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Still hurting. Actually looking forward to surgery on Wednesday. Also upset because I'm probably going to miss ALL of next week. Plus the 2 days I missed last week and I will only have 3 paid days on my check on the 15th. Not only do I have bills to pay, that was supposed to cover Christmas. And not just the gifts, but the decorations, the dinner, cards, all of it. Now we'll have literally nothing. And the pain meds don't do anything but knock me out. Once I wake up, I'm in pain again. Time to take my meds and pass out. I'm so over it all.... Oh, before I forget!!! Let's not leave out that I'm basically back on my stage 1 bariatric diet because when I try to eat regular food, it KILLS my hernia (it's a delayed reaction, so I'm guessing it's happening as it makes its way down my colon, or to my bowels, or wherever it goes). That was ok yesterday, but today....nope. But TODAY!!! Oh TODAY has been a joy because now even liquids and YOGURT and Jello hurt. And I have had absolutely ZERO appetite since yesterday around lunch time. I can't just not eat, but I have no hunger feelings, and when I remember to eat, I don't want to because it hurts so much. I don't know what else to do, but I feel like I'm losing it over here. I'm so so over all of this. I've never had a hernia before. Is this normal? Because I feel like I'm about to lose my mind. I walk hunched over, trying to roll over in my sleep causes me to cry out and wake up my husband, and don't get me started on coughing or sneezing or pooing. The early stages of both my bariatric surgeries COMBINED didn't make me this miserable.

I am also a "stick to the plan" person. You're way too early to eat anything not specifically allowed. Revisit this with your nutritionist when you hit 6 weeks and see what they say.

So i had my 2 week post op appointment today i have lost 23 pounds since my surgery day and i was told thats good. I didnt see my actual surgeon which was a bit annoying, and the doctor that did see me was rushing me out the damn door. Like i honestly could barely answer her questions before her next one. I tried telling her about the pain in my mouth and the constant spitting but she was clueless. I told the intake nurse about my depression up and down moods but this doctor didnt even bring it up. Today felt like i was a cross on a t or a dot on an i. Like ok youre healing good no major complications good ok see ya take care! Thankfully i had the mindset to see my regular pcp to discuss the problems im having and hopefully i get actual attention and help to fix the issues. Very disappointing day honestly.

WHOOOO! I needed a "formal" dress for a Charity event. I walked in, saw a dress I liked, grabbed a size. Tried it on an BAM! DONE!!!! Never in a million years would this happen. Normally it would be 45 stores, 2 weeks of looking and basically finding something I hate but fits.. WHOOOOO HOOO Also- I HIT MY FIRST "ORIGINAL" GOAL THIS WEEK! This was what my surgeon and myself agreed on from my initial appointment and I am perfectly fine here.. but my "updated" goal is just there to be able to say I lost half of my original body weight!

WHOOOO! I needed a "formal" dress for a Charity event. I walked in, saw a dress I liked, grabbed a size. Tried it on an BAM! DONE!!!! Never in a million years would this happen. Normally it would be 45 stores, 2 weeks of looking and basically finding something I hate but fits.. WHOOOOO HOOO Also- I HIT MY FIRST "ORIGINAL" GOAL THIS WEEK! This was what my surgeon and myself agreed on from my initial appointment and I am perfectly fine here.. but my "updated" goal is just there to be able to say I lost half of my original body weight!

Updating now that I'm 6 months out. 1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT Female, 50, 5 feet 0 inches 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 6.4 kilos or 14 pounds 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 148.6 kilos or 327 pounds 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 137.6 kilos or 302 pounds 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 127.8 kilograms or 281 pounds 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery 117 kilograms or 257.4 pounds 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery

I'm only a week post-op so I don't have much experience with this particular conversation -- but I've struggled with weight all my life and have had a few periods of great weight loss. And those conversations were never great, either. Honestly, I feel like the majority of people just want you to reveal "the magic solution" to them -- whether because they want an easy solution themselves, or just want to write you off as having "cheated" for your success. They don't want to hear about the tough, ongoing, lifetime of work you're putting in. Some people -- those who deeply care and connect with you -- that won't be the case. But those people that care, won't get too pushy if you set a boundary. And that's really what I wanted to talk about: setting healthy boundaries. It's nobody's business how you achieved this. Decide how much you're comfortable sharing, and allow yourself to set a clear boundary. There's absolutely nothing wrong with giving a bland "oh, you know, lifestyle changes" as an answer, and if they push further let them know "Honestly, I'm not comfortable talking about it. I'm healthy and happy though." Anyone who tries to push past your boundaries? Deserves the stink eye, and maybe a LOUDER repetition of exactly what you told them. At most. (But most people feel too awkward to push, I think. If they don’t, well, they don't really deserve you to be polite back. Get sassy. Ask them what part of your statement needs clarification. Ask them something extremely probing and personal back. Tell them to look up the definition of 'boundaries,' 'respect,' or 'pushiness.' Ask if they're a Taurus. Hiss at them 'Alien Abduction' and walk away. Most importantly, take care of your own emotional and mental health first -- because nobody else will prioritize it for you. 🤍

Hi, i'm almost 3 month out, got my Bypass on 1. September 2023, i Had a lot of problems, and a lot of ER Visits, it seems like the Exit of my Pouch narrowed down so much that i couldn't even Drink anymore, they Stretchted it to 1,2cm's the "normal" size should be 3cm, they Already told me i need a Second Surgery and one of my surgeons said that maybe the Doctor who did that did it on purpose so i would "lose weight better!" with a giggle, What an A-Hole. I'm kinda off all things i've read on that Topic, i can't eat any kind of meat or Cheese, it would not sit well and i will Vomit a lot. I Live after 3 Month, Out of Protein Yoghurts and Pudding. I can tolerate Crisp Bread, but again can't do something on it very much, i'm Kinda at a loss Right now, But i Lost in that 3 month's around 40Kilogramms. but i feel pretty bad in General, since i feel like "i will never be able to eat even the Portion sizes i should with bypass".

Start weight 92kg Current weight 70.7kg Goal weight 58kg Hi all I’m 7 months post gastric sleeve op and wondering if my weightloss is slow ? My height is 5.4” my nutritionist is happy with my weightloss but losing 1lb per week is making me feel like I’m failing . Anyone else a slow loser like me ? I’m scared I won’t get to my goal weight . I have no regrets with the Surgury and not had any dumping ever . I’m also able to eat all foods . My only fear is not reaching goal as this was my last hope on getting slim 😢. Thank you for reading my post x

I got a cold on December 3rd and my surgery is also scheduled for the 13th. Surgery sisters haha! I feel much better thankfully, but I did inform my bariatric team last week. Hope to hear from them tomorrow when they are back in to see if they will proceed. Hoping for us both!!

Hi there, I’m 3 weeks post op today and 52 years old . I did not do a great LRD and probably didn’t lose anything . The day after surgery I was 14 st 9 and today I am 14 stone 5 lb!!! I have been working hard to get my protein in averaging 80g per day and now I’ve managed to increase calories up to 700-800 per day as my fatigue was so bad. has anyone else had such a poor initial loss? thank you

If you were advised 65-75g protein as your goal & one shake helps you to reach that goal or just exceed it as this stage you’re doing well. When your nutritionalist recommended 2 shakes did they realise you’re able to get 40-50g of protein in eating real food? To me the goal was to be get all I needed nutritionally from eating real food. I never had another shake after the2 week liquids stage, so from when I began purées. I ate a high protein yoghurt or yoghurt drink to give me the extra boost of protein to help me get near or to my 60g goal. (It did take me a while but my surgeon & dietician were okay with that.) To help reach my fluid goals, I started drinking during the night. still do. Every time I get in or out of bed I drink. Get up to pee, drink. If I’m reading in bed, watching tv, on social media, etc. in bed, I sip regularly. I get in another 8-10ozs most nights.

Thank you @ShoppGirl @Bypass2Freedom and @JennyBeez for you lovely, thoughtful words. I really do appreciate your comments. The clothes came - the shift dress that I thought would be OK is massive and the jumpsuit that I thought would be too tight fits perfectly so go figure 🤷‍♀️ Annoying though when you buy the same size from the same brand and there are massive discrepancies. So, dress is going back and I’ve ordered a couple of things from the sale at Roman for less than half the price of the dress I’m sending back 🙂 @ShoppGirl I have to say that my hubby is being fully supportive. There are obviously times when I want to smother him with a pillow but not over this. He is onboard with what I am trying to do so no complaints from me over that. He just wants me to feel good about myself and get some confidence back I think. I did take your advice and ordered some new, dressy shoes (backless so if my feet do shrink again, it won’t matter!) I hope that the metabolic changes from the op really do kick in and work in tandem with the other changes we make. I know the op is a positive thing that we’re doing both for our physical and emotional wellbeing. @Bypass2Freedom Definitely seek food to ‘soothe’ when in meltdown mode. It is difficult to lose weight and keep if off. I hate, with a passion, those that patronisingly say “oh, you just have to eat less and move more”…OH REALLY?? 🤬🤬🤬 Well tell my metabolism that you arsehole. Continually dieting just screws your metabolism up, I’m sure of it. I’m hoping that the op acts as an internal reset button so my body stops acting against me and works with me for a while. I do know I need to stop being so harsh on myself…old habits and all that 🙃 @JennyBeez Yes, to camouflage, yes to self-sabotage. I know what started my weight issues and disordered eating. Food was used as a punishment when I was growing up (amongst other things) I won’t go in to detail as I don’t want to trigger anyone but I have undergone counselling etc. I did lose approx 100lbs around 12 years ago and then immediately started with Rheumatoid Arthritis which threw a massive spanner in to my works! My focus went from weight and gym visits to meds, hospital visits, X-rays pain and tests. Weight went back on, Osteoarthritis decided to join the party and then recently Fibromyalgia because why not?? Did I choose any of that? NO! Looking at it all dispassionately, I can see that I was angry with my body - I’d done the major weight loss, I was at the gym 5 days a week because I loved it, I was happy with myself and then I felt that I was kicked in the teeth without rhyme or reason. I know that WLS won’t make everything go away but hopefully it will make things easier to handle and get me moving once again. I miss the gym like you wouldn’t believe and I’m just hoping that I can get going to it once again for my physical and mental health. Working on my mindset is definitely a work in progress.

I forgot to mention this ^^^ The gas pain was worse than the procedure. My incisions and insides never really hurt, but that gas pressure was super uncomfortable. If its available where you are, pick up some Gas-X or similar gas relief medicine to take with you after your surgery. It will hang around a couple weeks, but the more you can walk and move your arms while walking (think over head stretches and other movement) the more it gets dispersed in your blood stream and your body forces it out. The more walking and arm movement you can do, the more it will ease up. Very annoying when the gas would build up in my shoulder area. I wouldn't call it a pain, but it wasnt' fun lol.

Hi all, Relatively new here and enjoying reading about everyone's experiences. My surgery is on 5th February. I have Multiple Sclerosis. I have been on a liquid diet for 6 days now (4 protein shakes a day, so around 800 calories total). The first 72 hours were, quite frankly, absolutely horrendous - I was headachy, very cranky and slept a lot (thankfully I was off work for a few days). Yesterday was my first day back at work and, boy, was it tough. I have a reminder on my phone to have water every 30 minutes and kept up with that really well and, while I did get hungry, it was the tiredness that really hit me. I was literally nodding off in a meeting at one point. My MS means I am generally fatigued all the time and so I have some little tips and tricks to help with that in general which might be useful for others. These have been hard to break through the fatigue and tiredness completely, but that may be due to my MS *and* the lack of nutrients and so may work for people without an auto-immune condition. Some things I do: Try to go for a walk every hour. Even if it's just a 5 minute stroll around the office, it gets me away from my desk. When I worked in retail and was on my feet all the time, I would take 5 minutes each hour to just sit. I would often go into the lavatory and sit in a stall. I live in the UK so was able to negotiate reasonable working changes to take my MS into account, and my managers were very supportive of me taking breaks. I realise this won't be the case for everyone, but if you can, I really recommend it. Fresh air. If you can get outside for your walk, do it. Even a couple of minutes of fresh air will help awaken your body and will help energise you. Also get as much fresh air as you can outside of work. I find that I am far more tired if I spend all my time inside than if I step out for a bit. Even at home. Do the easy tasks first. If you have a long task list - get the easy stuff out of the way. This will be an easy win and will give you a confidence and energy boost to tackle the more challenging items. We want to regulate and manage our energy and get the best pay off for minimal effort exerted. Smell peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon, etc. I always carry a small vial of eucalyptus essential oil with me and when I find myself getting particularly sleepy at work, just have a quick smell and it awakens my senses. Plus it smells lovely! Any essential oil that wakes you up and is "vibrant" will work. Talk. Tell your colleagues and manager that you're experiencing some fatigue at the moment and that it is affecting your energy levels at work. You'll be surprised how supportive people will be and how much people want to help. I hope this helps. Sending you all lots of good, positive energy. 🙏

Well I signed a contact twenty years ago and I wasn't informed all that much about what I signed up for... Maybe because it was so long ago.. I do now know and understand the deal but the problem is simple.. So I had a car hit me when I was crossing the street and spent six months in a hospital followed by six months of a resting home to recover followed by a heart failure and another five months in the hospital followed by multiple hospital trips and lost all my original muscle.. I was always average strength but it's another thing to be told you might have a heart attack if you don't gain muscle. So I did everything I was told to bring me to this point. I have gained ten pounds of muscle in the last two years and I gain average of a pound a month. Only in the sorta person I need advise and someone to tell me what to do so that I don't make mistake. This might be a result of brain damage from my accident or maybe I'm just a big dumb guy I dunno.. But I did my own math if I eat 4200 calories I absorb 2200. So it does make sense I can't bulk however I'm taking enzymes and my doctor said the enzymes turn your ds off so that you can absorb everything you eat with them.. Now I'm fine tuning everything. Maybe my ds is to powerful and I'll learn that I really can't bulk and yes I look more defined in the mirror I think. But because my skin is stretchy it's hard to tell. I have gone from 175 to 178 so hopefully that's going to keep going up. My only real goal of taking the enzymes is to increase my protein which is 6.1. Before I worked out I was capable of maintaining my weight but my doctor told me I lost so much muscle that to not regain it would be dangerous to my health So regardless of anything I have no choice but to gain weight. If that means eventually eating 6000 calories so be it. But I really think the enzymes alone will solve my problems. I plan to take the enzymes for 3 months then get off then for two months then back on them in a bulk cutting kinda formula however I'll admit I don't know that this will work. I've gained weight in the past getting up to 240 in the resting home but that was eating six full meals a day with no working out and tons of high fat snacks and sense then I've gotten hypoglycemia which makes gaining weight difficult because I can't just devour sugar like I used to be able to. Man I used to love pudding cups... Anyways no I didn't know what I was getting into I was 19 and all I wanted was to lose weight but to still be able to eat as much as I wanted. Which is what I got. I never understood the risks. Never. That's why I got all these problems and it's hard to dig your self out of a ditch.. I would work out more if I thought it would help but I just lift weights 3x a week and I have a trainer and a bunch of great doctors who help.. The thing is the DS shouldn't kill me.. I should be able to figure out a way to make this work and my real issue is I'm 6"3 and a man so I require 3200 calories a day is what my trainer said. I only absorb 2200 thus I'm taking enzymes I'm focusing on absorbing protein and enough calories to feed my muscle building and I'm getting blood tests and scanning my body for progress it's a really scary time for me because I know I can lose muscle fast if I forget anything.. finding this website has helped me relearn just got crazy this surgery can be... For real you all helped me so much... But I can not except life as a weakling I'm 39 and a man and people need me so I can't just except things the way they are. If a normal person can build muscle I can to. It may take more work and more intelligence on my part but that fine I'm willing to do anything to be average if that makes sense.. in fact I was debating going to the gym today because my back hurts but you just motivated me to go . 😁 Thank you. Have a nice day. Please information is key here any advise on maybe how many calories you eat or your macros would be helpful to me because I do have a little problems working stuff out in my head and so the more information I can't the better I can deal.

Well I let myself go the last 2 weeks got off Ozempic and binge ate eating all my favourites like they were my last meals. Ill take it easy till Jan 1st were I start the liquid diet again.

I hope I’m not doomed!!! I ate more than I should have Christmas Day. Got on the scale and it says 2.6 pounds up. What have I done!! I have been working so hard the last two weeks to get it right!! Surgery is tomorrow and I don’t want to hear it isn’t happening anymore. I mostly over ate on meat. However I did have the carbs (in moderation) I didn’t set myself up better for success and now I am mad at myself.

You both are doing great!!! I was sleeved 7/6/23 as well- the recovery went well. I do not believe my sleeve was too restrictive as I can eat small meals without discomfort. I do limit my caloric intake to under 1000 calories per day (I track) and I do not eat simple carbs. I have been eating some fruits which I am cutting back on. I weighed in 3 days ago at 187 lbs, so I am down 43 lbs post surgery, 80 lbs since my first bariatric appointment. I have been in the middle of stall for the last 2 weeks. Hoping it breaks soon. The weight loss has definitely slowed, but based on reading others' experience, I am not going to worry at this point. I wanted to be at least 167 lbs by the 6 month mark, but I've lost very little in the last 4 weeks- don't think I'll make it. Anyway, the goal is what matters. Good luck to you all!

I strongly advise you to stick with the plan your surgeon gave you regarding food. Your stomach and small intestines have been cut and sewn back together, there are a lot of sutures in there that heal best without particles of food irritating them. And believe me, you do NOT want to compromise the healing of those sutures. I know it is hard to do nothing but drink. I was on fluids only for the first two weeks, no pudding, no eggs, nothing but fluids and my stomach couldn't handle protein shakes so I lived on broth, flavored water, and eventually I could do lactose free milk. But I got through it and so will you!! As hard as the changes are to our bodies, it is the head game that will do you in. You are strong. You can do hard things!! You only get the chance to heal once, so heal as well as you possibly can! I ate sugar free popsicles and crunched on ice when I had the urge to chew. This time without food is a very short time in the scheme of things even though it feels like an eternity. Find things to do to distract you from your hunger. Head hunger is miserable but you have to see this through because if you don't get control of the head hunger now it will drive you to eat around your surgery once you add food back in. The surgeon had me taking pills by mouth the day after surgery. It was a struggle but I understood it wasn't harming my stomach to take them, just go slow, one at a time, and give space between each one. But only take what they told you to take. You don't want to add anything extra that could irritate those healing sutures. ❤️

The water amount was just a recommendation from my team. They seemed to have a more relaxed attitude towards my goals. I drank what I could. I was only thirsty the first few difficult weeks. Now I just drink what I want, when I want. Before surgery, I detested eggs and just looking at them would make me heave. Now my body craves them. Isn't that strange. We cook all our meals from scratch and I decide on the weeks menu so I adapt them too suit my diabetic husband and my low carb life. If I fancy Thai food, I have it but with a Tom Yum soup vibe with a few fork full of noodles. It does satisfy my craving. If I want lasagne, I eat around the pasta as I can not tolerate it. I eat all the crispy burnt edges though I log everything that I eat and drink so if I want a biscuit and I have already got my protein in, Then I have a biscuit Food should not be boring. I just do not live to eat it anymore.

If I'm calculating right, you are about 6 months out. You lost all that weight in 6 months?! Take some time to be fiercely proud of yourself and your body! At 6 months out you are probably not done losing, but you are in the realm of stalls for sure. Are you keeping track of your body measurements? Sometimes when the scale doesn't move the inches do. Your body has a lot of reorganizing to do as you drop weight, sometimes it needs a time out to make sure everything is going to continue working! Losing weight this fast is actually pretty hard on the body. I wouldn't stress it by changing up a bunch of things trying to force the scale to move, it'll just take your body that much longer to recalibrate. Honestly, this is probably just a stall and will take TIME. The body will not let go before it is ready to, no matter how much you punish it... Surgery is rough and I swear the majority of the struggle is with our head game. If your mind isn't right with these things, you will experience it all as a suffering and be angry at your body for not cooperating. I think most of us have spent chunks of our lives hating our bodies. This surgery and weight loss is an opportunity to heal that, but only if you take it. Let go of the diet mentality. Show yourself some kindness. Celebrate how far you have come in such a short period of time. And trust things will move when they are ready to move. I'm talking to myself as much as I'm talking to you, I have to remind myself of this EVERY DAY. ❤️

You sound so much like me it’s scary. Im 26, a nurse with no health problems. I had my surgery on 1/4/24. I had issues with self confidence, I’ve always been bigger and that really are at my self confidence. However I went into this with nurse brain, it’s quick low complication surgery, being young you’ll recover well. I was obsessed with information, and I thought it would be amazing. I was so excited till about 2 weeks post op, and then the severe depression came. I was not ready for the emotional challenge. Right now, I wish I had never done this, I would give my left leg to anyone who could help me stretch this or transplant a new one, anything. I lay awake thinking that I should have made one last try at something different ( I tried ALOT of things). Don’t under estimate when they tell you it’s HARD! I did, I thought about it medically, and not enough of how I could react to this. I don’t want to sway you either way, most say it is the best thing they’ve ever done, but just be ready. I wish someone had done that for me

Looking pretty fine there @Lilia_90. Actually @GreenTealael started a thread the other day where a few of us have started sharing our maintenance stories which you may find interesting. Link below. 😁 What you have gleaned already is certainly true: there are many different ways of successfully managing your maintenance. As I say, & say very often, the only right way is the way that’s right for you. In the beginning you may find you are a little more controlled about what you are doing but over time you become more flexible in your food choices, eating style & how often & how much you eat of certain things. As you progress you continue to learn more things about what you can & can do. Well that’s how I was & am now. Certainly more flexible about some things. Bring in maintenance didn’t stop me going out & socialising with friends & family. I just was & still am very conscious about what I chose to eat, how much I ate & ensured I still ate slowly. Sometimes you have to make the best decisions you can in the situation. They may not be perfect but you can’t beat yourself about it. It’s not like you’re doing it everyday. I don’t track, but do random checks especially when I introduce new foods or new recipes. It may be checking calories or looking at ingredients & swapping some out, weighing serves t check portion sizes (weighed my cooked vegetables last night as I’ve added some extra ones & wondered if I needed t adjust the portion) or changing the cooking methods. I usually weigh a few times a week. I do this as previously if I thought I was gaining I wouldn’t get on the scales - it’s not true if there’s no proof. So weighing myself every second or so day keeps me honest. PS: It takes time to get past the body dysmorphia & being able to see how you really truely look now with your weight loss. Even with the evidence of body measurements clothing sizes, photos, number on the scales it can be hard to see the reality. Those fears of looking ‘sickly thin’ are very real with the dysmorphia. Doesn’t help when people around you may still be playing catch up too: Oh, you’re so thin. Don’t lose anymore weight. You look too thin now. Try to ignore those comments & in some cases you may need to tell others to butt out & mind their own business. In time & with regularly looking at the evidence you’ll come to accept & see how you look now. Though I still am surprised sometimes by how I can comfortably fit in small seats & squeeze through tight spaces. Understanding the space I physically take up in relation to the physical space around me.