Search the Community

Surgery Date: 7/31/2023 How are you? I feel amazing. My energy is good although I do feel tired quicker. How's your process going? I am steadily losing weight down 26lbs since the day of my surgery and 61lbs since I started this journey. What are you excited about for the future? I have a closet full of vintage clothing in a variety of sizes. Once I get to my goal weight and have maintained it for a while I am going to have everything fitted to my body which I have never done so things either fit right or they didn't. What are you enjoying now? I am enjoying seeing the number on the scale go down and how my clothes are fitting. How are you talking about the upcoming surgery with family and friends? I did not share my surgery with anyone outside of my immediate family. This journey is very personal to me. What supports have been helpful to you? I still see my bariatric therapist as I feel I still need to talk through some things. I am hoping that this group will be helpful as well.

Hey all - my cousin had surgery Nov 1 last year - starting weight 240 now at 105 - where she lives you can’t get skin surgery for 2 years - she found these amazing products at https://www.maelyscosmetics.com and has been using 5 of them - she doesn’t need skin surgery now and she swears by these products. I ordered some last night &thought I’d share.

So, the whole being unable to drink water thing, it's not in my head like my partner wants to think lol. He thought I was just being difficult that I had to have some sort of flavor and sweetener because water is too "thin" and just "wrong".. I was feeling dehydrated the other day after being out longer than expected and I ran out of my drinks that I brought with me.. so I ducked into the dollar tree and the only thing I was allowed to have in the fridge case was a water. I had some lemonade packets buried somewhere in the car- but I took a swig of the water - not a gulp or anything and the second it reached my esophagus, it turned right back around. Instantly rejected. He got to witness it live and in person finally that my body is literally rejecting just plain water. It's like the wires have been crossed and I react physically like the water is poison. So then this man literally spent over a half an hour in a sweltering parking lot digging around for my lemonade packets! He's a believer now for sure. In other news.. I am now officially at my pre-severely traumatic event weight! 60lbs down! Lets go!!!! The pool has been GREAT exercise!

I appreciate your kind words. I just worry because I always hear that you get most of your weight loss in the first three months and I've only gone back to my 'normal' from about a year ago (280s-290s). When I weigh, sometimes I see the weight even go up by a pound (like this morning). Meanwhile, I used online calculators to estimate weight loss and they kept saying I should be losing like 40-50 pounds during the first three months and so I worry about 'wasting' this apparently golden period of weight loss.

Update: 13 days preop Pain: None Energy: Getting better daily. Exercise: Just walking Protein: 60+ grams a day. Fluids: 64+ oz a day. Supplements: Baratric advantage 2 calcium chews & 1 multi vitamin w/iron. Weight lose: 22 pounds

lol no. If you look at my signature, you can see my weight loss progression. And my username lets you know I had a sleeve and revised it to a bypass

I'm going to try and keep this from being too long, but there's so much to say!!! First I'll start with my newest NSVs. I'm officially in a size 18 clothes (from my original size 30), size 10 shoes (from my original size 11), size 6 1/2 ring (from my original size 10), 18" chain on a necklace (from my original 24" chain), and 2x jacket (from my original 4-5x). I can now comfortably fit on a massage table without fear of it creaking or breaking. I can now ride a bike because I'm within the weight limit. I now am able to hit my favorite thrift stores and walk out with seriously cute clothes that look nice, sit well on me, and actually fit comfortably!! My asthma is almost completely gone (I only have it when I get super sick now instead of all the time). My blood work came back and my hormone levels are almost in the normal range (I have PCOS) and my cysts that completely COVERED both ovaries are totally gone (without having taken any meds or done any hormone therapies!!) I did a 6 mile hike this past weekend with my son. I am completely pain free and am able to go full on beast mode with my workouts again. I can go up 5 flights of stairs before I need to stop and rest. Now for my new chapter in life and old dreams becoming new again. So years ago, I wanted to become a nurse. I completed all of the academics with a 4.0, aced all the labs, but couldn't do any of the clinicals because I couldn't do all the walking, I was 400 pounds, and my health/joints/back were way too bad. So I gave up on it. Then about 2 years later, I thought "well, maybe I can be a medical assistant. Surely THAT'S not as hard" and once again, I couldn't do the externship because I couldn't do the physical stuff. So I went into other areas for work, ballooned up to 421 pounds, worked remotely, and made good money. I loved what i did, but there was always a part of me that regretted not being able to go into the medical field. That was my heart's desire. So fast forward to now. I'm between jobs and miserable. I had to stop working because of all my complications from my first surgery. Now that I've been cleared, I can't get hired anywhere. So I decided that now is a great time to go back to my dream of working in the medical field. So on Sept 5th, I start school to become a certified pediatric oncology medical assistant. Most of my previous credits transfer over, so I only have about 6 months of academics to do and then the externship. Then I sit for my certification exam and then I get to finally FINALLY do what I've always wanted to do. By my 46th birthday next June, I should be right where I want to be, doing what I want to do, and hopefully at my goal weight. I'm sitting here in tears as I type this, because I thought this was something I would never see happen. I resigned myself to being morbidly obese, extremely unhealthy, and needing a cane to get around. I may not be at my goal weight (the weight comes off a lot slower with a revision, and also as your bmi gets smaller and you get closer to your goal) but I believe eventually I'll get there. But the things this surgery is giving to me, the dreams I can live out, the health and wellness and years of my life I'm getting back..... it was all worth it. The complications, the uncertainty, the pain and healing and stalls.... all completely worth it. We all start this journey wanting the numbers on the scale to go down. But there's SO MUCH MORE this surgery gives you. I will never, ever regret my decision. Never.

Based on a weight loss of 32 pounds in 9 weeks, that is an average weekly loss of 3.5 pounds. Excellent. I average a 2-pound loss a week and completely happy with it. The consistent downward trend I see on the scale is exciting to watch. Especially after years of failed dieting. If you must weigh daily, add up each day's weight for a week, then divide by how many days you stepped on the scale. Then compare week by week. I did this method years ago since this helps factor in water weight fluctuations. which can cause up to 5 pounds of variation daily, depending on sodium intake and menstrual cycles. I weigh once a week now and let my RENPHO smart scale do the math for me. It also takes bodyfat percentage which to me is a more important measurement as compared to the daily ups and downs of those weight scale numbers. Also, a stall here or there is to be expected while our bodies readjust but I'll take it. GL and congrats on your recent WLS @DustyRecording

Yes, 32lbs is a good loss over two months. There’ll always be people who lose more/lose faster while others lose more slowly & there’s nothing wrong with either way. Yes stalls can be frustrating but they are an important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body takes stock of the changes you’ve made (weight loss, reduced food intake, increased activity, etc.). Think of it as your body being stressed by these changes. Your body then resets things like your digestive hormones, metabolic rate etc. so it can better manage your new needs. Your stall will end when your body is ready to move forward again & they usually last 1-3 weeks on average. Leave the scales for a few days or reduce how often you weigh yourself. Take some body measurements as some say the scales don’t move but their body is still getting smaller.

My surgery was on August 15 and my weight loss has been super slow too. I’m following the plan to the . Isopure protein drinks 1-2 premeir protein drinks and 64oz of water a day. My starting weight was 210 and I’m barely at 197 now. Maybe some of us lose more slowly at different stages. I agree though, that blended meals like the one mentioned in the original posting is way soon to try a meal and sounds too heavy for a bariatric patient… at least this early on.

Thank you for clarifying and for reminding me about water weight. Yesterday my scale told me I had gained 4 pounds. I couldn’t figure it out, until I remembered that I had been receiving IV fluids for almost 48 hours when I was in the hospital (not surgery-related).

Hi Penny, I ended up with low potassium after surgery and had to stay in the hospital on those awful beds and few extra days and then told to go see my primary care doc, who is great. Love my PCP. Eating is hard - just had chicken salad puree for lunch - it's all I can do to stomach it. Kind of gross. I hope you can get your thyroid under control and soon. I would think it would play a big part in weight loss. I only feel better when I drink my protein shakes otherwise I have no brain function nor energy. I actually felt good yesterday with extra energy, I was shocked. Today I'm a bit laggy because for whatever reason I'm not longer getting past 5 or 6 hours of sleep at night. I'm lucky because at 66, I'm retired and my hubby is very neat so there isn't much demand on me. I am trying to get back into crafting but that's hardly demanding lol. I have a end of Nov show to build stock for. I can take my time. Wishing you well and not to hard of days at work. Just think a year from now we'll be a lot smaller and for me new knees!!!

Peggy Anne, I feel your pain. I'm supposed to move from pureed to more soft foods this week. I have stalled in my weight loss but I also have a thyroid issue now apparently. My dr did a blood check last week and my t4free is low but I quit my Levothyroxine at the time of the surgery bc they told me the thyroid was too high at that point...smh. For the last week I've been so tired I can barely walk, and then I developed a rash on the thyroid area of my neck and other thyroid symptoms so I started the meds back a couple of days ago but they still haven't helped. I called the nurse at my surgeon's office to ask if they had seen my results (i got them the next day) and she said basically she could make me an appointment but that really isn't their issue? I guess she wanted me to see my primary care dr but since I don't actually HAVE A REGULAR DR I told her I'm seeing my nephrologist tomorrow and I'd see if he could tell me what to do. I'm kind of like Why am I following up with the surgeon at all bc apparently if there is an issue, he won't handle it so I'm going to get labs done and sent to him to tell me to see a regular dr.???? About your meatballs....I had 1/4 lb of ground beef I cooked w./brown gravy and put over some mashed potatoes that stayed down so I took out a 1 lb pack of 12 frozen, pre-made meatballs last night that I thought I'd cook down in some spaghetti sauce. Didn't consider adding cheese but I thought I'd cook meatballs in the air fryer and then drain well and add to some store bought sauce. I am missing vegetables, carbs too like rice, breads, potatoes, etc. but the veg is almost a craving since I haven't had anything green in 30 days. I'm maybe eating 2-3 times a day, I also tried a piece of baked tilapia with butter and seasonings that stayed down well with no issues. It seems anything without a sauce or gravy causes issues, nothing too dry. Other than that I seem to be progressing along in the healing up process. Now if I can just get the strength back and walk across the room ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ:)

So I got my surgery on June 22nd - about nine weeks ago. I am 5'8", 35F, and started out at 320, I'm currently 288 for a loss of 32 pounds over about two months. Is that okay? For the last week or so, I've had a really rough stall and barely been losing anything. Some days I'll even gain a pound. This is my second stall. I normally eat between 600 and 1000 calories (mostly about 800) and almost entirely protein really. Is there an issue with me? Is my weight loss rate okay or is it too slow? I feel like I should have lost like 50 pounds by now. What about this stall?

I think I misspoke, I did lose 3 lbs week one (plus the 6 lbs of water weight from 4 days of IV fluids) and 5 lbs week 2 in total 14 lbs but really I shouldn't count the water so 8lbs. My sister reminded me this very morning that an 8 lb loss in 2 weeks is amazing. I always want to hurry up and wait. As for the meatball recipe it was 1 of 4 recommended recipes except I added the ricotta trying to get my protein up. I'm supposed to be eating 5 to 6 servings of 2 oz of meat a day and I can't seem to get past 1 1/2. So far I can do one meal and 2 protein shakes or visa versa. I fear my metabolism will stall if I can't get more in but for now it's day by day. I appreciate the input though. Everyone is so helpful in this group and I'm loving it.

Most post-op diet plans I see here seem like standard weight loss diets. Some of them seem quite draconian. My surgeon's philosophy was different. From the very beginning he stressed that I was learning a new way of eating. This was a new way for me, but most rational people would view as "healthy" and nothing much out of the ordinary. This would be for the rest of my life. As I said in my previous post, I didn't count things in my plan beyond basic meal planning: Protein first then some veggies. I started at what most here would call a "maintenance diet." In the first 6 weeks, it was no different than my most recent 6 weeks, other than the food was pureed. When I reached goal, nothing changed. I had no desire nor inclination to live the rest of my life dieting. Good luck, Tek

You shouldn’t be experiencing a slow weight loss at only 2 weeks out, especially if this is the original bariatric surgery. Even with a revision, you shouldn’t be stalled (speaking as someone who has been). Looking at the ingredients in your meatball shake, though, I’m not surprised. The meatballs, ricotta and Parmesan are heavy, even though they’ve been blitzed. It sounds like you’re trying to move through the food stages to get to “regular” food again too quickly. This reminds me of a scene in an episode of “ER,” where a bariatric patient swore he was drinking his shakes. Turns out, the ingredients were pizza, an entire fried chicken dinner, and any kind of fast food you can think of, all blended in a blender. We all understand how it feels to be so desperate to get to solid-(ish) foods. The best thing we can do is follow the plan to the letter (and keep after the constipation, that’ll weigh you down, too). Take care, and keep up the good work.

I’ll be 5 years post op in October, and I was (and still am) an avid tracker so I log everything I eat, and my app figures out the cals and macros. During weight loss phase I focused on being ultra-low carb (under 25g NET carbs a day). I also went low-calorie but this sorta happened on its own cuz I didn’t really want to eat much anyway…I.e., by the time I got to goal, I was consuming sub-800 cals a day. lost all the weight I wanted plus a bit more, and looked like death’s older sister lolzzzzz. i eventually got over my fear of carbs during maintenance and by around 2-3 years post-op, was eating whatever carbs I want (not just good carbs, but the not-so-great ones as well…I’m looking at dessert and chips!) BUT I still make sure to stay within my maintenance calorie range1800-ish cals a day normally, 2300+ cals when I’m in an exercising phase. Its worth noting that I actually weigh LESS today (119 lbs) than I did when I was death’s sibling after reaching goal (127 lbs) yet I look waaaaaaay healthier (not so gaunt) now. I think it’s the carbs. While I really liked how my body looked back then when I was low-carbing, my face really suffered. Now, though my body looks less fit and “softer”, my face is also looking “softer” and is quite pleasing to look at in the mirror lolololzzzzzz. long story short, weight loss is ultimately down to calories in and calories out, however way those calories are comprised (carb, fat, or proteins). Stay under your maintenance calories and you WILL lose weight. The trick is finding out what your maintenance calories are at ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME because it isn’t static and changes with age, activity level, health status, sleep patterns, stress levels, etc….which is why I’m a big proponent of food/body weight/activity tracking cuz all that data helps to figure out patterns and stuff. i get it’s not for everybody though. But I totally credit tracking to me staying under goal weight this entire time (5 years post in October). Good Luck!❤️

I don't have any experience with this specific device but as a general rule, weight can fluctuate from day to day and it is completely normal. I know for myself, if I weigh daily, I sometimes see a 4 or 5 pound variance. I would suggest maybe picking a day each week to weigh and try to stay off the scale otherwise. I know it feels counterintuitive, but weighing daily can actually be somewhat detrimental when we see those very normal fluctuations. I'm sure your partner is doing great!

Hi My partner had a Allurion balloon fitted 4 days ago. She has been losing each day but today she has put on 3 lb. She has been stringent with her diet. Is this normal when starting to eat pureed food?

If you count carbs you still have to be mindful of how many calories you consume. And if you count calories you have to be mindful of how many of those are from carbs. Fruits and veggies I don't worry so much about. I used the Baritastic app during my 3-month pre-op diet basically to show my nutritionist what I was eating and to make sure I was staying within my limits to lose the weight needed for surgery. Afterwards I don't use it. Logging and thinking about food 24/7 drives me nuts. But I do practice mindful eating and if using it helps keep you on track, then do it. I did like the recipe feature. Just add all ingredients and then your serving size. It does all the math for you. I pretty much know what foods to eat and which to avoid and the WLS restricts my amounts anyway. Portion control, I think is most important. By now I've gotten pretty good at eyeballing what I put on my plate. Some days I can finish it and others I push it away. As long as my weight continues to go down, I know I am on the right track. I'm hoping by the time the honeymoon phase is over and normal hunger returns, I will have formed new habits to maintain my losses and continue losing weight to goal.

It’s something we all have to face. Some have a little, some have a lot. All depends on factors like age, gender, starting weight, how long you’ve been at your higher weight, how much you lose, genetics, etc. Can’t stop it as your skin has already been stretched out. You won’t know how much you’ll have until your weight stabilises. If it does bother you, you’re self conscious /effects your confidence, it causes health issues like rashes,etc. or limits your ability to be active, there’s always surgery to remove it which many do. Personally I haven’t gone down the surgery path. I don’t have a lot of loose skin and I can cover it easily with my clothes & don’t need compression underwear to hide or control it. In some ways I feel I earned it - not as a punishment for being obese but because of my successful weight loss. Rather the loose skin than the fat.

I didn’t have to count carbs or calories either. Just told to keep my carbs (sugar, fat) low & given a list of carbs to avoid (bread, pasta, rice, etc. - anything low processed). Portion size was what I had to focus on (& protein & fluids of course). 1/4-1/3 cup from purée increasing to a cup at about 6 months. I still watch my portion sizes. I used to randomly check calories just out of my own interest while I was losing & I still do this. Simply because if you are consuming more calories than your body needs to function effectively you will gain weight. (An additional 100 calories a day equates to 10lbs over a year 😱 yikes!) But yes working out calories for complex meals like salads, soups, stews, etc. you cook yourself can be challenging & never completely accurate. I tend to focus on the protein content only then. I check the weight of the protein in the soup, casserole, etc. & work out about how many portions that would be of the finished meal. Hard to weigh meats with bones to work out the calories too. I go to recommended serving sizes then to help guide my portion. To eat carbs or not in the long term is really up to you and what works for you in regard to what types, how often, how much. I only ate rolled oats while losing and then could start adding other whole or multi grains carbs from maintenance. The carbs in vegetables & fruit were always okay & were a free pass. I only eat two serves of multi/whole grain carbs a day & still don’t eat bread & similar products, pasta, rice. They sit heavily. Don’t miss them & I do feel better without them - no bloating, less wind, etc. but that’s me. There’s nothing stopping you counting your own carbs & keeping them at a level you’re happy with while you’re losing if you want. As long as you monitor, the best you can, the calories your team is asking for. Remember once you work out the calories for a specific salad, soup, etc, you don’t have to do it every time you eat those recipes. As long as your portion remains the same (adjusting for the increase in portions as you progress) the calories will be pretty accurate.

I do both. Actually, I log my calories, carbs, protein, and fat. I'm so used to it at this point that it's second nature. One week I'll work out 5 days and rest 2. Then the next week I'll work out 4 days and rest 3. I also stick to my routine, but switch up the actual exercises within the routine so I "confuse" my body and what I'm doing continues to work. Workout days (alternate between heavy cardio, weight training, core/strength training, wall/beginner pilates): Calories: 1200-1300 (depending on what I'm doing that day) Carbs: 35-40 Protein: 90g Fat: 45-50g NON workout days (rest days): Calories: 900-1000 Carbs: 20-25 Protein: 60-70g Fat: 30-35g

I do both. I use the Baritastic app, and I set my calorie and carb goals and try not to exceed them. I think some people take issue with carb counting because there's good carbs and really, really bad carbs. For me, carbs are really important to monitor because I really don't like vegetables. I can eat a bit of fresh salad, but that's about it because I have texture issues. I can't stand cooked veggies, to me it's inedible slime. Lol! Obviously, good carbs are necessary for vitamins and minerals and proper digestion, but carbs with no nutritional value (junk food) only "nurture" us emotionally. Ironically, after we eat crap that makes us feel good momentarily, we start to feel like crap, emotionally (guilt, mood swings) and physically (joint/muscle pain). I stand by my carb detoxes. I never realized how mood-altering crap food can be. I was starting to use junk food like I was using alcohol, just for instant gratification and distraction, alcohol and carb hangovers be damned. However, I was extremely frustrated, and easily irritated all.the.time. My joints hurt when I eat crap. My sleep suffers too. Once I went below 50 carbs a day, my whole attitude changed. I felt better physically and emotionally. Very healthy proteins are moderately high in calories (beef, chicken, seafood), but protein is very necessary with our bariatric surgeries. This is why I give myself more leeway with calories than carbs.Bad carbs, on the other hand, offer nothing but momentary satisfaction. Momentary satisfaction is good once in a while, but the problem with loading up on bad carbs again is that, like a drug, the more we ingest it, the more we crave it. The less we have it in our system, the less it calls our attention. People think I'm being dramatic, but I know how I feel when I detox from carbs and when I start eating crap again. It just snowballs, and eating junk becomes more and more "important" as the day progresses. Using the app really helps me keep a realistic awareness of my nutritional goals. Because I'm only 3 months out, my goal settings right now are 750-800 cal, 70-80g protein, and <50 carbs. I have good days when I hit only 600 cals, 30 carbs, but 85+g protein. I also have my bad days when I consume 875 cals, 60 carbs, but only 65g protein. I think they really go hand in hand because the more carbs I eat, the more calories I'm consuming (and the less protein I get). I worry more about my carb intake because when I go over on my carbs, I know it's because I had bites here and there of junk food (not good carbs). At the end of the day, it really all comes down to what kind of carb intake you have. If your carbs are coming from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, then it's great! But if not, then maybe take stock of them. Either way, I wish you the best always on your continued weight loss journey! P.S. Prior to my surgery, my doc wanted me to lose weight (so he could help me lose weight) so I did a semi-liquid, hyper-low carb diet and lost 32 lbs in 38 days. Didn't count or give a flip about calories. I only drank 3 shakes a day, they wanted me to drink 5. Tan locos! I couldn't drink 5. I did 3 shakes and a hearty all protein dinner.