Search the Community

I would follow the nutritionist advise but I also wanna know how you achieved this - 2 months post sleeve and my weight loss has slowed I feel

Hi everyone, I’m 3.5 months post-op from gastric bypass surgery (done on 14th August 2024), and I’ve lost 20 kg so far. Honestly, it still feels surreal to me – like I can’t believe this is actually happening! Sometimes, I doubt it’s even possible to lose more and maintain it long-term. That’s why I’m here, looking for your stories – both the successes and the challenges. How much weight did you lose after gastric bypass, and over what period of time? Have you managed to maintain your weight loss, and for how long? What were the biggest lessons or hurdles you faced during your journey? I want to hear it all – the good, the bad, and everything in between. Your experiences mean so much to me and to others who might feel like the road ahead is uncertain. Let’s celebrate the wins and learn from the challenges together! ❤️ Looking forward to reading your stories.

I think the revision has just kickstarted the weight loss again? I'm still pre-op, but I think if you've had the sleeve years ago, the body might be acting as if it's a new surgery? But congrats on the new progress!

I don't think it made a difference to how much came out but it made my hair softer and kept it in good condition which meant I could go longer between washes. I was taking collagen every day as well, still do. The only vitamin I am no longer taking is the bariatric hair one as felt I did well with the three month supply.

right on cue, 4 months is the mark most people start losing their hair, no you wont go bald although it will feel like. and if you are lucky it will grow back curly , mine did

Amazing. OMG that loss in that timeframe is totally inspirational! Took me much longer from a similar starting point. I am in absolute awe of your regimen. I suspect you have further loss in you. Enjoy all of the feels, all of the NSVs. You are doing this gal! With or without any further surgery you've done this 🤲

Lately, I've been eating quite comfortably, and honestly, it's scaring me. I had a week where the scale didn’t move, and just when I started panicking, boom – down 1.7 kg the next week. But here’s the thing... every time I feel confident in my weight loss, I start getting too comfortable, and that makes me so uneasy. And the weirdest part? I’ve become a sweet girl! Like, I actually crave sugar now, which I never used to before. WHY?! 😭 There are no actual signs of regain, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be worried, right? My brain is panicking even though nothing bad is happening (yet). I have a friend who also had gastric bypass, and she keeps telling me: 👉 “Don’t worry, you will lose weight no matter what – that’s what bypass does.” But how true is this??! 😭😭 I feel like I can’t fully trust it, and I don’t want to get too relaxed and regret it later. Someone please tell me I’m not losing my mind. 😣

Sleeve Oct 2024. Band remove March 2024. Did all pre & post instructions, After solid eat stage I can eat large amounts of food without feeling full. For example, 3 turkey wraps with cheese and lettuce, had a T Bone for Thanksgiving. I'm stalled right now and don't know if drinking more water will help. Dr said need to loss 15% the first 3 months which is 56lbs, I'm only at 10%. With the band I could feel the restriction up high but now it's like relearning how to feel full, it's in my belly not my throat like before. I wish doctor would have use a smaller bougie, he uses 40's Last visit the nutritionist said "He does not do revisions" like to warn me. 383 start now 344 Need to be 325 by this month.

Just coming in to say I am in the same boat. One day I washed my hair and so much came out I got scared. I started adding collagen to help with new growth and I have been taking biotin since before surgery. Its just one of those things. Nothing we can control. Just take all your vitamins, collagen, biotin to help with the new growth so it comes in healthy. I am actually contemplating a shorter hair cut. which I have never done so I am panicky a bit lol but im vain LOL

it's due to the trauma of the surgery + the ultra low calorie intake the first few months post-op. Your body has better things to do with the limited energy (i.e., calories) - like - heal itself. Hair is something that isn't at the top of its priority list. It'll grow back, though. I lost hair (although not much, fortunately) from months 5-9. In the grand scheme of things, it's kind of a minor blip on the screen. You'll probably feel that way when you get past it and have dropped a ton of weight. It's worth it in the end.

Your weight loss journey is so inspiring! I can't even imagine myself being skinny right now—it feels like every time I look in the mirror, I still see the same person or even feel bigger sometimes. But hearing your experience gives me hope. I can't wait to fast forward to six months post-op and see where I’ll be. I know it’s a long process, but stories like yours make it feel possible!

When my wife and I were first looking into WLS 20+ years ago, there were several newer procedures, including the MGB mini-bypass, DS duodenal switch and the VSG vertical sleeve gastrectomy, that were circling the periphery of bariatrics, which at the time was mostly lap bands and the RNY gastric bypass. These were the only procedures that were endorsed by the ASBS (American Society of Bariatric Surgeons) - the predecessor name for today's ASMBS. Since that time, the DS, VSG and newer SIPS/SADI/"Loop DS" that have gained endorsement from the ASMBS and general insurance coverage in the US. The MGB never made it past that hurdle here in the US, so isn't commonly done or covered by insurance. Bile reflux seems to be the major legacy problem that caused the profession to move away from it at the time. There are claims that some new techniques have been developed to minimize that problem, and maybe they do, but it's a hard sell to make it mainstream in the US. It has become more accepted in other countries. Overall, being in the States, I wouldn't be overly eager to go with the MGB as it is not commonly done here, so there are fewer MDs around who are familiar with its' care over the long term; the RNY, in contrast, has been done for around 140 years for reasons other than weight loss, so is a well known configuration in the medical world, as are the problems one may encounter over the years. If you have an unusual configuration like an MGB or BPD/DS, it can be harder to isolate any health problems one may have years down the road owing to the general unfamiliarity with the procedure -at least the DS has significantly better weight loss and diabetes results than the other procedures to make that a worthwhile consideration. If you live in a country where the MGB is commonly done, then it would be a worthwhile consideration, but the US has too many other mainstream procedures commonly available and accepted that do as well or better than the MGB that it doesn't make much sense here.

Ugh - having read back the post above - sorry- it reads like there is one road to success and that any deviation from that path of righteousness could lead to 'failure' - that wasn't my point. Actually nothing could be further from the truth. WLS ALLOWS us to have a day when we eat rubbish, just because we feel like it. The surgery is still doing its thing the next day. It's the brain, the brain, the brain that will mess things up for us and tell us that one day equals complete failure. And that therefore what is the point. If we can access the support we need (and this does mean formal therapy for lots of us) I suspect that improves our chances of significant and sustained weight loss. Hope this is more helpful.

So totally true.....its more about what you put in your mouth and less about exercise. Exercise is good for your muscles, heart, lungs, joints, but as far as weight loss, you can do it without exercise by watching what you eat and stay within your calories suggested by your doctor/nutritionist - low fat, low carb, high protein.

This year was An awesome YEAR ...8 months post op. I went from a full ugly cry at the counter because chicken would not go down right after surgery 😂😂 and grieving all the unhealthy food that I loved, to actually learning how to eat, loving my new body, eating with Intention and loving the the things I actually can eat. I have learned to cook foods that I enjoy and make it bariatric friendly. Who knew our food could taste that good! I had no idea I could continue to enjoy all the foods in a new way! Movement is an activity that I enjoy and aided in my rapid weight loss. I hope to continue to move, I hope to add new movement skills (hot yoga, rucking, boxing). What is your year ends review? What did you learn? Any setbacks? Anything you are looking forward to in the new year?

as everyone has alluded to above, the number on the scale is often not very indicative of your overall progress. i had a goal weight and goal BMI number. turns out neither were where i wanted nor ended being at. its weird because a certain weight number looks totally different on me at different times. at one point in my life 115 looked "fat" on me. 5 years ago it looked malnourished. then 3 years ago it looked awesome. these days (i'm 6+ years out), i go by how my clothes fit me (i.e, body measurements). so long as my clothes still hang well on me, i'm all good! when they start getting looser or tighter, then i'll make efforts to correct. so i guess i'm saying if your clothes start hanging looser on you, that is a better sign of your weight loss vs. the number on the scale. good luck! 😍

Usually weight loss & eating more nutritious foods boosts your immune system. Maybe you’re a little run down from the recovery & healing, the physical & emotional stress of it all, from the changed diet/lower calories & the initial more rapid weight loss. Low protein can affect healing but, if I remember correctly your protein intake has been okay. How are your iron levels? Anaemia can affect your immune system too. Sorry lancing the abscess was so painful. ☹️

Here's my one-week update after making some adjustments! I've been focusing on protein-rich meals and keeping my intake under 1,000 calories, leaving a bit of room for those extra nibbles. My protein has been between 70-100 grams, and guess what, ladies? I lost 2.2 kg this week, bringing my total loss to 16 kg! I'm so thrilled—I feel leaner, lighter, and fresher, with no hunger cues at all (which feels strange, honestly). If all goes well, I’ll be out of the 90s in just two weeks, which feels like a dream come true!

If your ferritin level is OK, I wouldn't worry too much about the iron, esp if your surgeon hasn't said anything. Ferritin is the iron stores in your body that your body taps into if it's too low on iron. also, as far as people taking different amounts of supplements, it depends on the surgery (DS and RNY patients malabsorp vitamins and minerals, so they're usually required to take more of them than sleeve patients are), and as someone else said, after the initial few months post-op, how much you take is going to depend on your labs. If you're too low on something, you'll be told to take more of it; too high on something else, you'll probably be told to cut back. hair loss this far after surgery could be due to a lot of things (although I just read that iron deficiencies CAN cause it). Are you meeting your protein requirements? That can cause it, too.

My hopes are the same it has certainly gotten a lot of attention so perhaps it will help reduce some of the stigma at the very least. I have two friends that are currently on them for weight and they have shockingly low copays. My one friend showed me the pharmacy paper where it said her insurance saved her X dollars and I don’t remember the exact amount but It was well over a thousand.dollars. I follow Dr Weiner too so I learned about them when they were fairly newly being used for weight loss. I also looked into it before i went with my revision, but my insurance does not cover them for weight loss as of when I scheduled my surgery. My family provider’s office is currently working on getting compounded version to offer to their patients and hope to get the price under $200 a month they said but the NP said she would not put off surgery waiting on all insurance to cover it or for them to get a good compound because those things usually take quite a while.

Week 11 tomorrow, and I definitely notice more shedding now -- and all of a sudden, the ends of my hair seem to be getting drier and more brittle. I guess it's 'begun' 🙈

Sounds like you had a very positive appointment all round @MrsFitz & you have a supportive team around you too. Yay! Don’t worry about the difference in your weight doctor to doctor or clinic to clinic. It happens all the time. Remember too you’re likely naked, haven’t eaten or drunk and peed & pooped when you weigh yourself at home. You go to the doctor’s & you’ve had breakfast maybe lunch too, drunk some fluids, are dressed so no wonder you weigh more. I looked at it as they have their records & I have mine. If I lose 5 kgs it shows on my scales as a 5kg loss & it will show on theirs as a 5kg loss too. Winning either way!

Hey bari family ❤️ I know body dysmorphia is something that is really common in this community, and I did expect it of course, but I am really feeling it at the moment. To preface my feelings I am about to describe, I am PMS-ing so I know a lot of this is probably exacerbated by that! Either way, I have had such a noticable influx of people complimenting me on my weight loss at work this week - it seemed that there was no one mentioning it at all, and now every day this week I have had people come up to me and say/ask things like: "what is your big secret?", "you look amazing", "you're a skinny minny" etc. It hasn't been anything that I have taken offence to at all, but it has come during a week where I have felt so down about my appearance. I'd say this is the first time post-surgery where I have been looking in the mirror and just seen the 'old' me - I genuinely cannot see any loss, even though the scales & my clothes are telling me different. It is so saddening, normal, but sad. Anyway, that is my little reflection done with! What sorts of things did others do to get past this?

Thank you very much! Congratulations to you as well for your successful journey. It's amazing to finally be free of the fat and, more importantly for me, the addiction to food and the total control/power I have over food now. It's seriously my lifelong dream at 55 so staying motivated was baked in.. Thank you again. I am sure I didn't elaborate or explain my reasons enough but actually I am concerned about slowing down the weight loss. I still eat very small portions and am worried it would be hard to sustain on just protein, without carbs. I like my body running more ketogenic than carbed up with the ups and downs of carbs. Without adding fat, and with our malabsorption aspect of the surgery, I am wondering if its possible or not so much..If I am being honest, at 240lbs, I started eating dirtier with carbs to try and stabilize at 240 until I got my knee surgeries, but then just dropped another 20+ within a month and a half or so. My steps and activity increased, small by normal people standards, but a lot for where I have been, after I got another Cortisone shot to the knees. This just illustrates my concern once I reach goal weight and I am rucking, hiking, and lifting. Those three things will be lifelong for longevity and mobility going forward. Obviously everyone is different as far genetically and such, but I have been extremely low calorie, plenty of short fasts up to three days, and have plateaued at certain points during my weight loss, and after doing a refeed with carbs and basically whatever I want to eat, I recharged my metabolism for another huge run of weight loss. The refeed was usually only a couple days to a few days but less than a week. Now with this approach remember I am lifting weights. I mean hard as I can weight lifting 4 days a week. It sucks! Low energy lifting is not fun but the recomp.. I really believe the built-in calorie burn from lean muscle mass is the most efficient way to permanently stay in shape. Male or female doesn't matter. IMHO if your metabolism is slow and you are struggling with the last few pounds, I mean the literally like 5-10 pounds from goal BF, man or woman, start lifting weights. The body recomp will floor you. And that weight or really I think just your body composition after significant weight loss without adding lean muscle mass leaves you looking(Sometimes) like a no muscle bag of skin. Flat. It's not fun but the results.. Anyways thank you for the reply and just to make clear if any of the vets care to weigh in, the WLS gave me the tool, the only tool I will ever need again to lose weight. It's so powerful for me that I need to think about slowing down my weight loss combined with, if possible, being low carb and more ketogenic as a lifestyle choice I prefer. I just don't know if low carb is sustainable without the fat calories. that specifically is what I am looking for. Does anyone prefer low carb/ketogenic after surgery and is it possible? I already realize that fats can be problematic, is anyone doing carnivore after DS Sadi. Not my preference but the only option it seems for low carb without the keto fat plan. Thanks in advance for any tips.

There are lots of averages around weight loss and the different surgeries but, trust me, there are a myriad of differences around those averages. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s how they get those statistical averages. Everyone loses at their own rate and as with all averages, some will lose more or faster and some will lose less or slower. You’re losing and that is the only thing you should consider. If you are losing any amount, you’re winning. Celebrate every pound you lose. You’ve lost 10kgs! That’s amazing. Congratulations!