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it depends- what surgery are you having? and how much will you be lifting? I had a VSG and was back to work in a 4 days (though I was pretty tired for a week or so after that) and I avoided lifting anything more than 10 lbs for several more weeks. I was pretty surprised how fast I felt good and how easy the recovery was, almost to the point that I felt guilty for laying around and not doing anything productive right after. The most important thing is that you follow your doctors instructions, as none of us here are qualified to make those recommendations (at least not me). Start walking as soon as you are able and keep walking as much as you can. You'll feel better and it will help with the gas after surgery.

I agree! The pre op diet is so incredibly important! You need to shrink that liver to avoid the surgeon: 1. Cancelling your surgery 2. Going ahead but at more risk of liver damage I’ve never stuck to diets (that’s why we are all here right?) but the pre op diet to me was a life or death situation. Well that’s at least how I sold it to myself. My dietician supplied me a list of foods I can eat, and not to stray from that list. I did read stuff online but I took her advice as bible since my surgeon chose her to be in his team. I will be honest and say I did eat Lamb twice (not on the list) but they were 1 mouthful and the lean part with no fat. I just seen it as protein. I never once strayed from the path, not one bite here or one sneaky bite there. Even after a huge buffet at work arrived I stuck to plain salad and fruit! (That’s not like me normally!) im 12 lbs down, over a 10 day pre op and today is my surgery day!!! ive also now shown mental strength which I will need post op for my 4 weeks liquid diet. good luck everyone but please please follow the rules. It’s there for a reason! em ❤️

Every doctor and patient may have different requirements/recommendations/instructions. It may be best if you reach out to your team to get some more clarity on your surgeon's recommendations based on your medical history. They may give you more details when they give you preop instuctions. They may also give you the vitamin list after surgery. My instructions were to drink 10 oz bottle of magnesium citrate the day before surgery. (It takes 4 hours to work, and they suggested taking it around 10 am.) It is available at the pharmacy. For vitamins, my instructions were to take: -complete Multivitamin -Calcium citrate 1200 mg day divided in 2 doses -vitamin d 2000 IU -B12 1000 mcg -iron as directed by doctor, if needed.. I was also told to take prilosec otc (or similar) for 2 weeks pre op, up to day before surgery, and then resume 1 or 2 days after surgery. Hoping you get some more information from your team. Wishing you luck.

My doctor is one of the strictest I’ve heard about. I haven’t been allowed anything but protein shakes and water for 2 weeks pre-op and 2 weeks post-op. It has been worth it to see my weight come off. I had surgery July 1 and have lost 15 lbs since (33 lbs total). I’m glad he’s so rigid because I haven’t had to guess at what kind of food or shakes to get. He even told me the brand names. Any sign of non compliance and I was out of the program. My 10 day follow-up was today (since 10 days was over the weekend). He told me I’m doing better and lost more than expected. I get to start on cottage cheese, eggs, and yogurt this Friday. All of this to say I highly recommend you following EXACTLY what the doctor says. It’s not the first time for them. They know what works. Don’t sabotage yourself before you even get started!! Good luck and best wishes

I had spine surgery in March. I’m still getting shooting pain down my leg. I gotta get this wait off my discs! I have a 1 year old who needs and active mom and a 10 year old who needs a good role model! I’m stoked! August 6th can’t come soon enough!

I've had the band for over 10 years... I was cheating on the first one and had to have it emergency removed. I went from 350 down to 180; got it removed and was back up to 300 in no time (I was being really good too! I swear) Then I got a new one that is more forgiving and went from 300 down to 230 which is my current weight. I love that its pretty simple and I'm never hungry and have to remember to eat! Anyone feel free to reach out to me with any questions etc.. I'd love to talk to other banders about how/what they are able to eat and stuff.

I paid out around 1300. My deductible was 1500 if I remember right with a max out of pocket of 1900. BCBS of Illinois. Hoops were not bad at all for me. Surgery within 10 weeks of my first visit.

Also from Jacksonville. About 10 months out. Sleeved and love it.

So I finally got a new scale and my weight is higher than I thought. I'm 10 weeks post op and I've lost 25 pounds. And I don't think I've lost anything in a month or more. Starting weight was 316 on day of surgery. I'm bouncing between 292 and 288. Is this normal? What am I doing wrong? I'm only walking at the moment for exercise. I'm between 800 and 1000 calories daily. How is my body holding onto it's excess at such a calorie deficit??? Sent from my moto g play (2021) using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey all, I’m Lozzii, very new here and received my letter confirming my surgery date for 29th July 2021. I’ve been on the pathways programme through the NHS since June 2019 so when the letter landed over the weekend it took me by surprise! I’m very nervous about the whole thing for a multitude of reasons, one of which being the fact I’ve never been admitted to hospital before. I don’t know how I’m going to respond to general anaesthetic or how I’ll feel afterwards and it’s just making me a little anxious. Apart from that, I’m really excited and if anyone has any hints or tips that helped them through the pre and post op initial few weeks, it’s be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Lozzii ✌🏼 insta journey - @fat_and_flawless

Hello everyone, I'm Emma and I have been waiting for bariatric surgery for a long time now. I was discharged in 2019 because I was at another hospital appointment and told I would have to wait 6 months before my dr could re refer me back to Homerton hospital, I would have to start again from the beginning and then covid happened. I eventually received my new appointment for May 19th which was cancelled due to too many people in the clinic. It was rearranged for 28th May. Only to be cancelled on the day, I get refered back to gp because they asked for my weight and BP. I then had to re refer myself back to Homerton hospital, my appointment was for August so I called up for cancellations regularly and finally I had 1 for July. I still had to wait weeks but finally that day is here 12 July my appointment is today and because its a telephone appointment I really do not know what to expect. I realised both the appointment in May and this appointment mentioned different departments. May appointment said Pre-Operative surgery appointment, where this July one just says telephone appointment outpatients 2. I have now also received another appointment letter to attend the hospital in September which I find a bit strange as I have not had the 1st appointment yet. I have been trying to have this surgery for the last five years and everytime I feel like I'm close to having it, it seems to not happen. I am so mentally prepared and focused to what I need to do to make this a success. I need this surgery for a better quality of life, thats all I'm trying to do. Gain a healthy lifestyle and hopefully extend my life and avoid extra health problems. I need this surgery so I can have a operation on my leg, I have mobility issues which makes it hard with weight loss, I have missed out on so much being pretty much home bound and all I want is this tool to help aid me in my journey as I have tried so much over the years. I just wished they wouldn't make me have to start all again, because what about all the hard effort I have already put in? Giving fact I was at a hospital appointment at the time and how badly I need this surgery, I feel it was really unfair to refer me back to my gp since I was at another hospital appointment. I'm just over ready to get this journey started, I feel like how long will the wait be this time? I really told myself not to feel like that, but i guess as the appointment approaches, I just really wish I could show them how dedicated,focused and determined i am for this. In my mind I'm ready to start my liver shrinking diet and head for surgery but in reality I now have to wait for the 1st appointment where you do there (probably Septembers appointment) then its what tests and checks they will want me have from then. Its just a shame its taking me this long to start my journey. Sent from my SM-N770F using BariatricPal mobile app

I really enjoy My Level 10 Life on YouTube, Erin really helpfully answers loads of questions about surgery, diet etc and generally seems like she's been through a lot of **** and remains upbeat. Sugar free ice lollies/ice pops were really helpful that first couple weeks out. Good luck for Tuesday squidgy.

I am 3 + years post op and have maintained my 90lb weight loss since then. I could really stand to lose 10 more lbs but have never been able to get it off. My current diet consists of 70 grams of protein, 3 cups of veggies, 2 protein shakes and sometimes a vodka soda water. Up my protein? I don’t eat carbs…maybe 20grams tops per day.

When does the clock start in regards to weigh in and you cannot gain any weight. During my consultation with my bariatric surgeon I weighed in at 218-219. Based on my height and weight and he said that if I dropped down to 212 I would not qualify just on BMI alone. He also advised me that if I didn't believe I had any co-morbidities that I should gain an extra 5-10 pounds for cushion (like I don't have enough LOL) So can anyone advise me on when the clock start. When the weigh in start being documented and I cannot gain anymore weight.

I think one of the worst things in life for me is the not knowing. Not knowing if what I am doing is right or wrong. So I am reaching out to others to see what your thoughts are about where I am so far. I am 10 days post op and live on skim milk and cream of wheat cereal. I haven't gone to the bathroom in a couple of days but have some gas, so maybe its just a process. Do you feel like I am on the right food and if not what can I do to be there? I have no pain or problems other than going potty for a few days.

July 1st! 10 days post op

Yep. You can contact your insurance company and they should be able to tell you the requirements for the surgery. My husband had RNY in December 2020, and he was recommended this surgeon by the insurance company. I'm using the same surgeon, but having the sleeve. For my insurance (BCBS) I have to: - Attend a WLS informational seminar before I could schedule an appointment with the surgeon. This was put on by the surgeon via Zoom. They scheduled this for me when I called to start the process. I think they do these once a month at her office. -Meet with the surgeon, (I ate a huge lunch before I went in hopes of ensuring my BMI was high enough to qualify, lol. It worked). -Attend a diet and nutrition class led by the surgeon, (this was 1 hour by Zoom). She explained the post op diets and what was allowed/not allowed after surgery. She mostly does not require the pre-op liquid diet...only for those with tight abdomens who need to shrink their liver so she can more easily access the stomach. -Attend 1x per month for 3 months meeting with a nutritionist where I show *some* weight loss at each meeting. I didn't ask what happens if I gain. My husband did this during 2020 and said it was all via Zoom - they just asked him what his weight was, and he told them he lost a pound or two. He didn't get on a scale, but he ultimately lost weight between his 1st appointment and surgery date. -Psychological evaluation, (my surgeon's office uses a service where you can schedule this via telehealth for anytime of day). -Lab work -Chest xray They scheduled me for all these appointments in my first meeting with the surgeon. So far, my pre-op appointment is scheduled for 9/29, so hopefully my surgery will be sometime in October. I can only know what my surgeon told me, which specifically was not to lose too much weight, (even 10 lbs) or I could disqualify myself for surgery. I'm just going to be as healthy as possible and if I lose too much weight and get disqualified, I'll self pay. I hope this is more informational than my last response. Good luck to you! Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

Wow, that's great that you lost 10 pounds on pre op!🥳 I would think that with what you lost, you should be fine. (There are probably so many pre ops that eat something that wasn't recommended, or a little more than recommended.) I guess we just need to try our best.🤷‍♀️ 2 days away-getting do close, good luck with everything!🍀😊

I had a hh repair 6 months after rny in 2019. Recovery was more challenging than rny, but glad I had it done. Prior to hh repair it was painful to workout. I've been working out and running just fine 6 weeks after repair. Good luck to you!

Ugh…2cm Hiatal Hernia was discovered during an upper endoscopy this week. I’m 16 months post op RNY and have never had a HH in my life. I’m trying to figure out how it happened and wondering if anyone else out here has gone through similar? Omeprazole every morning and being very careful is managing it so far. I’d prefer not to have another surgery as long as risk is minimal. Have my follow up with gastro guy in 10 days but/and wondering if anyone else has gone through this. Thanks.

I’m glad I am not the only one feeling paranoid! I have stuck to a high protein low carb diet for nearly 10 days now and have lost 10lb. however, I did have 10g more mash than I should have, and also I had lamb twice (which isn’t really lean meat) so I am panicking. Although I ate super small portions as mention on the diet guide I’m hoping it will be ok. 😬 2 more days to go.

Cook with fat- coconut oil, avocado oil. Try adding fatter meat choices, starchy vegetables like parsnips, winter squash, potatoes, etc. Can you tolerate nuts - cashews will help with constipation and are high in fat. Full fat mayo. I agree that your NUT is not listening. I also agree to get her advice in an email, just email her and ask for clarification because she told you so much and you can't recall all of her recommendations regarding the dairy since you are lactose intolerant and need to know how to end the weight loss phase Then reiterate this to the office manger. Also do not be too concerned about going below goal because there can be a 10-15 pound bounce especially in year three.

8 months- checking in today at 192.8 lbs, for total weight lost of 146.2 lbs. I have 27.8 lbs left to go to get to goal. My weight loss is slowing down but it’s still going. I know that as I get closer to a regular body weight the weight loss is going to get slower and more difficult but I do miss the days of regular 3-5 lb drops every week. July 5 represented one year of concerted weight loss effort for me. On that day in 2020 I started a low carb low calorie diet that was supposed to last for two weeks- I needed to drop weight for my first in person weigh in at the Bariatric clinic and I was terrified I was going to be disqualified due to gaining weight during my 6 month program. I squeaked under the line, and when I got home I just decided to keep it up a little longer to help with weight loss prior to surgery. I ended up keeping it up a whole year! So I have two anniversaries in my head, July 5 and November 10, diet date and surgery date. I’ve been doing good on exercise, and I’m trying to focus better on making sure I keep my diet in check. I’ve gotten lackadaisical about tracking food and I need to work on that because I can’t rely on portion control forever. I also need to focus more on getting sleep- I know that impacts weight loss and I’m terrible about staying up late after the kids are asleep to read books. I remember some celebrity had a big awards show and said something like “I want to thank myself, for all the hard work I put in, for the sacrifices I made, etc” and everyone laughing. But you know what, I would like to thank myself. For starting a diet 12 months ago and sticking with it though the hard parts. For getting a surgery that terrified me but still jumping through all the hoops and getting it done. For drinking tomato soup for thanksgiving and giving up the candy and snack food that got me to 339 lbs. 😀 If anyone is reading this and has 150+ lbs to lose, it’s possible. It’s possible with a sleeve, or a bypass, or whatever surgery you get. Surgery doesn’t do the work for you, but it helps so much. Next month I will be in the 180s and getting closer to a normal BMI. I’m committing this month to tracking each day, exercising 3-5 times a week, and going to bed earlier. August here we come!

I bet your doctor means 10 miles per week. I usually walk every morning on my days off from work and do 4-5 miles. I have figured out that is my comfort zone and any more than that I get bored! The most I have done in one day is 6.6 miles and I quit because I was bored and had stuff to do not because I was I was tired!

I'm in the same boat as you. My BMI is 35.5 with a comorbidity (sleep apnea). I met with my surgeon last week. My insurance requires about 4 months of classes, etc. My surgeon told me not to lose any weight during that time or I could un-qualify myself. She told me not to go and lose 10 lbs on her during this time. I'm considering self pay just so I don't have to worry about it AND not lose weight for the next 4 months. I'm ready to get my life back. Of course since I'm not supposed to lose weight, I've lost 3 lbs. [emoji52] Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app