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I told myself I could do it on my own too. I lost those same 45+ pounds over and over and over again through the years along with attaining a sluggish metabolism through low calorie dieting. Your body will constantly fight to get back to that higher abnormal weight setpoint we made for ourselves. It's exhausting. Regaining the weight always involved a few more pounds and eventually co morbidities. You might not have any now, but you will. Not trying to be negative but realistic. Also, as I got older, maintaining all the added exercise to try to keep it off became unattainable. WLS is way more than just food restriction. The surgery resets that setpoint, so you are no longer working against your own bodies stubbornness to stay at a higher bodyfat %. Don't pass on doing it based on fear. I would be more scared not to do it, knowing what I know now. GL.

Since you've been doing your homework, you probably already know that your chance for any complication is just under 6% and your chance for a serious complication is about 2.5% with the RNY. On the flip side, you have about a 74% chance of curing your sleep apnea and a decent likelihood of reaching a BMI in the healthy range. I am scheduled for surgery next month, so I can't tell you about my experience with it yet. What I can tell you is why I am choosing it after almost 7 years in my hospital's non-surgical weight loss program. I am 5'6 and 49 years old, with 2 teen/tween daughters. At the start of 2017, I was 249 pounds and on blood pressure meds, no other co-morbidities. My primary care doctor referred to me to the weight management center. They said aim for 1500 calories per day, 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week, and check in with them every month. I was motivated and started tracking my food and exercise. I went in for nutrition, psych, and medical meetings as directed. The weight came off. I was thrilled! I got down to 202 in 6 months. I was so close to being under 200, and I was certain I could easily get to at least under a BMI of 30 to no longer be "obese." Piece of cake! Or rather, some suitably healthy cake alternative. Like apples, maybe? And then I stalled for months. I never hit that magical 199 on the scale. I kept doing everything the same and my weight didn't budge. I ate a little less. I exercised a little more. I gained 5 lbs. I gained a few more. I became discouraged. Life happened. I would lose 10 lbs, gain 8, lose 5, gain 15... I tried various meds but couldn't afford them longterm. I lost health insurance for a year and couldn't afford to go to my regular check-ins, which I know were partially responsible for keeping me at least a little motivated even when the scale didn't cooperate. I got health insurance again, and went for my physical. My blood pressure had worsened and now I was prediabetic. My doctor urged me to go back to weight management. I had to wait 3 months for an appointment, and despite wanting to lose some weight in the interim (so the doctor there wouldn't be disappointed in me), I weighed in at 251, which tipped me over to 40 BMI. That was the most I ever weighed. When the doctor recommended I consider weight loss surgery, I knew that was the answer for me. One thing I learned in all this is people can lose weight, even a lot of it. The likelihood of keeping it off longterm without meds or surgery is around 10%. Between a 2.5% risk of a serious complication or a 90% chance of being obese and on blood pressure meds the rest of my life, and risking diabetes, I prefer to take my chances with the surgery. It's not the losing weight that worries me, but the keeping it off that I don't think will happen without it.

My RNY is scheduled for one week from today. I was all in until a couple weeks ago. I am a person that likes a lot of information so I've been watching a ton of videos and joined a few groups like this one. I know there are always chances of complications but the more I look, the more I'm seeing people that went through them, and people that really regret having it done. So now I'm basically terrified. I know no one can tell me what to do. I'm more or less talking it out myself by listing the pros and cons, but I'd also love to have input from people that have gone through it, especially if they are around the same size and situation as me. I am 5' 7" and my highest weight that I recall was 266. I have lost weight and regained it a thousand times in my life. I started the bariatric program a year and a half ago at 254 but a few months later for family issues I had to drop out. By that point I had lost weight on my own and was confident I could do it myself this time, but of course gained what I'd lost and then some. I started again this past April. I am really in the kick ass mindframe since then and have gotten down to 212 - actually 209.5 as of this morning. I'm again in that frame of mind thinking I've lost 55 on my own, I can lose the next 50 as well. And it is definitely possible, though it would be difficult. Keeping it off even more difficult, though again possible. I really have no major health issues, the primary reason is because I'm tired of being this size and failing constantly at losing it myself. I'm tired of shopping in plus size, tired of being scared about sitting in theater seats or a rollercoaster. Tired of seeing pictures of myself and not recognizing that person. I do have sleep apnea and use a cpap. I had a pre-op scope and they found I have grade B esophigitis, though I have no symptoms and very rarely get heartburn. For that reason I was hesitant to get a sleeve, and so many people that get a sleeve are going back for a revision that I decided gastric bypass was the way to go, and my surgeon agreed. I think if someone could see my future and tell me I wouldn't have any major complications and everything went smoothly, I would not even hesitate to do this. My insurance will cover it, I have the time off work. I feel like I'm mentally prepared to do what needs to be done - but I also know many people feel that way but underestimate exactly how it'll go. I feel like I have a pretty good pain tolerance and can get though that ok. Things I'm nervous about: major complications, of course. Getting in enough water and protein in the small amounts you can take in at a time (although I know it can be done). Food aversions - I'm a fairly picky person anyway and you read about people that can't eat anything without feeling sick, even a long time after surgery. Future pain and inability to take ibuprofen - I am allergic to Tylenol and get hives so I'm kind of out of options in the future. I have told a few people because I don't want the negativity ahead of time. Some are jealous and wish their insurance covered it and think I'm crazy to have second thoughts. Some have said look at how well I've done on my own, I can do this on my own without surgery. My husband says he'll support me but he also says he thinks I look great now and don't need it. He's gone to a couple classes with me and was visibly horrified when shown a video of the surgery, and I think he's more scared than he lets on. I have 2 daughters 16 and 21 that are very much momma's girls - one is nervous for the surgery, the other says 'you do you, dawg', lol. Both of them struggle with depression and I would be gutted if something happened to me because I'm not sure they'd handle it well. This is turning into a novel, I'm sorry. I had 2 women that have gone through it say no way would they go through having their guts surgically rearranged for just 45 pounds. And then I see others on here roughly my size that are happy as hell they went through it. And again, I know no one can tell me what to do. I am just trying to get as much info as possible. I don't necessarily buy the whole "my cousin had this surgery and these horrible things happened" stuff, or even "my cousin had this surgery, never had any complications and is thrilled with it" - but when I hear it directly from the people that went through it, it carries more weight. Thanks if you've gotten this far!!

Lily2024 first, congrats on making a positive life changing decision. My advice to you is if you go into your RNY with the strongest foundation possible then that is the best case as you have weeks of lower calories and activity. That said, there can be arguments made to which is better: weights vs cardio? I think a balanced approach between the 2 is always prudent. At the end of the day, the best workout plan is the one you stick to! So most importantly stick with what you enjoy so you are motivated to stay committed to the plan and pick back up when your recovery plan allows. Hope that makes sense. Generally I work out 5-6 days a week which involves mix of weights and cardio. Training for the Ironman, I spent most time focusing on the 3 disciplines: swim, bike and run. In hindsight, I wish I would have made strength training more of.a priority in that process to help with foundational strength and recovery. But I chalk that up to lessons learned! Learn2cook: thank you and yes I have plenty of pictures of my progress. Journaling is an area of which I need to improve but I have started jotting down some notes.  As for other goals, yes! My current goal is to get back to normal or whatever my new normal is. It’s funny how life hands you tests along the way. On 10./29, I suffered from an Ischemic stroke where clots hit 2 parts of my brain. Turns out I have a hole in my heart that’s a birth defect. I have my issues but it could’ve been much worse. A blessing was going into the stroke being in such good health. Had I still been obese, I may not be here today. So now I need to channel my Ironman attitude into putting in the work towards my recovery. So my fitness journey isn’t over but surely has taken a Detour. But attitude and effort are the only things I can control so I will do what it takes. Good luck in your journey!

I'm so sorry you are going through this @Ashley Amari!! That is a LOT of hair loss. It is so shocking the things our bodies do when under stress. When I was in my early 20s I had an autoimmune flare and lost over 1/3 of the density of my hair. I've always had fine hair but a lot of it, that's no longer the case. In time some of it came back, but I kept having autoimmune flares and with each one I'd lose more and more. It has stabilized now that I'm on a biologic to stop the flares, and it is growing back now though I don't think it'll ever be as thick. But I am DREADING the shed from surgery. I had one after having a hysterectomy. It has all come back from that, it wasn't any worse than the autoimmune triggered ones, but at least it all came back from that! I have high hopes for you that while you have lost a lot for now, it should come back, and often comes back even healthier than before, probably because of all those vitamins we are taking! LOL There is *nothing* we can do to avoid this shed cycle, it is natural after a major surgery and serious weight loss, so don't worry it is something you did. It isn't. It will come back in its own sweet time and until then I bet you'll rock the hell out of that wig!! ❤️

I don't know if the OP was a troll but I think the post has merits for the reflections it has created. My partner sees a therapist that specializes in eating disorders. She seems to be rather WLS negative because she sees patients that struggle with it and regret it. But in talking about it I realized for most of these people the regrets are driven by unrealistic expectations or having food addiction issues they've never dealt with--they weren't prepared to say goodbye to their relationship with food like Babyspoons points out. The surgery is hard on our minds and if our head game isn't strong it will take us down! Unrealistic expectations are so damaging to one's long term happiness. I don't know if it is the individual's issue, or a combo of that and surgeons painting a fairytale picture, but I had pretty frank discussions with my surgeon and GP about what I could expect from the surgery. I don't expect to lose 50 lbs in this first month. I don't expect to ultimately get down to 130lbs. I've set a reasonable goal for myself and we all agree it is attainable if everything works right. Not everything works right all the time. But I picked the surgery that had the highest chance of giving me what I really wanted---a loss of my co-morbidities. I decided that if I could kiss my diabetes and high blood pressure and high cholesterol goodbye, it would be worth the surgery even if I don't lose all the weight. Of course I want to lose the weight, but I'm a pragmatic person and I had to really dig deep and decide how I'd feel if I never meet my weight loss goal. I didn't want to be stuck with regrets, I hate regrets. But I think most people don't do this internal work pre-surgery so they are left trying to reckon with it all post surgery when expectations don't meet reality. I think there is a lesson in that for all of us...

7 years after VSG I have gained back 40 pounds (lost 102) and now I am dumping. It is very strange because it happens with almost anything I consume and any quantity. I am thinking of going on a mostly liquid diet to get the 40 pounds off and hopefully stop the dumping. Any advice is appreciated.

I’m 12 hours out from surgery. Or at least from having to be at the hospital. Having some protein broth. It’s actually pretty good it’s chicken soup flavored protein powder that you had to hot water. My doctor ok’d it for the pre surgery diet. Luckily my program only requires 2 days of liquid diet before surgery. They used to require the two weeks but claim studies have shown 2 days is enough. Still nervous as I said in my last post because I am high risk because I have kidney failure and heart failure but everyone cleared me for surgery. They do think I will have issues with infection and leaking because I am on chronic steroids. My highest weight was 509 pounds and my weight today is 399 pounds. I am 6 feet tall and my goal weight it ideally 180 but I will be happy at 200

I had my surgery when the internet was young. There were perhaps 2 or 3 main WLS message boards not unlike bariatric-pal, along with several 'blogging' sites where a few folks detailed their experiences, generally in text. I kept a journal form history from the moment I decided to have surgery until about 2 years post-op, which included appointments, milestones, and stuff I found interesting, then the next year was my running journal in much the same form. Though I wrote my entries in a form that was to be read, I never really intended to share them publicly, though eventually I did just that anonymously out there on the internet somewhere. My only caution is to remind you the internet is forever. There may come a day when you'd like to allow your WLS and weight issues to fade into the past. Be sure you don't reveal too much. Good luck, Tek

Update: Gastric Bypass Date 8/16/2023 Starting weight 376 Current 295 Down 81 pounds. My heaviest was 387.

Updating now that I'm 6 months out. 1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT Female, 50, 5 feet 0 inches 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 6.4 kilos or 14 pounds 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 148.6 kilos or 327 pounds 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 137.6 kilos or 302 pounds 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 127.8 kilograms or 281 pounds 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery 117 kilograms or 257.4 pounds 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery

36 down, 14 more to go... submit your stats if you haven't already and I will reward y'all with a nice little report, LOL! 1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery 8. Type of Surgery (Sleeve, ByPass, etc...)

Dr. John Morton, Division Chief of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Yale School of Medicine, discusses if the new injectable weight-loss drugs are having an impact on people choosing bariatric surgery. https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/yale-doctor-discusses-differences-between-bariatric-surgery-and-weight-loss-drugs/3145715/?amp=1

Hi, i'm almost 3 month out, got my Bypass on 1. September 2023, i Had a lot of problems, and a lot of ER Visits, it seems like the Exit of my Pouch narrowed down so much that i couldn't even Drink anymore, they Stretchted it to 1,2cm's the "normal" size should be 3cm, they Already told me i need a Second Surgery and one of my surgeons said that maybe the Doctor who did that did it on purpose so i would "lose weight better!" with a giggle, What an A-Hole. I'm kinda off all things i've read on that Topic, i can't eat any kind of meat or Cheese, it would not sit well and i will Vomit a lot. I Live after 3 Month, Out of Protein Yoghurts and Pudding. I can tolerate Crisp Bread, but again can't do something on it very much, i'm Kinda at a loss Right now, But i Lost in that 3 month's around 40Kilogramms. but i feel pretty bad in General, since i feel like "i will never be able to eat even the Portion sizes i should with bypass".

Oh, our changing taste buds. It can be quite intriguing. First there is the temporary change after surgery which I think the anaesthetic contributes a lot too. But then after removing certain foods from your eating, you can lose your desire for them or even enjoyment of them over time. Which can be a good thing with certain foods. I embraced my dislike & sensitivity to anything sweet & rarely eat traditional sweet foods or drinks anymore. Same with alcohol - probably average a glass a month (though with Christmas & Christmas parties coming up I may have a few more through December - LOL! Getting your family on board & understanding your eating now can be challenging. Maybe remind them that you are doing this with the support of a medical team & they are extremely happy with what you are doing & have no concerns. Your digestive system has been altered & you physically can’t eat the over large portions you used to which is a good thing. Maybe add that you are determined to be successful with your weight loss to be a healthier you & would hope you would have their support not their criticism & judgement. But you know your family best & what will resonate with them most. All the best.

Perfectly normal. You’ve always fluctuated & always will. You probably never noticed it before because you may not have weighed yourself as regularly as you do now. You may also discover over time you may have a pretty constant fluctuation rate. (My stabilised weight fluctuation is about a kilogram.) Yep, hormones, fluid retention, pooping/not pooping, etc. can affect the number on the scales. Add to that we don’t eat the exact same things in the exact same amounts every day. Same with drinking & the activity we do. Even our general health can affect our weight even having a cold. Your doctor has seen it all. Be honest with them at your appointment. That way they can offer you their best advice. Do you still see your dietician? A visit with them may also help to ensure you are on the right path. It can be easy to miss something. Do you track your food? If not it may be worth doing it for a couple of weeks. All the best.

Weight fluctuations are definitely normal. Salt intake, water retention, hormones, even how much food is still in your digestive system, all influence your weight at any given moment. I'm pre-op, but I traveled last week and just the change to salty foods and restaurant meals was enough to make me gain nearly 10lbs. I thought it was from the unhealthy food and was so distraught, but it was almost all fluid retention because less than a week at home eating my normal healthy diet and it was all gone. Just keep track of what you're eating, but don't starve yourself! That will just cause more problems.

You can have daily fluctuations of weight simply from water weight. Eating salt, menstrual cycles etc. That's why I only weigh once a week but even then, weight could be up on that weigh day for any of those reasons. Obviously overeating will do it. But I think you would know if you were doing that. Hopefully you are not one of the sleevers who lose 30 pounds then weight loss stops. It's usually at that time when doctors go the Ozempic, diet pill route. Or.. looks like you only have 29 pounds to go to hit goal weight. Those last few pounds will come off slowly. I have around 55 more to lose and expect it will become a much slower process now. But I sure hate those stalls too. If you are not seeing any loss in weeks or months, tell your doc/nutritionist and come up with a new plan. GL

I've been at a steady weight now for months. ( It's a darn stall ....gggrrrr ) I haven't weighed myself for weeks but today I stepped on the scale expecting to see the same number and I gained 4 pounds !! HUH ? I'm panicking . All these thoughts are running through my head "am I eating too much? am I not exercising enough? did I eat the wrong thing ? " I see my doctor on Monday and I'm embarrassed to show up with a weight gain . My first reaction is to starve myself till Monday ,but I know that's part of my old way of thinking when I was yo yo dieting. I'm wondering if your weight fluctuates for no reason. Is this a normal thing?

Well, when you were gaining weight you simply ate more calories than your body needed. 9 servings might have been too much and maybe 7 servings might have been sufficient enough. What all of these recommendations never seem to consider (or at the very least they're not considering it sufficiently enough) are the individual caloric needs of people. The (traditional) diets of the leanest populations in world contain lots of carbohydrates. I wish we would stop villainizing "carbs", therefore throwing some many-ingredient-concoction I wouldn't even consider "bread" any longer together with rice, fruit, oats etc. (no, when you're eating a banana you might not "have as well a candy bar").

Also your weight loss can make you more fertile (oestrogen is stored in fat & released as you lose weight) so, yes using two forms of contraceptives for quite some time after surgery is recommended by many surgeons.

Hi November 21 guys!!!! Exactly 2 years to the day since my sleeve so I need to post something to mark the date. I've lost exactly half my body weight since my surgery. I can't believe that - way beyond what I ever expected and I know it's just the luck of the draw but I feel so blessed to be in this position. The figures tickle me, LOL. My maintenance calorie intake has settled around 1500. I don't think I'll ever be able to exceed that without regaining. That's fine - a small price to pay. I still track absolutely everything I eat and I think I always will. I can chug about 7 or 8 swallows of a drink (strangely this is the thing that bothered me most NOT to be able to do over the last 2 years). I am running 2 or 3 times a week. Short distances but my aim when I started this process was to get back to that so - win. Please could you share your experiences of the last 2 years? Good or bad.

I had my 2 week follow up with my surgeon yesterday! Incisions are healing well, tummy is doing better, he cleared me to move to purees and said if I wanted to I could even try fish or eggs prepared soft since they both are relatively soft on the digestive system, though some don't do well on eggs. I had yogurt yesterday and it went down well, so last night I had some tuna fish and it was fine too!! No more awful twisting pains, just a dull ache if I eat or drink too fast. I'm so thankful I took that two weeks on fluids, I wouldn't have done as well if it was only one week. I needed the extra week to heal and let some swelling go down. I officially have lost 15 lbs since surgery. That's 29 lbs since my highest weight! The last time I lost 30 lbs was 20 years ago. I'm so amazed. I'm not losing super fast but that's okay, I'm good with slow as long as it is steady... I had enough energy to go through the grocery store yesterday!! I haven't been able to do that in a few years. It was just 45 minutes of walking and standing but it is such an improvement. I'm really grateful for all this. So glad I had the surgery...

I fully agree with you!! I have other medical conditions that have required treatment insurance has decided not to cover. Not for any good reason, just because they don't feel like it! I think one of the greatest tragedies in the US healthcare system is we let insurance companies make medical decisions that are supposed to be made by doctors and their patients. No corporate entity should be able to override my doctor when it comes to what I need for care. But, that's what you get in a capitalist society that thinks healthcare is a privilege. 🙄 If it is any consolation, there are a number of RNY patients on here who have lost an amazing amount of weight, DS levels of weight!! My doctor said that the sleeve usually takes off the weight, while the intestinal bypass in a RNY or DS is what keeps off the weight long term. You will still be getting some of that in the RNY. I wish you so much good in your journey!! Please keep us posted!

I switched electrolyte powders to LMNT which has a ton of sodium in it and I swear I gained 5 lbs in 3 days. Right before my first post surgery weigh in. I'm so mad! Needless to say I've decided NOT to continue taking it. But you might try that to put on a few lbs to tick your BMI over. Or like others have said, go eat out a few restaurant meals, they have enough sodium to bloat you too!