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Hello Mari! I guess I took what I needed from this site and moved on to other sources. Thank you for asking: I am doing well indeed. Funny how I have read how so many are terrified of surgery because I was not at all in that place when I had mine. I guess I am a bit obsessive about researching and reading everything, scientific and anecdotal about a subject before I pull the trigger on anything. WLS was no different. I was at rock bottom and it seemed the best course of action at the time. And you know what? It still is, in my not so humble opinion. I am still plugging along. I have been at a weight that seems to be effortless and a long-time set point for me, albeit 20 pounds over where I would like to be. That being said, I am still over 100 pounds lower (give or take: 107 pounds down from highest recorded, and most likely 127+ pounds down from an unrecorded weight due to not visiting doctor and not stepping on a scale at my most miserable and judging from my pictures.) Right now I am working on taming my stress because it leads to disordered crap eating and high cortisol...and no way will that 20 pounds come off when my body and mind are just searching for solace (usually found in inappropriate foods and the hell to pay on the digestive system.) Even if I stay right where I am, I am ok with that. I am able to buy clothing at any regular store and feel good. That for me remains priceless. So why even bother? Ah. Well. Since I retired after 30 years in public education, I have taken a pt library page position. I am on my feet, stretching and bending and basically sweating all in the course of doing my 19 hour a week job. Combined with daily dog walks, I am active. It has been hell on my feet. From all I have been researching, the only thing I have yet to do, but what will probably help the most with my foot pain, is releasing the extra 20 pounds that came on due to sloppy habits. The best thing is that I am convinced that it will happen. Best of luck to you on your journey. <3

@K- they will absolutely fix the hernia as I understand it, as it is a contributor to the GERD. Interesting (well, maybe not for you) that it exacerbates the asthma. I never had any stomach problems- zero, nada, zilch- until a couple years ago, doing a long drive back from the far west, slamming coffee, eating PayDay candy bars (couldn't imagine eating one of those now) and had a burning sensation in my stomach (no mystery). I started eating Advils like crazy (also not good for stomach lining). That's what started this journey--and my GP said let's do a endoscopy/colonoscopy which resulted in the finding of Barrett's and got me on the PPIs- those in turn led to complications. I was looking for a way out of this vicious circle- since the PPIs in turn led to SIBO, which was horrible. Of course, the weight loss isn't to be discounted as a factor. Truth be told, during Covid, I quit going to the gym, was sitting on my ass and eating lots of delivery food which, all told, probably added 50 lbs. It's strange, the different paths that take us to the same point. Funny thing is, my wife was going stir crazy and I was happy as a pig in _____. I do expect that achieving and maintaining weight loss will allow me better overall health. I'm also looking forward to increased mobility without shortness of breath (I do have mild COPD but I had that for a long time and it only manifest itself if I worked out too hard and got lightheaded). I also had the hernia for a long time but it wasn't an issue until I gained all the weight.

I haven't lost anything close to 10 lbs any month this year. The last month I lost a significant amount of weight was December 2022. This year it's 1-2 pounds per month, even less. I've been tracking my eating more religiously these last few weeks, and a typical day is 1100-1200 kcal. Shouldn't I be losing or is that enough for maintenance? Will I have to go even lower? I'm getting 50-60 grams of protein most days.

Mari3997, Pre-op diet will definitely help you and helps get "your head" into the right place for your new fabulous healthy life. Support system? I have no one. My husband tried to talk me out of it, NOPE! My body, my life, I make my own decisions...autonomy. Find support groups here, Facebook, IG, etc, research youtube videos on bariatric surgeries. Some FEAR is normal but still wasted energy and can become crippling. Find a way to reduce fear to a reasonable concern. I responded to another post with this...it might help you, I hope so, just do it. Definitely do it! At 71, 100lbs overweight, in pain constantly, both knees destroyed by arthritis, peripheral neuropathy in both feet with hot burning pins and needles when standing and walking, back pain. My journey started in orthopedics with knees, steroid injections, worked well most of the time, but didn't stop the occasional fall [3 to 4 times a year]. I knew sooner or later something would break. I would have had knee replacement sooner except for covid & elective surgeries were cancelled for two years [socialized medicine ***] weight gain, but developed hypertension. Researched weight loss thru ***, and because I had obstructive sleep apnea, I would qualify, and found this bariatric surgery should be first before the knees. I researched, attended classes, youtube videos, surgeons, after care, supplements etc. I wanted the Roux-N-Y but at my age surgeon said no, VSG. The surgeon recommended to me, is EXTREMELY strict and no BS kind of guy, he canceled my first surgery date because he didn't like something I did, so I really buckled down to his protocol. I knew I would have nausea and vomiting from anesthesia so I told EVERYONE, to give me whatever so this didn't happen. Well...it happened, no medication, and postop recovery the uncontrollable violent projectile dry heaves started, nurse good, gave IV Zofran, the IV Reglan and within a few minutes it stopped, but it was bad. I went home the next day. I had all my foods for week two, supplements etc. I am keeping up with supplements and fluids but not hungry. Dr said eat 1/4 cup every 2-3 hours otherwise your body will try to hold on to everything and the metabolism shifts. I'm going to add the vitamin patches from Bariatric Pal to my daily regimen of chews and capsules, [ I am very fatigued] for a while and see how this works. I use Mira Lax/:axa Clear equivalent in my morning water bottle and use a stool softener at night. Find whatever works for you, the stool softeners alone did not work for me. Trying to find my new normal, I knew it would be a process. I have NO regrets, and would tell anyone considering surgery to 'go for it' and FOLLOW directions strictly. Once I pass the phase of full liquids and get into pureed foods it will be another advancement. During surgery found a hiatal hernia and did the repair. Who Knew?! I didn't, glad it's done. My significant weight loss will help me in recovery for total knee replacement. I'm looking forward to repairing the rest of my body in my older age. Best wishes to you. Surgery May 15. 

Definitely do it! At 71, 100lbs overweight, in pain constantly, both knees destroyed by arthritis, peripheral neuropathy in both feet with hot burning pins and needles when standing and walking, back pain. My journey started in orthopedics with knees, steroid injections, worked well most of the time, but didn't stop the occasional fall [3 to 4 times a year]. I knew sooner or later something would break. I would have had knee replacement sooner except for covid & elective surgeries were cancelled for two years [socialized medicine ***]. No weight gain, but developed hypertension. Researched weight loss thru ***, and because I had obstructive sleep apnea, I would qualify, and found this bariatric surgery should be first before the knees. I researched, attended classes, youtube videos, surgeons, after care, supplements etc. I wanted the Roux-N-Y but at my age surgeon said no, VSG. The surgeon recommended to me, is EXTREMELY strict and no BS kind of guy, he canceled my first surgery date because he didn't like something I did, so I really buckled down to his protocol. I knew I would have nausea and vomiting from anesthesia so I told EVERYONE, to give me whatever so this didn't happen. Well...it happened, no medication, and postop recovery the uncontrollable violent projectile dry heaves started, nurse good, gave IV Zofran, the IV Reglan and within a few minutes it stopped, but it was bad. I went home the next day. I had all my foods for week two, supplements etc. I am keeping up with supplements and fluids but not hungry. Dr said eat 1/4 cup every 2-3 hours otherwise your body will try to hold on to everything and the metabolism shifts. I'm going to add the vitamin patches from Bariatric Pal to my daily regimen of chews and capsules, [ I am very fatigued] for a while and see how this works. I use Mira Lax/:axa Clear equivalent in my morning water bottle and use a stool softener at night. Find whatever works for you, the stool softeners alone did not work for me. Trying to find my new normal, I knew it would be a process. I have NO regrets, and would tell anyone considering surgery to 'go for it' and FOLLOW directions strictly. Once I pass the phase of full liquids and get into pureed foods it will be another advancement. During surgery found a hiatal hernia and did the repair. Who Knew?! I didn't, glad it's done. My significant weight loss will help me in recovery for total knee replacement. I'm looking forward to repairing the rest of my body in my older age. Best wishes to you. Surgery May 15.

Like @Tomo I try to stay clear of an all or nothing mindset. When I feel my underwear get tighter (undies and bras don’t seem to lie to me) I evaluate how I’m doing. I start with water. Am I drinking enough and throughout the day? Then I look at my vitamins, did I forget anything lately? Then I start logging my exercise, have I been cutting out leg weight lifting day again? Maybe it’s time to try a new activity like birding or paddle board? Then I look at stress and emotional needs. Do I need to talk to a friend, go to a book club, rejoin my yoga buddies, check in with a therapist? Then after all those check lists do I re-examine my food intake and usually start logging my intake again. Am I bored with my selections and need to change up my menu? Seasons switched and salad looks so good compared to cooked veggies, grilled meats smell so much better than meatballs right now. Fish seems so exotic and fulfilling now too. I made a cold salsa from mostly peppers and spices then threw in scallions and brewers yeast (for b vitamins) and it tasted more like gazpacho so I chopped up some cucumbers and POW! I dropped 8lbs after eating that all weekend last week with my regular chicken breast and hard boiled eggs. So finding new recipes (and maybe some fiber) is what gets me going with healthy food choices. I’m playing around with blanching broccoli in a cold served salad this week. That’s my reset.

I looked into it on and off for years but didn't have insurance and didn't want to go into debt. Over the years I found that if you self-paid they usually didn't require months of dieting, but if you had insurance, the INSURANCE required it. I ran into a youtube video from the VA saying they do the surgery and don't require you to lose weight before because it didn't really make a difference other than the 2 week liver shrinking part, that they do require. They did encourage people to diet, but it was to let healthy eating become a habit BEFORE you HAD to eat healthy. My VA did require that I diet 3-6 months, but their focus was on healthy eating and exercise habits more than calories. 3.5 months in they made the appointment for my surgery because I was loosing weight and kept really good food and exercise diaries.

I am ready for my journey, I view it as an adventure. While I have struggled with weight my whole life, I was mostly ok with my appearance, even though I ideally need to loose 80-100 lbs.. I have been active in life and successful in my endeavors. I've had a good life. Recently, the stress of life, finances and emotional challenges have taken their toll on my overall health and well being. Chronic GERD has caused GERD asthma and I've had two bad exacerbations since April. This has been very, very difficult. GERD causes the asthma, medications make GERD worse. A vicious cycle. I am retired and teach swimming lessons to young and old and it gives me so much pleasure to share this skill with kids of all ages. I now find the pool chemicals are triggering the asthma and it is limiting my time in the water. I'm doing everything my doctors recommend and still having trouble controlling the asthma and GERD. I've done research to determine if Gastric bypass and hiatal hernia repair will help with Gerd and loosing weight and it seems promising. I have a 90 minute education session on Monday and my first appointment with the surgeon on June 16th. Lots of questions, but very happy I started this process. My husband is supportive and I've discussed with my daughter. Is there anyone out there with similar GERD related issues that were helped or have cautionary advice about gastric bypass. I would love to hear your story and challenges.

For me, if I feel like I'm beginning to stray, it starts with revisiting my mindset. To think about my priorities and why I want to stay at my current weight vs gaining (or before I lost the weight: continue to gain weight vs lose weight to get healthy). Once I get my priorities straight and remember why it's so vital to me to stay at a healthy weight, then I go back to eating healthy. One thing it took me a lifetime to learn was to get rid of the "All or nothing" thinking. That if I go off track for a meal, a day, a week, then it's all over. That is so false. Naturally thin people overeat sometimes too, but the next meal, they go back to eating normally. In the past, I would beat myself up endlessly which was sabotaging any success to stay on track. I hope this helps.

^^^^THIS^^^^ ^^^^AND THIS^^^^ Please don't let fear keep you from doing one of the best things you can do for yourself, now. I wasted years telling myself I can get the weight off myself. Till I couldn't. Struggling and dieting over and over and over.... Interestingly enough, I had this convo with an overweight gal in my bariatric office. My first visit. She took me to the room and got my stats. We started chatting and she said she was considering getting surgery too but thought she was young enough to put it off and get it when she's older. I encouraged her not to wait till she had a list of meds and comorbidities like I have. I do kind of regret posting here about a few of my "fixable" moments with foamies etc because the last thing I want to do is scare anyone off from a lifesaving surgery. There are a few legit complications people have shared but they are few and far between. New studies show WLS compared to having gallbladder surgery risk wise, which is low. TBH I would be more afraid of doing nothing. Good luck OP and if need be have the hospital give you some calming meds, day of, to keep you from bolting pre surgery. You can do it!!!!

My sleeve surgery is Monday June 5th. I have to be at the hospital by 8:45a. My hunger and food distractions have seemed to subside from anticipation, excitement and fear. Now I’m just a nervous wreck lol. With less than 48 hrs to go I’ve gone through many emotions. I’ve read every post on this thread. Congratulations to all much success, peace, health and love! I will update on how things went after I’m up. Last weight was on Wednesday 246- can’t wait to get to onderland!

Hi guys - im home now and doing fine. No pain though a tiny bit of a sore throat from the tube but that is normal. I have seen on here that come people have spoken of up to 10lbs in weight gain directly after surgery. I have not experienced that. im sipping more water and have managed a third of a weetabix with milk and a few spoons of lentil soup. I cant wait to hear how those of you who had surgery on 2nd and 3rd have got on xx

oh the Weight-Loss-Phase-Constipation-Woes. I feel you. I was chronically constipated for months after surgery. I developed a regimen of adding 2 tsps of Benefibre to my protein shakes twice a day, drinking tons of water, and exercising/moving regularly. And if i hadn't pooped in 4-5 days i'd take a dose of Senokot or similar. If i still didn't go after more than week, then it was time for a glycerin suppository...which usually did the trick (only 2-3 times did i have to do 2 suppositories) I did notice it got better when i started eating more veggies and fat (i was mostly just eating protein during weight loss phase). Now i no longer do the daily Benefibre and poop pretty regularly every 3-4 days (which is a huge departure of having to poop 2+ times a day pre-wls). I only get constipated now during/after vacations...but i think thats because i have an irrational need to only poop at home lol!

So I was pretty unlucky with the nightmare complications. Two weeks after my bypass, I needed emergency surgery because internal adhesions caused a complete blockage. Two days after that surgery, I was getting my second emergency surgery for the same issue. They also decided to place a g-tube in the bypassed part of my stomach for drainage, and I had to have that for three months. Right after that, I would experience random attacks of intense pain and we finally, finally think we figured out why (sphincter of oddi dysfunction). That being said.... ...I would do it all over again in a heart beat. At no point did I have any regrets. Yes, it sucked having to get two "bonus" surgeries, but it was a minor blip in the road. The random pain episodes sucked, but now that we know the issue, there are things I can do to prevent it from happening. Compared to how life was before my bypass, I feel SO MUCH BETTER. My blood pressure is normal, my joints don't hurt constantly, my energy levels are through the roof, I run and kayak and hike regularly... and then there's the 'vanity' aspects too - every store carries my size, I love shopping for clothes because they look good on me now, I'm not hyper-aware of my size constantly... the list goes on. I really did not release how miserable I was being obese until I wasn't. It's surgery! I don't think it's right for everyone, and I think people should be aware of the potential for complications... but those complications are pretty rare, and it's still the gold standard for long term weight loss.

Hi All! I’m a 58 year old female . My bypass is scheduled this month, and I’m beyond petrified. I’ve cancelled my surgery 3 times in the past 15 years ( mostly because my mom always scared me out of doing it)… I’ve since lost her and I feel I can no longer carry all this weight. I have so much inflammation / pain everywhere in my body ( ie joints) … But my surgeon does not require weight loss beforehand or at least the liver shrinking diet pre-op ( and I planned on starting it this week on my own, but didn’t! ! I don’t trust myself to be able to do what it takes to be successful ! I don’t feel I have the support to go through with it ! I’m afraid of rerouting my digestive system! Of complications! The bariatric center in my area is “ going thru changes” ( doctors words) … there is no support group… But I have back pain and I need to go to work everyday! …. I have this small window of time to recover as I have help to cover for me . But I am SCARED! I change my mind all the time! ( I haven’t told the doctor just in case on that day I feel I can go through with it! I know! I know! It’s crazy and I’m driving MYSELF crazy!

Stop reading the horror stories is my my advice. Yes there can be side effects of the surgery but the ones you mentioned are temporary or can be managed. And yes it’s good to be aware of them but best to ask your surgeon about them. Ask about what they’ve see , many instances their patients have had, treatments, management, etc. Hair loss often starts at around month 4 +/- & lasts about 3months +/-. How much you lose or if you do lose is an individual thing. It’s just your natural hair loss cycle accelerating. This hair is dead & you would have lost it at some time anyway. Your new hair growth is still occurring just at it’s usual rate. Hair loss can occur for many reasons not just bariatric surgery. Pregnancy, stress, any major surgery, any weight loss, ill health, or dramatic change of diet can result in a temporary loss of hair. Foamies. Many only have a few experiences of it. It’s usually caused by eating too much, too fast or eating food that is too dry or too coarse & gets stuck. I had a bout last night - damn stringy bit on a sugar snap pea - I could feel it. I’m more susceptible to them but it’s more a idiosyncrasy of my tummy & digestion than anything else. Clots can occur after any surgery. At hospital you’ll be given compression stockings to wear and some also use those pulsing compression machines on your legs to keep your blood pumping. Walk, walk walk. Little & often is best & it will help you breath out the surgical gas too. Be aware of the symptoms but I’ve never heard of any one getting a clot post bariatric surgery on this forum in four years or with people I know. A little temporary hair loss, the odd bout of the foamies, are nothing compared to having lost the weight & the benefits that has bought to my life & health.

Lulugirl70 same! Brand new and found after surgery. Pain is mainly from the gas they used and walking is a bit of a challenge due to my hips having pain from weight gain. Small steps and sips all day long!

Gall removal is pretty common for bariatric & non bariatric people. Rapid weight loss can be a cause of stones & changes to your liver function which may have added to your enlarged bile duct. (Liver function usually becomes normal once your weight loss slows or stabilises.) High fat diets, menopause, Gilbert’s all can result in stones being formed which in turn can cause bile duct enlargement. Did the say if you had any stones? Or if they thought it occurred because of an infection or any non bariatric surgery/weight loss issues? I had my gall removed 2yrs after my surgery. I had a single stone. (Weight loss, menopause, Gilbert’s increased my risk.) My surgeon used the same incisions as he made for my sleeve so no additional scars. My recovery was okay. Home the next day. No issues. A bit tired. A bit achy. Didn’t need the prescribed opioids by day 3. I had gas pain this time after not having any with my sleeve. Big difference of course was not having to be on a restricted diet after the surgery. I had a bit of diarrhoea for about a month because the gall regulates bile entering your upper intestines to aid the break down & absorption of fats. Life post surgery is much the same as it was before surgery. Some people struggle with eating fatty food - my aunt describes it feeling liverish - nauseous, tired, abdominal discomfort. I don’t have an issue with fatty food but then my diet is pretty low fat anyway. My sister-in-law & I have random bouts of diarrhoea about once a month +/-. We put it down to our digestive system maybe getting a bit too much bile at times & it irritates the intestines. It comes on more quickly but not a sudden unexpected attack.

it's very common to have a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain after hitting your lowest weight. It's more your body "settling in" to its new set point. Happens to most of us in year 2 or 3. However, beyond that, it's up to you. If you continue to monitor your food intake and keep active, you'll be able to maintain your new weight. If you let old habits slip back in and start eating like you did before surgery, you'll end up gaining most of it back.

I saw my doctor today and got weighed just to see if the scale is different there than at home. I am 380, which of course I am happy about - but like I said, much of that was from the Optifast prior to surgery. I am not going to focus on the scale, but like I said before I was expecting a bit more of a woosh of weight loss since having the surgery. As I said before, I lost 20 ponds in two weeks just doing keto and moving a bit more - again I know that is water weight and also that wouldn't continue, but it was a great feeling nonetheless at the time. I agree with your points about nonscale victories and a month from now, I may be singing an entirely different tune on here. I was just thinking outloud and giving my initial thoughts per this thread. Thanks for the support. HM

I don't really think so, but I never said it was a magic procedure. I know it is a tool for long term. However they did warn me that after the 5 year mark, many do gain some or all the weight back - just so I am aware.

Don't get me wrong. I'm very proud of the long-distance exercise I did in the past. I'm looking at the medals I won hanging on my wall, as we speak. Doing marathons is definitely a highlight of one's life. And even more so for someone that has lost a lot of weight. Such a great accomplishment. I say go for it but.... Don't do it (train) for years. You don't want to get to 70 years old and look and feel like you're 100.

Sorry you are dealing with this. First, you’re down 50 lbs in a year and 9 months!!!! That’s friggen awesome!!! My guess is it took you a lot longer to gain that 50lbs than it was to lose it! Second, it sounds like you may benefit from some counseling to help with the head trash- I will be the first to admit my mental health work impacted me so much more than any of the physical work. Last, go back to the basics of your eating habits. Track your intake (calories and macros), eat protein first then vegetables then carbs, and then if you’re able to get moving and exercise! Doesn’t matter if you’re walking or powerlifting… get moving. Activity drives attitude. Hope this helps and remember, the surgery isn’t the fix… it’s a tool to allow you to make sustainable healthier lifestyle decisions. You got this! My last thoughts are look forward and not backwards. Whatever you did or didn’t do can’t be changed. Today is your opportunity to be a little better than you were yesterday! Tomorrow you get an opportunity to be a little better than you were today…. Rinse and repeat and keep fighting the good fight. You deserve to be the best version of yourself!!!

My advice would be to not focus on the food part right now. Focus on you and how you view yourself. From your post, it sounds like you don't value yourself very much at all. I don't know anything about you, but having felt similar to what you describe and knowing how that leads me to spiral, you need to realize that you do matter, you are valuable, and that you are not a failure. Whether that means seeing a counselor, reading some good self help books, or some other method, I think that would have the biggest impact. It is my belief that a lot of overeating comes from shame spirals, food addiction, and general low self worth. It is an evil evil self fulfilling prophecy if you let it go untreated. As far as books go, I recommend "Weight Loss Surgery Does NOT Treat Food Addiction" and "Alan Carrs Easy Way to Quit Emotional Eating" Best of luck, i'll say some prayers for you

Today is the day for me! 8 days of liquids and I’m down 10 lbs. Mostly water weight I’m sure, but I’ll take it! I am feeling very confident and proud going into surgery today, because I did not cheat at all during the liquids, even over the long holiday weekend. Can’t believe I was able to do that. Best wishes for any other June 2 friends and continued healing vibes for our June 1 friends :-)