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Haii!! I just found this site again after having left years ago once I completed my first two years of my sleeve. Now I'm back due to regain. YAY! 🙄 I know its more common for patients due to reflux, but I've thankfully never had that issue before nor after my sleeve. But due to this fact, it's equally as hard to find threads on people who are getting a revision solely due or in addition to weight regain! So those of you who went from sleeve to bypass: What was the weight loss like the second time around? I'm hearing its slower and you don't lose as much. Would you say that's true in your experience? Anything you've done differently this time? Lessons learned? Sleeve: 162cm (5ft 3in), I was 134kgs (296lbs), and got down to 77kgs (170lbs) Currently: | 119kg (~260lbs, regained 40kg (90lbs)

weight loss after revisions is almost always slower than after virgin surgeries, so it could be partly that - or it could be just fluid (due to a heavier-than-usual sodium intake, maybe?). Also, it could be if you've exercised more than usual, your muscles are holding on to water (they need it for repair, if you're going at it more than usual, or have done something they're not accustomed to). Or have you been eating more carbs than usual? Those make you hold on to more water as well. At any rate, if you've been on plan as far as eating, you should be fine - it's likely just some temporary thing and you should start losing again..

Hi DoOverGirl, I am also a newbie to the website, however not as far as surgery. I originally had the lapband in 2005 and after complications, in 2010 went to bypass. My highest weight was 290 and my lowest was 130, I am 5'7". I had only lost 82lbs with the lapband and was very happy with the weight loss after having the bypass. Currently, I am 168lbs and have severe reflux and my taste is so off that I find it difficult to eat just about anything. I am currently in the process of going through the steps for a revision surgery also. My doctor did say that I could lose some weight, I should not expect it to be like it was. Although I don't want to get back to 130lbs, I would be happy to get down to 145-150 as I think I would be comfortable there. Back to your complaint and issues. I am wondering if you are not taking in enough protein in order to lose more weight. I have noticed that when I think I am doing well with my eating, I really am not getting enough protein. When I pay attention to my protein intake and leave out the carbs, I start to lose weight again. I know how frustrating this must be for you and I am also concerned that after I have a revision, I will not lose any weight either. However, I am trying to focus on alleviating my symptoms of discomfort more than the possibility to lose weight. I understand your frustration but be patient with yourself, stay positive, and keep pushing forward. You can do it!

Someone who watched me be obese for most of my life is currently doing this. Even pre-op he'd make small comments whenever I ate one of my dad's Sunday dinners instead of my own. & he'll sometimes remembers things I ate a month ago & a few days ago I posted a photo of a frozen pizza box at the store with a TV character I like on it (didn't buy it, just took a pic of the character) & he said 'take it easy!' as if I was about to wolf it down. Its frustrating bc I KNOW I've put in so much effort in my weight loss & don't need the policing but I also know it's bc he's seen me at my worse. He wants me to be better, but I also feel there needs to be a discussion on how to do it. It CAN be hurtful & they need to know that

if you're anywhere close to a normal BMI (including the "overweight" category), weight loss is going to be excruciatingly slow. I put on 10 lbs over the past year and am now trying to take it off. About 1/2 lb a week is about all I can manage. The reason is, your calorie intake now is probably MUCH lower than before you had surgery. So there are a lot fewer calories you can afford to cut. For example, when I weighed well over 300 lbs, I was probably eating over 3000 calories a day. Pretty easy to find 1000 - or even 1500 - calories in there that could be cut. That means it was theoretically possible for me to lose 2-3 lbs a week (since a pound is 3500 calories). Now, after my weight loss, my maintenance level is about 1600 calories/day. Cutting 1000 calories from that would put me at 600 cal/day. Ah...no way. You'd have to be under medical supervision to eat at that level. And deducting 1500 calories? That would put me at 100 calories a day. So....no. About the most I can cut and still maintain my health - and not be under medical supervision - is 300-400 calories a day. At a 300 kcal deficit per day, that's a 2100 calorie deficit a week - so a little over 1/2 a pound. If I dropped down to 1200 cal/day, then we're talking a 2800 calorie deficit, so maybe 3/4 of a pound a week (and of course, things like activity level, how muscular you are, etc, would also factor into this - but it probably wouldn't make a significant difference). So I have been eating about 1300 calories a day for the last six weeks, so theoretically I would be down 3.6 lbs. I'm actually down about 5 lbs, so I'm doing very well! if I had dieted for six weeks when I weighed over 300 lbs, I probably could have lost 15-20 lbs by now. But nope - 5. my point of all this is, you may be losing, but at a much lower weight, it's going to be S-L-O-W. And if you're at a normal - or near-normal - BMI, we're talking ounces rather than pounds. It WILL come off - but it'll be slow. I used to mentally roll my eyes at these barely overweight women who would moan and complain at how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. "Ha", I thought, "try losing 200 pounds!". Now I get it...

No way! Your sugar "slip" is being NORMAL. Hair loss, from surgery? Again, NORMAL. It took me 3 years to get to have surgery. I weighed 357 at my highest and was treated like it was 753 lbs. I went down 27 lbs on my own. However, I had asthma all my life and my body HURT. I retired from a job I LOVED for 25 years due to fears of working in a COVID spread environment and in order to deal with my weight. My pcp gave me phentermine to reach the arbitrary 315 lbs hurdle goal to get into surgery. Now, 6 weeks post op TODAY, it hurts to eat, I HATE protein shakes and it feels like I'm starving. Still, I feel immensely HAPPY. I am grateful for the surgery! I lost 30 first 2 weeks post op, then nothing more and gained back 4 lbs. Yet, I know it's a blip. You lost weight! You lost 60 pounds! That's like putting down a kid who piggy backed on you for however long. You're sixty pounds LIGHTER. Your hair will grow back! EAT foods high iron, biotin, and vitamins for hair skin and nails. My sister went through same and 5 years later she's back to normal, hair and all. She gains a little on holiday's but goes right back to losing what she gained with more activity and WATER. You are NORMAL. Enjoy what you've accomplished! Plus I just read people with surgery are living LONGER!!!😎🤟

Hi there this is probably a common issue with weight loss surgery. I am almost 2 years post op from a bypass and really have zero complaints ..but stopped exercising over 4 months ago and became more lenient on my food choices and ended up gaining 7 lbs over the last 6 months.. The issue is once you see a slight gain it seems hard to lose an ounce of weight. I’ve downloaded a weight loss app and started monitoring my daily calories, water intake and exercise with no luck so far. I’m curious how others out there who encountered this situation were able to restart there weight loss. What apps are you using? Did you continue using the protein shakes? I feel responsible here but want to stop it before the weight creeps up anymore.. I made a huge decision to get the surgery and it really helped me out but as the surgeon stated it was only a tool that we ultimately have to do the hard work to keep the weight off! I appreciate everyone’s feedback on this issue! Michelle

Reposting something I posted elsewhere: First, the most common reason for any stall, including the dreaded 3-week stall is simply that you are retaining more Water. There are a few reasons this happens, but around the 3-week mark it comes down to the fact that your body is adjusting to a low carb intake after converting from glycogen to ketones for energy. More water is needed to burn glycogen, so you were retaining more water pre-surgery than you are now that you're using primarily ketones for energy. At about the 3-week mark, your body eventually recognizes that the water loss is long term, so other mechanisms have started kicking in to start holding on to more water. This water loss due to the change between glycogen and ketones is the primary reason for "keto flu", and something that increases your risk of dehydration early after surgery. The other "reasons" for plateaus really don't apply as much at the 3 week mark, but will become more important later in the process. Let's cover those too though so you're prepared: As you lose more weight, your overall metabolic rate will slow down. People sometimes think fat is not metabolically active, but that's not true. Less fat means your metabolism slows down, even if you retain the same amount of muscle. As you lose weight, it takes less effort to move, so the amount of calories you burn from activity also drops quite a bit. As you progress, you'll be able to eat more and especially if you're not tracking intake closely by weighing and measuring your food, you can easily be eating a lot more than you think. This one may be TMI for some, but you may simply be retaining more stool. This is going to be hard for some people to hear, but I can tell you one thing it's not, and that's hormones. Yes, various hormonal processes negatively impact weight loss in a myriad of ways, but they don't overcome basic physics: if you eat less than you are burning, you'll lose weight. What these hormones can do if they're out of whack, is not good things like slowing your metabolism, increasing your hunger, screwing with water weight, or even fooling you into thinking you're eating less than you are. So, with all that sciency stuff out of the way, what do we actually do if we're in a stall? Well, I think it depends on when it happens and how long it lasts: If it's early (a.k.a. the 3-week stall), just keep doing what you're doing and you should be fine. I know people don't like that advice, but as I said, it's just water, so don't worry about it. Later on, especially if the stall is lasting longer than 2-3 weeks. that's when I think it's important that you look closely at what you are actually burning, as well as really tracking what you are eating. If you don't know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), you should. The closer you are to goal, the harder it is to get the balance right between intake and output to make sure you're not eating too much, so fixing this starts with knowing your BMR and accurate food logging. There's a lot of anecdotal advice thrown around about "ways to break a stall", but there seems to be little scientific evidence for any of it. Most of it certainly won't hurt to try, e.g. breaking up your routine in terms of diet or exercise, but just understand that this change may or may not have had any impact. If it makes you feel better to be proactive, go for it. Longer term, there is one piece of solid advice that's backed up by lots of research: Even if you don't really like working out, do it anyway. Those WLS patients that make a regular habit of exercising for 45 minutes to an hour most days a week are significantly more likely to reach their goal and maintain the weight loss. (One caveat here: significantly changing your exercise routine can make you retain water and possibly even add muscle, so don't freak out if you see a stall or even a gain.) I'll take that exercise advice one step further and say you really should be doing some form of strength training. This is also backed up by lots of studies, but the great thing about strength training is that it makes your burn more calories even at rest (in other words, it increases your metabolic rate). There are lots of other benefits, but the metabolic benefit is the most germaine to the stall question. Those that do strength training are less likely to stall during weight loss.

I don't know your stats or your fitness levels so my advice has to be generic. Keep it simple and cheap. Just start walking. Walk a little more each day. I was almost disabled, my exercise was vacuuming a room in my home and then resting an hour. Cleaning a room and resting. Sitting to chop foods and resting. Standing to make the food and being done for the day. Just by loosing weight and walking I have come such a long way. Tomorrow I am going to take a 8 hour train journey, alone with luggage. I am excited and not a bit fazed about doing it. I couldn't do it before It has been found that exercise only contributes to a small amount of weight loss and you need to up your food intake to fill your hunger. Gyms are not for everyone. If you find one locally, ask for a trial period and see if it suits you. Some gyms are very snarky places where you may be very judged and feel uncomfortable. Good luck on this wonderful journey

It’s important to Relax! Use the tools set before you. Keep talking this out. A lot of it is mentally and emotionally charged. Center those two and ease in right behind the physical aspects. It’s so easy to have transfer addiction and obsession. I’m telling you that I experienced mental fatigue that set off a chain of reactions in my body system after system. The mind is very powerful and it can impact so much. So I believe it you trust the tools provided, make a plan and don’t deviate from the plan. Be comfortable with yourself, forgive yourself for regain and keep your course of action. You will be successful. I am 20 years out and have experience just about everything that comes with having weight loss surgery. I am also a pharmacist and have been like a community resource for the docs in my circle. It was a struggle to keep the weight off and to get back on track after regain. sw 296 lw: 126 regain weight 177 cw 145-150. But it is possible.

Yay!!!! Me too I am 20 years out and have experience just about everything that comes with having weight loss surgery. I am also a pharmacist and have been like a community resource for the docs in my circle. It was a struggle to keep the weight off and to get back on track after regain. sw 296 lw: 126 regain weight 177 cw 145-150. But it is possible. Any updates? How’s are journey going now?

I am 20 years out and have experience just about everything that comes with having weight loss surgery. I am also a pharmacist and have been like a community resource for the docs in my circle. It was a struggle to keep the weight off and to get back on track after regain. sw 296 lw: 126 regain weight 177 cw 145-150. But it is possible. Did you get the help you needed? It’s been a while since you posted, how are you doing now? Any Update?

I am 20 years out and have experience just about everything that comes with having weight loss surgery. I am also a pharmacist and have been like a community resource for the docs in my circle. It was a struggle to keep the weight off and to get back on track after regain. sw 296 lw: 126 regain weight 177 cw 145-150. But it is possible. 2020 and 2021 broke me mentally and physically. I was a front line healthcare provider struggling with my own bought of Covid and pneumonia then being rushed back to work to help serve my community. My staff experienced so much loss personally and collective but our cooperation didn’t seem to care at all…this had me rethinking my entire existence. So much of my identity was my job, it was where I escaped all my personal tragedies. My place of escape became a even bigger tormentor. I had a breakdown suffered anxiety and major depression to the point were 3 doctors took my of work on disability. The mental distress factor plays such a larger role in how we cope and what we use to cope; our hormones and the selection of meds we need despite our desire to keep weight off. Support is so important. An advocate is so important. A provider that listens and understands your complaints is extremely important. You are on the right track! I know this was a few months ago, how’s everything going with you now?

I am 20 years out and have experience just about everything that comes with having weight loss surgery. I am also a pharmacist and have been like a community resource for the docs in my circle. It was a struggle to keep the weight off and to get back on track after regain. sw 296 lw: 126 regain weight 177 cw 145-150. But it is possible.

I am 20 years out and have experience just about everything that comes with having weight loss surgery. I am also a pharmacist and have been like a community resource for the docs in my circle. It was a struggle to keep the weight off and to get back on track after regain. sw 296 lw: 126 regain weight 177 cw 145-150. But it is possible. I’ve put together a few lectures from time to time for some of health events. Recently, I've received some messages with questions similar to yours…asking how I got rid of the unwanted weight I gained after surgery. Ive given lectures on this and I also talked about my struggles with how I wanted to have a fuller life without a negative body image. I’m finding many of us struggle with this after WLS.

liveboard15 - it looks like your measurements haven't changed in 3 months but you lost 10 pounds so you could be gaining muscle too. Looks like even though the numbers don't scream huge loss you are still going. Good luck and congratulations on the loss so far.

Thank you all so much!!!! I can feel the weight loss but still don’t see it in myself. It’s weird! But thank you all for your comments ❤️

It's not uncommon for weight loss to slow down or plateau after initial rapid weight loss. There could be a variety of reasons for this, including physiological changes in the body, changes in activity levels or physical activity, changes in diet, or even certain medications or medical conditions. It's important to remember that weight loss after surgery is a journey, and it's not uncommon to have ups and downs along the way. It's important to focus on making healthy lifestyle changes that are sustainable over the long term, rather than trying to achieve rapid weight loss. If you're concerned about your weight loss progress, it's a good idea to talk to your surgeon or another healthcare professional for guidance. They can help you identify any potential issues and work with you to develop a plan to help you reach your goals.

I have now idea, but I still wanted to say congratulations! 156 pounds loss is AMAZING!

wow - so many positive things happening in your life right now! That's fantastic! And congrats on your loss - you look great!! and re; tight pants - they'll never be able to get me out of leggings! I'm built like a linebacker (broad shoulders, broad chest, muscular arms, no waistline) - and have no butt, no hips, and thin thighs. So I tend to gravitate toward slightly oversized tops (preferably with a V-neck so I don't have a huge horizontal span across my chest), and leggings, since the bottom half of me is fine - as in perfectly normal (even on the thin side). Then people are more apt to notice my legs first (at least, I hope so!). If I wear skirts, or dresses, or baggy pants, I look at least 10 lbs heavier than I am. So - no baggy pants for me! (besides, I'm in my 60s - I don't give a hoot about what's in style any more!)

It took one year and two weeks post surgery (plus 7 months pre-surgery), but today, nekked, on my own scale, I hit ONEderland, 199.6 lbs. Yipee! I know it's transitory and I'll bounce back and forth for a while, but this is the first time my scale has shown under 200 lbs for about 25 years. I've gone from a size 30-32 to an 18-20. My hair is growing back. My brother is moving back home after 30+ years as an expat. I've booked a southern Caribbean cruise for April and he's going with me. All is good! Just when I finally got all skinny leg pants, I discovered that the "in" style is again baggies. Well, there are some things you just can't win.

I don't know how accurate this calculator is overall, but it was helpful for me to see a baseline trend of what could be expected in the first year on a month-to-month basis compared to people of the same demographics (age, gender, height, weight, ethnic group, and WLS type). That being said, my chart predicts an average weight loss of 12 lbs in the first month, and I lost 9.5 lbs in the first 5 days after surgery. I'm only on day 9 post-op now, but I am 5'3", my surgery weight was 221 lbs, and I was at a BMI of 39 on surgery day. https://riskcalculator.facs.org/bariatric/ Hope this helps! Sent from my Pixel 5 using BariatricPal mobile app

The first few months post-op are the hardest because you’re still healing from surgery and adjusting to a lot of changes, but you’re not yet getting the benefits of the weight loss. It’s very normal at this stage to have feelings of regret and wonder if the surgery was a mistake. As time goes by, though, it gets easier in many ways. You’ll be able to re-introduce more foods into your diet as well as get used to the changes that will become your new “normal.” And in the meantime, you’ll lose a lot of weight and get to experience life as a non-obese person. This rough part of your journey will be a blip in your memory, and if you’re like most of us, eventually your only regret will be that you didn’t do this sooner.

I'm having a lower body lift, arm & breast lift with Dr. John LoMonaco in Houston. Although he's a 5-hour drive from our Texas home, I chose him because he specializes in bariatric weight loss patients. He has fantastic reviews on RealSelf and everywhere else I researched. I only found 1 negative review and I asked him about it. He definitely lived up to the hype during my in-person consultation. My husband was skeptical about me undergoing surgery until he met Dr. LoMonaco and my fella is very difficult to impress. Because we live part time in Kansas as well, my initial consultation was via pictures. I was gobsmacked when he answered my emails (generally in the late evenings) personally. Not an admin nor a form letter. Good luck on your search!!

Maybe finding a good therapist & a dietician will help your cousin get back on track. They can be very helpful during this process - supporting her through the emotional turmoil & sorting out her dietary concerns & issues. Also speaking with her surgeon (via Skype or similar) or asking them for a referral to another surgeon close to her now may be helpful too. There is no need to go back to the very low calorie, shake diet. This was in place for a specific period of time to support healing. Sure people lose weight on very low calorie shake diets but they are not sustainable & regain is usually inevitable. Eating in a way that was more like what she was doing when she well into her weight loss (say the 6 or 12 month mark) would be more beneficial: observing portions, protein & fluid goals, & eating a range of vegetables, fruit, dairy, & small amounts of low processed multi/whole grains. As @catwoman7 said a bounce back regain of 10-20lbs is very common in the 2nd/3rd years so her regain could be just that. Also I wonder if she was given reasonable expectations as to what her weight loss could be after surgery? The average weight loss after sleeve or bypass is about 65%+/- of the weight you have to lose to put you in the healthy BMI weight range. (Yes, the healthy BMI range is not always the best weight range for someone & yes, some people do exceed the average result.) She may be beating herself up with somewhat unrealistic goals ( though I understand her desire to lose more). This video may be of assistance to help your cousin look at her achievement of losing 175lbs in a different way: a success.