed up so I was expecting next year at some point and got offered 11/13 for a sleeve a few weeks ago. I had to do 6-months of meetings with PAs and nutritionists for my insurance so it has been some time in coming. I started a month-long pre-op diet on Monday and have been OK but a little shaky. I'm on Ozempic which has occasionally made me vomit in the morning when moving to a new dose but now I've done it every morning since starting this diet. Hoping that gets under control soon.

It gets better. I'm on day 6, tomorrow day 7 of a two-week pre-op full liquid diet. I was feeling pretty good by day 4 myself and honestly the last two days I have not been hungry at all.

I would definitely say for the first few weeks don’t be discouraged! When I got home from the hospital I was 10 lbs heavier and it took some time to get that off and actually start losing. Also for myself I thought I could still eat at the speed I used to which was a big mistake that I’m still working on even now! I need to chew throughly or my stomach will definitely hurt. I’ve gotten better though because my first few months I would either throw things up or get the foamies. Lastly I can still tolerate things like sugar in small amounts but you’ll quickly learn that it really just depends on what it is. I’ve eaten a donut with no problem but then a few weeks ago I had a small bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and was in the bathroom 3 times in an hour. I do mostly sugar free things but occasionally I’ll have something with regular sugar so it’s good that I know what I can and can’t tolerate.

My surgery date was October 4th. I had gastric bypass surgery. My liquid diet started on September 20th. My weight loss journey started August 3rd at 266lbs. Surgery day I was 236lbs. Today, 2 weeks post op, I weighed in a 224lbs.

You’re a week out from what was a pretty major surgery. You’ll be healing & recovering for a few weeks & will feel random spasms of pain or discomfort during this time. Sometimes it’s simply moving in the wrong way or bending or lifting that can cause what is like a muscle pull. There are often internal sutures to support your tummy & intestines which are easy to ‘pull’ or ‘strain’ if you do a little too much, too soon, or move too quickly. Same with feeling tired & having little energy. If you feel tired it’s your body telling you to rest so it can heal. It does get better & you’ll start to feel like your usual self soon. Of course if the pain gets worse, is stronger than you have been experiencing or is persisting, get in contact with your surgeon or go to your nearest medical centre just to be sure everything is okay.

I woke up with pain on my right side. Just felt tired today and uncomfortable. Anyone else experience this?!

I woke up with pain on my right side. Just felt tired today and uncomfortable. Anyone else experience this?!

Have you tried something like the unflavored protein from Genepro? You can add it to anything you are eating or drinking and it will boost your protein count, so you can alternate between protein and non-protein drinks. 3 weeks of liquids post op?? And I thought my 3 week pre-op diet sucked. LOL Good luck to you, I will have 2 weeks of liquids which is pretty standard for the more progressive bariatric practices. I bet that extra week of liquids will help your suture lines heal suuuper strong!! Are they letting you have sugar free popsicles and sugar free jello? That helps break up the all liquids a bit.

Things have changed a whole lot since my surgery in 2010! The diet plan I had to follow was one Ensure Protein [and I am know it was not the 30gr/carton variety] and water. That was it. On the hour, 2 oz of protein then 2 oz of water every 15 minutes. I even bought a set of eight pretty 2 oz shot glasses that my husband would use for my meals. At the top of the hour, he brought me one with protein and three with water. Start over at the top of the hour and continue until you went to bed. Slider foods, those that are pureed like mashed potatoes, canned refried beans, tuna with mayo, hot cereals, etc were for weeks 4-6 back then. Of course every practice has their own requirements and so much has changed. To up your protein, add some to your cereals or your yogurt. They make flavorless proteins. Find the protein that you can tolerate. Also, you can look into the clear liquid proteins that are out there. Many companies make them. Stalls are your body's way of trying to figure out just what you are trying to do to it. It naturally does not want you to starve to death so it will hold onto those pounds for as long as it can. Then, you will suddenly lose two pounds overnight, lose for a while and then begin another stall. This is the first of many stalls - just keep doing what you are supposed to be doing and don't let that stall get to you. Yes, that is hard, the "not letting it get to you" part. Remember that your surgery is just another tool in your toolbox and not a magic bullet. For the constipation, which is really common after this surgery because of the high protein intake, I would add Miralax to your water or any liquid or hot cereal. One capful mixed in 8 oz of water, for example. You won't know it is there. I now mix one capful of Miralax with my morning decaf coffee. You could also add stool softener as well. If after adding those, and not getting relief, absolutely speak with your surgeon. There are prescription meds out there that can help.