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Hi. i am new Here and I am having my Bypass in the 20th of February. Any surgery Buddy who wants to share noted on how they are managing the pre-op weight-loss? Sent from my 2201116SG using BariatricPal mobile app

Keep doing what you are doing. It's not uncommon to have frequently plateaus and then drop 5-10 pounds. also if you are lifting weights you will gain muscle mass as well and may not show a loss but that is fine. I had my surgery Nov 2021 and I am still losing and go up and down 3-5 lbs depending on the month. :) I have surpassed my goal weight and don't focus so much on the scale. I may weigh once a month if that. Just be mindful of your water and protein and the rest will follow.

I think I was pretty much exactly where you are at 3 months post op! My team went one step further and didn't give me ANY goals at all. Just food consistency phases. I learned how to eat and what to eat mainly by reading this forum. I think I still had to push myself to reach 800 calories a day - I remember at that stage often having to take a few spoons of nut butter or some cheese at bedtime just to hit the 800 some nights but I never wanted to eat any less than that. I was drinking alcohol at weekends by then too so my intake was well over 1000 on two days a week - that was by choice though. It may have slowed my weight loss a little but luckily it didn't stop me reaching goal. I mainly walked, but I walked *very* fast and did (still do) it several days a week. I have never adjusted my intake to make allowances for that - never felt the need. I was very conscious of squeezing every pound of loss that I could over the 'honeymoon period' when I wasn't hungry - with my own personal concession being a couple of glasses of wine on Fri and Sat night. Over the months my calories have kind of drifted upwards really - never planned. I can just eat a bit more before I get full, and I get properly hungry now which forces me to eat again at the most 3 hours later - at 3 months out I was pretty much eating by the clock to get 100 or so calories in every 2-3 hours. You had your surgery almost exactly a year after me and you started 4lbs heavier. I've just looked at my diary and this time last year I was...218lb exactly, same as you today. What are the chances? You are doing brilliantly. 😍

I was eating around 800 for most of that first year. I went over 1000 at around the year mark. Your weight loss WILL slow down and do some yo-yoing the further out you go, so that's not abnormal. As long as your overall trend is down, you're still good.

How did you know it was time to up your calories? I am 3 months post op and averaging about 750-850 calories a day. I am hitting my recommended protein and fluid goals. I recently started working out regularly and burn about 250-400 calories a day from exercise (according to my Apple Watch). I am starting to wonder if I am not eating enough and it is hindering my weight loss. I am still losing, just slowly, and it is more of a yo yo type loss. I am worried about not properly fueling myself and wrecking my metabolism. I am not feeling overly hungry or deprived. My dietitian/surgeon won't give out calorie goals. They take the approach that if you follow the protein/fluid/serving size guidelines, everything else will fall into place naturally. They want us to track what we eat, but only focus on protein. It's hard, because on MFP all the other numbers are right in your face (calories/macros). Just curious what your calorie intake looked like around 3-4 months post op and how you knew it was time to adjust your calorie goals as you progressed. Thanks!

Every insurance company is different but it’s usually a medically supervised weight loss program (someone correct me if I’m wrong please). To know for sure you need to ask the insurance company directly. Also there may or may not be a separate requirement from the Bariactric practice so check that as well. If the owner of the spa is a licensed medical professional or there was a nutritionist on staff that may work. Even so you can ask your referring doctor to add your previous weightloss attempts with the spa to your records as a back up. Here is Cigna’s info on Bariatric surgery (it’s long but page 2 describes what you are looking for) https://static.cigna.com/assets/chcp/pdf/coveragePolicies/medical/mm_0051_coveragepositioncriteria_bariatric_surgery.pdf

Hi everyone !!! I recently decided to try the gastric sleeve option which my doctor supported. I am currently 223 pounds 5’2 so my bmi qualifies. Family history of diabetes and hypertension and heart disease cholesterol you name it they got it. The question I have is about the necessary documentation as far as documentation of weight loss within the previous 12 months. I had been going to Urban Skin solutions weight loss mes spa. Trying lipo injections and phertamine to no avail I have the documents which show my bmi and weight for every visit. Would this be enough ?

Your frustration is palpable and I’m sorry you feeling disappointed and that you weren’t given this information before surgery. Even if you feel like your weight loss has somehow been capped you when you reach a stall you stall you might consider switching it up with a focus on weight training. What our surgeries don’t take away is our ability to sculpt our bodies by adding lean muscle. That’s still within your power. I’ve really enjoyed weight training in the past - it’s given me so much confidence to see myself grow stronger and the Protein focused diet can be similar to what is encouraged of us post surgery. I hope it’s an option you consider to move past this roadblock.

I'm 2.5 years post-op from gastric bypass. I think weight loss surgery can help make major changes to your relationship with food and eating, but it takes a lot of time and work to undo the habits and mindset you've developed throughout your life up to this point. I had read that a lot of people experience changes in their tastes after surgery, and I hoped that would be the case for me but was not optimistic. I mentioned this hope to the psychiatrist during my psych eval for the surgery, and he kind of laughed at this idea and told me not to count on it. I've always been a picky eater with a long list of vegetables and cuisines that I wouldn't eat. Some people say that after surgery, food tastes different (e.g., anything sweet tastes too sweet), but that was not my experience, so I figured I wasn't one of the lucky ones whose tastes would change. Well, fast-forward to now and my tastes have changed... sort of. It's hard to explain because foods taste the same now as they did before surgery, but my likes and dislikes have changed a lot. I used to hate seafood and now I love it. I eat all kinds of vegetables that I used to hate. I'm not sure if my tastes have changed or I just have more of an open mind, or maybe having to go through the pre-op liquid diet and post-op stages made me appreciate real food more when I reintroduced it. Either way, I'm eating healthy foods every day and loving them. Before surgery, I loved watching cooking shows like Top Chef and Great British Baking Show. For the first several months after surgery, I couldn't bear to watch cooking shows. I hated even seeing food commercials on TV. It just made me sad and angry to see foods that I could no longer eat. But eventually, I got to a point where I could see food and cooking without the emotional attachment. I can watch Great British Baking Show and appreciate the cakes and cookies they make without being sad that I can't eat them. Once I got to the point of reintroducing solid food, I put a lot of effort into recreating "bariatric-friendly" versions of foods I used to eat -- especially pizza. Pizza was my kryptonite, and before surgery, I could not get enough pizza. I could have eaten pizza every day and never gotten tired of it. After surgery, I tried chicken crust pizza, and making pizza with low-carb tortilla for the crust, topped with sugar-free marinara, low fat mozzarella, and turkey pepperoni. But I also started trying healthy recipes that I found on Pinterest, and eventually, I stopped craving pizza. I haven't had anything resembling pizza (even a healthy version) in well over a year and I don't care. If you put two plates in front of me, one with a slice of pizza and one with grilled salmon and roasted vegetables, I would go straight for the salmon and not even be tempted by the pizza. This is just wild to me because three years ago, I wouldn't have eaten salmon if it were the only food available, and I never could have passed up a slice of pizza. Sometimes I feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience because before surgery, I couldn't imagine being the health nut with a refrigerator full of fresh produce and no junk food in the house, eating grilled fish and cauliflower rice and salad with fat-free dressing, but here I am. I am constantly finding new, healthy, delicious recipes. Every single day, I eat healthy food and think, "Holy crap, this is delicious!" I honestly enjoy food more now than I did when I was eating whatever I wanted with wild abandon. It took me a long time to get here, and I can't promise that you or anyone else will have the same experiences after weight loss surgery, but my relationship with food has changed more than I could have imagined.

There are therapists that specialize in bariatric therapy. They help the patient manage expectations, emotions, dealing with head hunger, etc... It's actually a really good idea. Many of us on here have used them at one time or another. I have to have a revision and while I'm concerned about the rate of loss, I'll be honest, I mostly just want to feel better. I had my sleeve in May 2022 and I've lost 108 pounds. I still have 80 pounds to go to get to goal. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing with my diet and working out, and it may take longer than it did now, but I know I'll get there. You will, too. Just keep in mind that stalls happen a lot, 25 pounds lost in 6 weeks in excellent, and just stick religiously to your surgeon's plan and you'll get there in the end. The main goal is better health, anyway.

My advice for what its worth would be, 1 Rest when your body says so, have a nap whenever you can. 2 Don't rush the process, your stomach has a massive wound in it and will be swollen and sore, hence the need for liquid and puree stages. 3 Remember the 3 week stall, you won't panic when you stop loosing weight. 4 Don't compare yourself to anyone else. This is your weight loss journey. No two journeys are the same. Good luck and keep us posted of your progress

I was tired of being happy to find clothes and hairstyles that were “ adequate.” So I went down the rabbit hole of Kibbe typing, finding my “essence,” and getting my colors done. By the time my hair got disastrous I had a plan with a new hair dresser to get a shorter style that flattered me. Yes, I do miss my long silver tresses, but my overall look is so much more feminine and professional. Weekend warrior style is just as easy. You can turn this into a wonderful adventure into living your best life both internally and externally. (Sorry, I’m a special need’s teacher and mom so I’m paid for positive thinking.) There’s a million YouTube videos waiting for anyone of any potential to discover!

Great weight loss results! I had only the bypass but continue to talk with others at my practice who have had both. There are some with lots of pain, and a slightly longer recovery, and some with less. Like anything, adjust to your needs, it’s not a comparison. Remember the whole surgery and recovery is very very temporary. I wish you the best.

Constipation and general digestive disruptions are very common with weight loss surgery. Many of us go out of our way to eat green leafy vegetables and/or take fiber supplements daily to keep things regular. If you do a search for constipation you will find many many threads with helpful tips.

i would wait to with the hair extensions until after you pass the hair loss stage. the extensions will simply fall out with your already shedding hair. worse, it may inadvertently pull out the hair that didn't shed because of the increased stress on them. i understand it totally sucks when i are on the throes of it, but it really is only temporary. i chopped off all my hair as well at 3 months post. im 4+ years out and it is now well past my underboobs. And thicker, yay! And curlier (weird, but also yay!) Hang in there! ❤️

I had a VSG on 01/06/23. I loss 38 lbs since the pre-op liquid phase. I consume 800-1000 calories a day and aim for 80+ grams of protein a day. I feel good. I haven't had any issues with any foods. Well except that I cannot tolerate protein shakes at all so I rely on protein rich foods. I can also tolerate unflavored Genepro in my Crystal Light and some protein bars.

I mean this in the most caring way possible, but I’ve seen many posts similar to this one and I can’t help but wonder if we are focusing on the wrong issue - not that you can tolerate more than you think you should but that so early after surgery you are testing the limits of what you can tolerate beyond what you’ve advised to (I’m assuming you wouldn’t be concerned enough to post about that amount you can eat here unless you’ve been otherwise advised to eat less ). I completely understand the urge to move beyond purée. and how great solid food is.  And worry about your (and others who post similarly) safety as you push these boundaries and also commitment to long term success. I don’t know your backstory but many of us including myself got ti a place that required weight loss surgery due to pushing the boundaries of serving sizes in our pre-op lives. To go through this surgery, is in essence a self inflicted bodily trauma, only to revert right back to that food serving boundary pushing when you know it’s especially dangerous to your healing stomach indicates maybe there are some underlying food issues you could benefit from addressing in therapy. Please I really hope this doesn’t come off condescending or as a lecture,it’s not my intention- I deeply sympathize with what you experiencing, I’m just genuinely concerned for your ongoing success and recovery.

I’ll add another ick. To keep us trending… Rn for me it’s milk of magnesia. I know that’s not bari specific but just thinking about the taste makes me shudder. I’ll also add in a generic annoyance with seeing people treat me more kindly or graciously since my weight loss has become noticeable…ick

I’m struggling right now too. I’m not regretting but wishing there was a fast forward. Like you I take adderall for adhd and had similar eating pattern before starting this process with not eating much during the day but then a huge meal in evening -often a take away when the adderall wears off. I’m having a bit of the opposite problem. I’m finding food really unappealing right now. Just looking at a piece of meat (especially grilled chicken and Turkey meatballs)or smelling it is enough to turn me off. I’m struggling to tolerate vegetables, I’m still experiencing nausea semi regularly. Worse than all of those things I have really low energy. I may be 60lbs lighter than I was 6 months ago when I had my first consultation with my surgeon but I the tiredness I feel 10 weeks out from surgery is as if I was still dragging that weight around. I try to be very active and truly enjoy excercise esp swimming and weightlifting which I do in the mornings but by 4pm the exhaustion strikes and by 6p it’s like the thought of getting out of bed let alone preparing dinner feels like a gargantuan task. I’m exceeding my Protein and hydration targets and feel like I’m following all the rules, the weight loss feels controlled and stable, but I now seem to dread eating and am dreaming of the days I’ll see my pre surgery energy level. So even know I remain positive about the outlook overall in future, real time feelings in the present moment are like you somewhat miserable. And you know what, I think it’s okay to feel that way and not pretend everything is great. The reality is change comes from struggle and rewriting a lifetime of psychologically treating food as a comfort or enemy, or indulgence rather than what it truly is - the fuel for our bodies - at least for me probably requires this misery to reset. Wishing you some comfort to cravings. One food joy I was able to find was creating a Greek yogurt topping bar, having previously never liked Greek yogurt this now is a bright spot in my food day. I hope can find at least one comfort like me. Early on I did also have mental craving for egg rolls and other normal foods so I think what you experiencing is probably normal - since you mentioned Chinese I’m linking to a recipe that satisfied that craving for me. You should be able to have it as soon as you are allowed veg. https://stylishcravings.com/low-carb-easy-make-egg-roll-bowl/ Again hoping you find comfort soon and if you ever need to vent feel free to message me.

How exciting! The best thing I can say is trust the process, follow your doctors advice and don't compare yourself to others. In the beginning, I was soo nervous that the surgery wasn't gonna be successful and I kept comparing my first week, months, etc losses to others and I got discouraged. 6 months later and I'm almost 100lbs down and feeling so good! I was fortunate that I had a pretty easy healing process and no adverse effects. Just take it easy in the beginning and listen to your body. If you have any specific questions, I'll try my best to help!

I was sleeved and had great weight loss results but developed Gastroparesis. Now I’m scheduled for a complete bypass. What should I expect in terms of recovery? Will this resolve my issues? Will it hurt more? What will life look like after bypass?.

I don't believe in the concept of "willpower" as well. White knuckling something doesn't work long term, doesn't matter if we're talking weight loss/maintenance or something else. At some point it needs a certain vigilance about portions or food choices - however, I practically don't know a person my age and above who doesn't need that vigilance and it shows. I know quite a few people (usually guys) who started gaining weight in their mid thirties, early forties at the latest so this is not a WLS specific problem. It's a people problem. That much seems to be willpower-related. However, a lot of stuff in our lives is willpower related to a certain point (like getting up early to go to work despite you being tired because you didn't get enough sleep). Reframing definitely does help. People might not even be aware of the fact that they're reframing but they're doing it anyway. However, I guess what should be mentioned as well is the fact that patients seem to have very different caloric needs in regards to maintaining their weight and that seems to be at least partly by shear luck and not (only) by copious amounts of exercise.

That will be the anaesthetic coupled with the stress of the surgery itself. Many find their hair temporarily changes texture (more coarse, finer, etc.) after any surgery not just weight loss. Then add in the reduced diet with our diet, our natural hair loss cycle is accelerated. Double hair whammy. 😁. I wondered if that would happen too as the extension is attached to your hair which is more likely to fall out after our surgery. Tape extensions may be better???

I don’t believe will power plays a long term major role in your success either.. I have decades of evidence that my stubbornness & pig headedness meant I could stick to any diet & lose weight. But I always put weight back on because i always went back to eating exactly the same way. Sound familiar? I never dealt with the why I ate. I never permanently changed my relationship with food. My will power couldn’t compete with those old, strong habits & thinking. Many of the benefits of the surgery don’t last. Your hunger comes back. Your restriction isn’t as strong. You can physically eat more, etc. (People can & do eat out around their restriction & their smaller tummy.) What the surgery does is give you time. Time to lose weight. Time to examine what, why & how you eat. Time to change your relationship with food, to establish new habits & routines around eating. Time to do the head work. The surgery alone doesn’t do all the work for you. If you think it will you won’t be as successful. Reframing the problem, as @SpartanMaker suggested, certainly worked for me. For many years I managed my reflux through dietary choices. Cut out daily carbonated drinks. (Limited how much soda or tonic water or champagne I’d had when socialising.) I cut out caffeine (except green tea). No spicy food (helped I had a sensitivity to chilli). Avoided rich, creamy, fatty, oily food. If I ate/drank them I would experience severe hiccups & other reflux symptoms. It became it didn’t matter how much enjoyment/ pleasure/comfort I got from eating/drinking them, they made me sick so it wasn’t worth it. I approached my post surgical weight loss & the way I eat now the same way. I’ve put my health & well being above any emotional benefits I got from eating. I feel so much better by not eating in my old way. I don’t get bloated & windy everyday. I don’t have those little white pimply bumps on my arms & they aren’t dry & scaly either. My thighs don’t rub together so no more heat rashes. I sleep better. My feet don’t ache when I wear heels or stand for any length of time. I have more energy. I didn’t have any comorbidities before my surgery so I can’t claim I don’t have those anymore but my chance of developing them is extremely low. I’m maintaining my weight. And so on. Initially it was my physical well being that motivated the change of thinking but now there’s also a emotional & mental well being component. And yes, part of that is vanity. The old maxim of eating to live not living to eat resonates strongly with me. I’m trying to apply this thinking to the stretching exercises I do now. (I really don’t enjoy exercising.) I feel better & body parts are looking leaner & more defined. Sorry for the long post.

I was sleeved in 2019 and developed Gastroparesis. I went from 240 to 125 but the vomiting is relentless. Now I am scheduled for a complete bypass 4/24 in hopes that it will relieve the symptoms. Would love to hear if revision had helped anyone else with Gastroparesis. My upcoming surgery is not for weight loss and strictly to relieve the vomiting and reflux but a tiny part of me is scared that I’ll gain weight once I heal.