Search the Community

Once you’ve lost or almost lost your weight you’ll start exploring what you can or can’t eat, how much of it & how often. It may be you can have ice cream once a week or maybe once a month. It’s all about discovering what works for you, & balancing maintenance of your weight while still enjoying your life. Yes, dumping is a possibility which will restrict your ability to tolerate sugar or fats. But it doesn’t affect everyone - less than about 30% I believe for bypass & less with sleeve. Some even work out how much they can eat without dumping or find non sugar or low fat alternatives.

There’s no answer to that question. Too far out to predict & too many factors that influence our rate of loss. I can tell you what I’d lost by 8 months but that’s not really indicative of what you may achieve especially as I’d reached my goal before then but continued to lose albeit very slowly for many more months. You may even end up being frustrated & disheartened if you don’t achieve what others do. However, you may be able to make a guess based upon your weight loss tends when you’re around 6 months. Celebrate every pound you lose & don’t try to put a timeline on when you may lose your weight.

This too will pass. Stalls are a normal & important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body shuts down & takes time to reassess your new needs because of the weight you’ve lost. It resets your digestive hormones & enzymes, your metabolism, etc. You’ll start losing again when your body is ready. Just stick to your plan. If the non moving scale makes you anxious, I agree, put it away while in a stall. Try taking some body measurements every couple of weeks instead as many see a reduction in body measurements during a stall.

The loose breast skin you end up with isn’t from gravity. It’s not new droopiness. Your skin has already been stretched from gravity & the weight of your breast. That’s been happening for years. They won’t be hanging down any further than they were before surgery. Maybe a little less because you’ll be smaller. My breasts droop the same as they did before surgery but they are empty in the top section because of the fat that’s been lost. The bottom of my breasts are still relatively full. I went from a 18E to a 10E for the base of my breasts but I sometimes stuff the upper part of the cup with tissues because of the pleating from having more fabric in the upper cup than I need. Plastic surgery will be your only solution if it ends up bothering you because they’ll remove your excess skin & lift your breasts. I do recommend getting yourself properly fitted as you lose weight & drop down bra sizes. I had upper back pain because I continued to wear my old bras for too long. It was fixed by buying bras that actually fit. I had to do it three times before my weight stabilised (18E-12G-10F/G-10E). I did buy some cropped bralet styles from Bonds (your Haynes) for around the house after the second refit.

Most bariatric patients should avoid sugar six months to one year after weight loss surgery. Many stick to this plan because they have experienced the impending sensation of doom. (aka dumping syndrome) Depends on which procedure you have done and even then, some don't even experience it. Also, there are a lot of sugar free ice cream options out there too, but I prefer to add those type of things after reaching my weight loss goal and during maintenance. I do allow myself the SF popsicles for now when I feel a need for a sweet treat.

That's exactly the point. Most WLS patients will take supplements and/or meds for life, so why is this an argument against weight loss meds? I'm 100% a believer in realistic expectations. As I mentioned I've taken taken GLP meds, to control regain. But I disagree that everyone will necessarily have to be on GLP meds for life, you said "That much ... is known". Some people have a smaller amount of weight to lose and can manage maintenance once it is lost IME.

Just wondered if there were any similar Stature men in here? Would love to hear about your Journey. My surgery is July 6th! Starting Weight 267 and 6 Feet tall.

I am finally considering weight loss surgery. I just had a wonderful small ice cream cone out on my deck on a perfect summer evening. It was really delicious and I wondered if I’d be able to have such a treat after surgery. Without any judgement regarding equating food with happiness etc, can any experienced bariatric patients tell me if I’ll be able to enjoy a small cone post surgery? It’s probably not a deal-breaker, just trying to wrap my head around expectations.

It's a serious decision, for sure. My plan was to try the meds first. While waiting for insurance to approve, I continued to further my research. I realized there really aren't solid empirical/blind studies that show potential risks with long term use. Some of these meds are new, and others still don't have reliable studies long term. I realize the meds work for many, but once discontinued the weight returns. I know a few people who had to stop the meds; one in particular was on Wegovy for several months and couldn't stop vomiting. In the 1990's, I used phen-phen for weight loss. Later, studies revealed that drug was linked to serious heart issues. So I've learned to be pretty careful about weight loss meds. Everyone can choose their line in the sand. For me, this surgery is solely to stop my complex health issues from progressing by addressing persistent inflammation (the weight loss will be an added plus!). We're all different, and I respect everyone's decision for their journey. For me, this decision has been a 7-month process, and I needed every bit of it to research and feel comfortable with it all. I'm hopeful for the future, but I also know that the surgery doesn't end my obesity. It's just the beginning of a lifelong journey for however long I have left on this planet. I wish you all the best! 😊

My surgeon told me that in January of 2022. It's not like it was 30 years ago. He said that "obesity is like cancer, it wants to come back." My surgeon's words, not mine. Are there exceptions to every rule? Of course! But, in general, for most people, obesity is going to be a lifelong battle. Weight loss medicine has come a long way and I expect it will only get better and better. But, it's not perfect. Heck, my surgeon told me that I might regain my weight and need to go on meds to get the weight back off. There's nothing wrong with having realistic expectations.

Get rid of your scale. It doesn't help with weight loss. Worse, it messes with your mind and causes you not to trust your plan. You will hear an unbidden voice in your head suggesting you change things up just to get the scale to move. I guess I was lucky because I was too large to fit on a home scale. I had no choice about weighing at home. Talk about trusting your plan, I had no choice. Then I discovered I never saw a stall. Not a single one, so I was never tempted to change things to please the scale. I didn't vex about a number on a scale. The scale had no power to make me happy or sad. The whole thing was an education and wonderfully freeing. Trust your plan, not your scale. Good luck, Tek

I have a work vacation planned in january. I will be 8 months post op and was wondering how much weight everyone lost within that time. I know everyone is different but im just trying to get an idea. HW: 325 SW: 296 5'7 Surgery date was 6/9/23

I had19 teeth extracted 2 bone graphs and a bone removed from my pallet. last year (2022) on April 25th and was fitted dentures. The bottom plate has never allowed me to eat with them, and it took 9 months for my gums to heal before I could eat (chew- or gum) again .I lived for 9 months on Ramen noodles, rice and multi vitamins. So when it came time for my pre-Bariatric surgery "diet" it wasn't a big deal. Because I had just lived through a 9 month what I called "Denture Diet" My peak weight was 245, In Nov 2021 I was referred for Bariatric surgery. Due to the fact that I suffered from Insufficient veins in my calves, causing edema in my legs and feet. Spondylosis in my L 3-4-5, Osteoarthritis in my SI joint where the sacrum and sacroiliac meet at the pelvis and the anterior cart edge in my left knew was gone. I was fit for compression socks, heavy duty knee brace and at times I had to use a cane to get up and down and to catch myself if my knee buckled.( I fell getting out of bed, 3x in 6months) I developed hyperlipidemia, and was Pre-Diabetic. I couldn't stand for more than 10 mins , squat, bend, lift, ( making the bed, sweeping or vacuuming was torture.) or walk more than a block or shop for more than 30 mins. Because of Covid everything was severely backed up, once all of my pre-surgery testing and procedures were completed, it was Feb of this year( 2023 ) . I was cleared as a perfect candidate, but again -back log. At the time they said it may be June to sometime in August before the surgeon would available , and maybe longer to find a clear OR. It took so long to get scheduled there were a couple of procedures and test I had to repeat. On April 20 (23) they called me, there a was last minute cancellation for May 22, 2023, was that doable ? Oh heck yeah ! So on the 25th they had me starting my Pre-diet, All liquids except for Cottage cheese, At almost 3 weeks in, they were concerned my weight wasn't dropping as it should be ,and asked if was following the liquid diet, I was like what ?. NO .I wasn't told to. She said yeah on the 25th. Ok well this may mean we have to re-schedule. I was so upset. She said she was going to get ahold of my Case nurse to see what to do. A couple of hours later, I was like wait a minute. I called her and said I think there was a mis-communication. I have a copy of the diet, it didn't say Liquid . Just that I was suppose to start this diet on the 25th, and on the 20th right after she called I went and stocked up on EVERYTHING, and had the receipt to prove it. I asked when you said liquid did it include Cottage cheese. She said yes, Thank goodness. Yes I HAVE been on that diet since the 25th. I am very fortunate, I am a crazy fast healer,. I had all of this trepidation about healing right, and being able to get around ASAP. I am almost 60 and everything had been falling apart. My roommate is a very empathetic, compassionate , and a generous person, but what she is not, is a caregiver. So I was concerned about that. So I had my surgery on May 22, at 9 am. Woke up later in a hospital room, I had a horrible pain in my shoulder and it felt like someone kicked me in the gut. Tuesday morning I woke, still a little sore in the tummy ( like a pulled muscle) but other than that I was fine. At 3pm she came into discharge me, and told me to call my ride ( roommate) I ended up having to walk down to the nurse's station, because she said she would be right back to get my IV out ,but she didn't return, so I hunted her down. After I got it removed , she said she was going to go get a wheelchair. So I got out of bed, got dressed, gathered my things and sat on the bed and waited, and waited, my roommate called , I am here what's going on. I said she had to get a wheel chair. So I waited some more ,after like 30-45 minutes . Once again I walked down to the Nurse's Station hunting for her and pulled a "Karen", some guy showed up with my wheelchair, quickly. My roommate had been waiting in the Patient Pick-up zone for almost an hour and a half, she was fuming. I get home, go to bed, my roommate goes and picks up my pain meds it was liquid Tylenol and Liquid Gabapentin and Celebrex. When I took the liquids I almost threw up...WTH ? Out of curiosity, I looked up the ingredients. Freaking FAKE sweetener. I cannot tell you how many times I informed them I could NOT use any fake sweeter, because it gave me severe cramping stomach aches, vomiting, or IBS. Just two days before the surgery they tried to give me three Ensure to drink ,which I already knew had the fake sweetener, and said no can do, Keep them. And now my pain killers had them. I was like do you feel actual pain? Not really, just some tenderness. So I threw them out. The rest of the day I was up and around, doing things. And the next day it was like I never had the surgery. I live at a Studio Apartment complex with 16 units. My roommate is the on-site manager. So as I went back to my normal on the 4th day, ( with the weight lift, carry, push-pull restrictions), and the tenants were all like " I thought you were having surgery this week ?" I said " I did. On Monday." None of them could believe it. So that is my story. I am disappointed with my weight loss so far, ( it's been a month) as I have only lose 17lbs since the surgery. But I also considered, due to my 9 month "Denture Diet"( I lost 25 lbs,but once I was able to eat again I got back up, so, it may have changed the immediate weight loss factor. I have lost 45 lbs. So maybe that is why. So below is my pre-food, my favorite a plate FULL of (Foie de Veau Lyonnaise) Calf liver in onions. and my new diet. 4oz ( with a total of 2oz of food) containers with liver, mashed potatoes and broccoli.

For inquiring minds: https://time.com/6284941/mounjaro-weight-loss/ https://time.com/6284941/mounjaro-weight-loss/ https://time.com/6289928/new-weight-loss-drugs-orforglipron-retatrutide-tirzepatide/ https://time.com/6290294/weight-loss-drugs-ozempic-demonization-essay/

Hey yall! Im 3 weeks out tomorrow and im on a stall today is day 4. Now im overthinking about is this it? is this all im going to lose? Im down 30lbs since my 1 week pre op diet and Im kinda doubting everything. I know everyone says "Trust the process" and im trying to!

Thankfully the 1980's was 40 years ago. There has been much progress since then. I think comparing these new GLP meds to the ones mentioned above is like comparing a Tesla to a Datsun. The arguments against these drugs sound similar to what most of us heard about WLS. That someone knew someone who had horrible complications. That our stomachs are altered forever. That we will have to take supplements or meds forever. That they didn't need WLS to lose weight, so you shouldn't either. I have personally taken a GLP med. And I have known a number others who have as well. This is an option for people who aren't WLS candidates, or may just not consider that an option for them. It's also far fewer hoops to jump through and is not as life altering as WLS. I have known several people who have maintained their loss for over 6 months while being off the med. All the fearmongering seems unnecessary and unfounded IMO. The more options and less stigmatization for medically assisted weight loss the better.

I am 7 days post op. From the moment I woke up I was livid with myself for doing this! I was miserable for every single day in some way. I cried and raged and regretted. Then today I wasn’t super enthusiastic but the regret as I feel some hunger symptoms and don’t need pain killers all while liking the taste of water again, is definitely subsiding! I went from a 10 to a 2 on the regret scale! I wish this would be changed from being classified as elective surgery to restorative. Heck, if a woman needs to have her breasts repaired and replaced after a mastectomy it isn’t called elective, but reconstructive surgery. Palliative care in the weight loss surgery world needs to improve for sure. So we don’t all wake up immediately angry at ourselves. We could wake up proud for taking steps to restore metabolic function, cute diseases, and add health to our longer lives.

Don’t be down on yourself! Millions of people eat loaded mashed potatoes without becoming obese. Hell, if we all stuck to just 4 tablespoons of “bad” food we would all be fine. There are many approaches to weight loss post wls. Some have a long list of nevers that cause anxiety and steal joy. I would never have done the surgery if I thought that I couldn’t have 3 tablespoons of our families traditional potato gratin ever again. In the past it would have piled high on my enormous plate and I would have eaten it over and over that way until it was all gone. Every Christmas I did this! There’s a big difference! I knew that I would fail if I went into this surgery thinking that I would never get to enjoy food again. I have this tool and education to keep me healthy. I can’t eat a ton even if I want to. That’s a win. I will only enjoy after protein goals are met. Won’t be much room for that indulgence but I will have it here and there. I will no longer stress eat boxes of little Debbie’s in my car, I will now enjoy every small 3 to 4 bites of my children’s birthday cakes on their special days. I was already enjoying the 1200 calorie diet I was on preop minus the hunger, as I focused 95 percent on healthy proteins, beautiful vegetables, gourmet cheeses and nuts in super small portions, the deliciousness of a tart apple., all of the right foods while spending maybe 5 percent having a bite of the cupcake my daughter baked, etc. I myself will have long lasting success focusing on good quality real food with the help of a restriction to remind me when I am overindulging in even the right foods with occasional treats of very small proportions. I wouldn’t have done this any other way.

You CAN do it and you WILL do it! I spent about 4 years in the prep stage, including the year for COVID and 2 years for recovery from a badly injured leg and a switch in programs (read: Surgeon). I thought it was NEVER going to happen. All that said, I started at around 320 lbs and was down to 254 before surgery on 04/24/23. I just kept the mindset that I would be damned if they used me slacking off in the loss department as an excuse to put off the surgery one. more. time. My incentive was arthritis and fibromyalgia all over my body. Oh. And an ankle that wouldn't heal properly for 2 years - to include a large danger of losing the foot. Any weight I could get off was weight that wasn't pulling on my body. You just have to decide what your health is worth to you. Oh yeah - please don't make the same mistake I did and purchase tons of various products to eat, drink and, whatever, in anticiaption of surgery. I threw out a couple of hundreds of dollars worth of product that I found I had absolutely no interest in consuming. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

As the weight is coming off, I’ve heard that compression garments can help guard against gravity. I’m losing a fair amount in my breasts, and I’m worried they’ll start sagging 😱 I know it won’t prevent loose skin entirely, but will a binder help with my breasts? Any suggestions for compression garments for upper and lower body? I’ve looked online for undergarments, but most of the things I’ve found are used for slimming under dresses and such. They didn’t *seem* like they’d word here but maybe? Any ideas welcome!

Hi @LibrarianErin! Yes!! I’m still adjusting my mind but I will admit it feels so hard when those around me offer me food or forget I’m on the diet. Because my first thought is “wow that looks so good” not “I can’t eat that”. Also, thank you for creating this forum! It has allowed me to gain more insight about the journey of others as well as learning a few new things on here! I agree, the criticism is often them just thinking I’m lazy, taking the “easy” way out or not eating right or whichever reason, but I have tried all reasons to lose the weight naturally and also on medication and well, nothing worked.. As I mentioned in another reply I wish I was more tight lipped about the surgery to prevent all this negativity towards my surgery. I sincerely believe the surgery is going to help me change my eating habits and start a new path of healthy choices! Hope all is well with you!

Same here! I only told certain people only when it was necessary but it somewhat spread through friends and family. I now wish I did the same as you and just kept it to a minimum or refuse to expand further as now they all believe to be weight loss experts and chime in with their unwanted opinions, and it’s a bit frustrating.. I have always felt like the fat friend as well and it has really killed my social life mostly due to embarrassment about the way I look and feel like I take a ton of space for those around me you know? Hopefully this lifestyle change will improve our confidence and change our way of life for the better! Good luck on your journey!

Respectfully, and with no malice whatsoever, suggesting a therapist for auxiliary support is NOT bashing, in any way, shape, or form. ❤️ ESPECIALLY in THIS forum. Alot of us recognize (or eventually come to recognize) that there is alot of head work to do for long term weight loss success. Food addictions, emotional eating, self-medicating, self-worth, body dysmorphia, anxiety, depression, anorexia/bulima are just some the the many, many issues our community tend to suffer from en masse. Yes, there is diet and exercise, your nutritionist and your personal trainer can help you with that (as can the members in this board). As for whats going on in your head, thats what the therapist is for. The folks on here can offer a sympathetic ear and suggest anecdotal solutions, but the real work can be done with a GOOD therapist (unfortunately i also do recognize good ones are hard to find). anyways, good luck, and just know its not an insult here when someone suggests a therapist...it's actually a sincere effort to help. ❤️

I haven't heard any numbers from my provider, but based on what I've heard/seen from content creators, I'd say weight loss for the first month averages 15-20 pounds. But at the same time, there are those who only lose a few pounds or none. Bodies can have a myriad of responses and response times to this surgery, it seems.

Welcome, @Clary! Thanks for sharing! Yes, it's hard to remember not to eat. I feel this especially when there's food on the break table at work. Like, my first thought is more likely to be "how much of this will I eat?" or "when will I enjoy this treat?" rather than "I'm not eating that for now." I've been watching videos or reading this forum to help me resist temptation on my meal breaks! So sorry you got undeserved criticism. I hate how people think they can make medical decisions for you when it comes to weight loss that they wouldn't even think of making for other conditions. LIke no one in her right mind would say, "But is surgery right for cancer? Can't you just eat better?" I'm ready to tell acquaintances I've had the surgery after it's over, when they can't argue with the results!