Search the Community

If you’ve read all the posts, I’m sure that you’ve seen that most people drop when they finally do drop a chunk of weight like more than 1 pound I think one time I lost 4 pounds after a stall with my sleeve. 🤞

You are doing great. My doc said as ling as its going in the right direction there is no right amount. I am also losing about 1kg a week and it feels slooooow. But I also measured everything when I started and realized I have lost 2 inches ! So when the weight is slow there is another motivator! Slow and steady….

Haha! Mine would change sizes I thought I was going insane! My doctor said it's fine and it's just healing on the inside. I haven't noticed it much the last week or so. Also Hello everyone! I had my surgery august 6th. Looking forward to talking to people with a similar start date!

Okay so look at the macros and see if this fits your plan. It may be a little high in carbs for some if you’re not very active but this recipe is probably my favorite out of my two weeks if soft foods so I thought I would share. It’s called south of the border chicken chili from the McCormick website. I added onions and garlic because I like them in everything but this is super simple and high protein. You may want to leave out the corn and do more beans or tomatoes if your tummy is still fussy but I haven’t had any issues with anything and I’m allowed to start incorporating more foods so I’m having it with the corn and so far so good 🤞 My pot made a little over 7 one cup servings which Baritastic calculated at 25g of protein (12.5 if you can only do a half cup) and 26g carbs (but part of that was the onions). I needed more protein for the day so I opted for the shredded cheese on top. Anyways, it’s chicken, bell pepper, white and black beans, canned tomato and corn with a seasoning pack from McCormick. I can’t finish the whole cup so I’m gonna have it again for a snack but I really love it. I hope it freezes well. https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/main-dishes/south-of-the-border-chicken-chili

This has also been my biggest struggle. I was going to the gym fairly regularly before surgery, but it's been a struggle since being cleared. For me, it's just prioritizing that time for myself. It's been getting better this week, I've gone twice, walked a lot last night, and I plan on going today!

😁 Yeah it was, it was at 5 months in. My GP put me on Ozempic to break it! Now its coming off, just real slow. My first stall was 3.5 weeks, so I'm sure yours is coming to an end! Good luck and keep up the great work!

How are you doing now? Have you started back to some form of movement. I know that when I had the sleeve I tried to do the treadmill and that did not stick no matter how many times I tried. To me, that was like torture. This time with my revision I am walking around the neighborhood instead. Talking with a friend on the phone who is also walking or listening to music and seeing the various houses and people is just a great deal more enjoyable for me than the treadmill even with the television on I still felt like a hamster I am still early out and I definitely wouldn’t call it a habit yet but I can tell you for sure that I do not dread it each day like I did the other and I’m really hoping that I can keep it up I know for sure that the endorphins are great for my mood and my energy I go until I fall into the bed and sleep like a baby. In fact that’s why I’m up right now, because I did so much yesterday I feel asleep at 9pm 😂 I agree somewhat about the fact that if you must choose one place to put your effort then the nutrition is definitely the most important in terms of weight loss BUT, having done this before and been less successful, I can tell you that last time I did not exercise and it felt like less of a huge life change for me as it does this time Again, I am only 5 weeks out so it’s possible that this is temporary, though I hope not because I feel fantastic with all of my choices my point is that adding in exercise, for me, makes it feel like more of a lifestyle change and after I come home all sweaty from my walk I don’t want to put any junk into my body. I am even starting to buy things that are grass fed and organic when they are available and trying to cut back on salt as well as rethinking my artificial Sweeteners (although that’s going to be the toughest for me to give up) because my body feels so good and healthy and I want to feel this way for a long long time. As others have said it doesn’t have to be a specific exercise. Just move your body more. Maybe dance lessons, or Pickleball, something like that. My library had a Belly Dance teacher at one point about a year ago and now that I’m losing a bit I am going to look into whether she is still there because that sounds kinda fun. I also did some research on the weighted hula hoop and it is cardio for most people as well as a bit of strength training so I may try that. It brings back memories of competitions with them as a kid so it could be fun. Something that my PA said at one of my pre surgery support group meetings keeps ringing in my mind that helps motivate me too he said that just 90 minutes of exercise a week in zone two heart rate (which I achieve with a brisk walk) decreases your risk of “all cause mortality” by 15%!! You can even break it into 15 minutes a day- 6 days a week (although it’s really 25 with your warm up and cool down added) but weight loss aside, a 15% decrease, thats pretty incredible. I was afraid of some of the complications from surgery that may or may not kill me and that was once like a 2% risk. So my goal is 30 minutes of exercise a day (I rounded up) and anything beyond that is just a bonus. That has seemed to work for me so far 🤞

I'll trade you, I went 3.5 months on a stall!

There is a thing called the three weeks stall, but if you do a search on here, you will see everybody basically has it and it can be like the second we grow the fourth week it’s not exactly 3 weeks like clockwork, but it is just your body kind of recalibrating I’m 99% sure that’s what’s happening

If you are the same in the US as we are in the UK, then Amazon deliver the day after ordering. If thats the case, save your money and buy as you need it. As a example, I bought a blender and did not use it as I barfed every time I thought of pureed foods, still do. I sent for a bariatric cookery book, same outcome. On a whim, I bought a personalised bariatric plate, it is still in its wrapping. My clinic told me to buy suckable vitamins and dissolvable calcium tablets. I used a thermos cup, I was allowed coffee and it takes an age to drink in the early stages, it kept it hot for me. I bought a bed wedge as I had GERD, still do. I never had protein shakes, my surgeon did not believe in them, I just had milk. Everyone who has stock piled a protein shake they love pre surgery, has found it disgusting after surgery. Your tastes flip and you may have a problem with lactose or vegetable protein. Buy one or two of a wide range if you must. I really wished I had a recliner chair, I had to sleep sitting for 3 weeks. As I said before I had problems with Gerd. It took a while to get my meds right. This forum and its wonderful forumites are a asset I used so much. Its all gifted free. Paid forward if you will. They have so much knowledge, they have been and done it before. Some one will have had every eventuality and will help Good luck

Oh I know, so frustrating. For the last month or so I am losing and gaining the same 1.5kg and therefore remain 1kg to 2kg from my goal. I did so much walking in the last few days and will likely again when I go on holiday next week that I am hoping it will help with one final shift. That said the kg may be slow but the cms/inches are still dropping as jeans I put on last week which were nicely fitted are already a bit looser on the backside/thigh area yesterday.

I might need to hide my scale too. I lost 9lbs pre-surgery and 11lbs the week after surgery, but this second week I haven’t really lost any weight. It’s frustrating and I know it’s just my body using all the calories and nutrients I’m giving it, but I’m eating so little that in my mind, it should just be flying off. I meet with my dietitian for the first time tomorrow and I’m hoping they will give me the green light to start purée! I cannot wait to add more variety!!

I have been using this Moderna scar gel for the past week and you can use it on old and new stars and I’m actually noticing a bit of a difference already. Just thought I’d share. Obviously run it by your team to make sure you’re ready for it and they agree, but my nurse practitioner is the one who recommended it.

One suggestion in terms of your bra is to buy a bra with the correct cup size, but one that actually fits you on the biggest hook. That way you can use the other two or three hooks depending on how many are on it as you lose weight still because usually when they fit you, they aim for that middle hook so that you can gain or lose 10 pounds and it’ll still fit, but you know you’re not gonna be gaining anytime soon. Another option that I thought about doing myself because I had the sleeve and I know that I don’t lose much in my cup size. It’s just the band size is to buy one that fits in the cup, but it’s actually a size smaller in the band and use a bra extender, so it’ll last longer

Oh, yes. It really is so disheartening, and knowing it's normal/expected doesn't make it feel any better! To give you an idea of how my weight loss has fluctuated, here are my monthly totals so far: February: -16.4 lbs (2 week pre-op diet plus surgery on 2/21) March: -11.6 lbs April: -7.6 lbs May: -2.8 lbs June: -11.2 lbs July: -1.6 lbs August: -8.4 lbs And so far in September I'm at a whopping -0.4 lbs for the month. Let me tell you, May and July both sucked, and I honestly don't think I did anything differently in June or August to explain the variation. It just is what it is. I'd say stay off the scale, but personally, I enjoy having the daily number because I'm obsessed with having a record to look back on, so I get having to do it every morning. I'm sure you're far from done losing, even if you're at a slow point right now. Just for fun, I'm attaching a side by side comparison that I made of myself yesterday. It's a photo of me from last summer at my highest weight alongside a pic of me from my walk yesterday. When the scale stalls, making something like this cheers me up and helps me see beyond the numbers on the scale.

Yeah, it was awful. At least I could keep water and chicken broth down. I'm been working slowly to building back up to more purees again, but I definitely didn't want to risk it last week. Otherwise, I'm doing okay. Been struggling with hitting my goals the last couple of days, which I assume is because I feel not great still. But I'm listening to my body. Eating and drinking until it feels like I can't and then pausing for a while. (Obviously, not eating and drinking together, but you know what I mean.) I go for my next post-op appointment on Wednesday. That will be my 1 month check-in. I can actually feel more weight loss in my legs and places around my stomach. I'm curious to see how much weight I do end up losing after all this. Like, I noticed my weight loss in how my clothes fit before my 10-day post-op. But I can actually feel it in places on my body when touching them now, so that's going to be interesting. We go on vacation 10/6 and we've already talked about my clothing situation. Even my bras need to be replaced at this point. But since I don't go anywhere except the doctors appointments right now, I'm going to make what I have currently work for the next couple of weeks. And then on our way down to our vacation spot on the 6th, we're going to stop by the outlet store and get me some new clothes and get properly fitted for the correct size bra. That way I have the most accurate fit for clothes for a couple of months. lol I still need to catch up on reading the forums. Hopefully I can get to that this weekend.

Almost 4 months in, and the scale has not budged one bit in about 1.5 weeks. Yes, I know it is normal. Yes, I know there are countless of threads on here about exactly the same thing. Does it make me feel any better? No 🤣 It is hard not to stop on that scale every day - I am just grateful I'll be on holiday next week and no scales will be near me! --- end of rant --- ❤️

Definitely check it out. I just looked and it’s $49 a month for unlimited support. They have 25 plus different support groups every week and they also have individual ones but it’s not clear if they are included (you should be able to get most of your questions answers in a group one if not). I am actually thinking about doing it once I looked at the calendar which is jam packed with differnt groups and topics. They have some one demand stuff too. When you look you don’t have to do that quiz thing. Scroll down and you will see the info about the nutrition program and see where it says click to see the calendar.

Made refrigerator pickles, dried strawberries, dehydrated bbq zucchini chips, split pea soup, and pikliz (a Haitian pickled slaw) this week. But since I didn’t have lime juice or habanero peppers I used lemon juice and sriracha instead. It’s pretty tasty and I can’t wait to have more with fish stew on Friday. (I’m currently reading a book by a Haitian author and the way she mentions fish stew made my mouth water!) Only ate half the dinner roll but all the soup and half the pikliz.

Hi all. Im 7 weeks post op as of today. I’m curious if anyone has hired an independent bariatric dietician… in other words, someone outside of your surgeon’s office to support you? I am not really satisfied with the level of support that I am getting from my surgeon’s office. I’d like at least a weekly or bi-weekly check in with someone and to discuss goals and things I can work towards. When I asked my surgeon’s office at my last follow up appointment if I was where I should be weight loss wise, I didn’t really get much of an answer. I asked where I should be at my three month follow-up and she couldn’t find her chart. So I never got an answer. I live in an area where I haven’t been able to find any support groups locally. I’ve located someone online with a wealth of experience in working with bariatric patients and is a certified dietitian. She works primarily online with patients. I am hesitant to move forward based on the price. Just curious if anyone has had luck with this or has any thoughts about it? I haven’t decided against it, just hesitant due to cost.

@Justarwaxx, I echo what @ShoppGirl said. Before surgery, I listened carefully to every horror story people wanted to tell me, to make sure I was making the right choice. I even sought out stories online, because I wanted to consider all the angles. Now, however, I listen to my medical team for instructions and to you all for advice on how to make them happen. The thing is, everyone has an opinion on WLS. Everyone "knows someone who had it and... [insert experience here]." But you don't have to listen. I can drink quite a lot fairly quickly, too. I talked to the PA about it and she said that's normal and fine, as long as you're getting enough fluids. She said I may have more trouble as time goes on, because scar tissue hasn't formed yet. So I am choosing to be grateful that I am able to get my fluids in easily. I work from home and I'm kind of a homebody anyway, so I haven't talked to many people about my surgery. I haven't had many people tell me what they think I should do, but when I do, I listen politely and change the subject. You are absolutely right! Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Let yourself be happy you're drinking easily, and give yourself ALL the kudos for being on this journey. It sounds to me like you're doing perfectly. And thank you for suggesting hiding the scale. I weigh every morning and get excited to see if I've dropped, but that's a mistake and I know it. I'm going to hide my scale, too, and weigh once a week.

Hey all, I'll catch up on reading soon. It's been a rough few weeks. I caught a stomach bug last week and thought I was gonna die. And yesterday I woke up with a runny nose and muscles aches, same today. The fatigue seems to be worse these last two weeks too, but I'm guessing that's because my immune system got shot. But that is why I've not been around, I've literally been wanting to die. It has taken everything in me to be able to push through work and classwork before I pass out for hours on end. Just wanted to give you an update. 0/10 recommend on getting a stomach bug after gastric surgery.

I was thinking the same thing as @catwoman7: the rising levels could be a result of your weight loss so far. It’s very common to have rising liver function levels while you’re losing. Also worried me a bit because I had a glass of Prosecco at lunch on Sunday and then had a liver function test Monday in preparation of a surgery I’m having next week. Hope the glass didn’t throw my results out at all. Considering I was asked lots of questions at the pathologists, they didn’t ask when was my last alcoholic drink and how much and often I drink. Hmmmm.

you won't need any of that weeks after surgery. It's really just the first week or so. After the first week, the only thing I felt was tired - that lasted for a couple of months. I didn't use a reclining chair - I just propped a lot of pillows up on my bed. Some people do rent or use recliners the first week or two, though.

Hello again! Sorry for the multiple posts but just wondering whether anyone has a list of things that helped their recovery go smoothly? For instance, things you’ll want in the weeks right after surgery like heat pads, ice packs (which is better?)…I saw somewhere else that someone recommended a reclining chair?? I have 2 little boys at home, and I want to be as present as possible so I’m looking for any advice on how to recover safely but still be comfortable and active.