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Hi! I had VGS on 8/23/23. 4 weeks from surgery TODAY! I feel great. The past few days have been weird, though. I can't eat or drink as much as I have been able to the past 2 weeks. I used to be able to somewhat easily get down a protein shake in 30 minutes. Now it takes me a few hours. Does that sound right? I don't feel sick or anything. It just feels like I am going backwards. Should I be concerned about this? Anyone had similar experiences? Thanks for your help!! Melanie

Not everyone experiences a bounce back regain. And not everyone experiences a larger regain. If it does happen there’s often a reason: complacency/&or bad habits returning, a too restrictive way of eating, lifestyle changes, medical/health issues, emotional issues, settling of your weight, … I had a regain of a good two kgs (about 5lbs) rather quickly a few months into my second year so earlier than the usual 3rd year. Didn’t gain any more. Wasn’t happy but was accepting it. Couldn’t really put my finger on why. No dietary changes, no activity changes during that time. But what I did have was a gall removal at 25 months which caused an protein absorption issue. Then almost at the three year mark we realised the gall removal also stopped me absorbing my HRT & caused other issues. Went from a tablet to a patch & slowly but surely I lost a good kilo of that regain over 6 months +/-. I’ve been sitting pretty stable again for about 6 months or so. I keep an eye on the scales, monitor my portions, watch my food choice & fingers crossed I continue to remain stable.

I would get the drinks with the sweetener of your choice and just add the unflavored protein to them, or brew tea and add the erythritol to it, then add the protein powder. I hate artificial sweeteners but I have decided part of my journey to surgery is learning to tolerate them as this is a lifelong change and I don't do well with sugar alcohols like erythritol. My surgeon requires the 2 week pre surgery liver reduction diet to be done with the Premier Protein premade shakes and those are sucralose based... I think I have like 10 flavors of them now. LOL I still cringe with the first few sips but having them ice cold helps. With fruit drinks I find a sour component helps cut the artificial taste and sometimes watering them down more than the package states. I like adding cold brew coffee concentrate to the shakes, the bitter component balances out the sweetness. I'll have to get decaf for after surgery! But really, the pumpkin spice flavored one with coffee concentrate makes a pretty decent pumpkin spice latte!

Today is my 1 year anniversary and I am happy and sad at the same time. I got so very close to goal but I have spent the last month in a stall so I really don't have that awesome feeling that I hoped to have at the 1 year mark. I know this stall will pass too and I'm happy with how far I've come. I made it to normal bmi which I didn't think I would ever see again. I still want to lose at least 10 more lbs so that I'm safely in the normal range but 10 lbs seems doable after the last year. I still have trouble accepting that I've changed but little things make me so happy, like crossing my legs and feeling bones that were hidden. I'm happy my hair has stopped falling out and is starting to slowly grow back. Slower than before but I'll take slow as long as it grows lol. I started a journal at the beginning and set goals for myself and guessed at sizes my arms, thighs, waist etc should be. I had no idea what I should set those to so I looked them up in google for averages for women my height and I actually hit or beat all those measurements except my waist I set to 30 inches and I got to 33. I have a ton of extra skin there though and hope to have that removed so I still might hit that goal I took pictures along the way and wore the exact same outfit and its amazing so see how far I've come. I'll see if I can figure out how to add it here. Its not a great picture of me but it for sure shows the weight loss . I hope everyone else is doing well and I hope to see more updates from others. Take care!

I really get this. Its your body and if you need a lower buffer weight then its your business. If your hubby did not know you had intentionally dieted, Would he have said anything ? I can tell you now that my husband would not know. We have been away in Spain for 2 weeks so my husband saw a bit more of me than usual. I was laying in bed without covers and clothes, it was so hot. My hip bones and ribs were prominent. My skin hangs off me, its not pretty. He said I think its time you gave up trying to loose weight now, you are skin and bone. My local doctor wants me to loose at least 40lbs more to get in a healthy range. I am happy where I am, I look good in my clothes. Who is right ? Me ! So congrats on your loss and bugger everyone else

so i recently lost 3 lbs. not the downside-of-a-normal-daily-weight-fluctuation-loss, or a oh-i-just-had-a-mega-poop kinda loss, but an ACTUAL 3 lbs loss that has stayed off based on a 2 week moving weight average. now everyone and my mother has said something or other in the past couple weeks in the tune of "omigod are you losing weight?!?" or "you're not on a diet AGAIN are you?!!". didn't give it much thought until this AM when i asked my Mr this morning if he thinks i look thinner these days and he nodded (i can always count in him on a low-key, no-big-deal kinda response). so i guess it is noticeable? anyway the point of this is that when i was much heavier, no one would even notice (nor comment) on any appearance change in me if/when i lost up to 20-25 lbs (including Mr.). but now, at 3 measly lbs loss, somehow the world is ending to the busybody-nation. sometimes i feel like i have to defend being thinner as much as i had to defend being heavier. not really an NSV, more of an annoyance (the comments)...and also just another thing that thought u were done with, but not really. 🤷🏻‍♀️

*raises hand* me too! i had a breast lift with extended arm lift (i.e., adresses the "side boob" issue) back in 2019...also had a tummy tuck all in one surgery. it depends i think one how long your surgeon is comfortable with u being under as well as how fast he/she works. my doc had a policy max of 6 or 7 (can't remember) hours under general anesthesia i think. he said he was done with me in under 6. personally, despite the recovery being very "challenging" (to put it mildly, ha!) i'd still do it all in one shot vs 3 separate surgeries: the healing was unpleasant enough that i was glad i only had to do it once (vs. three!!) but im a baby and was NOT a good patient so...i know of others on here whose recovery was a walk in the park. anyway: arm lift, breast lift tummy tuck...so so happy with them. the breast lift was actually the surprise favourite for me. being able to go bra-commando and remain perky is AWESOME. good luck! ❤️

As everyone has said, stalls are very common. They actually are Dan important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body takes stock of your constant needs & readjusts things like your hormones ( hunger, satiety, etc.), metabolic rate, etc. The stall will end when your body is ready. You can’t force it, let it take the time it needs. Still frustrating though. Fluctuations are also perfectly normal. We all fluctuate. You’ll eventually work out your usual fluctuation swing. Mine is about 2 lbs. Some are greater, some are less. Fluid retention, constipation, diarrhoea, hormones, etc. all contribute. I mean you don’t eat & drink exactly the same foods & fluids in the exact same quantities every day either. Nor do you the exact same activities to burn calories. Congrats on your weight loss so far. Yay!

I’ve had my hair coloured every 4 weeks for years before & after my surgery (gotta hide that grey) & continued my usual drying/styling routine. Don’t believe it affected how much hair I lost. The hair you lose during the usual 3+/- months is have that you were already going to shed. You’re just shedding it more quickly. The only thing I would worry about is bleach as it is more harsh on your hair. I remember having streaks many years ago & I shed more hair than usual. So I wouldn’t want to increase the hair loss by doing that again. Plus the anaesthetic can make the texture of your hair change & make it feel drier.

I just started my pre-op diet today. I'm very fortunate and feeling very thankful that in addition to liquids, I get to eat 7 ounces of protein a day. Two weeks to go until my surgery.

Thank you both! During my pre-op appointment, my surgeon told me I needed to utilize a protein that contained the vitamins/minerals for at least the first week after surgery, as you can’t take a multivitamin (probably meant eating them?). I didn’t think to ask if I could just take a liquid vitamin. Probably a stupid question, I just really don’t want to mess anything up. I will likely just call to confirm . Thanks again!

@SleeveToBypass2023 workout routing is 4-5 Times a week. 1:30hours cardio one day and 1:20 hours cardio for 3 days (40mins jogging 20mins hill walk 20mins elliptical) 5th day is more strength training and it’s up to 10 variations with 20mins cardio strength training mostly arms back core and I do a variation of 6-8 different upper body and core 4-5 sets of each variation 10-15 reps minimum weight is 15kg. had always been doing weight training when I got the all clear a month after surgery until 3months ago when I started elliptical on,y calories I drink is my protein water. Which isn’t up to 500ml per day. Along with 2.5-3liters of water 1 liter is usually covered during workout I noticed I don’t eat up to 21oz of food through the day mostly protein

I have noticed the same thing. I’m about 6 months out from my sleeve op and can eat about half of what I previously could (which to be fair was a lot!) My weight loss has stalled and I know it’s because of the type and amount of food I eat. I saw my doctor recently and they recommended getting back to basics and focusing on protein and water intake to get back on track. They didn’t seem concerned about the pouch stretching. Good luck with your continued weight loss!

It's completely normal to see a stall at any point, but yes the notorious 3 week stall can strike anywhere at around that timeframe. It's not anything that you've actually done. At this point it's almost impossible any of us has the capacity to gain real weight. Your body is still healing. I also have some trouble still at 5 months post getting in my water goals. Remember that all other liquids can count towards that goal - soups, protein water etc. Just keep trying your best day by day. Remember the scale isn't the only measure of our successes (though it is the biggest tether we have). Forget the scale for a bit and keep working your program. The drop will happen.

Greetings, So as most people do from time to time - I fell off the wagon for about two weeks while on vacation and in the process of that, I noticed that I was able to eat more without any discomfort. I wasn't gorging on food like I did to gain the weight that I had, but I was able to handle bigger portions or that 3rd slice of pizza. I screwed up and I know that. I actually feel guilty, especially considering all the weight I have lost. It was just the first time where it was harder to stay focused as I wanted to enjoy my vacation. I know next time I have to plan better. Now I am aware that the stomach does stretch again, but it is my understanding that it takes years for that to happen per what I have read from doctors - which is why some people who have bariatric surgery tend to gain some or all the weight again years later if they haven't maintained their better eating habits. I am only 5 months out from the sleeve, so I was just curious why I was able to eat more than usual at this early point. I am back on track now, but just wanted to ensure that this is normal - that the stomach can stretch temporarily in the short term and things should be back to normal now that I am eating smaller portions again/proper foods. That I haven't already stretched out my stomach a bit. I would appreciate any feedback here. Thanks, HM

Had my RNY & hernia repair done on Monday the 11th. After Friday's scramble and near cancellation of my surgery because insurance hadn't answered the prior authorization and wouldn't escalate it. Ended up getting approved at 4:45 EST, they were literally in the process of rescheduling everything for me before canceling everything out when they finally got the call saying it was approved. I think that was the most stressful day of the whole process. I ripped some of the internal sutures trying to get out of bed to go to the bathroom the first night I was inpatient so that was not a happy time. Still a lot of incisional pain and pain around where the muscle was pinched and torn. But the Dr. was happy with the results and once I put on a binder I was able to move a lot more comfortably. Especially since it helped with the feeling of gravity pulling at incision sites when it was wrapped tight enough. Still having some gas issues have a bubble in my upper chest it feels like and it just isn't budging. And the gas coming out, lord help me. Lord help my husband. I'm not ladylike at all ever but even now farting is embarrassingly loud and obnoxious. And it's OFTEN! I was supposed to be allowed to leave on Tuesday but with the suture issue and not being able to manage my pain effectively, they kept me an extra day which greatly threw off our game plan. But we made it home late Wednesday night after a 5-hour drive home from the hospital and I've been doing a little better each day. I can't go too long without wearing the binder or else standing begins to pull and hurt too much. Showering is about the only time it's off, I've been alternating between the one I asked for at the hospital and the one I bought off Amazon and left at home when I packed my post-op bag. While the one I got off Amazon is soft and stretchy, it's neoprene or something like it so it gets HOT! The one the hospital gave me is pretty much all elastic banding and I prefer it over the one I bought because it also covers more of my abdomen heightwise so it feels like it stays in place a little better. And you'll KNOW if it shifts when you move. I'm trying to get myself back into the swing of things though and trying to get caught up on everything I missed last week while I was tuned out. Today is the first day I have actually gotten online and done more than just buy something I needed at the moment on Amazon. Today is also the first day I didn't wake up hating myself for putting myself through it. I knew it was going to be rough and I knew it was going to hurt, but even in all my overthinking, I didn't think I'd hurt as badly as I did. Don't hesitate to ask for pain meds and go to oral meds as soon as they'll let you while you're there if you want to get out of the hospital with a quickness.

Hi all - I'm so sorry to hear of what you are facing guys; I'm sure you had not bargained for that! I wondered what procedure you all had. I had a gastric bypass and seem to have healed well thus far. I only feel nauseous very occasionally and the feeling is fleeting and thus I'm not actually put off of eating my food. I have not yet experienced 'dumping' and threw up only once much earlier on. I have not yet had a bad reaction to anything that I have eaten but I do try to be careful. I'm three and a half months post surgery and feeling ok. I swim daily and feel sufficiently healed so far. Have you all spoken to your health team? xx

I had my surgery on 8/15 as well. I am still losing steadily. I am still around 400 calories a day, even on soft foods. First week after surgery was 3.4 pounds down, 2nd week was 14.4, 3rd week was 6.8, 4th week was 6.2, today was 5.4 lost each week. 36.2 pounds lost since surgery (I am on the larger scale for loss tho LOL). 56 pounds down since Pre Op started. 75.2 pounds down since life style changes. You will get there, my daughter had the surgery the same time I did, and she has hit stalls where she gained .5 pounds one week. I weigh in about 3 times a week, but only 1 is what I record. I am going to start weighing in only once per week. Your body is adjusting so it will take some time.

I know how discouraging stalls/gains can be . I'm still at a 2 and a half month stall

Hi, I am looking in to arm surgery too. I would like the boob done but a t my age is it really necessary ? At a Spire hospital near me they charge £5.000 for that. A friend has just had the boobs done and that cost £9,000. There is lots of bad press about Turkey and I think I would be too scared to try it. The arm surgery alone is big surgery and my friend couldn't lift for 6 weeks after her surgery. The thing thats holding me back is not the cash its how long I will need to rely on someone else until I heal. Good luck with your journey and please keep me posted, I am very interested

do a search on this site for the "three-week stall". You will find over 17,000 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding). Happens to almost all of us. stick to your program, stay off the scale for a few days, and it will break. I promise.

First, great job on the weight-loss. I've noticed I can eat more and I'm starting to get my appetite back. It's so important to follow the plan... get in your protein (and some extra if needed). I aim for 3 oz per meal or about 80+ grams per day. Keep it lean- chicken, fish, shell fish, and plant protein. Make sure you're getting your veggies in. Cut up a veggie tray for the week and enjoy with a tablespoon of hummus or guac. Low fat cheese and yogurt. Keep measuring your food. It's so easy to overeat. Fluids are really important to stay on top of. Another thing that helps is to stay busy and keep your mind off food when you're bored. Exercise is also helpful to boost your mood and metabolism. Just be careful of the after workout munchies. It's totally a thing for me. A once on awhile treat is important too. My nutritionist said that if we always deprive ourselves, we'll regress back to old eating habits. So, for example, I love onion rings. And we we go to dinner that my husband orders them, I'll have one... or whatever I may be craving. Small amounts of something special once a week is totally within the plan. Everything they taught you before surgery is for life. Focus on not deviating from that too much.

Hi! I had vsg 8.15 and have lost 24 lbs. This am I seem to be up 3 lbs. Not off course. Still eating pureed. Cals are between 6 and 700. I meet protein daily but water is tough. I usually get 52 ounces vs 64. I eat 3 meals daily plus 1 snack of string cheese. I still have some muscle discomfort in tummy area but find I'm emotional a lot. Dr is happy w progress but I'm super upset with stall or gain when I'm not even eating or drinking off program. Any thoughts?

I had a very interesting conversation with my doctor recently. I was having some issues I thought may be a bug which included soft motions & wanting to go again later in the day. Did some tests & it showed I had some constipation. Not blockages or impaction but some traffic slowing speed bumps (that’s my analogy 😁). Apparently your body’s response is to thin out your poop so it can go over the speed bump but it also means the bowel isn’t fully emptying hence wanting to go more often. Treatment was a stool softener taken one night, none on night two & then one on nights three & four. It did help. This may not be your issue but worth a conversation with your doctor.

You can use whatever protein shakes you want. I used ready made the first 2 weeks, then I bought protein powder from Arbonne and made my own. You can take liquid vitamins as long as they have the same amount of vitamins as bariatric vitamins do. I wasn't told not to take capsules or any kind of pills with the sleeve when I had it, but I WAS told that when I had my revision to bypass. It took a little bit but I'm able to take all my normal pills and supplements like normal now.