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YA'LL.... I am officially in a size XL (also known as a 1x). It's one thing to be pretty sure (when you don't actually have that size but the one above it is too big, so you assume) and it's another to put it on and it fits PERFECTLY. Tops AND bottoms. And the size 6 rings are starting to get a little loose. I have 18 pounds to go to hit my goal weight (I weigh 213 right now), and I wonder if I'll be in a 5 1/2 by then!!! The last 30 pounds have been a REAL fight to get off, but seeing the changes in my body and clothes has been amazing and fun. I feel so much better, I can do so many more things, I look so much better, and on a fun note, I went to a higher end thrift store to get some clothes and I was SOOOO overwhelmed by the choices in my new size!!! I started off as a size 28/30 (5x) and would literally just take whatever I could find in my size. Now, there's so many styles and designs and colors and brands lol It's been almost 30 years since I've been this size. I had literally no idea how fun it could be to go clothing shopping!!! And can I just say, my latest blood work shows my A1c is 5.5, fasting blood sugar is 98 and non fasting is 109, and all the rest of my numbers are literally perfect!!! This past weekend, my son and I went on a 8 mile hike, and other than being tired at the end, I didn't have any issues!!! This surgery is literally the best thing I've ever done for myself and my family. Even with all the complications, the revision, the hernia surgery and THOSE complications....I would do it all again to get where I am now. 18 more pounds to go and I'M THERE, ya'll!!!!! OMGGGG!!!!!!

I have seen many videos of the revision and all do the band removal and sleeve in same surgery. Why is my doctor not doing this? Is he not good enough to do it? The scare tissue removal is just extra time and procedure and to check for hernia. Should I be getting a second opinion? Last visit he never tried a fill or see if it leaked or fluoroscope, just said let's take it out. I just hate to do all the fasting and being put under twice if not needed.

It’s almost like they’ve conveniently forgotten you’ve lost your pre surgical weight & are just telling you to lose more as per their set playbook. I also love how they’re telling you to lose weight but aren’t supporting & guiding you in how to do it. Where’s their pre surgical diet? Where’s the referral to a dietician?? Like @NickelChip, I would suggest the three shake a day pre surgical diet many are given. Or do two shakes & one meal of 3 or 4 ozs Protein & 1/2 cup steamed vegetables or undressed salad. All the best. So I begin my pre-op diet in just over a weeks time, but to be honest I'm just really worried it won't get rid of the weight I need. My calorie count and nutrition is already so similar to what they want me to do, and I'm still struggling. I have an appointment next week to get some pre-op tests done, presumably weight and bloods etc, and even then I'm petrified if the number is even slightly above what they need, that'll be it. Other than a straight up water and broth fast, I really am stuck on what to do! I will be on all-liquids for the pre-op diet which is fine, but it's difficult to not get hung up on the fact they've drilled into my head that I MUST hit a certain number, regardless of my loss already.

Your weight loss rate is normal and where it should be at this stage, but in my opinion, your eating habits are going to work against long term success if you don't do some work now to establish the best possible habits. You may have the luxury of not being able to overeat for now, but this is a fleeting luxury. It doesn't last. Furthermore, every bite of junk food at this stage when your capacity is so small deprives your body of the nutrients it needs from high quality food. That will not help you lose weight, no matter what the calorie count is, because you need a healthy body. A bite of pizza or a couple chips from the bowl because you were at a party one weekend is totally understandable, if a bit of a slippery slope. But choosing them regularly will fast become a problem (or at least it sure would be for me). And if you change nothing else, sugary drinks should have zero place in your diet now. Your body does not have a restriction for fluids. If you can consume your 64 oz of water, you can just as easily consume that amount of a sugar sweetened beverage in a day. Just one venti iced coffee with classic syrup has 30g of sugar! Request sugar free syrup or bring your own sweetener. I watched this video last night and it really spoke to me, so I'm putting it here in case it helps you too:

I had surgery during the Keto/intermittent fasting boom and I relied heavily on that excuse. Was I really fooling anyone? In retrospect, I doubt it. Now with the rise of highly effective weight loss medication and it’s media coverage, people will think whatever they want anyway, despite your well thought out excuse. You can always remain vague and say your health is improving and then immediately switch the conversation to focus on something else. I absolutely love the “enough about me, what about you?” pivot.

I had surgery during the Keto/intermittent fasting boom and I relied heavily on that excuse. Was I really fooling anyone? In retrospect, I doubt it. Now with the rise of highly effective weight loss medication and it’s media coverage, people will think whatever they want anyway, despite your well thought out excuse. You can always remain vague and say your health is improving and then immediately switch the conversation to focus on something else. I absolutely love the “enough about me, what about you?” pivot.

The Bariatric Hospital I went to has a very good post op program. They have in person monthly and weekly online support meetings. The Doctor that started the program many years ago is the moderator. He said they started out the pre liquid diet at 2 days. But they ran into issues with the liver being too big. In one instance he said he went to move the liver and it split because it was so big. So, that's why they will not work on anyone that has less than a 2 week pre op liquid diet to shrink the liver. If they go in to do the surgery and someone didn't follow the 2 week diet, they wouldn't do the procedure. They are very safety conscience and take it seriously along with their follow up program. I would go into what all is done but it's fairly lengthy. I'm just a few days from being a month out. I started the Puree'/soft food phase about a week early. Because I was having issues with constipation and needed to get in some fiber. MiraLAX alone wasn't doing the job. Ever since, I've not had an issue. I've even cooked up some ground chicken. But you will fill up fast. Half a cup and I'm full. One scrambled egg with a 1 tsp of salsa & 1 Tsp Mashed Avacado and I can just get it down then I'm done. I've been trying to eat to meet my protein goals, but that is just impossible. I have one shake (premier protein) and I'll mix 60 Grams of Chobani greek non fat yogurt, with one scoop of powdered Premier protein and 1 tsp of PBfit2 to get a chocolate peanut butter yogurt. Don't forget the Sugar free popsicles, it really helped my stomach. Hot food or broth seemed to hurt my stomach a little. But the cold didn't. My Insurance doesn't pay for a Dietician either, however with the Bariatric program it only costs $25 per visit. Between the Surgeon and Bariatric hospital they charged my Insurance $75K so I'm sure they use part of that to cover some of the cost. Do you use the Baritastic app?

So I am 5 years and 2 months post-op RYGB. I made it beyond my goal weight of 170lb to 160lb. Technically I was as low as 145lbs because I was very sick in 2020 then again in 2022, but after getting better, I stabilized at a steady 160lb. Last July I started online streaming/socializing with people. I started snacking more because of nerves and also began drinking quite heavily because being silly tipsy in front of strangers is fun! I had NO IDEA how many calories was in alcohol. Over the course of 5 months, I gained 20lbs. Even more, I noticed that I can eat almost a "normal" plate of food the same size as my family's. I broke the rules and had started drinking fluids with my meals. I think I thought I could get away with breaking rules because I was at a stable 160lbs. Now I am FREAKING out! I hate exercise. I never did it, even with my prior weightloss. I am using a tracking app my husband's VA dietician told him to use called Fat Secret. I am trying to stick to 1600 calories, which is super hard. I feel hungry all the time now. I think I caused pouch dilation. I refuse to be heavy again. My clothes are already getting tighter than I like. I was doing research today on weight gain after years post-op. I basically am reading that I need a bariatric reset. I am going to do a 2-week "Pouch Reset Diet." It's not to make my pouch smaller, but it's to retrain my body to feel full with smaller portions again. I need to go back to the basics, and it's really hard. I also don't get DS with sweets like I used to. Don't get me wrong, I still get sick, but I noticed that my sugar tolerances have changed. It really worries me. 40% of bypass patients fail and bounce back to within 10% of their original weight pre-surgery. I will NOT be a part of that 40%. My support system at home is tricky. On one hand, my husband does support me outwardly. But he himself weighs 415lbs and isn't doing much about his weight. He watched my struggles and drustrations and outright refuses surgery for himself. He's on some stupid intermitent fasting diet, but he still eats way too large portions at meal times. My 15 y/o son is pushing 285lbs, and his only exercise is video games. For me, it's like living around all these food temptations is a struggle. It's like being an alcoholic and living at a bar. I just ordered a crap ton of protein powder so I can jump start this Pouch Reset Diet. I started to push myself on working out at least a little bit. I have a mini stair stepper and an eleptical bike. Anything is better than nothing. I am just wondering if I am alone in my struggles?

I am just starting Zepbound tomorrow! Ihave had a long journey. I was lapbanded in 2002. I lost 130lbs. In 2014, after not seeing any doctors for 5 years, I went to a local bariatric surgeon just for a checkup. He found my esophagus had expanded. My band was too tight and I was packing my esophagus..didn't even know..no pain. Immediately unfilled and gained 30lbs in a month..eating NOTHING! LIke almost! I was refilled after about 3-4 months and then developed an infection..and to cut to the chase..band was removed in 2018 and revised to sleeve. By then I was up 50lbs. Since then I gained another 50lbs..so the sleeve did nothing. Between covid, bad eating habits and menopause, I cannot get this weight off..I tried keto..lost a few lbs..tried intermittent fasting..lost a few more..but my body just won't move the weight down..so broke down last week and saw my new primary doctor and she prescrived Zepbound..well orginally Wegovy but that is harder to find and Costco had Zepbound. I will start this Saturday.

If you are counting total carbs you need to be under 50 grams total carbs to maintain ketosis. If you are counting net carbs you need to be under 30 grams net carbs to maintain ketosis. They aren't interchangeable. Some believe fiber and sugar alcohols don't impact blood sugar so they can be subtracted and net carbs followed, but that doesn't apply to everyone. I can't eat any of the high fiber "keto" products like breads. For me, carbs are carbs and keto bread will knock me out of ketosis just as fast as a chocolate bar. 🤣 I am not the norm, but it is incredibly annoying!! And I know others like me. Regardless, my dietician said we should count total carbs because net carbs are not a recognized measurement by whatever association decides these things. LOL Most fruit is high in carbs, yes, and so most people watching their carb count choose coconut and berries as opposed to citrus or bananas. Same with veggies, green beans would be a better choice than a sweet potato. Keep in mind this state of ketosis is not intended to last forever, so what might not be the best item to eat right now will fit perfectly later on in your nutritional picture when you can increase your carb count.

Hi! I was wondering if anyone who is 5+ years since surgery is still experiencing any issues? I find that when I eat certain foods, much like when I was about a year or so out, that I have a feeling of being too full and can’t keep the food down. It isnt all the time. And it isnt really if I eat too much or too fast. I still eat pretty small meals at any given time and typically just eat 6 or so very small meals. An example would be if I eat pasta, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 a cup may feel unbearable and too full and can’t keep the pasta down. It could be something random like a handful of jelly belly jelly beans. I would say it happens maybe 1 a week? Just curious if anyone else has this issue. I have done well at keeping the weight off since the surgery and have hovered around 130-140 for the past 2 years. I am fairly active 50’s, 5’5 female. Thanks!!

2 lbs a week is considered "rapid weight loss". I know it doesn't seem like it, especially when comparing to others progress, but it is true... By 3 months you want to have lost 25% of your excess weight to be "average" and right on target, though even if you aren't at 25% lost there is still hope, because some people lose very slowly the first 3 months, then pick up the pace. If your surgery weight was somewhere around 286 and your goal is 150, your excess weight is 136 lbs. 25% of this would be 34 lbs. You have lost 43 lbs. So you have actually lost 32% of your excess weight! That is excellent!! You are ahead of schedule... Percentages IMO are much better to use than actual lbs lost because it is the percentages that really show you where you are! And on a funny note, I was exactly where you are at 3 months--43 lbs lost, 137 lbs excess weight, so 32% towards my goal weight! LOL Your team should be thrilled! Sorry your boobs are going south too... A good bra does help, I am losing fast in the band size for some reason, I have to buy a new bra every month! LOL

Do you all buy any of bariatric pal foods? I’m about 3 days away from my 4 month post op. The bariatric foods hep me a lot to stick to my 60+ mg of protein a day still drink one shake a day because I get about 40mg protein in one shake. I usually drink around 4-6 pm so with my meals and snacks. I get the rest or more of protein through out. I too have sm stalls depending on if my right leg is swollen or I need to have a good bowel movement sorry TMI but I’m on pain management with chronic constipation. But I’m losing steady not as fast as first surgery but since I’m more sedentary then prior it’s expected but losing. Day of surgery was 304 now 272

Yay for approval so fast!! You'll have a surgery date in no time!!

Well I got Approved! That was super fast. I am so excited. 😉

I have the best luck with the Fairlife 30g shakes and their 26g and 42g "core" shakes. They dont' have that chemical taste that most other shakes have, and taste closer to a Nesquick. They do have monk fruit and sucralose in them, but I've been able to tolerate them. I am sensitive to a lot of sugar alcohols (sorbitol and xylitol in particular) which trigger a bad insulin response for me, but I haven't had that experience with the Fairlife brand. Premier protein isn't bad, but I think Fairlife tastes a lot better. They can be hard to find, but I've had the best luck checking at Sams Club (or Costco / BJ's Wholesale if they're in your area). They sell out fast, so I check in the morning and place a pick up order for after work.

Oh hey, hi, how YOU doin? Just as a FYI... At this time in 2022 I was 421 pounds, size 28/30 and 4x/5x, wearing a size 11 shoe, size 10 ring, and wearing 22-24 inch necklaces. I couldn't wear bracelets at all. Fast forward 2 years, and today, I am 218 pounds, size 14/16 and wear an xl top (2x if I want it looser), size 10 shoe, size 6 ring, and 18 inch necklaces. And now I can wear bracelets.

For life? Not true at all. Stage two of the post op return to eating is purée. It usually is weeks 3 & 4 so two weeks only in the first month. The staged return to eating (usually a two week cycle of liquids, purée, soft then solid foods) is to protect & support your healing tummy. It takes about 8 weeks to fully heal. Some surgeons recommend chewing well before swallowing to help during this time too to ensure nothing too coarse or fibrous is swallowed that could impact your healing. It also makes you stop & think about your eating. I wasn’t told to do that. A couple of weeks on the solid food stage (probably early start of month 3) I was eating chicken thighs, steak, lamb chops, pork loin, etc. Yes we are advised to eat slowly. It takes a good 20 odd minutes for the message to get through that you’re full. If you eat quickly you’ll easily eat too much & be over full. It’s about being mindful when eating too. Putting your cutlery down between bites & really thinking about if you need the next bite yet or just want it is a good habit to get into. It’s actually a good practice for everyone not just bariatric patients. So many people just shovel in spoonful after spoonful of food in their mouths & before they know it they’ve eaten copious amounts of food & are groaning & uncomfortable because they are overfull. Something to be aware of is eating too much, too fast or food that is too coarse or fibrous can result in the foamies. Thick foamy saliva rises to protect your oesophagus & to help you bring up the excess food or food that is causing a blockage. I still have the foamies at times. I think my oesophagus is more sensitive. Char grilled meats & vegetables & sometimes fibrous vegetables can cause me grief. But I feel fine once I’ve bought up the offending thing, I feel fine. Last time I had an episode it was because I hadn’t trimmed my sugar snap peas well & there was string left dangling & it irritated me. Most people rarely experience it & not in the long term. There’s lots of misinformation & scary horror stories online many not based on any truth or vey little or posted to drive likes (the scarier the story the more clicks). Go to reputable medical sites & forums like this one. Generally a good idea to avoid social media too. Highly recommend the you tube videos of Dr Matt Weiner (A pound of Cure) & Dr John Pilcher. Straight forward, practical information, clearly explained.

Had surgery on 14th. My anxiety was insane during Pre op worrying about what is coming aftersurgery and i had to lie on a tiny stretcher for 3hrs before going in. Pain conrtol was terrible after surgery and i didn't get relief til i got to my room and on dilaudid. Then the first day was great and relatively pain-free and stress-free. I insisted on the overnight because I knew with my anxiety it would give me a good Kickstart to recovery. Went home next day and I still took some hydrocodone that day but didn't take any more after that. I couldn't believe that these incisions hurt less than my gallbladder and a colon resection so recovering from the surgery pain is fast compared to other laparoscopic surgeries I've had Struggling really hard with the eating. I can't seem to figure out how you can get all the protein you need and all the water you need in a day when you have to pause between meals like you do and you can only drink so many ounces an hour. My Cravings are huge. I was really hoping I wouldn't feel hungry anymore but I feel like I feel hungry all the time. I was psyched to get to the full liquid diet only to find out that I couldn't have cream soup or pudding more than once a day. Have to mix protein powder in with everything I'm definitely going through my doubts about why I did this. I mean I know why but looking at food and realizing I can't just reach over and take a little bite of something is really hard. I am adhering to the diet because I don't want to be sick but I feel like I might be drinking too much through the protein meals or water because I seem to get that full feeling quickly after just a sip but then it releases itself through burps I'm also psychologically in a bad place because my psychiatrist did not change one of my meds over from extended release to normal release and so this weekend has been really rough and I can't call him till tomorrow. I am definitely very low about all of this right now

Hi Joe, I am almost 8 weeks post surgery. While I can't speak for everyone, I did not experience this. Yes, you have to chew your food well (if it needs chewing), but it is not as onerous as it seems. Sure, the first time I had solid food I made sure that it was well chewed and I ate it slowly to make sure it was not going to present a problem. I've done that with every new food I've tried. But it has NEVER taken me 10-15 minutes to eat 2 tablespoons of food. In fact, I have to make sure I don't eat too fast! It is like drinking water after surgery... at first you struggle to take a sip at a time. Then you notice you are taking bigger sips and then a large swallow. I can drink 8 oz of water in a couple of swallows now. I know that thought of the changes this surgery may bring to your life can be scary, but does it really matter if when you are past the initial stages of the process it takes you 15 minutes longer to eat your dinner than it did prior to surgery? That you can't get your money's worth at an all you can eat buffet? If you look at the surveys of people who have had WLS, their most common regret is that they didn't have the surgery sooner. BTW - I'd always been a "healthy" fat person until I wasn't. I can't count the number of times I lost a little weight only to gain it back; Weight Watchers should have been giving me frequent flyer rates. Today, I went under 300 lbs. for the first time in 19 years and I'm 35 lbs away from being a weight I haven't seen since 1984. Yeah... I'm good with it all!

Literally, same!!! I clicked so fast..... lol

Sleeve in 2017 to revision Gastric Bypass Aug 2023 - Update Hi All! I can't believe how fast time has gone! I will be going to my 6 mth check up tomorrow 2/20/24. Everything is a lot better! As of today I am 173lbs, I'll update my ticker it's still at 183. I am able to eat more varieties that I cook at home. Can't tolerate beef to well but I was never a big red meat person. I am still on the fence with salads/raw vegs though I can tolerate raw onions and tomatoes. I CANNOT eat take out! Purchased chinese for my son as he was going back to college... tried a little and was bringing it back up the rest of the night! If I eat out it has to be at a place that actually cooks food like salmon, veggies, no added anything. Food prepared at home is MUCH beter because you know what's in it. I am not doing too well with my multi because I purchased capsules that I open to put in my protein smoothies (Unjury Vanilla) which I don't take every day anymore. I just purchase the multi-vitamin patch from the bariatric store, I'll update you on that later My food is mostly a diet consistency of pescatarian due to the low cal/high protein and the ease of my system digesting the food. I would occassionally eat chicken as well (ground, poached breast etc), turkey hardly ever because the meat is not as soft as chicken. My veggies are fine steamed, some legumes & beans (occasional), as far as grains or potatoes etc I try to not do carbs at all or keep them at a bare minimum (jasmine or basati brown rice) with an occasional meal...I've really gotten into sweet potatoes as I didn't eat them a lot before. Swelling is gone, skin is good, and I can visually see the difference in pounds and inches loss especially from a side view lol. I still have work to do (vitamins, eat more, move more) and I am working on it. BTW!!!! I am back in the health & wellness field as I start my new position next week. I took a pause last summer. Now as I am on my health journey I'll be helping my patients with weight loss and adopting healthier lifestyles. My goal is to lose 13 more lbs and as you all know after running so long and you can see the finish line in sight....your legs get weary and that last sprint is the hardest. It is good to move from "morbidly obese", to "obese", to now "overweight"...do you guys feel the same? Let me know how you all are doing!

@newbegining2024 Hi All! I can't believe how fast time has gone! I will be going to my 6 mth check up tomorrow 2/20/24. Everything is a lot better! As of today I am 173lbs, I'll update my ticker it's still at 183. I am able to eat more varieties that I cook at home. Can't tolerate beef to well but I was never a big red meat person. I am still on the fence with salads/raw vegs though I can tolerate raw onions and tomatoes. I am not doing too well with my multi because I purchased capsules that I open to put in my smoothies which I don't take every day anymore. I just purchase the multi-vitamin pack from the bariatric store, I'll update you on that later My food is mostly a diet consistency of pescatarian due to the low cal/high protein and the ease of my system digesting the food. I would occassionally eat chicken as well (ground, poached breast etc), turkey hardly ever because the meat is not as soft as chicken. My veggies are fine steamed, some legumes & beans (occasional), as far as grains or potatoes etc I try to not do carbs at all or keep them at a bare minimum with an occasional meal...I've really gotten into sweet potatoes as I didn't eat them a lot before. Swelling is gone, skin is good, and I can visually see the difference in pounds and inches loss especially from a side view lol. I still have work to do (vitamins, eat more) and I am working on it. BTW!!!! I am back in the health & wellness field as I start my new position next week. I took a pause last summer. Now as I am on my health journey I'll be helping my patients with weight loss and adopting healthier lifestyles. My goal is to lose 13 more lbs and as you all know after running so long and you can see the finish line in sight....your legs get weary and that last sprint is the hardest. Let me know how you all are doing! (this will be posted in a new thread as well)

I'm scheduled for sleeve surgery in three days, and I'm experiencing serious cold feet. I'm a 44-year-old male, 5'9" tall, weighing 270 pounds. I've struggled with yo-yo dieting for over 21 years, with my highest weight being 280 pounds and my lowest 198 pounds. I've had success with intermittent fasting and restricted calorie intake, but I've regained the weight. I suffer from mild sleep apnea, which causes heavy snoring and comes with its challenges. Thankfully, I don't have any other health problems, and I take medication that contributes to weight gain, though I doubt they'd make me fatter the 270 pounds than I am now; they just make it harder to lose weight. I'm feeling uncertain about the necessity of the surgery since I'm not extremely heavy and overall healthy. I'm also worried about only being able to eat small quantities in one sitting, and the idea of changing my body scares me. Yet Im also excited to get this option available

Does anyone have porphyria? Specifically , acute intermittent porphyria. My doctor is testing me for this genetic condition. What's interesting is one of the triggers is low calorie high protein diet. I was reading for people who have it, it can lay dormant until triggered. It seems like , looking back through my life, I had flares. But whatever is going on now, is not fun.