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Is anyone a rule breaker? I feel like a failure...
Erin18 posted a topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
Hey all. So, probably for the past week now I've been feeling down on myself. I saw my weight go up a little and then came back down a little. I know that's normal It's making me think I gained 50 pounds when it's only like 2 to 3 pounds. I'm scared of gaining weight back, but im still making bad choices and it's making me hate myself for it. I'm not hitting my water and protein goals and I haven't since surgery.. it's hard for me for some reason.. I don't like water enhancers. They're either too sweet or just gross. My bad choices are (please don't be rude or negative, we are supposed to help each other, not make each other worse) I snack on chips, crackers, chex mix type of stuff, popcorn, some chocolate (not always, not every day and yeah most of the time it doesn't make me sick). I can drink soda with no problems and I HATE MYSELF FOR EVEN ALLOWING MYSELF TO DRINK IT. I can, most of the time, drink regular iced tea. Almost everyday I don't eat breakfast. And even if I do I find myself snacking later. Why? Is it because of the lack of protein and water? When I eat my meals, I can eat more than 4 ounces. Usually I don't eat everything on my platw/bowl, rare times I'm able to. I think some of the times I feel like im forcing myself to eat it. I drink with my dinner meal and my night time snack. Sometimes my lunch/breakfast. I know what I got to do before it gets out of hand more than it already is. I'm failing myself and before I know it, I'll be a bypass failure if I keep it up like this. I need to weigh my food out. I need to stop drinking soda. I need to stop drinking at my meals. I need to chew better. Stay away from the foods that got me this way in the first place. I need to focus of the protein and water goals. I feel like the foods I need, I don't reach for and I just grab whatever is easy. Any body meal prep? Why is it so hard to figure out what you want to prep? I feel like it would help. God I feel bad about myself. -
Am I crazy for wanting to cancel my surgery next week and just try Wegovy?
ChunkCat replied to BrooklynHearted's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
I had the same experience as NickelChip on the GLP-1 meds. Saxenda I lost about 15 lbs on, when insurance decided I didn't lose that fast enough they stopped covering it. I gained the 15 back plus another 10 almost immediately. I then went on Victoza, no weight loss. I did Ozempic for two years, also no weight loss. And on both of them I actually gained weight until my highest weight of 320lbs. They did help my A1C levels but that was it. They all had unpleasant side effects and cost a ton. I'm 7 weeks out from a duodenal switch. I've lost 26 lbs since the surgery and while there have been tough moments I'm so glad I decided to go with surgery instead of trying more medication... I've lost 40 lbs since my highest weight! I've never lost that much weight with anything, ever, not even with keto plus the meds. Usually if I have issues with a doctor's office not returning my calls or responding to my messages, I eventually go in there and talk to the office staff in person and wait until they send a nurse out to deal with my issue. 😂 It is quite effective! I'm super nice about it, but still... I had a LOT of scheduling issues with my surgery and in the middle of it they lost their scheduler and I had to deal with some really rude staff on the phone. But it all got sorted out in the end! Hang in there!! -
How do I STOP losing weight?
NickelChip replied to Penguin733's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I'm not sure how many months out from surgery you are, but it sounds like the goal you set and the weight your body wants to be right now are at odds. Are you dangerously underweight at this point, or experiencing other serious negative side effects from losing weight? If not, I would suggest riding it out. Continue to eat nutrient dense foods in reasonable portions to the point of feeling satisfied from them, get a healthy amount of exercise, and ignore the numbers on the scale or the reflection in the mirror for a while until your body has a chance to figure itself out on its own time. I think most of the time, it sorts itself out. When my brother had his VSG 15 years ago, he had a period of several months, maybe 12-18 months after his surgery, where he was very skinny, to the point of him being a little concerned (and self-conscious about it since he was used to being a big guy). And then it all kind of fell into place without him having to do anything drastic. -
Sertraline since gastric sleeve
Arabesque replied to fifi0523's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
You may be in a stall ( remember you can experience several of these while you’re losing). Also your rate of weight loss slows as you near your stabilised weight. Remember too, your weightloss does not have a steady straight line down trajectory. It goes up & down, zigs & zags, lose more one week less the next. So don’t give up yet. In saying that, yes, your medication may be a contributing factor as anti depressants are known for weight gain & increasing appetite. Have a chat with your surgeon & your prescribing doctor to be sure. There may be alternatives. -
What do you do if people aren’t supportive?
Arabesque replied to GreatHope's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I agree with @The Greater Fool. I too would wonder what do they gain by you not having the surgery & remaining overweight. Why don’t they ant you to be healthy & able to live your best life with them. Be warned they probably will tell you horror stories to scare you. Tell you about the risks. The surgical risks are lower than with an appendectomy & there are many more risks from being obese. Maybe ask the. To meet with your surgeon & your therapist so their concerns can be eased & their true issues openly discussed. Be strong & put yourself first. All the best. -
Am I crazy for wanting to cancel my surgery next week and just try Wegovy?
NickelChip replied to BrooklynHearted's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
I've personally been on both Saxenda and Wegovy. With Saxenda, I lost 20 pounds and my blood sugar and cholesterol improved, but high blood pressure was unchanged. I stopped because the insurance price went from $50 a month to over $200, and my weight loss plateaued so $2400 a year to keep off 20 lbs seemed a bit steep. As soon as I stopped, the weight came back, the A1Cs went up, and the cholesterol went higher than before I started. With Wegovy, I was only ever able to get the first two months of doses before shortages made it impossible. After that, I switched insurance and lost coverage of Wegovy completely, meaning over $1k per month out of pocket if I wanted to continue. I wasn't on it long enough to see how my labs would have been. From everything I've seen, surgery is the only durable option. In my case, the copay is less than a single month of Wegovy, with the possibility of it lasting a lifetime, and the ability to add the GLP-1 drugs down the road if needed. Only you can decide what is right for you, but I think for most people who are at the point of qualifying for surgery, the drugs alone will not be enough, and if you lose access to them, you will most likely go back to square one with weight. Or in my case, square one plus 10 pounds. -
How do I STOP losing weight?
Arabesque replied to Penguin733's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I kept losing fur another 11 months after I reached my goal. For a time I couldn’t eat more than I was. I added some snacks to eat between meals & my dietician suggested adding milk powder to my milk to enrich it with more protein & more calories. (I found this too sweet so I gave up after a short time.) I was eventually able to eat larger portions but I was still eating 4-5 snacks a day by the time my weight finally stabilised. (I was eating about 1300 calories at that point.) I usually eat about 1600 calories now, about 3 snacks & have basically maintained. How I eat has been sustainable for me & doesn’t limit or restrict my life in any way. What I realised is that the weight I’m at is the weight my body gravitates to & is happiest at: my set point. It may take you some time to be able to eat the calories you need to maintain. Also your goal weight may not be your new set point (it could be higher or lower). Another point to consider is that the lowest weight you reach may not be the weight at which you stabilise. Our bodies often resettle at a higher weight. There is the possibility of the bounce back regain at around year 2 or 3. Or you adjust your eating to better support your lifestyle & consequently eat a few more calories. Try adding some additional carbs (low processed, complex whole & multi grains) some good fats, another serve of fruit, … Have a chat with your dietician too for some ways to incorporate additional but still nutrient dense foods into your eating. All the best. -
So I've been at my goal weight, but I'm still losing weight. I'm trying my best to maintain it and it's becoming difficult to do so. How do I healthily stay at the weight I'm at? I've tried the steps I found online like having more smaller meals throughout the day or adding more calories, but I don't have the appetite to do so and clearly can't eat as much as I used to due to the surgery. Would high protein foods work despite it being low in calories? Has anyone else run into this unexpected predicament? Or know of some good advice?
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Am I crazy for wanting to cancel my surgery next week and just try Wegovy?
toodlerue replied to BrooklynHearted's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
Do not give up hope! My surgeon told me to get all my info from the internet! I even put myself on a 2 week pre-surgery liver shrinking diet. I got no help from him whatsoever. I worked with a nutritionist from my insurance company to figure out what I should be eating. My daughter had an amazing surgeon. we have both done amazing and kept the weight off for over five years Do not turn to drugs. The weight will come back on as soon as you stop. -
Am I crazy for wanting to cancel my surgery next week and just try Wegovy?
BrooklynHearted posted a topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
I have been going through the process of the bariatric program since January so it's about to be a full year. My surgery was originally supposed to be in July but the doctor's office screwed up my paperwork so insurance denied it. They were very dismissive and acted like it wasn't there fault but it was. They left out my psych evaluation so it was denied. I was so turned off that I went to another surgeon but couldn't schedule mine until December 28th. Now I'm a little more than a week away from surgery and on Day 5 of liquid diet but they do not communicate with me at all. No one even scheduled my pre-op testing. I have been emailing and calling my surgeon's office since last week to ask a question about if I had to stop certain medications and about certain protein shakes I'm allowed to drink. They never respond to me. Today I was told that the Physician Assistant is on vacation and the coordinator is out sick so I feel like I'm just left out here alone with no help. It makes me concerned about post-op care as well if they can just dismiss me because someone is out sick or on vacation. I can't help but feel like these are signs from the universe not to do the surgery. Am I crazy for giving up on this and just trying to take Wegovy instead to help me lose weight? -
I have 2 small children and hope to one day have more kids. I’m 25. I’ve been obese most of my life but gone to morbidity obese the past 3 years or so (BMI 40). I don’t have obesity related health conditions yet but my weight is making life harder. No energy, can’t fit on fair rides or airplanes comfortably with my kids, can’t do as much with them as I want to, can’t perform as well at my job due to being so tired. I have a strong family history of high BP, heart problems, diabetes, etc. so I know that’s where I’m headed. My mom’s terrified I’d have complications later in life and die from it (she had a friend almost die from complications 5y post-op) and my husband’s scared they’d make my health issues worse instead of better. There are merits to their concerns. I want to make my life better, not handicap myself even more or even potentially die from it. So from those who’ve been through it: are the risks worth it? Knowing what you know now, would you do in my position?
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What do you do if people aren’t supportive?
GreatHope posted a topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
My mother is super against me having wls and my partner thinks it’ll do more harm than good. I know they’d support me if I go through with it but they’re doing everything to convince me not to. My quality of life and that of my kids would go up so much if I lose weight and I’ve tried everything else. -
I’m 6 months post op and today I didn’t lose any weight I stayed the same as last week 😪. My weightloss has slowed down I need to lose another 12kg to get to goal .i started sertraline for my anxiety 2 months post op and can’t help but think is it that which is causing my weightloss to slow down ? I’m feeling so low 😢
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December Surgery Buddies!
MLC3409 replied to AshleeHarvey's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
From my understanding from all I have seen from others post op Weightloss is slow at first. You have gas weight from the anesthesia they pump into ya. The pre op is to reduce your liver out of the dr way so he has more room in there. My understanding is that you are feeling normal with the “WTH did I do “ feeling. Also once the weight does start coming off you might hit a stall. This too from my understanding is normal. Just keep moving forward. It will all come into place just slowly. you might even hit a point you gain a little. Don’t be scared or discouraged just stay on plan and give the number on the scale a break. Just record it and you will see it start to move in the right direction. The best thing to do is weigh your self the same day every week. Starting with today. Then wait and see how you are next week. Go by your scale and don’t sweat the dr scale they are always higher. (You have to remember you have on clothes, the time of day matters and other variables). That is why I track my scale, butt naked same day and time every week. That is how you will see the best effects (up or down). -
December Surgery Buddies!
Christineuk replied to AshleeHarvey's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Hi, I'm feeling much better now.. The first few days we're awful but only nausea, I say only.. I was sitting on the edge of my bed thinking wtf have I done to myself... ( Bit of a drama queen 👑). But I got in touch with the Dr and got some anti sickness tablets (soluble) and within 24hrs I felt so much better. The pre op diet takes some getting used too but on two occasions I had got 2 weeks into it and then it was cancelled. When it came to the last time, I was determined not to go off course and then when I got to the hospital they didn't even weigh me! So I don't know what my pre-op weight was. I'm just going by my pre-assessment weight. I know it's different for everyone, but I don't actually feel like I am losing much weight 🤔. According to my home scales (which may not be any good), I have lost 16lb since my pre-assessment but like I said, I don't know how much of that was the pre op diet... I was even thinking maybe they didn't even do the op just made incisions and it's all physicosymatic... Well you can see where my head is at 🤣🤣🤣🤣 -
VSG to RNY without bowel shortening
RickM replied to RTL1234's topic in Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums (NEW!)
The thing to watch out for when doing a minimally malabsorptive RNY is the prospect of bile reflux instead of the acid reflux that you had with the sleeve. When I was looking into this for a non WLS reason (it's has long been used for maladies such as gastroparesis and gastric cancer,) was that one of the most common problems reported on the patient sites such as Facebook was bile reflux. Talking to the surgeon about it, he said that as long as he keeps that roux limb at (IIRC) 80cm or more, it's not a problem; it seems that many surgeons going for minimal weight loss for such patients go overboard on shortening things. The extreme of this would be the "mini bypass" that attaches the pouch directly into the intestine without the roux limb, and that is well known for bile reflux (and why it was never adopted here in the US as a mainstream approved WLS. However, there are also definitions and standards of care wrapped into the CPT codes that the docs use for billing, that define these things depending upon usage. I know this came up in one of the support groups with my wife's surgeon, and he noted that when he did the RNY, which he rarely did preferring the DS, he liked to make it as malabsorptive as the codes permitted. So there are standards that the surgeons are obliged to follow if it is to be a WLS procedure, and it doesn't seem to be a problem with most RNYs that we see as WLS, but could have been for what I was contemplating (but never proceeded with.) There's always an up side as well as a down side with anything we do. -
7 months post op will I get to goal ?
Spinoza replied to fifi0523's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Fab. I lost most of my excess weight within the first year of my sleeve. Wasn't planning to lose much more in the second year but I did drop another stone. Sooooo slowly. Keep the faith OP, if you stick to your programme it will work and you will continue to lose weight. -
Wishing you a speedy recovery. When I had breast reduction (pre weight loss, 13 years ago), the pain wasn’t that bad— but hey, I have a high pain tolerance and didnt take pain meds after VSG either. BUT yours, I would take the meds for sure. STill, im interested in a tiny tuck myself… looking for any recommendations in Tijuana. Let me know!
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Trouble with malnutrition
ms.sss replied to Amanda-Cleckner's topic in Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums (NEW!)
17 lbs in one month at your weight this far out i think is not the norm. have you lost further weight since august? i.e., what do u weigh now? aside: we are roughly the same stats (tho im 5+ yrs out) and while i have been known to drop 5 lbs unwittingly in a month, i've never experienced a 17 lbs drop in a single month since way back in my 1st or 2nd month post op...but i weighed over 200 lbs back then) hopefully your doc/team has some answers for u now? ❤️ also: are you eating enough calories to maintain your weight, do u know? i have found that i need to eat alot of low volume, high calorie stuff to meet my caloric maintenance needs (and yes, often times this includes items not necessarily on a "healthy" food diet) -
Revision for GERD to bypass- what was your process?
MacEBE replied to MacEBE's topic in Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums (NEW!)
Thanks for responses all. I spoke with my insurance and they told me it would fall under medical benefits and that they are seeing it ALOT with sleeve. I've gained some weight as well, but that it not my primary concern here. I am having a barium swallow, EKG, endoscopy, and a few others tests. We shall see. It would be interesting to see the different insurance we all have. I have UHC. -
7 months post op will I get to goal ?
summerset replied to fifi0523's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
People are losing excess weight at different speed, depending on many factors (tall, young guy or short, elderly woman?). It takes as long as it takes. Oh - and absolutely don't believe that bull about "windows of opportunity"! Weight loss doesn't magically stop at the x-months-post-surgery mark just like this. As long as you're in a calorie deficit you're going to continue to lose weight. -
Just came back from a short holiday with my kids and woke up to a nice surprise this morning after retuning to my work place. I had to call my wife right away to share the good news. I'm officially below my goal weight of 70 kg with a "NORMAL" BMI. I was worried I was not going to hit the goal before the second surgery-versary in January 24 but I did it. Playing on all the rides in Legoland theme park and chasing my kids on the beach must have helped me lose the last stubborn 1 kg 🤣. Here is a before and after. Left was a few months before the surgery (pants size 52") and right was two days ago (pants size 29"). Look at those thighs! You never realize how huge you were until you compare the before and after photos.
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Lab band to sleeve to Bypass on Monday —scared
ChunkCat replied to BQT's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I haven't had revisions, I just had DS surgery 6 weeks ago. But I have seen a fair number of multiple revisions around here and elsewhere... I'm sure if your doctor approved you for the surgery then you are good to go! But any surgery can be scary, so I understand the worries. Sleeve to Bypass revisions are pretty common. It is likely your surgeon has done a fair number of them. The weight loss is slower for revisions, but I have seen many end up reaching their goal weight, it just takes a bit longer the second time around. You don't say what your starting weight is or what you hope to lose... Advice is just like for any of the surgeries---take it easy. Trust your team. Drink your fluids in baby sips and get in as much as possible, this will keep you out of the ER hopefully. Stay ahead of your pain. Ease into food gently. Walk as much as you can. Rest when you feel tired and give yourself extra rest for the first few weeks because surgery can take it out of you! Remember that a lot of nerves have been cut and have to heal, so you may not feel any restriction for a while. Stick to the portions your dietician advises for the first few months until you are getting accurate communication from your healed tummy! And whatever you do, do NOT let yourself get constipated!! Take the stool softeners, take Miralax if you haven't gone in a few days and are concerned. The most common complications I see are nausea, dehydration, and constipation! Most of all, good luck! Have a really routine, easy surgery and an uncomplicated recovery! ❤️ -
New here, nervous and excited!
ChunkCat replied to SkyeBlu99's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I agree with NickelChip, the only way I can feasibly see you dropping that much weight is to start your pre-op diet early and stick to shakes and low carb veggies. Sugar free shakes though, because that will allow you to go into ketosis and you'll drop water weight pretty quickly, which could boost your numbers. I don't recommend doing this unless you really feel you have to though. My insurance said I couldn't gain a pound before surgery. Does yours say the same thing, or is this your surgeon's requirement? Often surgeons will ask their patients to lose weight beforehand to show their commitment, I think this is kind of lame, since the whole point of weight loss surgery is that most of us have not been able to lose the weight on our own! It causes a lot of unnecessary stress before surgery IMO. I wish you luck in dropping the weight!! -
VSG to RNY without bowel shortening
RTL1234 posted a topic in Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums (NEW!)
Hey all! I had a revision from VSG (2020) to a bypass without bowel reduction on 11/28. It’s been going fine, recovering is good and I’m tolerating food fine. However, since we did my revision for severe GERD and a large hernia, the surgeon told me that my bypass was minimal in terms of removal of bowel. Since I’ve basically maintained my weight loss since my sleeve, he did not want to create a situation where I would be malnourished so he did not remove bowel like a typical bypass. All that to say, I’m super hungry which is surprising since they did mess with my pouch, and I’ve lost a little weight which is fine too, but it’s like I cannot tell when I’m full. I’m on soft foods, so not full solids yet but have been eating real meals basically (soft foods allows canned veggies and some fruits on my plan). With my sleeve I could easily tell when it’s time to stop. Now it’s like I could just keep going. I haven’t had any nausea or vomiting caused by over eating, and I’ve been measuring because I’m nervous but it’s like I’m still hungry. I was hopeful leaving the bowel would help me not experience dumping as much (which I have no idea if that’s legit or I’m just telling myself that), but I’m also so worried about eating too much. On a happy note - I have only ate tums once since my surgery, and I guess now won’t have to continue to keep tums in business anymore. LOL! That was the goal, so far so good, still on protonix but I’ll take it over misery any day!