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Hi All, My surgery was on 9/28. I’m 27 years old and I am struggling mentally. I finished my first week of fluids and was not great with protein. My follow up is on 10/12 and I’m nervous. I’m 26 pounds down. I really am just trying to stay positive but I honestly just am regretting it because I’m not fully in control of my life right now. Can’t wait for 12/1 for real food.

March 3, 2023. Doing great here- slowing down now, and slowly transitioning to maintenance (at least i think…) How about you?

I feel you and will pray for you. I'm almost five weeks out and this is not what I expected. It took toll on my body physically and emotionally. I started seeing a therapist to help me through this. I heard it will get better in time. For me it's the ups and downs of my sugar level and my grief for food (therapist said). All I can say is to take it day by day. I consulted with my doctor and if these symptoms continue I'll have to do a reversal of the surgery. He said it just takes time to get used to as most people experience this.

Has anyone ever had issues with getting your test results from a required specialist? I went to a cardiologist a week ago and was not given the paperwork results for my echocardiogram. This clinic has no website where I can view my results and the doctor is hard to get in contact with unless you make an appointment and the wait times at this place is horrible (be well primary in Brooklyn). How did you guys get around this problem if you ever had it?

It can work like that in the US, especially if you go to the specialist your surgeon recommends. For me, my surgeon is 3 hours away and I just went to the specialists in my area. Generally, everything will get sent to your Primary doctor no matter what, even if you are in another state. My surgeon had me sign HIPPA releases for my primary, my GI, and my pulmonary Dr., but my ultrasound and EKG were done by specialists I do not normally see, so I had them fax the results to the Surgeon, and my Primary got them anyway plus they are all linked in on MyHealthPortal (so I could see results, notes, and recommendations right away from my phone and make requests for my results to be sent where ever. However, my Surgeon uses MyChart similar but different system.

I'm a year out from my surgery and at my last dietitian meeting we discussed maintenance calories which I have been looking forward to that discussion for forever but I was really shocked and I can't believe I didn't know this after all of my research before and after surgery. He said my calorie goals for life should be between 1300 and 1500 and I had no idea that was going to be so low. I honestly went into surgery thinking that the average calories a person eats is 2000 so I must be eating 3000 or more to be so over weight and I just needed to get back to normal. I thought that I would be able to use the surgery and lack of hunger to eat super low calories and lose the weight and since month 3 I've been at 1000 a day. My hunger is back and 1000 is a struggle now and I'm using all my years of diet experience to fill up on low calorie food as well as hitting all my protein and water goals. I thought that soon I'll be able to eat more so it's just a temporary situation, but now I'm worried about long term success. If I'm hungry at 1000, I don't think 300 more calories is really going make a huge difference. So now I'm wondering if the reason why so many people gain the weight back after surgery is because to keep it off we have to keep our calories so low forever? Also, why do we have to keep our calories so low? Why is the average calories 2000 but for bariatric patients 1300 to 1500 is the goal? I always thought that anything under 1500 wasn't a safe number but when I asked my dietitian all of these questions he didn't know. He just knew that to maintain the weight loss, that's the normal goal and that if I wanted to eat more I could exercise more. So did everyone else know that the calories after surgery were going to be low for life and I just somehow missed this important fact? Anyone know why our average doesn't match the so called normal average? I was really excited to be close to goal but now I'm scared because I can see now how easily it can all go away.

Last pounds are difficult and the maintenance isn't really better, if not worse. It is a constant grind and long battle to maintain and not gain 5 lbs that can lead to 20, 30... etc. This is our reality, no matter whether it's the band, the sleeve, the bypass and any of the revisions... And it bites. I was thinking the other day that after all this time, I just want to eat everything I want for a week lol but then, I know if I go that route, I'm feeding my emotions not my body and it would be near impossible to take it off again like in my honeymoon stage. So I put that out of my head since being thin is a priority. So big Hugs, hang in there, you have come such a long way. We have all come a long way. Let us count the blessings that we made it this far and we have major improvements in our lives. [emoji3059]

I had gastric bypass lol Man, fish is one thing I never liked. I didn't like tuna fish for awhile after surgery(always liked it before). A couple months ago, I started liking it again. Some things I don't like anymore are tacos/nachos (those were one of my favorites!), hot dogs, last night we made homemade subs that I usually like but I just didn't care for it this time, bread type of foods are starting to bother me now. I too can only eat about 2 slices of pizza depending on how thick the crust is. If I eat more that two, I'm asking for it lol. Sometime I can eat 2.5, that's rare. I don't like a majority of the sugar free drinks(the packets). I used to like the lipton sugar free lemon iced tea, not anymore. I can't stand making my own coffee anymore and the only coffee like drink that I really like is a small iced caramel latte from Mickey D's. Better than Starbucks strangely. I ask for 2 equal, 2 cream, whipped cream and caramel drizzle. No, it doesn't make me sick or dump. If it was a medium, I would get an upset stomach tho. Its hard making meals when you don't always have real protein. My fav protein is chicken. I've been using recipes lately and they've been good. But yeah, the salad sounds good, maybe I can make a chicken salad tomorrow for lunch. I have a frozen chicken that I got from Walmart that a bariatric patien suggested and the nutrition facts are pretty good on it and it actually tastes like chic fil a but better in my opinion lol. I saw a recipe for mcgriddle muffins. Except I'm going to use my protein pancake/waffle mix for extra protein. They sound so good. Has anyone gotten sick of yogurt or protein drinks that are already made? Lol I have and that was since a few weeks after surgery. I just bought a protein powder this month and I want to start making 2 protein smoothies a day. Why does some stuff that has sugar in it not bother me but others do? I should eliminate sugar stuff and switch to sugar free instead, but hey sometimes it's better and just need it. Is there something wrong if it doesn't make me sick? Or am I just lucky? Lol I don't like that I don't get sick if I eat something with sugar 😪 Sorry this was long

I have a bit of a new update... I started a new job in September so I've been pretty busy. Since my last update, I've lost about 10lbs. I haven't really been eating the way that I should and have missed a vitamin here and there, but I'm still progressing. My new job takes me out of town and I don't really get to cook like I normally would. I'm planning to get back on track this upcoming week. I'm hopeful to reach my weight goal by my birthday in January. I've found that of all the foods I've eaten since surgery, the only food that I haven't been able to tolerate is beef, of any kind. I also don't tend to tolerate bread very well. I've really been craving coffee (since I gave up all carbonated/caffeinated drinks before surgery) but it doesn't really agree with me either, lol.

CartyGirl98 you're not doing anything wrong. I just saw my surgeons PA yesterday and was told that in the first 2 weeks you will lose from 7-15 pounds. Sounds like you are right on track. I am just finishing up my last day of pureed foods. At the beginning of starting it, I gained 2 pounds. I am down a total of 13 pounds since surgery on 9/22/23. Hang in there. When is your follow up?

Can we pretend this is an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and it's my turn to stand up front and bare my soul?...especially since I never had the balls to set foot in a live meeting during my 35 years of having a BMI score higher than my IQ. There's donuts in the back...JOKE😁 It's been almost a year since my sleeve surgery and I couldn't be happier with the physical results. I was 60 years old, 5'4" and weighed close to 210 when I finally made an appointment with a bariatric surgeon. I'm now 61 and 134 pounds...I'm still 5'4" though. The past few days I've been in deep thought mode and was just hoping to use this forum to vent and hopefully get some feedback, positive or negative. Dining out: It's going to happen. It was probably part of your life pre-surgery, so it's naive of you to think it won't be a part of your life post-surgery. So maybe it's just me and my family (obese mother) and significant other (F, normal weight), but the minute the menu appears, I get a barrage of "Oh..they have plenty of appetizers and small portions you can order. Be careful, etc. Did you see the vegetable plate?" OK, so I know my significant other and my mom love me and are probably just concerned about my health and eating habits post-op, and if I'm being overly sensitive, just tell me and I'll shut up, but when they say things like that, it's not helping! If anything, something deep in my primordial starving "fat" brain wants to order the biggest thing on the menu and attempt to eat it. When it happened yesterday at lunch, I calmly and nicely asked both of them if they could refrain from offering me ordering advice, as I assured them, thinking about the ordering process and the actual eating of said meal in a healthy manner was the number one priority on my mind pretty much 24/7. They didn't seem to take it too well. Which leads me to my next thought... I might be stereotyping, but I'm willing to bet that a lot of us here were never/are not selfish people. I'm sure there are pages of psychological data written about the personality traits of the chronically obese and the myriad reasons we ended up as we did. My point is, after bariatric surgery, you might have to become a little selfish. You may need to put yourself first, sometimes to the detriment of others. Obviously, it helps if you can do this in a nice manner, but with certain people and situations in your life post-surgery, you might just have to be a selfish a*****e. If your new lifestyle (diet, whatever you want to call it), exercise regimen, food habits, etc don't quite mesh with those around you, too bad. This is your last chance at success and you need to make YOU the priority. I walk a lot now...and it takes a lot of time. Some of that is time I used to spend with other people...now it's not always like that. Some have mentioned it. I don't care. I always invite them to walk with me but I'm not going to not walk because they want to do something else or don't feel like walking. When I think about some of the healthiest people I have known in my life, they were/are quite selfish when it comes to exercise. One of my friends has been to the gym every morning from 5:30-7:30 for 35 years. He never misses. It's not an option. That's amazing to me because despite the genetics of obesity, there's no question that having some type of exercise regimen helps at some level. Did I ever have that level of commitment? Only to stopping at Whataburger several times a week. So as much as I read pre-surgery and even with the psychological profiling the doctor did, I never read much or heard anyone talk about some of the changes I needed to make mentally to make this work. It seems like most of the pre-surgery discussion is about how to eat before and after the surgery and most of the psychological discussion is about not letting one addiction (food) be supplanted by another (drugs, alcohol, etc). The crux of this dissertation, if you're still reading, is that there couldn't be more truth to the phrase bantered around here...."They operated on your stomach, not your brain". Prepare yourself for some mental challenges that being thinner does not make any easier. I must look a lot better because everyone tells me so...but I don't always feel better. Some of the same issues I've dealt with all my life, totally unrelated to weight, are still around. It's not that I expected them to disappear, but I think at some level, deep down, many of us think/thought, "Oh, if only I weren't so fat, I wouldn't have to deal with this problem [insert the problem/issue of your choosing]". Maybe I was just being naive or stupid, or both, but even being "thin" comes with plenty of challenges. I know these are "first world" problems and I'm not trying to sound like a complaining, spoiled brat. I just wanted to let off some steam here in the hopes that I'm not alone. Thanks for listening.

Hi there, Generally doing okay but have had a couple of bad days where I’ve struggled with cramps and bloating. Drinking water going well but some foods still upset my tummy. Weight loss has been steady. Lost 26kg ( 57.2 lbs) since my surgery on the 17th of July. Have my 3 month check up soon.

I am absolutely terrified today after seeing my consultant. I had gastric sleeve surgery 26/07/2022 not for weight loss but to remove a stomach tumour. January this year I started getting stabbing pains under my left rib but wasn't really having any nausea, sickness or difficulty eating and drinking. After a CT scan in May and an endoscopy in August they found my stomach is strictured/stenosis. Today my consultant has told me the only option is to remove my stomach fully and sew my esophagus to my bowel. He said stretching it is not an option. I have an odd feeling (numerous reasons why) that they botched my operation and are trying to skirt around it. My consultant and surgeon keep changing the story. Like only an insignificant amount of stomach was removed. Then it was a full gastric sleeve performed. Then only a tiny amount removed again. Then the tumour was a GIST (sarcoma cancer). Then its just a benign tumour caused by pancreas cells. I've never known such confusing, arrogant, unsympathetic and clueless consultants and surgeons before - they're very worrying. Especially considering my surgeon is also doing private work for Spire. I'm absolutely broken. Any advice or anyone that has had a similar experience would be appreciated. As a side note this hospital in Liverpool has now given me a fear of hospitals. I was put on an oncology ward which I've been in before in a different hospital. I've always been a regular at hospitals over the last 20 years with pulmonary embolisms, 2 cancer scares, chronic illnesses etc and its always been a pleasant stay (even after surgeries) and a bit of a break and a chance to get some rest as I have 3 children. While in this new hospital after surgery it was like a third world hospital. I was lay in someone elses stale urine for a week before they agreed to change my putrid mattress. I caught scabies on my arm and oral thrush that spread to my esophagus and lungs. There was no shower so I had to wash myself daily in the sink. Finally they allowed me to use the mens shower as there was no womens shower which was literally just a shower cubicle with a door leading onto the corridor, nowhere to hang your towel or clothing and due to a blocked drain the floor/tray was flooded so my feet were in stagnant water along with my towel and clothing on a carrier bag on the floor/tray. By the end of my shower everything was soaking wet so I had to "get dry" with a wet towel and put on wet pyjamas before going to my bed and putting the curtain around to get properly dry and changed again. I had pneumothoraxes under my diaphragm and collar bone but was given the wrong and tiniest amount of pain relief. I was left to withdraw from my daily medication that I've taken for 5 years and left writhing in agony with the gas pain, pneumothoraxes, parasthesia and an intense burning sensation through my veins along with a massive headache, vomiting and aversion to light. No one would listen to me to help me to get my pain level under control and I could go on and on about the lack of care and the feeling of death and impending doom on this ward.

Hi there, Generally doing okay but have had a couple of bad days where I’ve struggled with cramps and bloating. Drinking water going well but some foods still upset my tummy. Weight loss has been steady. Lost 26kg ( 57.2 lbs) since my surgery on the 17th of July. Have my 3 month check up soon.

every 3 months for the first year

Yes!! I tend to stick to the same foods. I'm not sure (for me anyway) is: 1. Fear of food effects 2. Not losing the weight 3. My hatred of cooking 4. I just know I like what I'm eating or 5 A combo of all of them! Of course I'm only 6 weeks out sooo we shall see, but, to be honest I've always been a picky eater (I almost died as a toddler because I was picky) - I just know what I like!

Hi, yes I too had a dreadful week last week of impending doom and what have I done. It was a horrid feeling and I just couldn't see how I would ever feel 'normal' again. I was desperate about eating the wrong stuff, eating too much, never being able to eat again etc. Just starting puree today so maybe I'll feel a bit more positive this week. Good luck to you on the beginning of your journey to better health

Every 3 months,too.

Just checking in. It's 21 weeks since I was sleeved now. I'm down to 120.9 kilos, for a total loss of 34.1 kilos, or 75 pounds. I've lost exactly 22% of my total weight. I'm 5.9 kilos away from being halfway to my big goal of 75 kilos. Everything is going well, I need to be better with fluid and definitely need to be more active. My weight loss is very obvious, especially in my tummy. Down about 3 dress sizes I think, I haven't really been clothes shopping yet. I do need to though, especially for pants. I still have tops I can wear that were once too tight. I hope you're all well and @SynleeI hope you're closer to getting answers.

My one week pre-op diet starts Monday, and I'm starting to get scared. Not of the actual surgery, really. I mean, I can talk about how great the benefits of bariatric surgery will be and how mindful of my eating I will become, and I'm really thankful that I've come this far and that I am able to do it... but the reality is coming, where I'll be in it, and not just talking about it. It seems like maybe the attachment to my old ways of eating is rearing up and trying to pull me back. Like hey, you do realize that you can't stop this train a month in, right? Can't say, oh this diet is too hard, forget it, I'm gonna go eat a pizza now. I mean, that's part of why I want this surgery, because of that restriction. But it's scary, because ending diets is all I've ever known. Not to mention the dumping and hypoglycemia that seems will follow for the rest of my life. This is new territory here, and it's serious. I know I'm going to go through with it and that it'll be great, at some point. But now that it's finally here, I'm just freaking out a little 🙃

For me, it's been every 3 months... whenever I go in for my follow ups.

I'd like to give you November people a huge red flag heads up warning. Please discuss with your surgeon (do not let them blow the question off, because they'll try to!) Everything went excellent for me (surgery September 20) except recovery room wake up. I was in outrageous pain and the nurses didn't care. I was experiencing nausea, pain in the front side of both shoulders, and overall abdominal pain. I couldn't help but loudly vocalize, "Owww, owww, owww!" All the nurses would do was say, "don't worry, it's just gas." And they handed me a barf bag. What I wanted them to do was empathize and give me some drugs to get me out of pain. But it took about 30 min of torture before someone finally did that. I was outraged at their lack of care. At 2-week follow up with my surgeon's nurse, I told her about it and she shared, "I'll discuss this with Dr. Reddy because you're the second person today with that same story. That's awful. Something needs to be done." This was at Sutter Roseville Hospital, Roseville CA. The recovery room is for all surgeries, not just gastro. But I felt like my well-being was totally violated, and I just want to tell all of you to please, please discuss your recovery room expectations beforehand with your surgeon. Aside from that half hour of hell, my recovery has been flawless. Not one minute of pain or nausea. Didn't take any narcotics after hospital release the following morning. Just Tylenol, and was fine. No nausea meds needed either. The one thing that is concerning me a bit is how un-energetic I am. I think it's because I'm still recovering and will improve rapidly when I am eating the final phase of foods, which actually began today. Good luck to all of you.

Hi everyone. I was a cash pay in Vegas for gastric sleeve. They haven’t really followed up and I keep having to ask them for more info. They seem really relaxed about everything (outpatient surgery). I asked when I can exercise and he said I can begin anything I want now and I am only three weeks out. I’m just wondering if anyone else has been told that? I see 6-8 weeks most places.

Well I guess I will go first and see if the July Peeps will update. As of Today I’m down 45 lbs and have 37 lbs to go. Lately I stalled for about a week at 223 lbs, but got through that last night with an insane workout day. Seems harder and harder to lose a single pound. Yesterday burned 4700 calories and ate around 800-1000 calories. Recovery went extremely fast for me thankfully. Hopefully 🤞 I won’t need yesterdays effort to continue to lose…. Lol 😂

So I had a revision to bypass at a very low weight (120 pounds) due to GERD. I saw three separate doctors for second opinions as I was quite concerned about losing too much weight by having the bypass. I have struggled to keep weight on for years due to the GERD and the vomiting it has caused me to have to deal with... and it was destroying my esophagus and stomach lining. That said, the GERD is gone, so Yay.... but I am still quite concerned about keeping my weight up. I am 4 weeks post surgery and down to 107 pounds. I am getting in all of my protein and liquids as I have been asked to, and this week I am finally allowed to eat more soft food. That said, I want to eat stuff that is more dense calorically - and that would normally not be allowed.... such as pasta...because I think that will help me keep the weight up better. I had some chef boyardee ravioli yesterday an it was definitely soft enough,... and had 8 grams of protein in the 1/4 cup I was able to eat. So, although it had more carbs than is suggested - I liked that - as I am trying to regain what I have lost... Is there ANY reason why I should not be able to eat pasta or bread products (toasted) if I can handle them.... besides them being bad for weight loss? Or is there something that could hurt my new anatomy? I don't want to break rules and injure myself, but I do want to keep my weight up. The nutritionist at Kaiser has been fairly silent when getting back to me... and keeps treating me like all the other patients.... I don't need to lose weight... I need to keep it on. And, yes, I've had to lose weight in the past.... just not since 2016. I know how to eat to keep weight off... just not quite how to eat to put weight on at this point. Thanks all for any help/ideas.