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Absolutely.Especially those who are under 30 bmi (or 27 with co morbidities to qualify). I have friends who were 10lbs overweight and never obese asking me how to get it and I told them frankly that they do not need it. Especially Ozempic. There is the weight loss version now but I agree Ozempic should be reserved for diabetics or at most pre diabetics. That is why insurance is requiring a diabetes diagnosis now to get Ozempic. It helped me avert diabetes so I no longer get it and trying other methods. But if I fail I have no qualms about trying to get Wegovy if I qualify which is for obesity.

I think they are amazing medications for weight loss and certainly worth a good try! I just find it frustrating as a diabetic that there are shortages that affect my dosing schedule. I had a similar issue with Plaquenil, the arthritis med that everyone suddenly wanted when they thought it might be useful for Covid. I don't begrudge anyone else a go at the meds, I just think pharmacies should put aside a portion of their stock for their regular diabetic patients since it impacts us so much when we can't get our monthly supply...

Those first weeks are definitely hard. I was SOOO tired of liquid and puree and soft foods. But, it does get better. Especially as the weight comes off and health issues improve. The compliments are definitely confidence boosting. Things that can help are talking to someone about how you're feeling. It's a very emotional time right now. I cried a lot too and my therapist was a tremendous help walking through all the emotions I was feeling. Thank you for sharing.

7 pounds is quite low for an average pregnancy. Are doctors happy with your pregnancy weight and all? I am kinda worried if I'll be able to provide enough nutrition to the baby cuz of the small pouch. That's another concern of mine. Please keep us posted on your pregnancy and how it all wraps up. Wish you all the best for a healthy delivery.

I don’t track my calories too closely because I was developing unhealthy restriction habits when I was tracking. While 1000 calories isn’t my forever, I also started with a lot more to lose than most people (410 lbs to 210 lbs currently) and it’s still a reasonable calorie intake for my current weight/exercise level. Also, more important than calories is keeping my Protein ratio high; my 1000 calories hovers somewhere around 60% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbs. Just keep in touch with your dietitian. As far as exercise is concerned, I split my workouts into 20 min cardio + 25ish min core training or yoga in the morning, and 10 min warmup + 45 min strength training in the afternoon and once a week I skip the lifting and swim laps for 45 min instead. Strength training is my happy place.

Thank you. Funny thing is that I honestly didn't put a whole lot of thought into it until a week ago. I stopped and thought wow I haven't had as much body pain - the knee pain and lower back pain has lessened by a lot. Of course it's not completely gone because age factors in, lol, but it's too the point I didn't have to really think about it. Longer walks and climbs up the stairs doesn't take the wind out of me and I live and commute in NYC so lots of walking and stairs to tackle. I had lost 100+ lbs a few years ago (took far longer of course) and maintained it for awhile until pandemic times when i went back to where I started. So to be back to before pandemic weight feels great. I'm hoping to hit the 100lb gone and get into onderland by end of year. *fingers crossed* Best of luck to you on your surgery, it's certainly life changing and worth it.

Thank you so much. My surgery is in 6 days, so I really appreciate your response right now. The pain I no longer nervous about it and will deal with it when the times comes. I am just amazed at both of your successful numbers with weight loss at 4 months simply awesome! 65pounds & 76pounds in 4 Months you both must feel like a million bucks. Really moving around has to be so much easier now right. It must have felt awesome to see the scale leave the 3's and see the 2's big goal of mine. I think you both will hit those goal numbers.

I have two brothers- my older brother is heavy and my younger brother has been thin. I always thought I looked more like my older brother, and nothing like my younger brother, Soon after I lost the weight, I was going through some photos from a family gathering and thought- "why is my younger brother wearing the same shirt as me?". Then I realized it was a picture of me that I was looking at.

I’m down 175 lbs since 9/12/22 and currently eat 1700-1900 calories a day. I’ll hit my surgeon’s goal in the next 1-2 weeks and I’m about 30 lbs from my personal goal. You can damage your metabolism staying at 800-1200 calories for life. I have adjusted very slowly first going to 1400, then 1500, 1600, and now I try for 1700 but do go as high as 1900. On vacation I ate 2500+, gained 3 lbs and lost 5 the week I got back. I am very concerned about disordered eating and a lifestyle that is sustainable long term. I do exercise quite a bit, mostly because I genuinely love food and want to be able to indulge in small ways without stalling my progress too much. It’s about balance.

I’m down 175 lbs since 9/12/22 and currently eat 1700-1900 calories a day. I’ll hit my surgeon’s goal in the next 1-2 weeks and I’m about 30 lbs from my personal goal. You can damage your metabolism staying at 800-1200 calories for life. I have adjusted very slowly first going to 1400, then 1500, 1600, and now I try for 1700 but do go as high as 1900. On vacation I ate 2500+, gained 3 lbs and lost 5 the week I got back. I am very concerned about disordered eating and a lifestyle that is sustainable long term. I do exercise quite a bit, mostly because I genuinely love food and want to be able to indulge in small ways without stalling my progress too much. It’s about balance.

Thank you for your kind words! So you are ok mentally to stay at 800- 1000 calories forever? To me I get scared that that would not be a healthy number for anyone and that we are training ourselves into eating disorders. I find myself very close to being counted as having an eating disorder because of how much I count my calories and weigh my food etc. It's not officially an issue because we're under medical supervision but soon at the 1 year mark we are supposed to be mostly set free, at least I am. I go to every 6 months visits instead of 3 months with the dr. The line is blurry between what we do to to lose weight because we've had this surgery and we have lots of weight to lose and what is healthy long term. I was always under the impression that the goal was to eventually get back to eating a more normal amount of calories, but if we can't without gaining the weight back, what do you do? Is this the reason that so many surgeries fail? Its just scary to me no matter which way I look at it lol. I still am sooo happy to have lost this weight though and I would have the surgery again in a heartbeat. I just need to figure out this next step in the journey. I don't want to fail.

Hi surgery twin. I am loosing weight so slow since surgery. My weight constantly fluctuates. I haven’t lost 20 since surgery so you are doing good. I also feel the food slide down sometimes. When this happens, I take smaller bites and chew more. I literally track everything. I’m going to try walking more also to see if that helps. I weight in weekly and It’s so defeating not to see the scale move.

3 week post op update- I'm down 8 lb since my surgery 7/20 I was hoping for more, but I gained about 9 lb during surgery and the day after from all of the IV fluids. To be fair, I've never lost more than a pound or so per week, so this is still really good. I would love to lose 20 lb a month, but I'm ok with a consistent 2 lb per week. I've been working with my nutritionist and weighing myself daily to track trends. It also helps me catch things quickly and readjust. I started eating ginger chews after surgery to help with nausea and realized I was going a little too ham on them! (That's how I got here in the first place) So even though there are natural fluctuations, daily weight and food tracking has been a powerful tool for my nutritionist and I.

I was also worried about gaining too much weight. I’m 4 years post vsg and 8 months pregnant. I’ve only gained 7 pounds the entire pregnancy. Nausea, acid reflux, and food aversions played a role in that. Plus, eating smaller portions due to the sleeve. We’ll see how it goes after I have the baby because I’d love to lose about 20 pounds.

Yes I used them to great success. I was 9 years out from sleeve. Originally lost 140 lbs over 2 years from sleeve but then gained and lost 60 and 40 lbs over and over again and after the last gain of 40 I just could not lose and found I had crept into pre diabetic range and my fasting insulin was very high. When insulin is high people are fat storing machines. I went on Ozempic and gradually increased the dosage. It got rid of the food “noise” cravings and I have lost 60 lbs in 9 months. I have stopped taking now (insurance will no longer pay and I want to try without anyway) and to maintain I am using a CGM via the Signos platform to keep glucose spikes low and also following “glucose goddess” books. I know I need to be constantly vigilant. I am commenting because there are a lot of negative experiences and usually people who had good ones stay quiet. Used properly these are livesaving medicines. While I am not on it I have no qualms if I had to stay on it for life. I take other meds that are maintenance meds and I see no difference with these. I feel that unfortunately a lot of stigma over obesity drugs where as none for arthritis, heart, cancer or other maintenance drugs.

Hi! Newbie here. I had the sleeve done on 7/13. Since then, I’m only down about 20lbs. I haven’t had a lot of problem with nausea or vomiting but there are times when I eat, I feel it slide down, it’s painful. I don’t believe I am overeating bc I’m too scared that I’m going to gain weight. But I’m hoping once I start exercising more, the weight will come off. I seem to have hit a plateau.

Congratulations on doing so well. I had a bypass over 5 years ago & I still weight my food at home. I never go over 3.5 oz. I do 2 oz of protein & the rest in veggies or fruit. You have a great attitude & will do well.

I had my two month anniversary, and second post op exam/meeting. Bloods good, I lost 35 lbs so far, but one of the drivers for me was Barrett's and the GERD I was experiencing is largely gone. I still take an H2 blocker as a precaution and got cleared for real exercise, not just walking. (Had a hiatal hernia that got repaired). I gotta say, having done this, I couldn't be happier. Yes, I'm still trying to draw lines but the surgeon said to measure portions, even though his dietitian does not address portion size. I think it is important to have resources as you go through this, not just for support, but for info. I consider this such a place. I'm far more mobile and agile, can do stuff I couldn't before because of oversize/bloat/weight. I'm fitting into clothes that I couldn't. Not that this should be a reason, it's just a benefit.

Great job hitting your goals! I'm working on finding some non-scale victories to keep me motivated because the stalls are getting longer and longer, but progress is happening albeit slowly. I think my calorie count is around the 800-1000 mark, too, and I think that's where I'll be pretty permanently. Congrats on 155! That's amazing! I can't believe we're at the one year mark. Also, we seem to be scooping up some of the 2023 September surgery folks since this post isn't dated. To the new people, welcome! If you have any questions, let us know. We've all had our surgeries in September 2022 and while we don't post as often anymore, folks pop in every couple months to update / celebrate / commiserate. Best of luck to new and old September weight loss comrades!

Hi! I am scheduled to have gastric sleeve surgery in September. I have diastolic dysfunction grade 1 and the idea of going under anesthesia makes me nervous. My surgeon is aware, as is my cardiologist and all have given me the green light. I realize that weight loss will likely improve the diastolic dysfunction and hopefully prevent full blown heart failure, so I am leaning towards going through with the surgery. I had a previous lapband (removed in 2014) and multiple surgeries which has caused adhesions/scar tissue, which will likely extend my total time under anesthesia. Has anyone had WLS with heart disease? If so, did you have any cardiac complications during or post-surgery?

I took the shots Semaglutide quite a few years ago before it was called Ozempic. I was on it just a short time for weight loss and help with insulin resistance. I remember it made me feel ill and nauseous most of the time. I stuck it out for a while longer until I read it caused cancer in rats. I don't remember losing any significant amount of weight either. But then I might not have taken it long enough. I too have heard that it is now used in addition to WLS post for those with slow weight loss. I say give it a try as long as you are not worried about long term use side effects. Everything I've read about it up until now says you will regain the weight when you stop taking it though. GL

Thank you doing this! I love the data details and look forward to your report. 1) Female, 54 yrs old, 5’8 2) pre-op loss : 5 3) surgery weight : 313 4) weight 1 month : 282 5) weight 3 months : 259 6) weight 6 months: 225 7) weight 12 months : not there yet

^^Agree^^ I haven't lost 100 pounds yet but getting close and all I've done is stick to my diet plan and walk outside, I'm up to 2 miles a day. (6-7xs a week) Walking is considered weightbearing exercise and is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. And it's free. Pre-op I was completely sedentary and on disability. When the weather turns colder, I'll start doing some weights in the gym. And possibly a rower to switch it up. Vary your routine otherwise your body adapts, and your gains will slow down. At least till you reach maintenance. And most importantly, find something you enjoy doing or you won't stick with it. GL!!

I love the outdoors, so hiking/backpacking and trail running are my main cardio exercises right now. I also strength train 2-4 times a week, depending on what routine I'm doing and what else I'm doing cardio-wise. Before surgery, I would have been pushing it to walk to the end of the block, so I mostly just didn't bother. To me, I don't think of any of the activities I do strictly as something to help me lose or maintain weight. Honestly, fat loss mostly comes from the kitchen, Instead, I partake in these activities because I enjoy them, but perhaps even more importantly, they make me healthier and will hopefully lead to more time here on this planet. Regarding loose skin, I have been able to "fill in" some of it on my arms and legs with muscle. I attribute this to my overall workout plan, not to any specific thing. You didn't really ask, but I wanted to share a few additional things with you: While as you've seen in this thread not everyone is active post-surgery, the data is clear on this: those bariatric surgery patients that partake in at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity 5-6 days a week are significantly more likely to reach their goal weight and maintain their weight-loss long-term. That does not mean you can't be successful without exercise, but it does mean you can greatly tip the odds in your favor if you're active. Both cardio and strength training are important. While cardiovascular exercise has obvious heart-health benefits (that's why it's called cardio after all), it also helps with your overall physical endurance and energy levels, so everything else you do physically just becomes a lot easier. Strength training, in addition to helping you look and feel better physically also increases your metabolism so that you burn even more calories even at rest. It's hard to argue with the benefits of that on weight loss. Strength training will have no direct effect on loose skin. As I implied above, what it can do is help fill out that loose skin with some muscle instead of fat. This is probably going to be more in the arms and legs than in your belly for obvious reasons. Keep in mind though that your ability to add muscle mass is highly impacted by age, genetics, epigenetics, diet and biological sex, among other things. My point is that while some people can "fill in" that lose skin by adding muscle mass, it's by no means assured or even realistic for most of us. It's sometimes misleading to think of strength training as the only thing that builds muscle. Even just walking can help, depending of where you're starting from. Like all exercise, the key is continuing to progress. Once you stagnate, you'll stop improving your health. In short, I highly recommend partaking in both cardio and strength training. If you need help knowing what to do, seek out the assistance of a reputable trainer.

I've tried weight loss shots. I haven't had surgery yet. I had luck with Saxenda but the insurance did not think I was losing weight fast enough so they refused to cover more. Losers. LOL I had some nausea with it at first but no real issues otherwise. When I stopped the meds I gained the weight back plus extra, of course. I'm on Ozempic now but it is to treat diabetes. I have way more side effects with it as the dose goes up, but it usually evens out after a few weeks at the new dose. I don't love it though. The Saxenda was way easier on my body... I've lost 10 lbs on the Ozempic, then gained it back as I've had a hard time consistently getting the med since everyone is on it for weight loss, it is super frustrating. I have heard of it being used in conjunction with weight loss surgery and some people have a lot of luck with it! The ones I've followed have been using Mounjaro though. CarolinRNY on Youtube talks a bit about this in her more recent videos if you'd like a first hand account of it being used to boost weight loss that has slowed post surgery. My guess is if you pair it with behavior modification and taper off it slowly after you hit goal weight you might be able to maintain the results. If not you are stuck with a weekly shot until something new comes out. The shots themselves are easy to do and aren't usually painful, though they can sting a little. ETA: I think The Sleeved Dietitian is also using Mounjaro to lose weight with and has been successful with it. You can find her on Instagram.