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Fascinating article. Despite having taken several of them myself over the past few years, (including Saxenda and Wegovy), I'm very hesitant to embrace a world where weight loss drugs are the first line of defense against obesity. I say this knowing that at least some of my issue comes down to poor nutrition choices, made far too easy by an environment swimming in garbage foods and a culture that values quick convenience over everything else. When I commit to good nutrition, my weight decreases. I don't get skinny, or even "not obese" but I do lose weight. When the snacks and junk food make their way back in the house and I have stressful weeks with work where I'm at my desk for 12 or more hours and fast food feels like my only option because I'm too tired to cook, I gain weight. In about the past 60 years, we've gone from 13% obesity to 40%, with a 10x rise in severe obesity. This isn't just a weird thing that happened in a vacuum. There are pretty obvious reasons for this, some that could possibly be solved with significant changes to our food policies and investment in real nutrition instead of lining the pockets of pharmaceutical companies and massive food corporations. Much of our so-called food today has been designed to be addictive, by the same folks who brought us cigarettes, no less. That should give people pause the next time they're in the grocery store looking at all those shiny boxes and bags. On the other hand, in the days when only 1% of the US population was morbidly obese...that was my family. And some of my family lived really long lives, into their 90s. Except the ones who didn't and died young. And you don't know which you'll be until it's too late. Up until my 40s, I was one of those people who had healthy bloodwork despite being 90+ lbs over my "ideal weight." I didn't worry about my weight because I was healthy. But that changed rapidly with middle age as my weight went even higher. Now I take blood pressure meds and am prediabetic. My feet and joints ache and I worry what that means as I age. I wish I had done more to keep my weight lower when I was younger and developed better habits early on. I can't believe how ignorant I was of nutrition facts when I was in my teens and 20s. One thing I know is I can't afford $12k or more a year for the rest of my life to take these "miracle drugs." I'm not sure who really can or should. I'm grateful for surgery being an option, but it's not for everyone, and neither are the drugs. As a society, I would like to see more acceptance of humans in all sizes, and more focus on real health and nutrition instead of fads and gimmicks that make a few people really rich.

I'm just shy of 2 weeks post op myself (still in puree), and I can relate. One of the things I tried to eat pureed was some oven fried chicken ground up and mixed with mayo (to make chicken salad). Good grief, did I feel like crap for the next 2 hours! I had a headache, was nauseated, and just ugh. I ended up laying down with an ice pack over my eyes for the hour and a half after I took some Tylenol and Compazine (anti-nausea). A lot of how you feel will just depend on what you eat, how much, and how fast. Your digestive is completely rearranged now, and your body just needs time to get used to the new set-up. You'll get there. Just be patient with yourself and your body. If you have questions, just ask your surgeon or your dietitian. I'm sure you can always leave a message to speak to them in between your regular post op check appointments (especially if they use myChart).

When I gained a little. I drop more weight when the stall is gone. For me the stalls come and go. Letting me accomplish my goals . Stick with it.

CartyGirl98 you're not doing anything wrong. I just saw my surgeons PA yesterday and was told that in the first 2 weeks you will lose from 7-15 pounds. Sounds like you are right on track. I am just finishing up my last day of pureed foods. At the beginning of starting it, I gained 2 pounds. I am down a total of 13 pounds since surgery on 9/22/23. Hang in there. When is your follow up?

Tomorrow is my big day. I have to report to the hospital at 8 for a 10 a.m. surgery. I have had a lot of surgeries, so I'm not particularly worried about going under or anything. I worry about pain management and the 6 weeks after surgery and sticking to it. I have to remind myself that this is a tool for me to use and that I need to very conscious of what I'm eating. Good luck to everyone else having surgery this week.

Hello all...I really do not know how this works. Anyway here goes.. I am over 50 and I live with and take care of my 76 yr old mother. She had back to back strokes approximately 10 yrs ago. Recently she had another stroke. She has to go back into rehab soon. (shes not released from hospital yet) During all this mess I have tested positive for Covid. I would like some help with questions i have regarding both our well-being. Scheduled for my last office visit for next week and don't know how this (covid) may affect securing a surgery date. Any information out there from anyone in a similar situation would be most welcome.

I feel you and will pray for you. I'm almost five weeks out and this is not what I expected. It took toll on my body physically and emotionally. I started seeing a therapist to help me through this. I heard it will get better in time. For me it's the ups and downs of my sugar level and my grief for food (therapist said). All I can say is to take it day by day. I consulted with my doctor and if these symptoms continue I'll have to do a reversal of the surgery. He said it just takes time to get used to as most people experience this.

I hate to cook too and still struggle to get as much water in as they want. I do get the minimum 48oz/day but don't always make the 64oz they want. I was so glad to stop eating cottage cheese and yogurt! I scoured the grocery isles for food that looked good and was easy to make (Or better, didn't require making). I have to admit I got a little bit of attitude about my diet when I was ALMOST, but not quite, meeting their calorie and water goals, telling them that I was struggling, and they scolded me and raised my goals. I have a spreadsheet that calculates calories and protein from every food I get with a nutrition label and buy low fat, low sugar foods so the calorie and protein count meets my goal. I got a frown from my nutritionist when I told her I eat ham every day, but I gave her a "look" and told her my calorie and protein goals were being met and she refrained from scolding me. I buy Kentucky Legend Bonless Quarter Sliced Ham because it doesn't have lunchmeat texture and I can just weigh out my portion and eat it cold. I got another frown when I told them I eat beef jerky, but reminded them that 100g of protein is hard to do, jerkey is low calorie and high protein, and I chew it VERY well and spit out gristle. If they have to cut a ball of gristle out of my stomach, then I'll stop eating beef. I switched nuts for peanut butter toast when I started getting hungrier. I eat a lowfat sharp cheddar with crackers. Quaker makes a protein Banana Nut Instant Oatmeal. I also eat 1/2 Atkins Chicken Margherita or Healthy Choice Simply Steamers Grilled Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo (1/2 is less than my 6 oz, but it's easier to just take half and eat the other half the next day and the math is easier too). Those 2 were the best my WalMart carries for frozen food Calorie/Protein ratio that I also liked. For an added vegetable I eat 2oz canned french style green beans with 1/2 oz Velveta low fat cheese heated in the microwave. Tyson makes a fajita chicken that microwaves well if you put a dollop of water on the plate. Turkey bacon doesn't really satisfy my bacon cravings, but turkey sausage is really good. If I'm craving sweets I'll eat a Quaker Caramel Rice Cake or a few dark chocolate chips. Luckily I crave salt, not sweets, and the salt cravings have almost gone away. If I'm going to be away from home for a few hours I pack an insulated lunch bag with a serving of ham, cheese and crackers, and jerkey to take with me. If I'm going to be gone for a day or longer I pack my food in bags and a cooler. I got married a little more than 3 months after my surgery and ate what I wanted at my wedding and during the honeymoon, I just kept the servings really small and took protein with me to make sure I still got enough protein and because I needed to eat more than 3 times a day. After that, I allowed myself one meal out each week, eating my 6oz and taking the rest home. Hubby ate most of the leftovers. After I reworked my diet to include tastier, real food, I switched my protein powder to a Collagen with the added missing amino acid. It mixes best with warm or hot liquids and was approved by my nutritionist. I still use 2 scoops a day, 1 with my protein oatmeal and 1 with my sugar free hot apple cider. I met my goal weight at 7 months, just in time for a Halloween party, and I allow myself a small cheat almost every day (my nutritionist told me to add 100-200 cal per day to stop losing weight and i decided to add a tasty snack rather than rework my diet). I watch my weight to make sure I'm not overdoing it. If I eat out, that's my cheat and it replaces a meal. I order what I want and ask for a container BEFORE the food is served so I can pack away all but 6oz before I start to eat. Some cheats aren't really cheats. I've added in apples, pineapple, strawberries and mango. Breyers Carb Smart Fudge Bars have 50 calories, 3g fat, 2g sugar (0 added), and 1g protein. It's only a cheat because of the low protein/cal ratio. Pure Protein bars could be a meal substitute instead of a cheat and have 180-200 cal, 3-4.5g fat, 2-3g sugar, and 19g protein. I like the Chocolate Salted Caramel that's a little chewy and the Chocolate Mint cookie, which has more of a grainy (cookie) texture but tastes really good. At a party, I may eat a bag of chips (~150cal), or I may give in and eat a single Reese's cup (105 cal). OK, maybe a bag of chips AND a single Reese's cup, I'm weak. Dot's Seasoned Pretzels have 130cal per oz. An entire bag of buttered flavored popcorn has 150cal (DO NOT LICK THE BAG). It's nice to eat something tasty and not worry about if it has enough protein. I just had my 9 month bloodwork done, it's all fine.

Congrats on getting past the stall! I hope you get your "new" knees soon! I really don't understand the reason the nurse gave you tho, yes your body is/was healing, but, with minimal eating AND healing your body should be not only using what the minimal meals you're eating to heal but whatever reserves you may have i.e. fat aka weight - which usually means more weight loss not less. Sorry, just my working in healthcare along with my past physiology schooling at odds with that reason...it may be true, it just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe someone can explain it to me?!

Considering there are a multitude of thyroid disorders, without a specific confirmed medical diagnosis, it would be impossible to offer an opinion as to how WLS could affect your prognosis. As someone who has dealt with the extreme swing from stroke-level hyperthyroidism cause by the autoimmune disorder of Grave's Disease to a partial thyroidectomy during the early weeks of an unknown pregnancy which placed addition stress on my remaining thyroid causing the destruction of all thyroid function; I have run the gambit of thyroid crisis scenarios including a couple of life threatening emergencies with myxedema comas. I am closely monitored by a team of endocrinologists who specialize in unique cases. How WLS could affect your particular thyroid issue would be best answered by an endocrinologist who specialize in thyroid disorders. As far as my 40 years of experience dealing with the thyroid roller coaster, my tsh, uptake, t3 levels and thyroid medication dosage were never affected by my weight. Good luck to you!

It’s a very different situation. I had RNY back in 2004. I lost a lot of weight and maintained it for 18 months. Then it started creeping back on. When I was finally ready for a revision (somewhere around 2014-ish, different team), the team kept losing my endoscopy results. I finally lost interest. In the last few years, I’ve felt ready to try again. My insurance has changed, as have revision methods. My insurance approved a procedure called Endoscopy with Argon Plasma Coagulation. They make the opening to the stomach pouch smaller by zapping it and creating scar tissue, making it smaller. I had the first procedure in 2022. Unfortunately, the surgeon didn’t tell me that there were more to come. No one reached out to schedule the next procedure. I assumed that the revision consisted of that one procedure. That’s why I thought the revision wasn’t working for me. When I spoke with my surgeon, she was surprised that I had done as well as I had with just that one time, as well as the fact that no one had contacted me to schedule the next procedure. I’ve had the second procedure, and I have continued to lose weight. I know the stalls are maddening, and if it continues for more than a few weeks, talk to your surgeon.

This topic is merely being presented as an educational topic with hopes that there has been experiences in the use of Marijuana after bariatric surgery. I smoke marijuana maybe once a week like having a glass of red sangria to relax after a long hard week. Although I'm not a frequent user, I am wondering if I will be able to use it after surgery. Fact for me is that it does induce hunger and I am sure this would not be condusive to being successful after the sleeve, but let's be real, there may be users out there who give it try. Unfortunately, there are not any concrete studies on this either like there is for tobacco and alcohol users. So feel free to enlighten and share your thoughts. Thanks!

Lots of nerves were cut during surgery so you have to wait for them to heal for messages/signals to get through. It usually takes 4-6 weeks to start to feel it. I always say all because you can doesn’t mean you should especially when your healing & signals aren't getting through. Stick to your plan (food, eating & drinking strategies, etc.) is the best advice. It takes time for the message to get through you are full - at least 20 minutes (& that’s after you’re fully healed). If you keep eating until you feel full you likely have eaten more than you need. Eating until you feel satisfied or had enough like you said your doing is best. I still ask myself do I need the next bite or just want it. It’s all about tuning into your body & its needs (listen to your body). You get better at it over time. Also many find when they are healed, the signals are different. Some say they sneeze, or their nose runs. Were you given portion sizes to guide you? If not ask for some they are helpful to ensure you don’t eat too much. I was told. 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée (week 3) slowly increasing to about a cup at 6 months. You may be told something different.

@catwoman7 put it perfectly so I won’t add to her advice & information except echo yes, you count your fluid protein as a liquid as well. Purée can be a very difficult stage for many of us. It can be a struggle to find anything that tastes okay & that the texture isn’t off putting. Thankfully it is only for two weeks. I think I ate the same few things every day. Lol! Try blending your yoghurt with milk to make a drink so you get protein (milk & yoghurt) & fluid (count how much milk you add & sip like a drink. Have you tried protein water or blending some protein powder into your oatmeal, farina, soup, the yoghurt drink, etc,? Try puréing meats like chicken (thigh is less dry than breast) with lots of gravy or stock to make it a purée. It’s a shame you can’t do eggs. Wonder if it’s because many struggle with them at first - worth asking about it. They can be a great option - egg salad, runny scrambled eggs, etc. Make a vegetable & meat soup (can add beans or lentils too) & purée that - you get meat & vegetables that way. Oh & don’t beat yourself up if you don’t hit those fluid & protein goals. As long as you’re close & getting better at it you’ll be okay. I didn’t hit them regularly for ages.

Hi everyone I’m new here 🙂 I have decided to go ahead with the esg despite being scared of the procedure I’m desperate to reduce my weight mainly for health. I have such a love hate relationship with food, I like eating healthily and am an reduce my weight but then have periods of time where I just eat everything in sight and these periods last weeks or months and I gain it all again. I've completed hypnotherapy and done so much work on why I do this. I do think if I can reduce my weight and exercise again this will help, my biggest fear is that I spend this money which is such a huge amount for me, then I feel I can eat through the full feeling, is that possible? As long as I feel really full I think I won’t do that. I just really really hope I can do this and feel nervous as everything else has failed eeeeeek i hope this makes sense but it was really a big old waffle of what’s in my head. did anyone else worry that they would mess it up but it was ok?

Going on month 5 now. Takes about 6 months for mine. Started back in June. Found out had iron deficiency anemia. So its been a roller coaster. So my process was get the referral from my primary care provider, then made the consult with my bariatric surgeon. Ran that fine, they drew labs and two days later diagnosed me with iron deficiency anemia. Started my nutrition appts (have to have 3 of them) that week and the psych (have to have 2). My nutritionist jumped the gun at my anemia diagnosis and instead of holding off to see if therapy and a GI look helped, she referred me to a hematologist, GI, and sleep lab. At this point I've had all my nutrition and psych (passed with flying colors) appts, my GI done and cleared (found a sliding hiatal hernia with erosion causing my anemia, which is now resolved thankfully), Hematologist done and needing clearance, sleep study done and cleared by my understanding. Now I just have to wait 30 days min prior to the date I want for Surgery for my primary care clearance. Hoping I can get surgery on December 13th. Best of luck and keep one foot in front of the other. You will do great and definatly think about therapy or a class to go to. Helps tremendously getting your mind in the right space.

Hello fellow August WLS patients! I had mine on the 21st..no one told me my entire stomach would be a solid black bruise and after one month is finally showing signs of abating. I have hit the dreaded "3 week stall" going on 10 days of a pound here and a pound there along with major fatigue. I just keep telling myself it will all be worth it - my new life long mantra! Good luck everyone!

Oh that's no fun... I've heard of people having various issues from too much biotin. It is why not everyone advises supplementing it. I think it is unlikely to be the shakes, mostly because a true allergy comes from reactions to a protein IIRC? For the shakes that protein would be in the whey. That means you'd react to ALL whey, which means essentially all cow's dairy products. It is possible to develop an adult true allergy to a protein, but they are rare... However, we can develop intolerances to things and it is possible some additive in the shake is doing it. The reaction you are describing sounds like eczema, it causes that textured skin feeling and sometimes pigment changes. I have a friend that gets it every time she eats cheese! But if it is hives taking benadryl should help noticeably. I'd quit the biotin, give it a week or two for everything to calm down, then try the shake again. If the rash shows up from drinking it again you should go be tested for a dairy allergy by an allergist. I'm not a doctor, but that's what I'd do...

Hi All, I thought I would share my resent adventure in traveling after surgery. Husband and I spent the holiday in Maui. As we all know when flying there is that 3 oz limit on liquids which I was concerned about. How am I going to get my proteins, water, pills and vitamins all in with the total day was spent flying? Here is what I came up with before traveling and it worked for me. For protien: I found Bariatric Fusion sells the powder in individuals packets. I also packed in my carry on 2 One protien bars. I picked up a yogurt at the airport to mix the powder in it. On lay overs I was able to find a couple places that had healthy food choice, like the Grab and Go. For water : I took with me a portable water bottle filled it up before got on the planes. I also asked the stewards to fill it up with water and ice while on the plane and it was no problem at all they where happy to do it. For Pills & Vitamins : I got those weekly pill cases one for morning and one for evening. Filled them up with the prescriptions I need for the week and stuck them in my carry on. This included my Biotin and Probiotics. I take fiber powder everyday and was able to find Walgreens carries fiber sticks. I got a box of those counted out how many I needed for the trip and put it in a carry on. I used a back back as my carryon and was able to get everything in there that I need. In Maui there was a lot of fish options which was great for me I love fish. I lot of the time we just split a meal as they where so big and I don't eat alot. I also picked up some individual low fat milk to put my protien powder in. This is usually my breakfast so it was nice to be able to stick to my routine. I was nervous about traveling and staying on track but once I found out that I could take with me what I needed it was a load off my mind. I was able to really enjoy our vacation. I hope this is helpful for any of you who are thinking of traveling or getting ready to travel. Melody

When I had my revision from sleeve to bypass, I was on Omeprazole and was slowly weaned off. Just stopping completely can cause that rebound issue, so he had me taking the full dose every day for the first 4 weeks. Then every other day for 2 weeks, then 3x a week for 2 weeks, then I went off them completely. And I had absolutely no issues at all. I had to have the revision because I originally had the sleeve and had MAJOR complications (incredible gerd that required 80mg of Nexium per day, still had break through reflux so Pepcid was added as needed, and then pre-cancerous polyps developed all through my stomach and duodenum, requiring 5 surgeries for remove everything). My surgeon wanted me on the PPI and to do a gradual step down to wean off to protect my stomach and allow it to heal so there wouldn't be any additional issues. I would say maybe try stepping down gradually off the PPI and see if that helps.

I had my VSG back on 3/3/23, with a heavy weight of 195. (Im 5’2”). Surgery day, I weighed in at 184 after a two week liver shrinking diet- two shakes a day/one meal. Yesterday I had my 6 month check up, an things are going really well. Weighed in at 129- and BMI in healthy range. Hair loss has been significant, but hoping that turns around soon… fingers crossed. Since I had my surgery in Mexico, this was my first meeting with Bariatrician and he says that im having really nice success- and that 8-10 months is about how long someone would expect to see results from VSG. (I’d heard longer). He also took labs, and all seems to be in good range- saw the results this morning. First two pics from today, last pic is before (I hated having picture made and can’t find one really near that time except this one. My goal this next few months is to take up a more structured exercise routine to build some muscle— so much of the pain I was having pre-surgery is gone. So glad to have taken this step for my health!

Has anyone had peanut butter 7 weeks post-op? I’m scared to try new things!

I am new to this site. My RNY is scheduled for June 28th and I have kind of been obsessing lately. Scouring the web for articles and success stories---it is how I manage my nerves. It is nice to finally find a user friendly and active site for support and help. Looking forward to getting to know everyone. I'm 36 yrs old and a mother of three. (Ages 7, 9, and 15) I've been heavy all my life except for about 6 years through most of high school and part of college when I was running track and very involved in gymnastics. Those days are over now. Weight loss is my ultimate goal but I also suffer from sever acid reflux. The doctors assure me that the RNY will cure or at the very least greatly improve the condition. To me that is as much of a motivator as the mirror has ever been. At the moment I am trying out different Protein shake recipes and dieting to prep for surgery. Anybody else doing this?

Last pounds are difficult and the maintenance isn't really better, if not worse. It is a constant grind and long battle to maintain and not gain 5 lbs that can lead to 20, 30... etc. This is our reality, no matter whether it's the band, the sleeve, the bypass and any of the revisions... And it bites. I was thinking the other day that after all this time, I just want to eat everything I want for a week lol but then, I know if I go that route, I'm feeding my emotions not my body and it would be near impossible to take it off again like in my honeymoon stage. So I put that out of my head since being thin is a priority. So big Hugs, hang in there, you have come such a long way. We have all come a long way. Let us count the blessings that we made it this far and we have major improvements in our lives. [emoji3059]

Hey All I've been having a time as stated in another post. I would have updated in the same post but couldn't find it. I haven't been able to proceed to soft foods due to vomiting. Yesterday was my 6 week check up. As far as weight loss I was informed I am on target with 35% of excess weight gone which means I have 21 pounds to go for the doctor's office my personal goal is 33lbs BUT getting the 21lbs off will be great with me. I was also informed "Yesterday" due to the radiology report and the fact I was unable to eat, the doc wanted to do the baloon dialation next morning which was today. All went well and they saw that the opening was narrow & Initially, the scope could not pass through. The balloon was used to stretch the opening to 10 mm. I am now to progress through today liquids, puree, by dinner soft foods then in a few days to move into more dense (soft) foods etc. I feel good just sleepy! The meds should be out of my system by tomorrow. Now the work continues to get into a healthy BMI. No gerd as of now and that is truly a relief!