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Like weight loss before and after photos but of your new diet ! I'm especially interested in before and after meal photos (take a pic at the point you feel restriction) but it can be of recipe substitutions, your refrigerator/pantry/shopping cart/etc VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167

Hi, I'm after some advice. I was sleeved in 2015, lost 55kgs and kept that off for many years. I have re-gained almost 20kgs in the last 1.5 years. I met with my surgeon and he'd recommending a re-sleeve, but I wonder if I should go for a SADI by-pass. He said he can do either BUT not together (as my BMI is too low)- so either re-sleeve or the conversation part of SADI only. Any feedback?

Wow that’s unfortunate but I know there are outliers. My friend lost all her weight really quick (too fast if you ask me) and now the maintenance dose for her is too high. She is having to go off of it because she cants STOP losing and she is getting weak because she can’t eat. I guess most people fall in between these two extremes. Hopefully before long all of these meds will be covered for everyone. They are doing so many studies and learning they work for so many things in addition to weight loss and diabetes. I think it’s just a matter of time 🤞

Yea it sounds like you are bigger boned. That’s something I liked to say when I was heavier because it sounded better but I’m really don’t think that I am supposed to carry a lot of weight. My frame is tiny.

I’m doing OK. London weight-gain is gone - hurray! Currently taking things easy as I’ve had steroid injections in both my knees today 🙂 Looking forward to seeing Fatboy Slim live in 3 weeks for a bit of ‘hands in the air like I just don’t care’. Hope your driving lesson goes well and your hairdresser doesn’t take too much off your fringe! You will have to let us know how things go with your personal trainer 🏋️‍♂️

Thank you for your truths! It just proves that despite what non weight loss surgery people think its not the "easy way" out. It IS work and will continue to be so with constant diligence for our lifetimes! You've got this, I love reading your posts and get inspiration from them. Keep up the good work.

well that's good! hahah being sick will prohibit you from doing it again hopefully lol I gave in one time and grazed all day, still tracked and ate 1900 calories. Way more than I have ever ever ever ate, even though I grazed on fruit, sugar free candy, popsicles, yasso poppables, I didnt even eat crappy foods so that's disappointing hahaha but I did learn that I cannot graze but I never feel full. That will be how I gain my weight so I need to make sure I sit and eat my food in one sitting.

Hello, all! I had gastric bypass on December 29th, so I'm only 6 days post-op, but I hit my first personal benchmark of losing 20 lbs since my 2-week liver shrinking diet pre-surgery today. If you are a visual person who is still on your weight loss journey or are looking to gain muscle, I wanted to share an awesome FREE app that helps track your progress visually and automatically takes measurements for you. It's called Me°-Three-Sixty. (No waiting for a partner to take your measurements or trying to do it yourself while holding one end of the tape measure awkwardly in your teeth or armpit.) As you continue to take scans, you can compare two scan dates side by side, both visually and with measurements. The measurements are approximations from taking a front facing and side view photo, but as long as you are consistent in where you stand & distance from the camera, the progress will be the same but may differ from actual tape measure. I took a scan pre-surgery and then took another one today. The app calculates the change in inches and percentages between any two scans. You can also use the slider tool and see what your body might look like with a weight gain or weight loss up to a certain pound percentage. Anyway, I thought you might like to try it out while you have something to compare a "Before" photo and it can still be in an anonymous way. I also loved Baritastic app, so if you know of other awesome apps we could benefit from please drop them in this thread!

I know that things slow down, and I am not necessarily feeing low about this, but I just wanted to see what others experiences were with when their weight loss started to slow down & then stop. I am 7 months post-op tomorrow, and I am still losing, but it is definitely at a slower rate than the first 3-4 months (which is of course to be expected). My surgeon said you can keep losing weight anywhere up until 16-18 months post-op: does this resonate with anyone?

Yes my weight has affected me the majority of my adult life as well. I’m looking forward to living again! Being able to join my sisters on long weekends and my friends too! I have missed out on a lot!

This is a topic I'm a bit concerned with, honestly. I was heavy all of my life, and normally was the one to initiate contact with men. Men giving me 'the gaze' made me feel uncomfortable, and assertive men who talked about my body made me want to run and hide. I didn't like my body and didn't know what they thought they saw, but it usually made my skin crawl. Now, I'm starting to dress better with more form fitting clothing. I'm excited about looking better, but I don't really WANT attention at the same time. It's a confusing time. Meanwhile, my fella - who was one of those 'chubby chasers' has actually been gaining weight due to temporary inactivity. I've come to realize that he used to be chubby and was picked on for it, relentlessly, as an adolescent. I can definitely see the self consciousness growing in HIM now and it's made it challenging for me to find a balance and feel 'valid' and attractive since his decline in sexuality is matching my increase in confidence. I know that this, too, shall pass, and he'll get on track again - he's already been cutting back on carbs and joining me for my long walks and such, but it's a weird transition. I was never one who was very comfortable receiving compliments or attention I didn't initiate, so I'm kind of dreading the 'male gaze'.

not american, so no thanksgiving pics to share, but here are some thingsn i've prepared/eaten the last week or so (NOTE: i'm currently in an effort to gain weight - the horrors! lol - so my food choices may be a little off-the-bariatirc-norm...) 1) bbq pork and seasoned rice one-pot-rice-cooker-meal. my portion: 266 cals...ate almost all of it 2) homemade chilli topped with cilantro and feta cheese, home focaccia and sliced avocado sprinkled with sumac: 599 calories for whats shown. ate everything except the foccacia (too chewy for me!!...mr ate it instead) 3) more of my homemade chili, some cheddar cheese, more cilantro, and some Tostido's Hint of Lime Tortilla chips (my fave!!!) 276 cals...ate it all! 4) homemade guacamole with the above mentioned focaccia that i slow toasted to make crisps with cheddar & cilantro & sour cream: 370 cals...ate all except 2 the focaccia crisps. 5) homemade crispy pork belly...omg THE. BEST. CRISPY. PORK. BELLY. EV-AH!!! this pic is of the entire slab. i had roughly 1/2 cup volume of it. ate it all!! 250 calories! 6) junky snacks: - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 1 chocolate : 123 calories - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 3 sour keys candies 103 calories yep, ate all it ta-da!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! I really appreciate it. 💕 I completely agree that what we fuel our bodies with makes a huge difference in how we feel. And I know I’ll always feel better when I’m making balanced choices. I also get that we’re still early out, and I definitely don’t want to get too relaxed either—I still have more to lose! But my main question isn’t really about regain—it’s more about will I 100% lose ALL the weight I need to? Like, I WILL do my part, I AM doing my part, but of course, there are ups and downs. My friend’s point was that bypass guarantees weight loss as long as you follow the process. I just want to know if that’s true—that no matter what, I will definitely lose the weight and reach my goal as long as I stay on track. Because while I understand regain is a separate issue, my panic is more about knowing that I will actually get to where I want to be. Do you think that’s the case? That as long as I keep working at it, it will 100% happen? That’s what I really need reassurance on. 😭

not american, so no thanksgiving pics to share, but here are some thingsn i've prepared/eaten the last week or so (NOTE: i'm currently in an effort to gain weight - the horrors! lol - so my food choices may be a little off-the-bariatirc-norm...) 1) bbq pork and seasoned rice one-pot-rice-cooker-meal. my portion: 266 cals...ate almost all of it 2) homemade chilli topped with cilantro and feta cheese, home focaccia and sliced avocado sprinkled with sumac: 599 calories for whats shown. ate everything except the foccacia (too chewy for me!!...mr ate it instead) 3) more of my homemade chili, some cheddar cheese, more cilantro, and some Tostido's Hint of Lime Tortilla chips (my fave!!!) 276 cals...ate it all! 4) homemade guacamole with the above mentioned focaccia that i slow toasted to make crisps with cheddar & cilantro & sour cream: 370 cals...ate all except 2 the focaccia crisps. 5) homemade crispy pork belly...omg THE. BEST. CRISPY. PORK. BELLY. EV-AH!!! this pic is of the entire slab. i had roughly 1/2 cup volume of it. ate it all!! 250 calories! 6) junky snacks: - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 1 chocolate : 123 calories - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 3 sour keys candies 103 calories yep, ate all it ta-da!

How many calories are you eating? "5-8 oz" is not a meaningful measure of the number of calories you're eating. 5-8 ounces of peanut butter is a lot more calories than 5-8 ounces of cauliflower. If your weight is stable over a long period of time, you're eating a maintenance level of calories. The smaller you are, the fewer calories you burn just to operate and move your body, so if you're eating the same number of calories at 195 pounds as you were eating at 273 pounds, you're not going to lose weight as quickly, and maybe not at all. If you want to keep losing weight, you will have to reduce your calorie intake. Calorie intake is much more important for weight loss than exercise. Exercise is certainly beneficial, but as you have noticed, it makes you hungrier, and it's very easy to eat more extra calories than what you burn from exercise -- especially if you're not monitoring your calorie intake. Also, don't get too hung up on the number on the scale. There's no magic in reaching your goal weight. You might need to reevaluate your expectations. It's quite possible that your goal weight will be too low for your body, especially if you are building muscle. And don't be in such a rush to get plastic surgery, either. Your body will redistribute itself over time, so some parts of your body that you don't like now may improve on their own without plastic surgery. You may still want to get plastic surgery eventually, but there's a reason most surgeons want you to have a stable weight for a while before you get it.

One thing my doctor told me too when I inquired about a similar issue (tho for me it didnt stall until 3 weeks out), was that pre-surgery there was that very intense liver shrinking diet. A few weeks after surgery, the liver will start to build back up to a more normal size, which can cause a slight weight increase or stall. There are many other factors to the stalls, but this was just one aspect I had never considered. It all seems pretty normal! I'm at 7 weeks post surgery now, and down a full pants size, but actual weight loss since date of surgery is only about 17 lbs. I'm so happy I made this change in my life. This is going to be the best year ever!!

Thought I would pop in. I had my sleeve done January 2010. When I started my weight loss I I weighed over 300 pounds. 5 ft 2 ; I wouldn’t even go to my doctor at 320. I lost weight before I started officially. So here I am. 68 years old and I have lost the last 10 pounds I had been fighting with over the last two years. I AM LESS THAN HALF MYSELF. I weigh 150. And have for the last 5 months. I wear a size 12 jeans ! And bought size Medium tops. I have never worn a size 12 . Still working full time and take care of my adult daughter who has disabilities. Organic vegetable gardening - and raise hens for eggs. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to be healthy and to have a doctor tell you “ at your age and having excess skin and where you started … you do not need to lose more weight. You are good where you are. “. I know. My bmi could be lower but I am good where I am. Who knew that even existed.

I remember you!!!! We had gastric sleeve the same day lol. You've done very well with your progress. I see you had to go to a bypass after the sleeve. I got really discouraged because with my sleeve I lost 52 lbs and that was it. I couldnt budge off that. I didnt want to have the bypass done as well so I just bummed around and got discouraged. Gained like 12 lbs and by January 2024 I was seeing another Dr to see if Zepbound would be beneficial for me or not. I started Zepbound by the end of Jan 2024 and so far I have lost an additional 72 lbs so its working better than the sleeve did. So much so I have all this loose skin now to deal with lol. Good to see your posts again!

as everyone has alluded to above, the number on the scale is often not very indicative of your overall progress. i had a goal weight and goal BMI number. turns out neither were where i wanted nor ended being at. its weird because a certain weight number looks totally different on me at different times. at one point in my life 115 looked "fat" on me. 5 years ago it looked malnourished. then 3 years ago it looked awesome. these days (i'm 6+ years out), i go by how my clothes fit me (i.e, body measurements). so long as my clothes still hang well on me, i'm all good! when they start getting looser or tighter, then i'll make efforts to correct. so i guess i'm saying if your clothes start hanging looser on you, that is a better sign of your weight loss vs. the number on the scale. good luck! 😍

both i guess. good cuz my inner fat person is glad that i gave myself a bigger skinny buffer from my happy weight; bad because i didn't do it on purpose and i am actually not entirely happy with how it looks on me (sort of), plus my clothes are effing too big on me and i REFUSE to buy new clothes, because i KNOW i will regain the weight eventually. or hope. (background: i got braces on my teeth back in september, and i discovered that i HATE the feeling of food stuck in my braces, so i have to brush and waterpik my teeth EVERY SINGLE TIME i eat something solid....then i discovered i HATE having to clean my teeth like a gazillion times a day, so i just don't eat. yeah, i know, not the greatest reasoning, but there you go. as a result, i lost like 10 lbs (which is actually alot since i was already 115lbs)....but, since i started adding a morning protein shake and eating higher calorie foods when i DO eat, i seem to have stopped/slowed down the weight loss...so we'll see...) sooo maybe if anyone wants to try, getting braces may be a good weight loss tool for you too. lololololzzzzz.

Yes, in today's society, being thin is generally considered a good thing, so statements that indicate that you look thin are usually intended as compliments. Some people make exaggerated statements like this ("You're so thin that you look like you are wasting away!") with the intent to highlight what they consider a positive attribute (thinness). I got compliments while I was losing weight but still obese, "If you lose any more weight, you'll blow away in a gust of wind!" In some cases, people who genuinely care about you could be concerned that you are ill, especially if they don't know you had weight loss surgery, but if this is the case, they will usually approach you in a more private and sensitive manner, not just an offhand comment in public.

I find myself more attractive after weight loss, so why wouldn't men? If some didn't want to be my friend because of my weight, yeah, that's a problem. But didn't want to date me because of my weight, I get it. Beyond physical appearance, when I was overweight there were things I couldn't or didn't want to do, hike, skydive, beach vacations etc.. People want partners that they not only find attractive, but that enjoys many of the same activities they do. I met my bf after WLS surgery. We have had many conversations about my weight, WLS etc.. He would not have dated me at my pre WLS weight. And that's ok, because I wouldn't have dated him if he was 100 lbs heavier than he is now either. As far as the "male gaze", I am completely unbothered by it. Having men do the double, triple take is sometimes amusing, but mostly I'm indifferent to it. I'm out there in public, let them look.

Hi. I had surgery on Dec 2, 2024, one week before I turned 51. And same, wish I had done it sooner. I've seen that many our age and older have done this. I'm excited for what this year will hold for me! I'd love to hit my goal weight by Dec. 31, 2025!

I haven't been in here in a Hot Minute! I would love to know how everyone is doing. I stopped losing weight at about month 8 or 9 and have maintained, just didn't get to where I had hoped I would. I kind of regret not doing the bypass to be honest. Otherwise it's been pretty easy.

Hi y'all, I am new to this forum and just want to first acknowledge and commend the courage and strength y'all have in utilizing this fortunate tool in your journey to a healthier life. I am at a crossroads. I am a 6'2", 275lb, 39-year-old man with VSG scheduled for Jan. 16, 2025, and I am having serious doubts--some caused by my health practitioners (chiropractor and non-WSL-related psychiatrist). I am on five different maintenance pills for blood pressure and cholesterol. My highest weight was 330lb. I lost 50 lbs in 2022 for a wedding, gained 30 in 2023 and lost 25 lbs from October 31st, 2024 until now (extreme crash diet). The total down is 55. My ideal weight is 210-225, provided that weight encompasses an active lifestyle and dedicated weight training. Here is the rub: I am scared of the surgery, and that fear has really kicked my butt to get healthy. My liver no longer shows NAFLD or alcohol damage with enzymes in the normal range. That is surprising because I was (honestly) an incredible "alcoholic" from 2013-2023. It may be hubris, but I am in no way concerned about addiction transfer as I have fully recovered from alcoholism following a wegovy and booze and supplement mix that caused acute pancreatitis. Blood pressure and cholesterol are under control. Sleep apnea sucks. Mental health is good to great. Banned currently from GLP-1 ( aforementioned acute pancreatitis). I have kicked all the typical vices. Despite all that, I am cleared for surgery, and the surgeon thinks I am an ideal candidate because of the lower risk of chronic pancreatitis following the knife. My surgeon is located in America, and my insurance is on board. Meanwhile, I have had little trouble maintaining a 1600- to 1000-calorie fat-burning diet, especially since a surgery date made it a very, very real concept. My primary motivation for pursuing VSG was for my family and my 2-year-old daughter, coupled with a debilitating (but now manageable) back injury that left me sedentary for nearly 2 years, and, of course, to address my comorbidities. Now that my back is "okay," I can exercise 3 to 5 times weekly. But if I don't lose weight, spinal degradation and likely further stenosis around the sciatic nerve will continue. I was supposed to have surgery earlier in the Spring of 2024 but bailed because of a month-long family holiday to Asia and then a summer of the in-laws staying with us. Also, we are trying to get pregnant again, but my wife's self-imposed window is closing as she soon turns 40. So, what do I do? Given that my ideal weight is approximately 65 lbs away, would you pursue VSG? Would you delay it while trying to conceive (this is a big one)? Am I getting stuck on too many variables? Would VSG make global travel a different experience? Or do I buckle up and charge ahead? Should I try giving the "natural" way a shot for one more year? I have unflinching support from my family and parents to go for it, and I have little doubt that I would excel in a post-op life. But I am worried about travel, a change in taste, and, generally, pain. Pain makes me an unpleasant person at times. But I dread ballooning up to qualify for insurance if the "natural" way fails my goals. None of this was a concern until a surgery date made it real. I appreciate you reading this and thank you in advance for any comments, long or short. A simple "Go" or "No Go" would be appreciated. I am actively planning for the surgery and, regardless, look forward to the two-week pre-op diet challenge. However, I could see myself bailing like two days before. Digital prayers for all! Is anybody ever too young for a midlife crisis?