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I feel you. I had surgery a month ago and have only lost 10 lbs. I'm sticking to the diet with no problems, I walk briskly at least 1 hour a day and I'm getting 60-70 g protein. In a few days, I'll be cleared to lift weights, which may help. My calories are between 600-800. That said, my preop (not the preop diet, but just my usual eating habits) were to use My Fitness Pal (used it for years!) and hit btw 1100-1200 calories a day. Well I didn't lose weight on that-- no problem following it. The dietician at the weight loss center told me I could eat 1800 calories a day and still lose weight. I laughed. Not true. I'd tried everything. I can only conclude from my own and others' experience that the solution to these metabolic issues doesn't have that much to do with calorie restriction. I suspect t has more to do with hormones and carbohydrate metabolism. My surgeon tells me that I will lose the weight. She is not worried I've only lost 10 lbs, for what that's worth. The only thing that has helped me lose in the past was actual, hardcore weight lifting. Heavy weight: deadlifts, etc. ! I was not skinny, and I spent 1 hour in the gym 6 days a week. I worked very hard to be a still overweight person. I never had a problem with carbo loading or junk food. All of this tells me that our metabolisms are complex. Perhaps it is the metabolism that drives eating disorders and not the eating driving the weight gain. The science needs to do better. Until then, I've found that eating protein like crazy, lifting weights (more than cardio), hydrating, and just eating like a normal person (healthy meals) is the only way to lose weight, and I never lose much. Perhaps that will change, but for now, I really really feel your frustration. In my own case, my post op is not too different from my preop diet. Both healthy- both protein and non-strachy vegetable rich. Both pretty low in calories. But I have experienced the serios weight lifting to help some-- and I feel better when i do it-- just be protective of your pelvic floor!

Height 5'6.5" HW 325 (2/11/2020) SW 311 (3/9/2020 RNY) CW 148 ( I have lost 177 pounds thus far) GW 136 (bariatric surgeon's ideal weight goal is 136....but my goal was 150...and I'm still losing without trying). Sorry for all of the pics. Just wanted to share. Pics are from Today, 9/24/2021, yesterday, 2 weeks ago (9/10 the bathroom selfie. Lol. Took my soon to be 18 y.o. to their 1st concert and its my 18 month surgeryversary pic) and then collage is of me night b4 surgery (3/8/2020, at 12 months 3/9/2021, and 8/9/2021). Plastic Surgery for abdominal skin removal scheduled for October 2021, pending earlier date if there's a cancelation!

I was on a 10 day clear liquid diet so it is different than a regular liquid diet. I found this on the net and it is a good source for your liquid diet. "The 1-2 week pre-op diet will include the following elements: Protein shakes or meal replacement shakes will be the diet’s primary component. Only sugar-free beverages are allowed (sugar substitutes are okay). No caffeinated or carbonated beverages are permitted. Soup broth with no solid pieces of food may be consumed. V8 and vegetable juice are acceptable. Extremely thin cream of wheat or cream of rice may also be eaten. One or two daily servings of lean meat and/or vegetables might be okay, but only if they are approved by your surgeon or registered dietician." https://www.obesitycoverage.com/the-big-gastric-bypass-diet-guide/#pre-op

as long as you're following your clinic's plan, you'll lose the weight, whether fast or slow. Although 17 lbs during months 2 and 3 post-op isn't unusual. Most people see their biggest drop during month 1 (and honestly, a big chunk of that is water). They then settle in to a more normal pattern. I lost about 10 lbs a month from months 2-6, but then, I started out much heavier than you did. And your 17 lb vs my 20 lb loss during those months, esp given the huge difference in our starting BMIs, isn't statistically significant. stalls typically last 1-3 weeks - but a month isn't unusual. Just make sure you're following your program to a "T", and the stall will break.

Thank you for the reply. It seems your stats were probably similar to mine. Good luck on that last 10-15. You'll get there!! 😊

22/10 surgery. I’m in Australia

Hi Angie, I had a very easy, pain-free recovery and no nausea. Now I’m at 14 mos. out from VSG surgery. Have lost 51 lbs. so far, with about 10-15 lbs. more to lose. I had my nutritionist appointment yesterday and she was pleased and said I was doing fine, even though my rate of loss is really slow at this point, especially when I compare myself to others (which we’re not supposed to do!).

Hi, I had my surgery on 9/14 so I'm currently 10 days post-op. Today I moved from clear liquids to protein shakes. I like protein shakes, that's not my issue. I couldn't finish more than half of a shake, and it took me an hour to drink half of it. It was a 6oz shake, so I could only finish 3oz before nausea and fullness, it has been 4 hours I still can't drink any more of it without getting nauseous again. the brand is GNC isopure if that matters. My stage 2 diet is 64oz of water and 2 shakes, then 2oz puree if I can handle the first two. I'm mainly worried about my bones hair and overall health if this keeps up. I know it's only been one day and I'm probably overreacting but I figured I would ask. So main question, How long can I expect this to last?

Just had my Sleeve surgery today, got there at 7:10 am and was on the way home 11.30. I did not or have not had any nausea at all. my chest hurts, the walking every hour is tough , because i want to sleep. nothing to eat for two full days now, will try a protein shakes tomorrow, they wanted me to do liquids today. doing OK, but on the way home noticed all the fast food restaurants. and when i got home, everyone was eating in front of me, and there were some nice looking muffins on the table. I'm working on not letting that bother me, but I'm still not hungry , time to take some drugs and get some sleep.

My date was set yesterday - 10/13/21 - for the Sleeve. I'm self-pay, so everything is moving pretty quickly. I had to cancel a few sets of plans, but it'll be worth it!

I was back to work in 7 days. I have a desk job and no physical requirements other than sitting on my ass. I did make sure I got up atleast hourly and took a 10 minute walk around the office and warehouse to keep things moving. I did wear compression stockings for a couple weeks after I started back to work.

I have my surgery on 10/8 and they only requested a liquid diet 2 days before the actual surgery. How many days or weeks is it usually?

I naturally fluctuate between 189 and 196 lbs and I can make that full swing in a day or two. I entered maintenance around the ten month mark as well (at the request of my wife and mom despite the fact I know I have around 10-20lbs to go) but changes in my diet, and particularly water intake/output (sweating or urine frequency) can really change the scales quite a bit. Small regain is typical though as our bodies adjust. Keep an eye on it, if it’s constantly going up slowly you’ll want to consider making adjustments to calories or exercise as needed. Maintenance is a tightrope and it’s so far from our previous “normal” it can be hard to find that perfect balance right away… just be mindful and open to the idea that you may have to keep making small changes until you reach your happy middle ground. Congratulations on your success already though, it’s a great accomplishment!

Hey guys I'm back to check in. To those of you still on the preOp diet and those of you worrying about what the future may hold: I had my surgery 9/10, am almost 2 weeks out and while there are some things I am dealing with that I will share, all of this has been so worth it. I had the gas pains after surgery and while they seriously made me question what the heck I had gotten my self into, I forced myself to walk and stretch as much as I could and they dissipated pretty quickly (1-2 days). My reaction to the anesthesia was pretty rough, I was tachycardic and had to be put on oxygen for a bit after coming to. It took me at least a full 12 hours to be totally awake and get rid of the weakness in my legs. And lastly, today marks 27 full days where my intake has been liquid (including preOp diet) so I feel a little spacey and weak sometimes. BUT, I get better every day, can walk further every day, my clothes get looser every day, and only have 8 more days til I can have my first taste of soft foods - gonna go for an egg with a bit of avocado I think... Now for the hard numbers - I weighed myself this morning to get accurate numbers. I weighed 245 at the beginning of LRD and weighed in at 218 today - down 27 pounds. I already see a huge difference in my face and want to cry that I waited even this long to make this decision for myself. I am an overthinker and worrier by nature, so if you are doubting or are worried and want to talk, I am willing to talk it through with you. This is one of those times when you gotta take the leap of faith and trust that you have the drive to follow the plan and make this happen. The anticipation is killer but being in it and doing it, you're able to focus on the steps to take to be successful and it feels incredible to be doing something so productive for yourself.

Hello! I am new here and will be having Gastric Sleeve on October 21. I am incredibly excited to start this new journey. I am 28 days from surgery and already starting preparations to quit caffeine. I'm also cleaning out the pantry and refrigerator. Are there any other suggestions?

Hello all. So I've gained a 6 lbs back. I'm not really doing anything different. No bad carbs, and at around 1500 calories a day 10 months out, after losing 120 lbs in 7 months. I feel like I've leveled out, but am worried about this sudden gain. Is this normal? Thanks, Joe

I’m officially down 90lbs!!!!!! 19 pounds from my original goal weight but now I’m thinking 150 is a better goal weight. I am so excited!

Hi all! Did anyone have their gallbladder removed prior to their weight loss surgery? Prior to considering weight loss surgery, I was doing Jenny Craig for a bit in 2020, but dropped it after about 6 months for a number of reasons. Prior to that, I never had any issues with my digestive tract. Over the last year, about once a month, I was getting what I found out were gallstone attacks. It got really bad the week of Labor Day and I went in for emergency surgery by the end of the week (Sept 10). Also over the last year, I was researching options for weight loss surgery. My insurance does not cover any weight loss anything, but I found out that the options out there were actually affordable for me self-pay. Once my gallbladder came out (baby's first surgery), I knew it was time. I'm already having to change the way I eat- why not go all in? My surgeons from both sides agreed they could be done fairly close together. I had virtually no real pain in recovery for the gallbladder removal and both surgeons have told me VSG will be a similar pain level, up a notch, for post-op recovery. Since my last surgery was pretty much forced upon me, I didn't have time to consider options or worry for weeks about surgery... I'm finding myself now post-consult with a surgery date in-hand (October 13th) and feeling pretty confident about getting the procedure itself. I know gallbladder removal is pretty common post-op, but did anyone have it done pre-op? How did the pain compare to your WLS? How long were you between surgeries? What are some things that got easier or more difficult pairing the two removals? I look forward to hearing about your experiences!

Also regarding acidity of coffee/other drinks… the ph of coffee is somewhere between 4-5 (7 is neutral water, higher numbers are alkaline like baking soda, lye etc). Your stomach produces hydrochloric acid (seriously, the stuff you use to etch concrete) and has a ph of about 1-2. Just for laughs let’s take the average of the stomach (1.5) and the average of coffee (4.5). Every one point on the ph scale is 10 times stronger (or weaker) than the next which means the acid in your stomach is literally 1000 times stronger than the acid in the coffee. it’s not the acidity of coffee that is the problem, it actually dilutes whatever acid is in your stomach….. BUT….. and this is where some people have issues (valid issues)… caffeine can stimulate the secretion of more hydrochloric acid than normal. All foods do this to a certain extent, it’s how our stomach works to break down food and it’s necessary. So yes, there are people who can’t have caffeine without troubling side effects. Most people can. Trying it and seeing how it affects you post op is really the only way you’ll know which category you’ll find yourself in.

I started out at 373 lbs. I am in my 60s (had surgery 6+ years ago while still in my 50s). I was overweight my whole life, and morbidly (and for a few years, super morbidly) obese since my 30s. I tried program after program after program. On my more successful attempts, I'd lose 50-60 lbs (and on my less successful, 10-20 lbs), keep it off for awhile, and then the weight would come piling back on. Happened over and over and over again. I finally got to the point where I realized this wasn't working for me. I had over 200 lbs to lose, and I couldn't even lose 50 and keep it off for more than a couple of months. The truth is, fewer than 5% of people can lose a lot of weight and keep it off. I proved to myself that I was not one of those lucky 5%. It could be that you are - I don't know. But weight loss surgery was the only thing that actually "worked" for me. My efforts paid off. I lost over 200 lbs. I've gained back 20 of it over the intervening years, but a 10-20 lb rebound is common after hitting your lowest weight. I've managed to stay there (after stabilizing at 20 lbs above my lowest weight) for a few years now. I'm not saying to do it or not do it. If you're one of the people who can successfully lose a ton of weight and keep it off (and there are a few people out there who CAN), then you're very fortunate and may not need to do this. But I couldn't. I finally decided to go through with the surgery. and I'm so very glad I did. I should have done this YEARS ago!

In Dr. Wiener’s latest videos (I still watch him 3+ yrs out from WLS) he discusses who he believes would benefit most from WLS (obesity since childhood, genetic obesity- other family members who are obese, people with good diets, etc.) Surprisingly, he also believes that WLS not for everyone. With so much seemingly conflicting information available, having doubts are natural especially when you are seeing results without WLS. A couple of questions I would ask myself if I was in your position are: Was losing the weight this way relatively hard or easy? Could I really stick to these changes for the next 5-10 yrs? What are my contingency plans if diet/lifestyle changes are not enough? Do I fall into the good candidate for WLS category? Should I pass up this opportunity even though it may not come again? Good Luck !

I lost about 19 pounds in the first month after surgery date.i think I only lost 8 pounds the first week after surgery. I had a small stall around week 6, and now the scale is moving again. It sound like you lost a lot right after surgery, and I'm sure the scale will start moving again soon! 😁

I am like you and always battled weight. My wife did WLS and had a huge success. I too was able to lose 100 lbs on my own in my late 20s. I was always skeptical of WLS since I had done it on my own. One lingering fact that convinced me was even though I could lose it, the weight always came back plus. From what I learned through my wife is this program will help make the life style changes you need that did not happen on your own. You are on the right path and have hope I am too. I have surgery 10/13 and I am determined to make it stick. By the way I am 60 and still want the change. Stick with the program and I hope you find sucess with WLS.

😆😆😆 Only problem is they’d likely be too big on you too. 🙂 Hit goal at 6 months then lost another 11.5kgs (25lbs) over the next 10/11months. Have been sitting around that weight +/- a kilogram (2lbs) since then - about a year.

I am a 50-year-old man who struggled with my weight most of my life, starting with being an overweight kid. No diet or exercise program produced tangible, good results. At my annual physical in March I weighed in at 405 pounds. I take no meds, and up to this point, my most serious health issue has been sleep apnea that I was trying to handle with CPAP (mostly unsuccessfully). Given my alarmingly high weight, my doctor recommended that I look into the bariatric surgery option. I eagerly started the process, looking at it as a once-in-a-lifetime chance for getting back to normal body weight and gaining a quality of life I have not enjoyed for a long time. The bariatric program I joined requires that patients lose 10% of their weight before even being scheduled for surgery. Insurance also requires at least 3 months of engagement with a managed weight loss program. I was determined that despite my past struggles with diets, I will do whatever it takes to make the cut. I met with the program's nutritionist and had a very nice discussion with her. Then I went home, and threw out the materials she gave me (calorie counting book, etc), and ignored all her directions and advice. I dove into reading and research and started implementing a diet largely based on Matthew Weiner's A Pound of Cure vegetable-focused program. I had immediate success, losing 20 lbs in the first month (guaranteed, a lot of that may have been water weight held onto by insulin). I kept reading and experimenting, incorporating advice from Sten Ekberg (Master Your Health), Eric Berg, Dave Asprey (Bulletproof Diet), Jason Fung (fasting strategies), and many others. At this point, I am three months into my pre-op personally directed diet. I have lost a total of 70 pounds have a current weight loss rate of 1 lb / day feeling great COMPLETE resolution of my sleep apnea issues 120/80 blood pressure (was somewhat high at the beginning of the program) went from a size 4XL to wearing 2XL (depending on cut of clothing) 48 inch waist to 42 inch waist not counting calories no hunger or craving issues I am just starting to discover the research (a recent Nobel Prize-winning one) regarding Autophagy and its related health benefits brought about by intermittent fasting, and many other possibilities. Next week I am scheduled to meet with the bariatric program's PA, do my weigh-in, and (pending insurance approval) schedule the surgery. I am torn and in doubt. The last few months have been some of the most exhilarating experiences in my life. Gaining control of my body and my overall health in the way I have done in such a short period of time is amazing. The bariatric surgery option, which just a short while ago seemed like a Holy Grail lifesaver to me, seems full of pitfalls and restrictions on the methods I can do to manage my body weight and health. I was looking forward to trying out possibilities with time-restricted eating, and using longer fasts (triggering autophagy) to eliminate loose, hanging skin that might come about otherwise with significant weight loss. On the other hand, I still weigh 335 pounds and am nowhere near my goal of a healthy 200. What if my weight loss stalls out well short of that goal? The sensible answer might be to simply wait, see what happens, and re-engage with the program if it seems necessary to keep pushing past a stall point. However, for reasons I do not want to detail, I might not have this option after this year. Under these circumstances, if this was your only chance to move ahead with a Gastric Sleeve operation, would you do it? Any other thoughts? Your help is greatly appreciated.