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I watch everyone else around me eat and I now can’t believe how much I ate before! It’s one of the most insane and interesting things I’ve noticed since having GS surgery. I don’t want to offend others, however, I just can’t believe how much we do (gatherings and social activities) involve SO much food! I went to breakfast with my sister, and our and her significant others various family members and I was just like WOW! My sister and her family eat like crazy! I see my little niece 7yrs old, wait for it… 128lbs! Eat all day long! My sister has never been big (gained extra weight from pregnancy, still not a big girl). I am like you have to get my niece’s weight under control now or else she will be on the path to weight loss surgery. The father is bigger and his so is his entire family. They ALL including him have some type of medical issues from being overweight, do not see an issue with this! I was saying it was crazy before I had the surgery!! It’s literally out of control now. They eat out all the time and my sister cooks meals in between. My niece ALWAYS says she’s hungry! Her dad is ALWAYS asking what did you feed my daughter today. Kids at school and in stores have called my niece fat. And she gets really upset about it. She already has horrible asthma. She’s been hospitalized a lot of times. Mind you…These are the same people kept telling me I was a nice size…. However, I was NOT healthy. I don’t want to seem like I am better then everyone else now but it’s crazy and upsetting that my niece whom I was in the hospital room when she was born will have to go through a bunch of you know what over food. The dad is like he doesn’t see a problem and my sister is like she will lose it once she gets taller or more active. I see a whole food addiction, because I had it as an adult not as a child. My family is like why are the doctors not telling them she needs to lose weight. I don’t know what or how to put it to get through to them that this is an issue, because everyone has a right to raise their children their own way. However, it will probably get worse.🤷🏼‍♀️ idk….

I wonder what that person took that she reacted to? I have to agree with SpartanMaker that its related to an ingredient in the medicine, it may be the dextromethorphan, but it could also be that the medicine has alcohol. The problem with NSAIDS/Advil type medicines, is not that you'd react wierdly, its that NSAIDs are a lot of work for your liver to break down and since you're tummy is already stressed and small, the liver takes on MORE of the breakdown work. So taking Advil/NSAIDs after weight loss surgery is very damaging to your liver. Smaller tummy = much lower tolerance and slower breakdown - so yup, you can get drunk really fast and stay that way for longer, you could have an adverse reaction to things with sugar (even lactose in dairy products), that you never had before, etc. I found this article which was kinda helpful: Cold and Flu Season after Weight Loss Surgery (utahbariatrics.com)

Nice work! It is definitely important to have bilirubin checked and to have it followed up with a gallbladder check! Steady and swift weight loss leads to gall stones very very commonly! Years ago, when I was in my 20s, I basically starved myself on WW and lost 40 - 50 lbs (can't remember) really fast....then I started having pain (you don't necessarily have to have pain!) and it was my gallbladder full of "sludge" which is just lots and lots of little grainy stones. I'm not surprised your doctors are having you do the Ultra Sound, etc because its best to be safe! If they do find blockage and you have it removed, consider yourself lucky to be getting it out BEFORE its INCREDIBLY PAINFUL! Best wishes!!

I know elevated Bilirubin can be concerning, but your doctor is being proactive, and I have confidence everything will work out. Congrats on the weight loss and the rest of your tests coming back good!!!

So just came back from my surgeons office for the 6 month follow up. Vitamins all looked great. My iron has gone back up to normal levels. But unfortunately 1 blood test did not and actually is higher than when i personally had it tested a week before which is something called Bilirubin. So they are ordering 1st an ultrasound to see if there are any stones or blockage in the gallbladder. After that if it shows nothing then they are going to do a HIDA scan to check function. Shall see how it goes. but they were impressed with the weight loss in 6 months. They did tell me to eat more lol

This so so inspiring to hear. Your weight loss alone is incredible but the work you did on your inner self is absolutely amazing. Keep it up.

Others had very good ideas for alternatives to shakes for protein but if you feel you just can’t do it your better off to talk to your team about progressing to the next step (purées) a bit sooner than skipping ahead as far as steak. At this point it’s not just like you’re cheating on a diet and may gain a little weight. Not to be an Alarmist but You can seriously hurt yourself with just that little bit of steak. Thankfully it sounds like you’re okay this time but that doesn’t mean it will go so well if you did it again. If you tell your team you are tolerating the liquids and all that well and your struggling with the shakes they may give you the okay to advance to the next stage a little sooner. Just try to remember this won’t last forever. And congrats on your loss so far.

an 88 lb loss in six months would be a lot. Not impossible - but a lot. It should definitely be do-able by your one-year follow-up, though. You'll likely be down even more than that by then.

Not saying this was the case here because of course I have no way to know, but I think it's human nature to "blame" things like this on WLS even though it would be impossible to prove. We as humans don't like it when we don't understand something. That makes us look for reasons, even if they're not completely rational. Seeing nothing else, it's easy to convince ourselves that "it must be due to "xyz", with xyz being weight loss surgery. Now to be clear, I do think there's an outside chance of some possible correlation. Changes in the gut microbiota have been known to be correlated with development of a new allergy or insensitivity. The point is that while unlikely, I suppose this is possible: WLS > Dietary Change > Change to Gut Microbiome > Development of an Insensitivity to an Ingredient in that Specific Medicine Reading back through this, I feel like i'm trying to rationalize a very tenuous link, but weirder things have happened. I'm trying to keep an open mind here, but even if this were related, I can't imagine it would be at all common.

I don’t have a diabetes diagnosis at this point (hoping to avoid that) but I was diagnosed with metabolic resistance and was on my way towards a diabetes diagnosis prior to weight loss surgery. Metabolic resistance can cause your body to react in different ways and really make loosing weight difficult - even when you are doing everything right. It’s a combination of several medical conditions that affect how your body breaks down and processes insulin. I struggled having to eat less than a 900 calories (prior to WLS) to see any results along with exercise (it was not maintainable long term). Eventually I agreed to try some medication - which made all the difference, I was finally able to eat reasonably and loose weight (slowly) but I was loosing. My body still fights me - but it’s better. I’m hoping the damage that metabolic syndrome can cause is reversible for me - depends on several factors (like how much damage was done while it was active, if my weight was the cause or genetics). The tests I’ve had are the fasting glucose & A1C, I’ve had non fasting test (but not asked to eat anything specific) and I’ve had to drink the sugary drink (which is awful). A family Dr is a good place to start, but I’d suggest talking with an endocrinologist if you don’t have one you see. Mine has been a blessing helping me dial in things and he doesn’t solely rely on labs to do it. He looks at my labs and my symptoms to make adjustments… in addition to metabolic syndrome - I have Hashimoto’s also. While ranges are great to guide you if you are looking for something wrong. My Endo is the first to say “that may not be what’s normal for you, so let’s see if we can do better”. Since my WLS I’ve had improved numbers across the board, except my cholesterol, but that might stay high till my weight stabilizes. I still have to take a medication to help my body process the insulin and when I take it, the weight comes off slowly but more easily than when I don’t. (Even if I am eating all the same things and doing the same activity). As far as what to eat, I would think the dr wants to see how your body is processing carbs in your normal diet, if they didn’t give you specific guidelines on what to eat. My guess on the “big meal” is they don’t want you to eat minimally and the test results wouldn’t be as accurate. Depending on the results - it might dictate the next test(s). So I would eat whatever the normal diet is I was eating (and struggling with) to give an accurate reflection of how my body is handling the breakdown, not cutting out carbs or anything else (dessert or snacks) that I would normally have. Good luck!

I’ve been 119lbs and 300lbs. Now I’m doing a second weight loss journey with 75lbs left to lose. Online dating is for sure different even already—no one wants to date the 300lb me. But the 215 me gets more attention. I can’t imagine what it will be like at my 140 goal. It’s sad, but I truly think a lot of folks aren’t attracted to larger bodies.

Mourning the way things were is a great analogy. It is very accurate because you are leaving behind life long patterns that were unhealthy and teaching yourself a whole new way of being. It has helped me to remind myself that even though change is really hard, I am making these changes to say yes to so many things and to actually be able to live life instead of existing. Like mourning any loss, it gets better with time and adapting to the new normal. Find little things to look forward to. Be adventurous in trying new things in your new dietary reality. You may find a new favorite!

Congratulations on the improvement of your A1C and weight loss, but I am sorry about the struggles you are having. I hope that the medication helps keep you moving in the right direction and your health continues to improve.

In my 30’s -early 40’s (I’m 48 now) … I had attention (both positive and unwanted) from men even at 300-330 pounds. I won’t lie - any positive attention threw me off, but that was more likely because I had just gone through a divorce and was not very trusting. I’m remarried now and in a healthy relationship. I’ve had drs dismiss my concerns telling me I needed to loose weight and I recall one time a kid commenting out loud about my weight, but otherwise either I wasn’t aware or didn’t pay attention. I once had a conversation with a coworker / friend, she commented I didn’t carry myself like someone who was overweight … and I honestly had no idea what that meant, so I asked her. She was a little embarrassed to even have the conversation with me, but she said I carried myself with such a confidence that she never really saw my weight. I actually had a similar conversations with a few other people over the years and it struck me a little odd, but eventually I understood what they were saying. After I was in a car accident and had some mobility issues, I carried myself differently. I didn’t want those issues to be noticed or focused on so I would often be more timid in how I carried myself or move to draw less attention. It was then that I noticed I had more eyes on me… judgements about my size. With my current weight loss (down 91 lbs so far), I honestly don’t see a big change in my body yet… my clothes are getting to big, but I can still wear most of them. I carry a lot of weight in my thighs and abdomen, so I think I’ll feel more of a change once that changes. I have had a few people mention my weight loss, kindly… but most don’t say anything. I notice I’m walking different - bigger strides and less guarded (because of having less pain). I do think how we carry ourself makes a difference how people look at us. I think in general I am oblivious to it … and that’s probably not a bad thing (to be unaware of other peoples negative judgements).

I had a higher starting weight (My highest was 382 - down to 330 by the time I saw my surgeon) … I initially wanted sleeve because of many of the reasons you stated, but was prepared for my dr to recommend bypass because of my starting weight and reflux. After meeting with my surgeon I asked her opinion- based on my medical history and her experience of outcomes. I have IBS and for about 8 months prior to surgery was dealing with reflux. I also took a daily (2x a day) NSAID pre surgery that she advised that I stop until my post-op follow up, but that I could resume if needed after she saw me. I was really surprised when she told me she didn’t recommend bypass for me and why. She was a surgeon who had extensive experience with all of the surgery options, so I was confident she wasn’t steering me towards what she was comfortable with routinely doing. She actually recommended sleeve (with a hernia repair) and told me if I wanted a revision later - she’d recommend going with a duodenal switch. She mentioned to me that because of the extended length of the DS surgery time, she prefers to do that surgery in two stages. I was honest and told her the second phase of that surgery scared me a little. She was very understanding about that and told me that the sleeve and bypass had very similar outcomes in the 2 yr mark, reviewed the benefits and drawbacks of each and discussed with me that she has had quite a few patients have the sleeve (at my starting weight and higher) as the 1st phase who lost enough they decided not to go on to the DS, but knew it was an option if they wanted it. She was impressed with my weightloss up to that point and was confident with my history and medical conditions, I would be happy with the progress I would make with my surgery. I was 324 on the day of my surgery and at 10.5 weeks post op I’m down to 291. It’s definitely a slow progress, but I’ve had a few unrelated challenges in that time (being sick and dealing with issues from a car accident that occurred several years ago), but I’m headed in the right direction. At my followup she was very pleased with my progress and told me that she felt very good about the track I was on. I’m still very early in the process, but I’m glad I asked her what she recommended and why, based on her experience and my medical history. My husband and I were both comfortable with her explanations and very confident in our decisions because I felt like we had sound information to make a decision on. I’m hoping that I don’t decide to go in for a revision, that I can get down to a weight I’m comfortable with (I’m not sure what that number is yet, I’m hoping I know it when I feel it, lol), but if not - I know what my options are. Right now I’m still having some issues with being able to eat enough. I’m only able to eat very small amounts at a time, but other than that everything is going well. With the weight loss I’ve had - I have been able to stop my NSAID at this point. I had also stopped my PPI meds (but recently restarted it temporarily because a sinus infection stirred things up again… hoping to stop it as soon as that clears up). My IBS is still something I’m working with but so far it has been manageable. Best of luck in whatever you decide!

Congratulations on your amazing weight loss! Substance abuse (no matter the substance, alcohol, drugs, food, sex, whatever) is just a symptom of an inner problem. Our problem isn't food, it's our minds. My therapist knows that we're working together because I have food issues. But, we have hardly talked about my eating, at all. We've talked about all the other garbage that needs to be worked on, in order to be able to change my relationship with my drug of choice - food. It has been a very interesting experience, working with a therapist. And I know that the hardest work we will do, is yet to come. I started talking to him before my surgery, because I knew that I was really going to need his help after surgery. After my surgical sites heal, the real work will begin. It's a grand adventure!

Which surgery did you have? If you had the sleeve, a multi may be all you need. This is a question you really need to ask your Dietician or Nutritionist. Depending on what your blood work says, you may need something else, or you may not. I take a lot of supplements daily, but I had a bypass, am vegan, and have my Dietician guiding me. It can't hurt to take a hair and skin supplement though, to help your body through any upcoming hair loss. Won't stop it, but the extra supplements will help with the eventual regrowth. A good bariatric-multi should be covering most bases, though.

I'm 6 months out and I now eat between 1300 and 1800 calories a day. I'm 5ft 11" and female. I'm still losing weight at approximately 1lb to 2lbs a week with this calorie intake. To maintain my current weight, I would need to eat around 2200 calories a day. So anything less than that is likely to result in weight loss.

This is such a great outfit and I LOVE your hair!!! Sent from my Pixel 5a using BariatricPal mobile app

I hate this fight. My insurance can pay for my revision. However, I am tired of this 3 year fight. I currently have an advocate fighting with me. It's not just about weight loss. I am fighting for my quality of life. I work and pay for my insurance. How dare they act like I don't have a disease called obesity! Sent from my SM-G996U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I was sleeved at 293 back in 2017 I lost 100 lbs within 6 months and unfortunately most of my hair in the process. I didn’t cope with things properly and here I am 5 years later weighing 286. I am scheduled for a revision to MGB this Thursday so here’s hoping I get this right! I’m going to follow these rules

While many programs don't specify calories, early on or at all, my gut instinct is that your feelings are right and that is a bit high. I ran 1100 from about that time through maintenance and it did well, but I have a guy's metabolism that seemed to be working fairly normally (doc's RN was telling be to SLOW DOWN at about six months, which was a good call as goal weight was just around the corner. But many go much slower, and my gut feel is that as an average to shorter woman starting in the 50+ BMI range you will be slower losing and should keep the calories a bit lower, if for no other reason than it is much harder to cut back in a few months if you find yourself lagging on loss rate than it is to increase your intake. Presumably, you are still working through the diet progression and are still on liquids and mushy things, and it will be harder to consume as much as you get to firmer and more solid foods - take advantage of that and try to reduce your intake some as you progress - 800 or so seems to be a good range for many. Some programs, particularly some of the bypass oriented ones, do call for fairly high calories - 12-1500 calories sometimes - and many people get along ok and lose well on that. But those programs also tend to be the ones where many of their patients fall short of their goals, and the program considers 60% excess weight loss to be a good goal; other programs, and patients, strive for better. Points to consider.

I am feeling emotional now that I lost weight I can't help to think why did I not love myself, care for myself, be kind to myself and not let myself go, like I did. Why did it take a surgery. Why couldn't I have the will power and believe and take my obesity seriously. Now that I am losing I can see myself healing not just on the outside but the inside. I feel bad for not caring for myself and treating myself with kindness. Telling myself that I can do it, that I am worth it. Now all I want is to treat myself right and not indulge in food but just enjoy food and limit myself. I think so different. I do think of food but it's not a worry or priority it is what it's meant to get you going fuel, and you want to eat healthy foods to get the right vitamins, I dont mindlessly eat. I care Now.

omg i was a notoriously slow eater during weight loss phase. it used to take me an hour to an hour and a half the first few months (despite the fact that i ate fractions of fractions of those around me). i learned to eat slowly by necessity. if i didn't, i would be in pain (or barf). turned myself into a grazer, and still basically am 4 yrs post. nowadays it takes me about 30 mins to eat about a cup of food in volume...but usually what i don't finish i'll get to later after some digestion.

Little update: it’s been a long couple of months, but I am seeing some progress. Most of my challenges have nothing to do with the surgery… I have non-weight related health issues that have been flaring up. About 10.5 weeks out I’m about 34 pounds down since surgery and about 91 pounds down from the beginning of my journey. It feels awesome being in the 200’s after 20+ yrs!! But I still have a long way to go. I’’m looking forward to seeing 100 pounds gone! Which is my second “mini” goal (my first was being under 300). I’m 9 pounds away so I’m hoping soon. I’ve been sick for the last several weeks (sinus issues turned into a full blown sinus infection) - so that’s added a few challenges, I’m sure slowing my progress. I’m having trouble staying hydrated, between being sick and trying to time my eating and drinking (I’m still only able to eat small amounts so I need to eat frequently) The weight on the scales is coming off slowly, but clothes are getting bigger and NSV are definitely apparent. It’s helpful to have the NSV as reminders of what’s going right. My knees are feeling better since weight loss, I’m hoping more weight loss will equal more improvement. My energy has not rebounded like I’ve hoped, but I’ve also been sick for the last couple of weeks - so I’m hoping as I recover from that, I will see some improvement in my energy as well. I had hoped I’d be further along than I am, but I’m trying to be content with my progress so far. The one advantage I’ve seen to the slow progress is the skin on my abdomen seems to be responding nicely with the weight loss… my arms are very flabby but I don’t really mind, I will work on building some muscle when I’m feeling better. My lower legs look pretty good, but from my knees up to my hips… well that area is just refusing to keep up with proportioned loss! That area still looks very heavy and I think is why I’m not noticing as big of a body change (personally). If my thighs, butt and hips ever decide to join in on this progress, then I’ll probably notice more! Now obviously I am loosing in those areas, because I can fit into chairs I previously couldn’t or struggled to sit on, I’m just loosing from there last and that’s where I hold most of my weight. I know we can’t target where we loose with from, but when I’m back on my feet, I’m hoping to be able to do some exercises to tone and strengthen those “problem” areas. In my ideal world I’d like to get into the 150-170 pound range. I’m not sure how “realistic” that is … given my starting weight, surgery & other health issues … but take the process one day at a time knowing that any loss is progress.