Search the Community

Sounds like you did too much. You are still healing & getting over pretty major surgery & you will be for a few more weeks. Most of us are told to only do gentle walks to begin not almost 5 miles (av 10 000 steps) a day. I mean that’s great but not yet. Give your doctor a call in case you have done something to set your healing back. It may be nothing but muscle strain but better to know then not.

Congratulations! Hope for a smooth recovery. I go in tomorrow at 10:30 for my bypass. Nerves have taken over!

Lizonaplane, My daughter may be atypical, but she is bipolar and had a RNY bypass over 10 years ago. She was on three meds; antidepressant, psychotic and anxiety. They tried crushing the tablets which made her throw up, so they changed her to Epilim as it was a liquid. Part of her weight gain had been the bipolar drugs. After her surgery she started to lose a lot of weight. Unknown to me, she weaned herself off the drugs, going cold turkey with the anti anxiety meds, because she started running. She found the endorphins from running made her feel good and moderated her condition. At her peak running she was doing 2 marathons per weekend many weeks. She is highly unusual as a Bypass patient in being able to do this! She injured her hip, and couldn’t run, so now she lifts weights. She was determined to take control of her life in every way. She has been drug free for years and is fit, healthy and active. I wanted to share because her psychiatrist at the time said the Bypass would not help her with her mental health, and refused to sanction the op. We paid a psychiatrist to assess her and they concluded she was sane enough to make her mind up. As a person who had previously attempted suicide on more than one occasion, she is an example of the positive outcome possible from gastric surgery. It saved her life, literally, and has given me my daughter back. I wish you all the best.

95 lbs in 6 months is doing great! Everybody is different and if you're following the program and are doing the right things, your weight will settle out where it is supposed to be. I think I lost my first 90 lbs in six months, but it took another four or five to get the last 10. The losing tends to slow down as you approach your goal. Keep going and be proud of the work you have done... and keep going!

I gained 10 lbs. from surgery weigh in and when I left hospital the next day to go home. They pump a lot of fluids in you. Sent from my SM-N986U using BariatricPal mobile app

This happened to me. I decided to change the practice I was going with right at the beginning of COVID. When I submitted the paperwork, I was one weight (my early pandemic, too anxious to eat low). Flash forward to my first surgeon consult which was 4 months later (thanks COVID) I was 10 lbs heavier - my early pandemic anxiety and inability to eat had gone out the window and I regained the 5 lbs I lost due to stress plus another pandemic fifteen. In the end I wound up around 20 lbs heavier than when I submitted the paperwork originally. In the end, it didn't affect anything but I was self pay and not at the mercy of an insurance company. It probably would have been different if I wasn't self pay. My surgeon did have me attend more nutrition sessions, but they were useful so I didn't mind at all. I'll also add that my lack of success before surgery didn't affect how I did with the pre-op diet and now post surgery. For someone who was having so much trouble during the process, once I had my date and had to start my pre-op diet, I was 100% all in and super careful about everything. I wound up losing 11 lbs in the two weeks before surgery. Do your best - it's all you can do. These are extremely difficult times we are living in.

Keep in mind, that isn’t a real gain - your body just went through a major trauma. I “gained” 10 lbs 3 days post-op. It came off, and then some. They pump you full of fluids when you are hospitalized and your body is trying to adjust. I was on liquids for a week, then purée for 2 weeks. I would stick with strained soups and protein drinks and Greek yogurt. I would suggest starting with a quarter cup and see how it goes. Eat that very slowly and stay off the scale for a few weeks. Also, be sure to drink your water.

Hello, I am week 4 from my surgery and am really tired a lot. I work from home 10 hours most days. This makes it really difficult to get to the gym. My Dr said it will get better. Anyone else have these issues. Thanks Sent from my SM-N981U using BariatricPal mobile app

The principle of not ‘washing’ your nutrients through your stomach too quickly (and thus increasing malabsorption or decreasing time until you feel hungry again) is an important one. However drinks do not all take 30 minutes to go through your stomach. Liquids leave the stomach faster than food or soup because there is less to break down: Plain water: 10 to 20 minutes. Can go through as fast as 5 minutes on a completely empty stomach. Simple liquids (clear juices, tea, sodas): 20 to 40 minutes. Thick soup can take hours… As long as you are prioritising protein and healthy foods, once you are a surgery ‘veteran’ (so some way down the line) and your stomach has expanded, you should not always have to wait 30 minutes after drinking before eating, especially if it’s water.

Only for the first weeks/months. I drink now immediately before eating - I’m Bypass 8 years on. I don’t drink while I’m eating because I don’t want to fill up on liquid. My daughter can, though, eat and drink at the same time. She’s 10 years out. To start with when my stomach was tiny I did the 30 minute before, 45 after thingy - then narrowed it to 15 mins before, and then eventually no delay after drinking. It depends on the size of your stomach…

I'm 57. My 23 yr marriage was not a happy one, but I stayed because of my daughters (almost 25 & 23 now), I wasn't working and couldn't afford to move. I needed the surgery, but had no insurance. They said we made too much money to get free insurance and we could not afford it. I finally moved back home with my mother & a sister that I do not get along with. Filed for divorce. Finalized Dec of 2019. Had surgery Sept of 2020. I have a TON of resentment toward my ex. He still sees and talks with my kids way more than I get to. The one still goes to his house to do her laundry & keeps in touch with him more because of his bad health (like, how about your mother's health??? I had the weight loss surgery, need double knee replacement surgery, have psoriasis, psoriasis arthritis, major depression that gets worse every day, especially with my living arrangements) & the other just moved out last month, so he had her home for almost 2 years. And now he has started dating. I could care less about him dating, but that chick will be in the house that was mine & still is in my name right now and spending holidays with my daughters! All the while I'm living with my b***h of a sister, mother who has dementia and my life has been condensed into a 14' X 14' bedroom. I can't leave anything in the rest of the house because my mother has OCD and dementia and things will dissappear. I had to leave 90% of my belongings there until I find my own place, which I can't afford being on SSI and I'm on a wait list for assisted housing, but that could be another year. Then there's the guilt of leaving my mother who has dementia. Meanwhile, my ex's life continues on happily & uneffected with family, friends, my daughters and this girl who will be in my home with my things! His life is fanatic and mine is a living hell!! It's not fair! He was a bastard and I'm the one who has no one. I'm trying to get better physically, but my depression is astronomical and getting worse by the day! Sorry for the long post, but I have no one who understands or cares except my cousin, who has a very busy life & I don't get to talk to her much. My daughters couldn't possibly understand. They've never been married or had children yet. They're busy with their jobs, boyfriends, their boyfriend's families and going back to college. I'm the only one completely alone. I'm trying to find someone who lives in the Youngstown, Ohio area that understands what we're going through with our new lifestyle change and possibly divorce as well. It's not easy. Posting in a website isn't the same as human interaction. Someone to pick up the phone and call when you need to. Anyone with similar, semi-similar problems? Message or reply to me if you want. Thx for reading. Sent from my SM-G781U using BariatricPal mobile app

Like everyone has said so far, the "taking a sip every 5-10 minutes" thing only lasts for a few months. I am 5 years out and I can (if I'm really thirsty) chug a half a bottle of water without getting uncomfortable. Anything more than that though and my stomach will feel overfull and bloated. It took years to be able to do this much but at 6 months out I was drinking pretty much normally.

There is a really common misconception that we need to drink 64+oz of fluid each day. This actually isn't the case, drink what you can, when you can. Everyone's body is different and its needs are, therefore, also different. When you're thirsty, that means you're starting to get dehydrated. With the VSG surgery, you won't be able to chug/gulp anymore so you have to be sure to drink when you're not thirsty so you don't get dehydrated. I could drink larger quantities in one go after about a year. I still can't chug a whole bottle of water but I can do about 4oz in one go. Seriously, don't worry about the drinking every 10-15 minutes thing. Just drink when you remember and keep a liquid on hand. And if you find yourself getting thirsty, try harder to remember to drink. Put your bottle at eye level, put a bottle near the microwave or oven so you remember to drink before you eat, a bottle on your nightstand, another in your car, essentially put a bottle everywhere you frequent so when you see it, you take a sip.

Hi there. I'm wondering if the water sipping every 10-15 minutes is a forever thing. I am so irresponsible about drinking water now. I worry I will drop the ball. It's seriously making me reconsider in addition to other fears.

Lots of us have regret the 1st month. Give it time, it will get better. You have just put your body through a major shock! Just take it easy & slow down your eating. Take one bite, wait 10-15 min then take another. In a couple of days shorten the time between bites. You’ll get there.

I honestly feel like I have been sleeping better since the surgery. I don't have sleep apnea & I was pre-diabetic before surgery (urination overnight was not an issue). I had been having difficulty getting a good night's sleep for at least the last 10 years. I often had trouble falling asleep & staying asleep, with periods of being up for 2-4 hours overnight. Often, I would get an hour or two of sleep at a time. My husband's snoring 😴 didn't help any either!🤣 One of the (many) reasons I decided to go through with the surgery was to help me get better sleep. I was getting pain in my legs, hips & lower back & was constantly readjusting my position overnight. I thought dropping some weight would help with the pain & discomfort while sleeping. I have only lost about 35 pounds so far, and I have been more comfortable overnight & able to sleep for longer stretches than I have in years. Hopefully, you will also have improvement with your sleep as well.

The 1st of September was my 6 month surgiversary and what a journey it has been!! I have lost 88 pounds in total, 75 pounds post surgery. Gone from a size 22 (18 US) to a 12/14 (8/10 US), which I have never been as an adult. I feel amazing, so much more energy and excited about fashion and all the non scale victories. The only real downside has been some serious hair loss but it seems to be slightly slowing down now, fingers crossed!! I have about 20 pounds to go to hit goal, and will then see what that looks like and if I want to lose more. I hated taking pictures of me before but I included one a friend snuck in a bit before I started my pre-surgery diet. The after was taken a few days ago. For those out there wondering if they should have the surgery or not, I have no regrets and only wish I had done it sooner!!

I had a revision from sleeve to RNY and from my 10 day pre-op diet plus the first month after revision, I have lost 26 lbs. I will be 61 soon and am in One-derland to give you a little background. Everyone is different but that is my current story. Sent from my SM-N986U using BariatricPal mobile app

I had surgery on Monday 8/30. Since then I have had 1 of my 6 incision site continuously been extremely painful. It's the only site that's bruised, steri-strip is bloody and it hurts soooo much. When ever I move or have to engage that part of my core (sitting up, going to the bathroom, laying in bed, even just standing up) it hurts. It's like a burning, sharp ripping feeling and it legit makes me see stars and lose my breath. I called and sent a photo to my doctor and they said it was normal. They gave me a stronger pain medication but it only makes me high and doesn't tough the pain when I move. Could they have stitched me up a little off? Anyone else experience this? I need it to be tolerable by Monday so I can go to my work office for 1 hour. I feel alone and absolutely hate doing anything right now because of this. Sent from my SM-G981U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm about 10 days from surgery, and the nerves are REAL, but I'm not having second thoughts. I am not thrilled with the idea of losing my hair, but I figure, if it looks too bad, I'll get a wig and try out a hairstyle I've never thought about. For me, that's not a big issue, although I would say that my hair is not thin to begin with, and I trust them when they say it grows back (my hair is buzzed on one side and short on the other). I have fears of becoming too sick to travel or do my job, but hair is just window dressing as far as I'm concerned. I want to do this surgery so I can be more active and be more comfortable doing my job and traveling and playing with my nieces and nephews.

Just got my results and it's Mild Sleep Apnea as well. So funny that we are in the same boat. I am a woman, 218 pounds today, 5'5''. I have to stay at 216 until surgery. I'm in Asheville, NC. I have to be in the program for three months so the earliest they can even think about scheduling surgery is 10/29. The doctor thinks I'll be lucky to get it done by the end of the year. I just learned that a lot of people who don't get approved by insurance go to Mexico and I think I will do that if I have to. With plane tickets it ends up being about $4k all together. Paying out of pocket at my hospital would be like $25k.

I love your positive attitude and that you don't compare yourself to others. You have your own personal goals and that's how it should be! I started at 350. In 11 days I'll be 1 year post op and only at -135. Not bad, but it should be a lot more. I don't follow what I should be doing because I can only tolerate a few select foods. But many are not that good, so I eat smaller amounts. My dietician is NOT happy. He's VERY rude. (Thought he was going to have a major melt down when I said pizza. Like I eat it all at one sitting!) But my doctor said I can do it this way, so I'm listening to him. I think my goal wgt is another 35 lbs, but I'm having the skin removal surgery too, so it may be less. Not sure how much weight that'll be when removed. That consult appt is in 10 days. Also in process of the first knee replacement surgery in November. No cartilage left. Can only do one at a time. Should be all fixed up by spring of next year. Can't wait! Best of luck and stay your positive self! Sent from my SM-G781U using BariatricPal mobile app

My VSG is scheduled sept 10. I have a one week liquid pre-op diet. I’m so excited but scared at the same time.

Day 2 after surgery. 1st night home. I had a lot of nausea and struggle to sleep much at all. I have pain at a 2 or 3 out of 10, so bearable. Just cannot shake the nausea, hopefully it passes soon. Have fallen short on liquids but will get better today for sure. I am an avid walker but for some reason walking has given me calf pain, maybe because I am walking is socks vice walking sneakers…who know, just weird.

Day 10 (Phase 2 Food) Had some puréed carrots yesterday with no problems. Tried a scrambled egg today. It went okay, but took a long time to eat. I paid close attention to the digestion feeling in my stomach. Almost like a gurgle but not quite. It didn’t feel overly fool and didn’t seem to push back up so I just kept going slowly until done with a break when ever there was that gurgle feeling. Finally not feeling pain on the bottom right. I’m supposed to be able to do 6oz of liquid per hour now, but I couldn’t do it. I had about 5oz and felt so full I had to stop there and have been staying at 4oz for now.