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LindsayT firstly yes I’d absolutely adore you as a friend, I need one with absolute desperation. I feel very vulnerable and alone currently so without sounding a complete desperate loopiloo yes please. (Big arms outstretched never letting go) catlady0626 - thank you so so much for replying. Yes I have fever including occasional rigours and cold parameters intermediate. Paracetamol added to my daily medicines which does seem to calm. I do have flu like symptoms to accompany and just arrived back from holiday on an aeroplane though so have not made any connection to twists tears or similar. It’s actually crossed my mind I have herniated more prolifically at my umbilical and perhaps developed a hiatal in honesty. But don’t want to sound neurotic. summerseeker - your reply is so helpful and makes a lot of sense to reassure. I cannot tell you thank you in words to warrant how grateful I am for your reply. The ‘posterise hypertension’ I am struggling with is horrendous and must be BP but I’m not a fainter. It was the icing on the cake so to speak yesterday that started my panic. I knew all this I was struggling with was not normal but seemed to be dismissed on every contact by my care team. Therefore, I’ve waited and listened and tried 6 further contacts but began to feel I was either being neurotic or impatient or a time waster. However, reading your reply and everyone I’m replying to now had made me realise - I am not right and I need to act. Janetdekker - thank you thank you to you for replying. I’d love to get probiotics down me but I am barely able to swallow some days. It’s so hard getting anything down me or should I say to even stay down at the moment. I seem to have a day or two in say 10 days I get some foods down and I think I’m through the worst but then regress back to start. But I’ll buy some probiotic yoghurt drinks and see if I can keep these down to see if they help. It’s infuriating and so frustrating. I can’t thank you enough for taking your time to reply to me. to update further information that may help any further advice, thought share that I dearly appreciate. ive actually counted the week number today and I’ll be 13 weeks post-op on Tuesday next week. (Feels a lot longer) ive lost over 4 stones in this time frame and I’m so weak currently. I kid you not, I feel breathless making a cup of tea. I feel worse than when I endured pre-eclampsia and emergency section with my son. I felt I may die at that time but it’s feeling more similar as each day passes. Im utterly exhausted / spent. im 46 years old, 3 children and am 5 ft 9 inches. Weighed 21 stone 4.5lbs on Friday 10th February and now weigh 17 stone 3lbs. I feel The weight loss is much too fast as I cannot get enough protein or nutrition into my body. The loose skin and muscle deterioration seems quite extensive (I feel very soggy all over of this makes any sense) but admit my worrying in my current situation has me feeling quite neurotic so I’m trying to prioritise my worries to keep sane! today, I have managed to get 4 small strawberries down (chewed to a purée before attempting to swallow) with around 12 bites of clean spaghetti bolognese (meat removed and chopped into pieces no larger than rice and each mouthful chewed three times) and 300ml of fluid and a small cup of tea today. However, I’ve been in bed all day with tummy pain, vomited and other end loo trips within 20 minutes of eating. No full bladder urination. Swallowing is difficult and eating the strawberries took 20 minutes. The 12 bites of spaghetti Bol took an hour to get down me. I tried a smooth yogurt prior to bed but have just been woken up by tummy cramping / vomited it back up and checked my messages to see all your kind and helpful replies. I take lansaprozol time- delay tablets x 2. 3 x baricol chewables, calcichew x 1 and have just added 12000 mm/mg tablet of biotin today. If my nails get any thinner I’ll have none covering my fingers and my hair loss is devastating! 1-3 ciclixine / odansetron a day for sickness and nausea too. I can’t go a day without at least one a day but they do come with the side effect of drowsiness so they make me literally zonk. I don’t like this so much but it’s helped me gain a few hours sleep I guess as a positive. is there any other infirbation I can provide that may help with any of your thoughts / ideas / advice / suggestions? Obviously I’m new and am unsure of what further info will help you to support me. I can’t thank you enough for your replies and I’m so sorry if I sound like some neurotic banshee in a state of panic. I honestly don’t know what thoughts I trust in myself at the moment. I just feel so very poorly. thank you again for any wisdom. 💕💕💕

I have now lost more than my max squat weight and it stuns me that I was able to get out of bed at my heaviest.

Yes. Diagnosis before treatment. Why exactly have you gained so much weight back? Increase in appetite? Did you start eating different foods and why? Lack of movement and if so, again why? Does some of the medication cause weight gain on top of that?

I completely understand that. That’s why I’ve gone down to protein shakes, tuna salad, egg salad etc. mainly I have three shakes a day and pushing the water. I’m almost back to my lap band weight. I’m so afraid of not making the weight I need to get the surgery. You got this. It’s a journey.

Not exactly an NSV, but it was still a bit of a shock for me... This weekend I went camping with friends, and we bought a 25kg (50~lbs) sack of firewood. At one point, we said we were going to carry it between 2 of us, but when the time came to do so, I decided I could carry it by myself. Slung it onto my shoulder and started walking towards our campsite (less than a block away). About halfway down, I just STOPPED.... I just realized I was carrying the same amount of weight I have lost so far. Knowing we were planning on carrying that between 2 people, or how tough it was to carry it for just a block... it made it so much clearer why it has been so hard for me to go hiking before. PS> I’m doing a lot better while hiking, and am planning a short solo trip this Saturday!

I have joined this forum simply for one reason. A post I saw and YOU. The kind reader who I hope can offer absolutely any advice, help, insight - anything! I can be honest and say immediately, thank you for any reply and I’m desperate for your reply with insight. im just about to look into posting my story but could not do so without first attempting to seek any help I can before I literally lose the plot! I am now around 16 weeks post mini gastric bypass. Valentines Day I underwent the surgeons scalpels I paid privately after the usual circumstances of hitting rock bottom and saying quite literally… ENOUGH! Money is not plentiful and I used my small inheritance from my late father. Lucky, I was able to do so. but… I’m struggling. I have zero support network with experience. A loving family yes but no one I feel can validate or reassure me. I have medical study experience but not enough experience or knowledge to explain my symptoms away. my most recent message I’m still awaiting reply to from my surgeons medical secretary as follows:- Hi (name removed for anonymity) Did you receive my message yesterday please? I spoke to the Dieticians yesterday too and they’ve arranged a consultation with surgeon to discuss further issues. Next Wednesday. I am hoping to attend in person but currently struggling with flu type symptoms. I don’t have other people who have had bariatric surgery to speak to who could be a support network or provide support. Do you know if there is a professional forum, overseen contact group or other network or other supportive services? I don’t feel I am having a good recovery and feel I am struggling. Plus, I feel I am that poorly now perhaps I was dismissed too readily or swiftly in my previous contacts. I am losing weight much much faster than all my peers I read. I’ve lost over 4 stones in just 13 weeks. Far too fast and I’m drained, lethargic, can barely hold my head up (albeit have flu too) but in May too! Not normally a fluey month as the norm?? Infact, I microsecond passed out yesterday and cracked my head on our bathroom sink - simply due to standing up from the loo! I do not have a supportive GP or GP surgery and am currently in the process of changing surgeries now BUT am writing to them and conducting a private appointment firstly as I do not trust full follow through handover transparency. My surgery requires professional evidence or correspondence of everything to even follow up. For example, they have borderline eGFR results and two scans showing kidney stone and cyst in situ YET won’t conduct further tests or refer until surgeon sends a letter too! It’s absurd! it’s the main reason I paid to get this surgery completed to try to be well and improve my life and stay away from GP Doctors who possibly practiced nothing more than general medicine for 5 years! I’m constantly having to contact you directly, but seem dismissed by quotes of it’s week 4, or week 6, or only week 8 or now it’s only week 16, go back to Soups and fluids, try a quarter of an egg instead of a full Egg. I’ve gone back to fluids only 3 times now! When then can I tolerate real food? Something I can use my teeth with would be nice now? I cant eat any meat barely at all now, (not even minced), swallowing gets more difficult, indigestion, heartburn is agony, my nails are like paper, my periods have disappeared completely albeit this could be normal as I’m 10 years post menopausal, my face is gray and sallowed. I look like death. I’ve just returned back from holiday but spent 5 days in bed due to tummy pain, bowel problems, agonising indigestion, feeling unwell. I also take 3 x baricol chewables a day, a Multivitamin tablet and a calcichew a day. I’ve read everything I can find, researched this surgery for 6 months prior to having it, watched videos on YouTube, nothing seems to validate or reassure me. I studied medicine myself for 2 years albeit I know this is extra bit of knowledge of human anatomy and practice, I certainly do not have the knowledge to explain my symptoms away. I know this is not psychological as I cannot tolerate warm, cold, mashed, puréed, anything I’ve been told to try and going back a step to try again. When then am I to carry on until? Perhaps until I pass out again or end up in A&E on a drip? I cant get anything down me. If I do manage one meal a day, it’s a quarter of a starter portion and I’ll nearly always vomit it back up or experience the pain in my tummy or severely painful heartburn or severely offensive and debilitating flatulence. How long until I can eat? How long until I can drink plentiful fluids without issues? Ie. More than 500 ml in a 24 hour period? How long until I feel well? How long until I can eat what my family eats albeit in a starter portion? A healthy clean hearty non processed meal! How long until I look and feel well? How long until I can eat without severely offensive flatulence? It’s disgusting and far too painful to keep inside or even attempt to get to a more private location! Once it’s there, it’s impossible to hide and I don’t feel confident even in taking my children to school! How long will my stools be pale yellow or grey? How long will this horrendous pain in my tummy last? Because it’s interfering with my daily life now too. I’m now buying omaprezol over the counter. Lamazeprol isn’t available over the counter like I was advised yesterday. How long until I can sleep a full Night without being woken by agonising heartburn or stomach pain? These are the questions I’d like to ask a support network rather than mither yourself, to then mither surgeon to then mither dieticians or worse my GP. I’m getting very frustrated now, mainly through a lack of support I think. I don’t like to join public forums or online networks normally but I don’t feel I can get the answers of validation or reassurance currently. Yet, I’ve paid over £12000 for the surgery and 2 years post surgery support. Where is the support please? Once I receive your reply I’ll Know whether to mention the letter requirements in my appointment too. I am so sorry I have to keep contacting you, mithering surgeon but I’m getting frustrated and upset now. I want to be well not worse. Plus, the more issues, symptoms I have the more neurotic I feel, yet I have nowhere else to ask. Regards So after reading this I hope you or anyone could offer some guidance or insight. simply put I am also at my wits end and do not want to regret this life changing surgery but I’m beginning to do so with intent and massive frustration. looking forward to any replies. ❤️❤️💕💕💞

I have joined this forum simply for one reason. Your Post. I relate so drastically I can be honest and say thank you and I’m desperate for your reply with insight. im just about to look into posting my story but could not do so without first replying to you. I am now around 16 weeks post mini gastric bypass. Valentines Day I underwent the surgeons scalpels I paid privately after the usual circumstances of hitting rock bottom and saying quite literally… ENOUGH! Money is not plentiful and I used my small inheritance from my late father. Lucky, I was able to do so. but… I’m struggling. I have zero support network with experience. A loving family yes but no one I feel can validate or reassure me. I have medical study experience but not enough experience or knowledge to explain my symptoms away. my most recent message I’m still awaiting reply to from my surgeons medical secretary as follows:- Hi (name removed for anonymity) Did you receive my message yesterday please? I spoke to the Dieticians yesterday too and they’ve arranged a consultation with surgeon to discuss further issues. Next Wednesday. I am hoping to attend in person but currently struggling with flu type symptoms. I don’t have other people who have had bariatric surgery to speak to who could be a support network or provide support. Do you know if there is a professional forum, overseen contact group or other network or other supportive services? I don’t feel I am having a good recovery and feel I am struggling. Plus, I feel I am that poorly now perhaps I was dismissed too readily or swiftly in my previous contacts. I am losing weight much much faster than all my peers I read. I’ve lost over 4 stones in just 13 weeks. Far too fast and I’m drained, lethargic, can barely hold my head up (albeit have flu too) but in May too! Not normally a fluey month as the norm?? Infact, I microsecond passed out yesterday and cracked my head on our bathroom sink - simply due to standing up from the loo! I do not have a supportive GP or GP surgery and am currently in the process of changing surgeries now BUT am writing to them and conducting a private appointment firstly as I do not trust full follow through handover transparency. My surgery requires professional evidence or correspondence of everything to even follow up. For example, they have borderline eGFR results and two scans showing kidney stone and cyst in situ YET won’t conduct further tests or refer until surgeon sends a letter too! It’s absurd! it’s the main reason I paid to get this surgery completed to try to be well and improve my life and stay away from GP Doctors who possibly practiced nothing more than general medicine for 5 years! I’m constantly having to contact you directly, but seem dismissed by quotes of it’s week 4, or week 6, or only week 8 or now it’s only week 16, go back to soups and fluids, try a quarter of an egg instead of a full Egg. I’ve gone back to fluids only 3 times now! When then can I tolerate real food? Something I can use my teeth with would be nice now? I cant eat any meat barely at all now, (not even minced), swallowing gets more difficult, indigestion, heartburn is agony, my nails are like paper, my periods have disappeared completely albeit this could be normal as I’m 10 years post menopausal, my face is gray and sallowed. I look like death. I’ve just returned back from holiday but spent 5 days in bed due to tummy pain, bowel problems, agonising indigestion, feeling unwell. I also take 3 x baricol chewables a day, a multivitamin tablet and a calcichew a day. I’ve read everything I can find, researched this surgery for 6 months prior to having it, watched videos on YouTube, nothing seems to validate or reassure me. I studied medicine myself for 2 years albeit I know this is extra bit of knowledge of human anatomy and practice, I certainly do not have the knowledge to explain my symptoms away. I know this is not psychological as I cannot tolerate warm, cold, mashed, puréed, anything I’ve been told to try and going back a step to try again. When then am I to carry on until? Perhaps until I pass out again or end up in A&E on a drip? I cant get anything down me. If I do manage one meal a day, it’s a quarter of a starter portion and I’ll nearly always vomit it back up or experience the pain in my tummy or severely painful heartburn or severely offensive and debilitating flatulence. How long until I can eat? How long until I can drink plentiful fluids without issues? Ie. More than 500 ml in a 24 hour period? How long until I feel well? How long until I can eat what my family eats albeit in a starter portion? A healthy clean hearty non processed meal! How long until I look and feel well? How long until I can eat without severely offensive flatulence? It’s disgusting and far too painful to keep inside or even attempt to get to a more private location! Once it’s there, it’s impossible to hide and I don’t feel confident even in taking my children to school! How long will my stools be pale yellow or grey? How long will this horrendous pain in my tummy last? Because it’s interfering with my daily life now too. I’m now buying omaprezol over the counter. Lamazeprol isn’t available over the counter like I was advised yesterday. How long until I can sleep a full Night without being woken by agonising heartburn or stomach pain? These are the questions I’d like to ask a support network rather than mither yourself, to then mither surgeon to then mither dieticians or worse my GP. I’m getting very frustrated now, mainly through a lack of support I think. I don’t like to join public forums or online networks normally but I don’t feel I can get the answers of validation or reassurance currently. Yet, I’ve paid over £12000 for the surgery and 2 years post surgery support. Where is the support please? Once I receive your reply I’ll Know whether to mention the letter requirements in my appointment too. I am so sorry I have to keep contacting you, mithering surgeon but I’m getting frustrated and upset now. I want to be well not worse. Plus, the more issues, symptoms I have the more neurotic I feel, yet I have nowhere else to ask. Regards So after reading this I hope you or anyone could offer some guidance or insight. simply put I am also at my wits end and do not want to regret this life changing surgery but I’m beginning to do so with intent and massive frustration. looking forward to any replies. ❤️❤️💕💕💞

It’s so hard! I have gained five pounds since getting the band removed 3 weeks ago…. :( feeling very anxious. My program says they won’t do surgery if your weight on surgery day is more than when you started! I’m within 4 pounds of that and have 3 weeks to go :(

Same! Had band since 2007. Removal in November 22. Bypass schedule for June. I gained 22 pound after band removed. Super depressing.

You can’t break a stall. I know some will say I did by doing this or that but what happened was their body was ready to break the stall. Stalls are an important part of your weight loss. It’s the time the body takes to readjust to the stress of the changes you’ve made & making. It’s also the time your body uses to reassess your needs & adjust things like digestive hormones & enzymes, metabolic rate, etc. Even though the scales don’t move, many find their clothes get a little loser which I think is part of your body readjusting. My body kept settling & changing shape for a time even after I’d stopped losing & my weight had stabilised. How many stalls you’ll experience & how long they last (most tend to last 1-3weeks but can be more) will depend on your body & it’s needs. Stick to your plan, don’t make big changes to stress (or confuse) your body more than your plan advises & the stall will break when your body is ready.

A lot of factors come into play in regards to how much lose skin you’ll have. Age, genetics, gender, how much weight you lose, how long you carried your weight, weight loss & gain history, etc. The lose skin you end up with is skin that has been stretched out to a point that nothing can make it bounce back and the only way to get rid of it is through surgery. I always compare it to a well used hair band that has lost it’s stretch - can’t do anything with that. Collagen, while it has its benefits, won’t stop or get rid of the amount of lose skin most of us have. Some people will suggest exercising but this only works on the supporting muscles not on the skin itself. I have lose skin. Not a lot (not handfuls but good pinches over my body). I can still wear body conscious clothing without support garments. More from good genetics I think. I chose not to have surgery to remove it. I look at it has something I earned through my efforts to lose my weight. It’s a reminder to keep me on track. I’d rather have my lose skin than be 200lbs again.

Heyyy! I'm 5'2, my highest weight was 295 but I was 200lbs the day of surgery. I'm 8 months post-op & I'm now 133lbs (I surpassed my goal weight, I'm now aiming for 130lbs) At 2 months post-op I was also down 21lbs! Yeah it feels slow in comparison to others but sticking with it & being STRICT is what helped me get to my goal weight in under a year. Seriously, take advantage of this honeymoon stage. You may think your journey is slow but every little ounce ads up FAST

We were advised to take collagen as well, I don't take it mainly because I forget to add to my coffee. I try to put lotion on more often and stay hydrated but a lot has to do with genetics and age. I know I'm going to have some since I'm still 50 lbs from goal, but honestly is not as bad as I thought, I do weight lifting so at least it looks slimmer and more put together.

Hello everyone, I'm Stephanie and I've been on this journey for a little bit over a year I had my surgery April 24, 2023 weighing in at 291. I started this journey March 7, 2022 at my heaviest weight ever 382 lbs. All my life I had always been overweight but never had I ever been given the diagnosis of morbidly obese. September of 2019 I had the biggest scare of my life, I almost died. My heart was in Congested heart failure, I was going septic, and was put into a ketamine trip so they could shock my heart. After that I ended up having atrial flutters on the right side of my heart. I was put on Lasix and while I was still in the hospital I lost 13 lbs of water weight. I've had tachycardia for years, was a smoker and extremely overweight. The doctor didn't sugarcoat it for me at all he flat out told me my smoking and my weight was killing me. He said I qualified for bariatric surgery and that I should look into it. 2020 I had an ablation done to fry the nerves to the right side of my heart so it will beat normal and it worked I haven't had any issues with my heart since. I've been on a beta blocker; and I had to do a sleep study and I have sleep apnea. I stopped breathing 13 times in an hour. Which brought me to bariatric surgery. November 13, 2020 I quit smoking cigarettes, before my surgery I had lost 82 lbs had the duodenal switch surgery and as of May 5, 2023 I have lost a total of 100 pounds. The most weight I have ever lost in my life. I don't regret my decision at all about getting surgery cause I feel better and healthier and I want to get out of bed and I want to exercise and I just love the way I'm feeling everyday. Stephanie Ellis

Hey there I'm 2 weeks out post op and I had the DS surgery too. I'm still getting adjusted to all the fluids I have to get in, the 5-6 small meals the 60-80 grams of protein I have to have for now and then it goes up to 80-100 grams of protein in a day. I've gotten sick a couple times or a little dehydrated or I'm not resting enough. I'm still learning my new body and losing weight all at the same time. I understand the need to be able to talk to someone about what you're going through cause no one really understand stands what you going through. So my name is Stephanie Ellis and I'm willing to talk and be whatever else you need cause everyone needs someone. Stephanie Ellis

How long since your surgery? How long since you've lost any weight? Stalls are fairly standard, and if it isn't long since your surgery and you are eating as per your post op guidelines, your scale weight will catch up to your efforts before too long.

I’m sorry you’re feeling so isolated through this. Have you spoken to your husband about how you feel? Maybe he’s feeling uncertain about what your needs may be & how to support you? He may worry you’ll become a different person when you lose all your weight? Same with other family members & friends. It can be confusing for others because they don’t understand (they haven’t experienced this either) & they don’t want to upset you or appear to be too nosy. I only told one of my brothers & his wife (I knew the other would be critical). They rarely said anything to me except if we were eating together they’d just check I could eat what they were preparing or if I had special needs. My mother, who I spend weekends with every couple of weeks, got upset at one point saying she didn’t know what I ate or needed to eat & was worried she’d get the wrong food in when I stayed with her. Wonder if you speaking with a therapist will help you have conversations with your husband, etc. about your feelings & also give you the opportunity to talk things out in a non judgemental environment.

I didn’t exercise & still don’t. I do some stretches, use a resistance band & do some sit ups now but more to help with my back & to keep me a bit limber than for anything else. I wouldn’t burn 30 calories. (Ironically I would burn more calories if I weighed more LOL!) I really don’t enjoy structured exercise at all. It’s boring, I don’t like being forced to ‘perform’ & I hate being sweaty. I do my stretches, etc. in 5-10 minute blocks through out the day (it’s called exercise snacking & is just as beneficial as doing a single long block of exercise). I’m more willing to do it like this. Exercise only accounts for about 10% of any weight you have to lose. Want to lose 60lbs? Exercise will only contribute to you losing about 6lbs. Of course there are many other benefits to exercising but don’t rely on it for boosting your weight loss. I have never been this successful with sustained weight loss ever before & I’m almost 58 so have quite a few years of dieting experiences. 😉 I’ve changed so much about my relationship with food. I still enjoy food but know & accept I can’t just eat what I like, when I like & how much I like. I don’t consider I’m making sacrifices or missing out. It really is about changing your thinking about food & eating. It doesn’t happen over night but you’ll get there too. Day by day, week by week.

I’m almost 9 months post op vsg. I’m not loosing as much as fast as I had hoped, but I’m consistently loosing still. I had a high starting weight and lost a good bit before surgery. My highest weight was 382 … by my surgery (Aug 2022) I was down to 325. This week I’m down to 260. So post surgery I’m down 65 pounds - with an overall loss of 122. I still have a ways to go - and I’m a little disappointed in myself for not being further along by now … but I’m hoping that I can continue to steadily loose and keep my progress going until I hit “goal”. On the plus side I’m feeling good and happy with being able to loose after years of struggling with no results. Congrats on everyone’s progress!

Hi- im 5’2’’ and started at 195. I lost 12lbs in the three weeks I had to surgery, then went into surgery at 183.6. I am currently 8 weeks and 3 days, and weigh 155.6 today. I agree- it will come and I’d prefer to lose more slowly so my skin has some chance of recovering too- even though i know that is a bit of a pipe dream. I try to keep in mind this is not a magic wand, it comes down to my choices with this tool I’ve acquired. I am still only eating 2-3 oz at a time, 2-3 small “meals” a day and a protein shake to make sure i hit my protein goals. Im hitting fluid goals at about 68-70oz fluid, so still working on that too. Also, I think my body has some memory of these weights, and I tend to get “hung” around some that i stayed at before- ie, 165, current one 155, and coming up 145… so expecting some resistance on these numbers- and more slowly as i get closer to goal. I do FEEL tons better though- less joint pain and tiredness, so that is a WIN! For me, the numbers on the scale mean less that how I feel- so im enjoying it!

I certainly agree and hope this is easier to work with than the band! I couldn’t eat before midday and couldn’t even take medication (pills) in the morning as they would get stuck. I’d sometimes even get stuck on thick liquids! One would think this would have led to weight loss but I just found myself compensating with less healthy choices and eating at night because I still felt so hungry. This will be good for us, we can do it!

Hello All, I came to this site when I was doing research for my own surgery which was completed in December of 2021. I found it difficult to find numerous relatable stories from men who had weight loss surgery. Hence, I thought I would share my experience. I am a 56 year old male and I would consider myself just another guy. I started my own new business in 2015. If you have ever started a new business from zero, then you know it is a very stressful experience. Consequently, I gained 20 pounds a year for, roughly, six consecutive years. My weight ballooned to an all time high of 353 pounds. If it wasn't nailed to the floor, I ate it. If it was cold, I drank it. I take full responsibility for my actions. I freely made the decision to consume all of the food and drink. I also found ways to justify eliminating my regular exercise routine during this time period. Towards the end of 2021, from a health perspective, I was miserable. I had trouble walking any sort of distance. My poor dogs felt neglected because I could not walk with them. I had a difficult time standing for any length of time because my lower back would begin to ache. I was beginning to have problems with my joints, especially my knees and ankles. From an emotional perspective, I also had issues. I had to search for restaurants with tables instead of sitting at a cozy booth because I could longer fit in any booth. It is an awful feeling to ask, "Can I have that table over there instead of this booth?" It seemed to me they knew I asked because I couldn't fit in the space. I was forced to buy bigger clothes. Soon, those clothes didn't fit and I had to buy even bigger clothes. My clothes needed to be purchased in the "fashion forward" Big & Tall section of stores and websites. I began to hate to have my photo taken because I did not like the way in which I appeared in the photos. To me, the person who looked back at me in the mirror looked nothing like the person who appeared in those photos. Who was that guy in those photos? Was that really me? I began to feel self conscious about eating in front of other people. I just had this feeling they were saying, "look at how much food that fat guy is eating." while I was eating a slice of pizza. I found myself buying food to eat in the car while I was driving so no one would see me. I justified the binge eating by telling myself I was hungry and didn't have enough calories at such and such a place. I grew tired of family members asking me if I was "okay" each time they saw me. I grew tired of friends asking me if I was able to "manage" going somewhere with them. Consequently, people started to avoid me. It was my own fault. I was grouchy all the time. If you are reading this, perhaps you have had similar feelings to my own. I made the decision I needed a little help. I began to look for a surgical procedure to assist me in my weight loss journey. I decided to have gastric sleeve surgery. As previously stated, my surgery was completed in December of 2021. I followed my surgeon's instructions explicitly. I ate what they told me to eat. I drank what they told me to drink. I used an app on my phone to track every calorie. When permitted, I began a regular exercise routine. The routine began with cardio and, over time, I added weight training too. Day after day and week after week, I developed better habits. I ate better foods and less calories. My cardio improved and my strength improved. Oh, I also lost weight...a lot of weight. My weight went from 353 pounds to 199 pounds. Yes, that's right. Today, I weigh less than 200 pounds. My total weight loss has been a whopping 154 pounds in 17 months. My waist size shrunk from 48 inches to 34 inches. My shirt size went from XXX-Large to Large. Hell, even my shoes lost 1/2 of a size. The feeling has been incredible. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. Today, I continue to perform cardio four days per week and I lift weights every other day. Luckily I have had no ill side effects from the surgery. I feel great. I feel like others who have described losing a lot of weight...fantastic. Apologies to you if I have rambled on too long. Hopefully you find something here in which you can relate. Good luck in your journey. All the best.

I read an article that stated that revisions mainly work for those that the original sleeve was done incorrectly. Which is why many surgeons warn their patient that they will likely only lose about 40 lbs. While that may be true, you have a wonderful tool to help you continue to get healthy, and if you stay within the guidelines, for at least 80% of the time, your weight WILL come off. Keep hydrated, don't drink till at least 30 min later, protein first, eat healthy, keep in touch with your team during stalls.

Update- I had my revision from VSG to bypass on 2/7. As of today I’ve lost 33 pounds. I lost 13 prior to surgery so it is definitely coming off much slower this time. I seem to stall out for a couple of weeks at a time and then lose. This surgery was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I’m worried this is all I will lose. I have a torn meniscus in my knee and really need this weight off. Of course it is affecting me working out. Going for a gel shot for it today.

I too am having revision surgery on 05/30 because I regained 200 lbs. yes, 200! It worked for me until it didn't and it seemed I gained weight no matter what or how little I ate so its time to do something different. I've had an endoscopy so we know what went wrong where with the surgery as a tool and I have had 14 years (12 as weight gaining) to examine my role in the failure of myself and my tool. I am determined not to make the same mistakes that I can control this time around. I am 53 and don't want to go into old age as a fat woman with a bad knee limited in how i live my life.