Search the Community

You look great! Congrats! I see why they say you will take so long to hit goal weight, after that first 8 months, it's been tough. But at least we are still losing!

Hello. I'm relatively new to these forums. I had my VSG surgery on July 10th, 2023. I weighed 450lbs on my surgery date, but gained 13lbs during my two and a half days in the hospital. It was water weight because they kept the IV on non-stop pumping liquids into me without giving me my diuretic that I've been taking for nearly 10 years, Lasix(furosemide). I am at 410lbs now, a little over 5 weeks since surgery. My treatment team has a rather slow and careful recovery diet plan, starting with 1 full week of clear liquids + protein shake only, 2 weeks full liquid diet, 2 weeks pureed diet, 2 weeks of soft foods(where I am now), and then on to introducing regular foods starting the 8th week after surgery. I am extremely thankful for the surgery. I'm feeling better, and am thankful that they cut away the hunger along with 85% of my stomach. I still don't have much of an appetite, but I understand that my stomach is still healing and it is going to take months. Right now is the time to learn new good eating habits. I've been following the rules set forth from my treatment team closely. I haven't thrown up, nor have I really felt nauseous. My stomach seems to be handling everything I've been putting into it. Although at work today my stomach let me know it was not in the mood for egg salad. after 2oz of it I felt a pressure and ache in my stomach so I stopped eating. It might have been stress or I still had some liquid in my stomach. I follow the 30:30 rule, but work was hectic and I loose tract of my liquids. Its frustrating having to stop to take a sip every 10 minutes. I forget to sip more than I actually do. Thanks for reading my short little intro. I need to go back and catch up on the previous 24 pages of posts.

Hello @Readybutscared I am similar in size to you 5'7 1/2" and currently 240 pre-surgery. My DS Loop surgery is schedule for 9/19. I guess we''ll see how it turns out. Of course I am nervous. I'm 68 years old. I feel like I should have looked into the WL surgery years ago. I've struggled with weigh for over 50 years. Like you I hide my weight well and don't appear to be obese. As I have gotten older I have developed weight related complications requiring medications; GERD, high blood pressure and recently type II diabetes. As I said we'll see how this works out. I'm tired of being a fat guy and want to see what it's like to have a normal weight my remaining 25-30 years. I enjoy bicycling. I told my surgeon try riding carrying an 80 lb. bag of cement.

It's nice to know not everyone has to avoid those things long term with the RNY. I was going by what I've read and heard from other RNY patients I've met, many of whom still avoid those things, especially dry meat. I suppose it is one of those things where there are a variety of experiences due to individual needs and the variety of plans from doctors and dietitians. I could have included the statistics for everything but it would have been a much longer post and probably a bit overwhelming to read. I find when comparing features of surgery that statistics don't matter to me much, a chance of something is a chance of something and still goes into my weighing and balancing of the surgeries overall, but I'm sure everyone differs on that. My goal was to write a post that was easy to understand and fairly neutral, as I've noticed most surgery patients are heavily biased to their own surgeries unless they are experiencing complications and have plans of revision. We have a lot of bypass patients on this board so I figured you guys would chime in. Sadly we don't have many that have had the SADI or the DS, which is unfortunate because these are really great surgeries for the right person. Thanks for chiming in with your experience Catwoman7, your weight loss and maintenance is truly impressive and you always add great things to a discussion!

Wow 500lbs that's amazing congratulations. I just had open surgery in 2021 C section and it was horrible because of my weight

1 year mark check ins? Well, tomorrow is officially 1 year for me. I am down 102 pound since surgery and 124.8 since my Pre-op. I have definitely slowed to a crawl on the weight loss at this point. The last couple months I have barely lost anything. But, I will take this weight over where I was.

Back when I had surgery SADI wasn't really a thing yet so I never researched it. Of course, neither was VSG. My research lead me to ultimately choose RNY. Because of my size it was an open surgery which made early recovery very painful. I'm one of the lucky ones that dump both on sugars and fats. Back when I had surgery it was more of a 50/50 chance I would dump. I hoped I would dump so that I'd have another tool to keep me from the wrong foods. It took an amazingly few dumping episodes to learn to avoid sugars and fats. All these years later it's all just part of the joy of being me. I managed to lose my excess weight, a bit over 500 pounds, and keep it off. It's now pretty natural eating to my surgeon's program, I don't really even think about it. It's all just normal. There are success stories with virtually every type of surgery. Build good habits during the honeymoon phase and they will serve you when your surgery is but a distant memory. Good luck, Tek

honestly, there are more people who never make it all the way to their goal than there are those who lose too much, but that said, you can always increase your calories to either stop your weight loss or gain a few pounds if you think you're getting too thin. So I wouldn't worry about that at all. I lost 100% of my excess weight and yes, for a time I was "too thin", but I was also aware that a majority of us have a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain during year 3. And I did. In addition, even before the rebound gain, things (fat, I guess?) tends to re-distribute itself after a big loss, so even though I weighed the same for awhile, I started looking a lot better. My face filled out, etc - even before that gain. as far as it being hard - the first year, it wasn't too bad - esp before my hunger and appetite came back at month 5. For those first few months, for the first time in my life, I wasn't thinking about food at all the time. In fact, I didn't think about it much at all - and at times didn't even want any. Even though it was weird not to ever be hungry and to not give a flip about food, I found it very liberating! But things changed at month 5 when suddenly my hunger came back (and it does for most of us sometime during the first year). Then you're dealing with the hunger beast again, although it's not as strong as it was before surgery. But I wanted more than anything to lose this weight once and for all, so I really stuck to my program and lost it all (weight loss didn't stop until I was almost two years out, though - I had A LOT to lose!) it does get harder after the first year because diet fatigue sets in, as well as some old habits. You really, really have to watch yourself. And eight years out, I have to continue to watch myself. It's so easy to slip into old habits. But I have a "drop dead weight" limit - I weigh myself once a week now, and if I hit that limit - or come close to it - I cut back until my weight is safely within the limit again. But this really isn't any different from most of my never-been-obese friends. So many of us have to monitor our weight and to cut back when it starts getting too high. anyway, yes, it can be hard - esp when your hunger comes back and your motivation starts to wane, but unlike before, your effort actually pays off. You put in the work, and the weight comes off (or stays off). Before, the most I could ever lose is about 50 lbs (and even that was rare - most of my dieting ended up with a 10 or 20 lb loss). And inevitably, it will all come back. Happened every time. BUt this time, it worked!

My children are adults. But, they've seen me struggle with my weight for all of their lives. They know that I had obesity-related health issues. Having the surgery was an attempt to reverse these health conditions and in my case, it worked. Thanks be to God! My children are happy that their mother will perhaps get a chance to bounce grandchildren on her knee, one day.

I am 10-months post op, gastric bypass. How much I eat, depends on what I'm eating. If I'm eating leafy greens, I can eat quite a lot. If I'm eating a drier meat, I can't eat much. A typical salad for me would be one leaf of iceberg lettuce, 5 grape tomatoes, about 2-3 ounces of protein, and a little over a tablespoon of salad dressing. If I'm eating a burger, it will usually be one 1/4 pound patty, served with a slice of cheese and condiments, on a fajita-sized low-carb tortilla. I generally eat about 3/4 of this. My usual breakfast is 1 whole egg and two egg whites, scrambled with cheese. Sometimes I can eat the whole thing and sometimes I can't. I have hungrier days and less-hungry days. I've learned that overeating is unpleasant. If I eat too fast, food gets stuck in my chest and hurts. And that cuts my meal short, which is annoying. Do I still eat too fast? Yes - especially when I've waited too long to eat and I'm hungry. When I eat slower, the meal is more satisfying. With what I'm eating, I'm basically in maintenance mode. My weight bounces between 166 and 170. Though I haven't hit goal, Both my nutritionist and I are okay with where I'm at, right now.

at over eight years out, no one would be able to tell I had bypass surgery by looking at what I ate. At most they'd think I'm a "light eater". I'll usually order a salad - or an appetizer - or else an entree and have them box up half of it to take home. Same as most of my female friends who've never had a weight issue. I do, however, order "bariatric friendly" meals - entrees with protein and vegetables. I very rarely order things like pasta or dishes that feature heavy cheese or cream sauces (well, pretty much never). Although again, that's what my non-obese friends typically order, too. Like summerseeker, I check out online menus (most places have them) and decide what I'll order before I go. the first few weeks you'll be eating microscopic amounts, but that doesn't last forever.

another comment re: dumping. About 30% of bypassers dump. I never have, and I know plenty of others who don't, but about 30% do. It's caused by eating too much sugar or fat at one sitting - so the way to control it is to, of course, limit the amount of sugar or fat you have at one sitting (which we should be doing regardless, even if we don't dump!) I don't know much about SADI so I can't really comment on it, although generally speaking, the more powerful the surgery, the higher the risk of complications. But that being said, none of these surgeries have a particularly high risk of complications - and most are minor and preventable (or "fixable", like strictures) I lost over 200 lbs with my bypass, so it can be done - but the average person tends to lose more weight with the DS (not sure about SADI, again, I'm not familiar with it, but since it's a modified DS, and given your surgeon's comment, I'm assuming that's true of the SADI, too).

I am like you, I need to drink a LOT of water. Before surgery, it was nothing for me to drink 80 oz. or more of water every day. I'm 6 days post-op with RYGB and the most water I've been able to directly drink is 56 oz. in one day. I'm still on a liquid diet, and that's definitely helping me get more water in. From what I understand, as time goes on we are able to drink more normally than we can right after surgery. I started with a consult back in December of 2022. I'm 5'10, and always hovered around 250-260. I could focus on food and exercise and could never break 230. I also have been able to find flattering clothes and seemed to be able to "carry my weight well," like you, too. As of yesterday, I was down to 220 from my highest weight ever at 276 a few years ago. When I saw that number, I could actually imagine being below 200 for the first time in my adult life, and I got emotional. I don't wanna tell you what to do, but going in for a consult might help you make your decision. My program and insurance required me to be on a medically supervised diet for at least 6 months before surgery. And I had to prove that I could lose at least a bit of weight by tracking my food intake, taking nutrition education classes, and basically having them monitor my progress with an app on my phone. They were able to get Wegovy for me to jump start my weight loss, and I was at 224 the night before I went in for surgery. I weighed 263 when I began the program. Hope some of this helps, and I truly wish you good luck as you learn more!

They will not go by looks at all, they will go by what the scale says and your BMI and medical history. Sleep apnea with high BP and a BMI of 35 will still qualify you for surgery. Once in the program, you will get the surgery unless you change your mind. Now if your BP goes down to normal and your sleep apnea disappears and your BMI goes below 35 your insurance may no longer consider you to be a candidate, and you might not feel like one either at that point. But I don't know about that for sure. This surgery will make it a lot easier to maintain and to keep those promises to yourself about staying on track and not letting your weight spiral, if you use this tool correctly.

Congrats on your appointment tomorrow! Good luck! I can't comment experience wise because I haven't has surgery yet and my BMI is MUCH higher than yours, but most insurance companies will cover weight loss surgery if you have a BMI of over 35 and a co-morbidity. It sounds like you have a few co-morbidities so you should be good! One liter of water sounds very doable after the first few days of recovery, so that should be easy for you to do with frequent drinking by the time you can go back to a physically demanding job. You may not be able to gulp it, but you should be able to drink it at regular intervals between meals just fine...

The SADI and the Duodenal Switch (they are different) are the two surgeries with the highest percentage of excess weight loss, the lowest rate of regain and the best reputation for significant weight loss in people with high BMIs. You can read studies about this. That said there are plenty of people with high BMIs that go with Gastric Bypass instead and plenty of them do keep the weight off. Both surgeries have restrictive and malabsorptive components, though their malabsorption is rather different. The bypass tends to be better for people with GERD issues but has a higher risk of ulcers and strictures. The SADI-S tends to be better for people at risk of developing ulcers, for those that smoke or vape and plan on going back to it after surgery healing is complete, and for those that may need to take NSAIDS in the future. The bypass involves a modified stomach with smaller capacity (about that of an egg) while the SADI has a sleeve stomach (banana shaped) so will eat bigger portions. Both still restrict enough calories for weight loss. The SADI is pylorus sparing so the stomach still has the valve in it that keeps food in so digestion happens in a more normal way, the bypass has no pyloric valve so you have to be extra mindful to chew thoroughly as things pass through the stomach differently. Both have to supplement vitamins but do so in a different way--but they are not optional. If you stop taking the vitamins you run a high risk of nutritional deficiencies. The diets are a bit different for the two. I believe bypass patients need to be mindful of seeds, skins, and meat that is overly dry. They need to be more particular with lean protein as they don't have malabsorption of fats to the same degree a SADI patient will. There is some conflicting data that suggests fat absorption in SADI-S patients normalize in the second year post surgery so they need to be careful about not eating too much fat, but the studies are by no means conclusive at this point. SADI patients need a bit more protein than bypass patients since the SADI bypasses a larger amount of the small intestine. Dumping syndrome is more common with bypass. Diarrhea may be more common with SADI-S though I've been told most tend towards constipation like with the bypass. SADI people may have more gut issues with carb consumption but don't tend to have dumping syndrome. SADI-S is a much newer procedure and we don't know as much about it as the bypass. That doesn't mean it is bad and it isn't considered experimental by many insurances anymore, but the fact remains we still don't understand as much about it as we do the Gastric Bypass or Duodenal Switch. In the end it is very much a matter of preference and which patient profile you fit best. You have to pick the surgery that works best for you! I wish you much luck in deciding, I'm debating the sleeve vs DS myself. ETA: The SADI has a bit better chance of resolving metabolic conditions like diabetes and other co-morbidities. Though the bypass does a good job of resolving those too compared to the sleeve!

Lipman, you are killing it! Great job! Lindsay, under 200 is incredible and you're not that far-off your goal. Amazing! I'm still consistently losing weekly and haven't had a stall since the dreaded 2 week PO one. This week I lost 1.5 kilos (3.3 pounds), I had a similar loss the week before too. Usually they're less so it's been nice! So I'm 28.7 kilograms (63 pounds) down since the pre op diet. I've lost 18.5% of my total weight. They estimate you lose around 30% on average the first year, I'm well on the way there at 14 weeks PO. I'm eating really well and had been getting over 70 grams of protein a day consistently but that's dropped the past week. Some of it was due to little hunger and feeling more restriction. Need to make sure my main meals are a bit higher in protein. I really need to do better with fluids, it's always been an issue. And exercise needs to become a habit, I bought an exercise bike so no excuses now! Overall though I'm doing great. A bit low energy this week and for some reason I've thrown up my dinner 2 nights in a row? Eating too fast perhaps or my tummy rejected potato that was airfried? First time I'd been sick since surgery. Lindsay I highly recommend the Ninja Creami if you love your ice cream as you can make your own healthier versions. I've had mine about a month and love it. I have a bowl every day of homemade frozen yoghurt. Last night was vanilla sprinkled with raspberry and coconut granola, 20 grams protein. I made a strawberry one earlier this week using strawberry yogurt and fresh strawberries that was soooo good, hubby and 19yo loved it too, definitely making it again. I hope everyone here is doing well, especially @Synlee.

Hello all,. I am a male, 37 years old….Living in Atlanta, GA. I’m having my first appointment tomorrow. I am about 5’8 in a half and I weigh 246. My BMI is about 37.4 … I am obese but do not LOOK obese. I have tried to get the weight down on my own. I have gained upward to 255 pounds in my life. I in my most recent trial to do it on my own have gotten down to 235 which took about 8 weeks to do so starting at 250 pounds. I have no gained 11 pounds back and back up there which has led me here to finally considering gastric sleeve. If I start the nutrition plan and lose 15 pounds before surgery, I will be at 230 and then my BMI will be at exactly 35. People will then look at me, maybe even the doctor who i have no met yet and say, “oh you look good, you dont need surgery”, I am afraid to start the process and have any kind of hiccups… I know how to “look slender” in certain clothes but to be honest, i need to be back to my 180 size. It’s better for my blood pressure and sleep apnea. At 230 pounds if I get there on my own, i still have BP issues. 5 years ago, i was able to get down to 218, but no lower than that. And now im back up to 246 again.I just dont know if this is right for me. I have a very physically demanding job which requires me to drink water very often to hydrate. My concern is that I wont be able to hydrate properly after my surgery because i can only sip water. I need to be able to drink at least 1 liter of water per day on my demanding job. (One liter is 2 regular bottles of water)…. How did you all who are water drinkers overcome your water intake and hydration issues for those who must drink water as a necessity because of their physical demanding job? Also, did anyone who is my height 5’8 - 5’9 get surgery around 230- 240 pounds? What was your results? What did doc say?

Hello all,. I am a male, 37 years old….Living in Atlanta, GA. I’m having my first appointment tomorrow. I am about 5’8 in a half and I weigh 246. My BMI is about 37.4 … I am obese but do not LOOK obese. I have tried to get the weight down on my own. I have gained upward to 255 pounds in my life. I in my most recent trial to do it on my own have gotten down to 235 which took about 8 weeks to do so starting at 250 pounds. I have no gained 11 pounds back and back up there which has led me here to finally considering gastric sleeve. If I start the nutrition plan and lose 15 pounds before surgery, I will be at 230 and then my BMI will be at exactly 35. People will then look at me, maybe even the doctor who i have no met yet and say, “oh you look good, you dont need surgery”, I am afraid to start the process and have any kind of hiccups… I know how to “look slender” in certain clothes but to be honest, i need to be back to my 180 size. It’s better for my blood pressure and sleep apnea. At 230 pounds if I get there on my own, i still have BP issues. 5 years ago, i was able to get down to 218, but no lower than that. And now im back up to 246 again.I just dont know if this is right for me. I have a very physically demanding job which requires me to drink water very often to hydrate. My concern is that I wont be able to hydrate properly after my surgery because i can only sip water. I need to be able to drink at least 1 liter of water per day on my demanding job. (One liter is 2 regular bottles of water)…. How did you all who are water drinkers overcome your water intake and hydration issues for those who must drink water as a necessity because of their physical demanding job? Also, did anyone who is my height 5’8 - 5’9 get surgery around 230- 240 pounds? What was your results? What did doc say?

I actually just had a day this past weekend where I ate quite a bit more. Not a lot at one meal, but some egg whites here and then a piece of cheese there and some almonds, etc. I ended up having a quick drop in weight the next day. I think my body was in need of the extra calories. Back to normal eating now though!

I’m over 5 years out. I eat about 2oz protein & one oz veggies for dinner. I have 5 small meals a day. When we go out I eat about 1/3 of the protein & about 3 small bites of veggies. If I go over that I know I will put on weight. If I eat more then that I end up throwing up.

I have to say I had a great hospital experience overall and we all know that isn't always the case. My surgery was scheduled for 10am so I was expected to arrive at 8am to check in. Filled in paperwork and all that jazz. Was in the waiting room not terribly long before calling me in. Got the all the vitals checked - weight, BP, Oxygen, if I'm not mistaken I did have blood drawn (and pee test for pregnancy which won't apply to you, lol). I then was instructed to how everything was going to go, made sure all my backups were secured ie emergency contact and discharge expectations. I was given a few pills to swallow - I believe a tylenol and toradol? and a small bottle of water to drink it down. I got to change into my gown and all and was then wheeled in to the pre-op room. A bazillion nurses and staff will be sure to keep asking you the same questions just to be sure you know why your there. The hard part for me was getting my IV in as they always have trouble locating good veins. It took about 3-4 tries before they got it. My surgery was slightly delayed since the person prior to me had a delay, but not by a terribly long time. I think I was rolled into the OR about 1 hour later. I don't fully recall when I woke up in PACU, but I think I was in my overnight room by at least 5pm ish. I spent only 1 overnight and was discharged by noon the following day. I wouldn't go too crazy packing too much. Especially for the time you are going, you can leave in the same clothes you go to the hospital with. Just be sure it's something comfy and not too tight in the belly. Phone and charger (possibly a tablet if you're so inclined) and lip balm as you will get dry lips. Nearly everything else is provided to you that you'd need. I took a few more things and needed none of it. I was so tired that I couldn't concentrate on much except to nap when i could between the nurse and doctor check ins and the trips to the bathroom - for someone who couldn't drink anything for the rest of that night, that IV did it's job. Feel free to ask away anything else. You definitely got this!

I have to say I had a great hospital experience overall and we all know that isn't always the case. My surgery was scheduled for 10am so I was expected to arrive at 8am to check in. Filled in paperwork and all that jazz. Was in the waiting room not terribly long before calling me in. Got the all the vitals checked - weight, BP, Oxygen, if I'm not mistaken I did have blood drawn (and pee test for pregnancy which won't apply to you, lol). I then was instructed to how everything was going to go, made sure all my backups were secured ie emergency contact and discharge expectations. I was given a few pills to swallow - I believe a tylenol and toradol? and a small bottle of water to drink it down. I got to change into my gown and all and was then wheeled in to the pre-op room. A bazillion nurses and staff will be sure to keep asking you the same questions just to be sure you know why your there. The hard part for me was getting my IV in as they always have trouble locating good veins. It took about 3-4 tries before they got it. My surgery was slightly delayed since the person prior to me had a delay, but not by a terribly long time. I think I was rolled into the OR about 1 hour later. I don't fully recall when I woke up in PACU, but I think I was in my overnight room by at least 5pm ish. I spent only 1 overnight and was discharged by noon the following day. I wouldn't go too crazy packing too much. Especially for the time you are going, you can leave in the same clothes you go to the hospital with. Just be sure it's something comfy and not too tight in the belly. Phone and charger (possibly a tablet if you're so inclined) and lip balm as you will get dry lips. Nearly everything else is provided to you that you'd need. I took a few more things and needed none of it. I was so tired that I couldn't concentrate on much except to nap when i could between the nurse and doctor check ins and the trips to the bathroom - for someone who couldn't drink anything for the rest of that night, that IV did it's job. Feel free to ask away anything else. You definitely got this!

A few NSV, I can finally close the towel around me, my hubby folded my tank top and put in his drawer thinking it was his, and my digital scale kept giving me a warning to have the app open when weighing in because people were within same range, I thought it was me because I was trying to see how much my weight fluctuated and how that affected my body fat % but turns out I'm 8 lbs lighter than my husband.

Hi there! Tomorrow I’m five weeks post op, and after an initial loss of 9kgs two weeks after the surgery, my weight loss became very slow. I worried too, but I spoke with my nutritionalist and my Dr & they both assured me that it was normal. I’m not a Dr, but I think it’s important to get your stomach used to foods at the rate you’re being advised on. I know the urge is to get to the weight loss NOW, but there’s more at stake here at this point. I urge you to just do exactly what your health care team have advised. It’s important for your body to acclimatise to foods again. You WILL lose weight, but don’t risk any complications by rushing. Apparently, it’s preferable to lose it more slowly rather than fast, for many reasons. I found it helpful to only weigh myself weekly, and to concentrate on walking and making the yummiest possible tablespoons of mush I possibly could! Get wild! 😉