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Currently scheduled for January 10, 2024. Still feel a lot of apprehension and trepidation about this entire process as it is hard to shack statistics from many years ago of the death rate post surgery. Scheduled for the "Gastric Sleeve" which accorinding to research has the lowest incidence of post surgical issues. I shall see...

So 5 days post op I was put on pureed from full liquid. The chili my doctors gave examples of is Wendy's chili. I made my own, beef, red and kidney beans, tomato sauce and paste, and seasonings. Even in my binder it was clear liquid for 3 days, full liquid like pudding, cream of wheat, jello, ect for 10 days....so that would only be 13. But I had 3 days of full liquid and was clear for puree. Now that's my doctor, for roux en y. Maybe yours has you on a different plan for specific reasons, and maybe there's a misunderstanding about your liquid diet time period, because yeah I couldn't do 17 days with only liquids.

I’ve had mine on May 3rd. Best decision ever. I’ve been at my lowest weight in almost 10 years. Around the 5 month mark, Ive plateau. I’m still dropping some weight but a lot slower than I want. Hopefully the next 5 months, I’ll reach my goal weight.

I am 10 days post op(December 13th). Down 39lbs and my happiness is very high. I want to share my story. The first 3-4 days sucked. Gas pains are rough, mind games are real. I even thought residual brown blood I coughed up was me bleeding from the staple line, no no it wasn't it was from the incubator and breathing tube lol. Constipation is real with the shakes but I was able to easily manage it and you can if you start a 100mg Colace twice a day, 2 days before surgery and maintain through the diet phases. I also got disolvable omeprozel instead of the horse pills to limit acid in my stomach to help healing, I got Gas Strips off amazon and Gas X for when needed. The gas pain from the CO2 is real but it gets better every single day. It eventually trys to exit out the left shoulder and is a little uncomfortable but I managed to walk 1.5-2 miles per day during recovering by going to the mall and taking my time. The physical side is much better each day. I do still get a weird 3-4am hunger pain in my tummy that is fixed by 2 ounces of premier shake and then back to bed. It is tough watching family and friends over the holidays enjoy snacking but I remind myself I did this at 35yo as an investment to a longer life. To watch my 6.5yo son get married and to enjoy my own grandkids. I just wanted to share that every day is a better day and to take it easy and feel blessed and reminded that the recovery and fluid phases are not permanent and your normal is right around the corner. Enjoy the process of life change.

Thank you for the replies. Summerseeker : "Food should not be boring. I just do not live to eat it anymore." I don't Iive to eat, I never have, but good food contributes to a good life. "Variety is the spice of life" variety I can't have. Yes, I knew this goes into this but, it doesn't make it any easier! What I was attempting to say is its boring because; 1. Unlike you I detest cooking so the thought of sitting down to think out my weeks meals sounds tedious and time consuming (even if necessary) I really wish I had the time and inclination to do it and I'm jealous of those who are willing and able.. I just don't want to add yet more measuring, weighing prepping to my day off since I do enough of that weekly in very exacting details (down to microns) 😛 Perhaps its also the lack of options..see #2; 2. With this new way of eating and my intolerance of carbs it makes my options very limited. After all there are five food groups and I've eliminated 3 of the five as it is - grains, most dairy unless you want overly processed artificial dairy and fruits. Add to that my food texture issue (symptom of ADHD) ..this leaves me with low fat beef, fish and chicken for proteins and veggies (non starchy). I do track everything I eat and drink as well although I love your way of if you get your proteins in and still want a "biscuit" and a bite of noodles you have it. Perhaps, I'm being overly controlling of my diet out of fear of regaining the weight and its causing me to feel this way. Arabesque: I understand why drinking water and peeing is important and your body should adjust to more water consumption, but, after 9 months I still go 20+ times a day - very inconvenient when I work managing a pathology lab - I have to remove a lab coat, gloves and mask, then go through decontamination processes each time I exit the lab and then upon entering resuit up and on top of that no drinks allowed in the lab - so in order to get my water in I have lunch time and when I get home OR leave the lab for my sip. So, this means working 10 hours a day it gives me a very short window to get my water in especially since I can't drink large quantities at once. I should have explained better (but my post was already long). My apologies. I guess my lack of "thirst" has developed from years of training from this job and my last. I just worry about not getting the required amount in. Anyway, its just me whinging. I'm just finding it difficult and quite frankly tiring (getting up several times a night to pee doesn't help).

It's been a few years so I can't remember how tired/sluggish I felt pre-surgery, but my bad hip joint caused me a lot of pain back then because of the extra weight. Constantly. It doesn't get like that very often any more. It's sometimes painful, but not very often - and the pain is much milder. I also used to only be able to manage one trip up and down the basement stairs a day. I'd either have my husband run down there - or I'd pile things up near the top of the stairs and take them all down at once. Now, I probably go up and down my basement stairs 5-10 times a day. Walking - I still can't walk long distances because of my arthritis, but I can walk for an hour at a pop without much effort. Before? Maybe two blocks before I got winded and had to rest. So...yes. That all has definitely improved since my weight loss!

I just made an account to answer this. I am two and a half weeks post op from gastric sleeve. I too have PCOS. I am 37 years old and my highest weight was 330. At surgery and after the pre-op diet I was down to 305. I'm currently 289 today. My comorbidities were hypertension, high cholesterol, newly onset GERD, and insulin resistance. (never made it into the diabetic range). I watched a ton of videos on youtube after I decided to have surgery. I watched the testimony of patients ranging from a few weeks out to twenty years. I also listened to bariatric surgeons discuss the process, pitfalls, and successes. My PCP had been talking to me about this surgery for three years and at first I declined because of all the people I knew of that experienced full weight regain. I only decided to have the surgery when I had determined that not being able to eat as much and what I want all the time was a small price to pay for my health and quality of life. Some things to consider between sleeve and bypass. Myth: Bypass patients are much more successful at keeping weight off. The sleeve is a newer surgery and was discovered as the first part of the duodenal switch. The 5 and 10 year outcomes for weight loss and regain tend to be around the same with the bypass slightly better. The sleeve is less punishing and is easier to 'stretch' out with poor eating habits but it can be done with the bypass as well. Overall, a change in relationship with food is a higher predictor of sustained weight loss than either surgery. The Switch is the surgery with the most rapid weight loss and sustained loss without regain but it is a heavily malabsorption procedure, carries the most risk of post operative complications, including dehydration and vitamin deficiency and requires a very strict regiment to sustain a healthy lifestyle. It can also result in some interesting bowel changes. Too rapid weightloss can also result in gallstones. Quite a few bariatric patients have had gallbladder removal after surgery. It should be noted that actual operative complications are low for all surgeries but not zero. Another controversial topic of sleeve vs gastric bypass is that the bypass is better for GERD. There are contradicting experiences for both surgeries. One thing is for sure you can certainly still have GERD with the bypass, although it seems revision from sleeve to bypass has worked to cure GERD for a lot of people. My GERD was very mild before surgery and so far I have not experienced any after. I am on a daily dosage of omerprazole but that's nothing new to what I was taking before. My triggers for GERD were fried foods and canned tomatoes. I know to stay away from that now. Keep in mind that the bypass is reversible in most cases while the sleeve is not. Also, the sleeve can be converted into a bypass or switch if complications arise or you fail to lose or sustain a meaningful amount of weight. There are very few options for bypass and switch if regain occurs outside of dietary changes, exercise and will power. Bypass patients can no longer consume NSAIDS, steriods, and possibly other medications after surgery for life. Switch and Bypass patients are more likely to experience dumping syndrome but Sleeve patients can also suffer from it. Constipation, diarrhea, and blockages and strictures can occur with all surgeries. Very minimal risk for long term serious complications. I have read quite a few posts that spoke about pain after surgery with the sleeve. Speaking for myself the only pain I experienced was gas after surgery from the surgeon introducing it into my abdomen during the procedure. I was given liquid pain meds but never took any, and no otc pains meds either. I felt discomfort from the surgery port sites for maybe a week. After that I was good. My surgery team has stayed on top of any side effects that could occur after surgery and I was very lucky. They gave me medicine for nausea before surgery, put an anti-nausea patch behind my ear also before surgery and discharged me with anti-nausea dissolveable meds. I took the meds for about a week though I never experience sickness and still luckily have not. I was a water drinker before surgery and can still easily drink water without any pain or nausea. Cold or hot temps don't seem to upset my stomach though some have reported either can cause pain. I am on the puree stage and things are going well. Really, experiences vary. I'd choose a doctor carefully and if possible speak to prior patients to get their experience pre and post op. I was lucky my Aunt had the procedure done the year before and could report on her experience. We chose the same surgeon. He had a 98% success rate. So after this long-winded wall of text I choose a sleeve because: I wanted a slower and steady weight loss. I did not want to re-route my insides. Had a co-worker suffer a bad bowel blockage with a bypass and had to have part of his intestine cut out. I did not want restrictions on not being able to take certain pain or treatment options should they become necessary in the future. I did not feel I have a dependent relationship with food. I ate too much of it. And sometimes the wrong things because they were easy and accessible. But I also enjoyed a lot of healthy foods. My kryptonite has always been lack of exercise and even skipping meals so that I overate when I did eat. I'm from the finish your plate generation, but I did not and do not rely on food for comfort, bordem or pleasure. Therefore, I felt and still feel that the more punishing procedures were not right for me.

Hi all, I had my surgery 12/19. So two days post op. Something that really hit me like a frieght train was the nausea I knew about gas pains and such but the nausea has been crippling when getting any liquids in. Any tips?

Sleeve my ins wouldn’t cover it so I went to Mexico. Since my consult w my doc 10/18 and surgery 12/7 I’m down 32 pounds from 10/18!!! 12 before 20 post. I’m a tummy sleeper and even back to that as of last night!!

Usually eating when it's not a snack? Today for example, I wasn't feeling well so I slept for awhile. I didn't eat breakfast and I didn't eat lunch. I made Tyson chicken nuggets and I fried them to make them extra crispy (bad I know, should have baked them). I had a serving plus one extra nugget with chic fil a garden herb ranch. I had some rice with butter and creo. A few sweet potato fries and a couple pieces of sliced beets. When I write it down, it sounds like a ton. I didn't finish all the rice or the beets. 2 to 3 hours later (I try to aim for 3 or 4). I had ramen soup. No problems eating that and I was able to eat it all. Gosh, I can't believe I'm able to. I had a candy cane about an hour later. Around 10:30pm tonight, I had a serving of mini marshmallows, sugar free dark chocolate pudding cup with sugar free whipped cream. One and a half Keebler Stripped cookie with a few sips of milk and a little after, a few sips of iced tea. Why am I like this? Why am I able to eat this much at once? Is my stomach stretched out? Should I ask to check my stomach? My 1 year appointment is February 21st. I really want to get back to tracking, it's definitely something that helped me stay on track. My weight was 3 ish pounds less than it is today. A few days ago it said I gained 5 pounds. So yeah, it's up and down and I know it's because of the poor eating. Does anyone use timer reminders to make sure you drink your water or to make sure you eat slowly?

Sounds a pretty okay weight loss to me especially if you experienced a stall of 1-3 weeks. You’re averting about 3lbs a week - nothing wrong with that. There is no ‘this is how much weight you must lose by this point’ rule. We all lose at our own rate. Some faster some slower. You lose at the rate that is best for you. There are averages which can be used as a guide but never a rule. Doesn’t mean you won’t lose your weight. (Don’t be influenced by the weight loss seen on tv programs. They lose large amounts in the beginning because they started at twice your weight & have lots to lose Their rate loss slows as they progress.) Is your surgeon concerned? Is your dietician concerned about your loss so far? If they’re okay you have nothing to worry about. You’re certainly not failing. You’ve lost 19 feckin’ pounds. Celebrate every pound you lose. I didn’t have to count calories & didn’t have to track my food so never had to discuss it with my dietician. I checked out of my own interest so I I know I was low calorie eater. Around 300 calories in the first month & was barely eating 900 calories by 6 months when I reached my goal. At 17 months when my weight stabilised I was eating 1300. Now I eat about 1500+/-. I was & am healthy & my blood work was is always excellent. I never could have physically eaten more than I was at any stage. But that is my story. Yours may be different & that’s okay. I’m a little taller than you & not very active (not running miles or spending hours in the gym) I don’t need the calories a taller, more active person needs. Ensure your dietician isn’t trying to fit you into the one size fits all average calorie intake box. The average calorie intake for a woman is said to be 2000 calories - I’d be the size I was before surgery if I ate that much. To lose they say I should eat 1500 so I’d never lose weight either on those recommendations.

Plans can be different but the best advice is always to follow your surgeon’s plan (& never what someone on Facebook or TikTok advises who often post just for attention & shock value). The staged return to eating solid food is there to support your healing & protect your healing tummy. Remember all those staples & sutures holding your digestive system together. (Read there can be up to 10 inches of sutures - imagine that on your arm or leg 😱.) There are also many nerves cut so you can’t really tell if you are doing damage or not. It takes about 8 weeks for your tummy to fully heal post surgery. Yes the shakes can be hideous, I made myself have one a day then drank soups - comsummes, broths, creams (thin them with additional water or milk as you need & ensure they have no solid matter). Bone broths are excellent too. Blend yoghurt with milk to make a drink or make your own protein shakes using protein powder. It’s only two weeks & you’ll get through it. Many of us actually find purée stage more challenging from a texture & flavour perspective. Protein water is an option too. Gotta work at getting at least close to your daily protein goals.

Finishing up my breakfast and then it's time to get ready to go back to work FINALLY!!! WooHoo!!! It's about time. I hate not working. So glad I was cleared yesterday to go back starting today. Oh, and I'm now down to 233 pounds. I'm 33 pounds away from my goal weight!!!! I started off at 421 pounds when this whole journey began. I've lost a total of 188 pounds from my highest weight. I've lost a total of 155 pounds since my surgery in May 2022 (I was 388 pounds on surgery day). Bariatric surgery, changing my relationship with food, changing my diet, working out and changing up my routines, all of it is why I'm here now. 33 more pounds to go, ya'll!!! I'm in a size 16/18 in clothes (down from 28/30), I'm in a size 6 1/2 ring (down from size 10), I'm in a size 10 shoe (down from a size 11), and I wear 18" necklaces (instead of the 22" and 24" necklaces I wore before). Yes, I've had complications. Yes, I've had several surgeries. But things were found that I never would have known about. Silent killers, they're called. Has it been annoying and painful and frustrating? ABSOLUTELY. Would I do it all again anyway? ABSOLUTELY. I've STILL gained so much more than I've lost. I have 1 more surgery (my hysterectomy) and then I'm completely done. And honestly, I'm still way way healthier than I ever was before. I only wish I would have just done the bypass to begin with and skipped the sleeve. But then again, like I said, the conditions I didn't know about wouldn't have been found without the complications from the sleeve that led to all my procedures. Everything happens for a reason. I firmly believe that. And I'm almost on the other side of all this, so I can speak into existence that nothing else will go wrong, things are looking up, and I'm getting my life back but as an even healthier and better version.

you don't have your stats listed, but keep in mind that most of us experience a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain in year 2 or 3. I was really worried about going too low - and for months I was pretty gaunt and bony, but I've put on about 30 lbs since then (I'm almost nine years out). The first 15 was welcome -and expected. I'm not that happy with the last 15, and it's a bear getting anything off. So be careful what you wish for. On the other hand, if you're so low that you're unhealthy, then that's another story. The commenters above have some good tips.

I had the same experience as NickelChip on the GLP-1 meds. Saxenda I lost about 15 lbs on, when insurance decided I didn't lose that fast enough they stopped covering it. I gained the 15 back plus another 10 almost immediately. I then went on Victoza, no weight loss. I did Ozempic for two years, also no weight loss. And on both of them I actually gained weight until my highest weight of 320lbs. They did help my A1C levels but that was it. They all had unpleasant side effects and cost a ton. I'm 7 weeks out from a duodenal switch. I've lost 26 lbs since the surgery and while there have been tough moments I'm so glad I decided to go with surgery instead of trying more medication... I've lost 40 lbs since my highest weight! I've never lost that much weight with anything, ever, not even with keto plus the meds. Usually if I have issues with a doctor's office not returning my calls or responding to my messages, I eventually go in there and talk to the office staff in person and wait until they send a nurse out to deal with my issue. 😂 It is quite effective! I'm super nice about it, but still... I had a LOT of scheduling issues with my surgery and in the middle of it they lost their scheduler and I had to deal with some really rude staff on the phone. But it all got sorted out in the end! Hang in there!!

I've personally been on both Saxenda and Wegovy. With Saxenda, I lost 20 pounds and my blood sugar and cholesterol improved, but high blood pressure was unchanged. I stopped because the insurance price went from $50 a month to over $200, and my weight loss plateaued so $2400 a year to keep off 20 lbs seemed a bit steep. As soon as I stopped, the weight came back, the A1Cs went up, and the cholesterol went higher than before I started. With Wegovy, I was only ever able to get the first two months of doses before shortages made it impossible. After that, I switched insurance and lost coverage of Wegovy completely, meaning over $1k per month out of pocket if I wanted to continue. I wasn't on it long enough to see how my labs would have been. From everything I've seen, surgery is the only durable option. In my case, the copay is less than a single month of Wegovy, with the possibility of it lasting a lifetime, and the ability to add the GLP-1 drugs down the road if needed. Only you can decide what is right for you, but I think for most people who are at the point of qualifying for surgery, the drugs alone will not be enough, and if you lose access to them, you will most likely go back to square one with weight. Or in my case, square one plus 10 pounds.

Wegovy can help, but a lot of people, like celebs are using it for 10-20 lbs. I had lot more than that to lose, so I dumped ozempix and got surgery. Big change, but happy with it. As far as your program, you could cancel and look for more support if you don't trust this Dr and his office. But there are good programs out there. Good luck! Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk

Christmas drinks cooking yesterday. This time Brie bites. Easy to make & yummy. Quarter teaspoon grain mustard, piece of Brie, 1/2 teaspoon cranberry sauce in puff pastry, bake then sprinkle with some pieces of grilled prosciutto. Went to what is supposed to be this excellent restaurant last week. Been wanting to go for a while but thought they only had a degustation menu & recently discovered they did have a la carte. Chose John Dory fillet with beurre blanc sauce split with wasabi leaf oil & asparagus. Started off okay but am still looking for the asparagus - extremely finely diced & barely a teaspoon. Then the third slice of the fillet was super salty & couldn’t eat it. So disappointed. My friends enjoyed their meals so at least there was that. Oh & it cost $58 (about $39 US). Crazy prices here now. Last year it would have been 10-15 Aust $ less.

Have you tried things other than just walking? Like chair Tai Chi (or standing Tai Chi if your knee can handle it)? It seems gentle but it gets your heart rate up! Also, you could try just walking for 5-10 minutes at a time, a few times a day. Or whatever time feels best without stressing your knees. You can even do those walk in place videos on YouTube in your living room! I can sympathize with the knee issues, I've torn both of mine and sometimes they flat out won't cooperate! Plus I have pretty bad arthritis and fibro, so exercising for me is challenging. I have to be creative! And doing things a bit at a time is what works best for my body...

Hi there! I just signed up on this forum and have a surgery date of January 30 for gastric bypass. My sister had it done about a year and a half ago and has had great success so I decided I was ready to make some big changes in my life. im currently trying to keep my required 10-lb weight loss on the books. I officially achieved it in October and I meet with my doc each month. In November I had lost an additional half pound but ended up in the ER after my appt because I was so dehydrated from fasting to make my weight goal. So embarrassing ugh. Now, thanks to the holidays my next appt is January 2, but I’m up eight lbs and they will cancel my surgery if they see that. I have 18 days to lose that weight again and I’m scared I won’t make it. I’m mad at myself for being lax after my last weigh-in. I know that part of losing weight pre-op is to start making changes gradually but I’m struggling. I guess that’s normal for many of us. I’m really excited about getting the surgery but also a little depressed because it will force me (and is now forcing me) to completely change my relationship with food. That’s scary. But I see how happy and energetic and positive my sister is and I want that in my life too. Anyway, I didn’t mean to get depressing lol but I’m trying to be honest about my feelings which are all coming at me at the same time! Its crazy.

I was also instructed to lose 10 lbs before surgery. I did initially lose that so my surgery is scheduled for January 30. Now I have monthly appts and if I regain the weight they will postpone my surgery. I have an appt on January 2 and I have gained like eight lbs back!! I am so mad at myself because I really don’t want to postpone surgery. I still have 18 days before my appt and so I’m being super strict now. Similar to what CarmenG said earlier: two protein drinks and a Factor meal in between. it’s so hard though and I totally relate! My post-op friend said it’s much easier right after surgery because you don’t feel like eating so this pre-op weight loss might be the toughest to get through! But we can do it. I’m just trying to look forward and remind myself how much I want this change in my life. I’m so close to getting surgery, and I don’t want to push the date back. I want the surgery more than I want that (unhealthy food). Hang in there!!

December 19 almost 🫣

yes - a majority of people do have a 10-20 lb rebound gain, usually in year 3. It's not inevitable, but it does seem to happen to most of us. maintenance wasn't too hard for a year or so - but since then, it's been a challenge. I hate that I constantly have to watch everything I eat and log every morsel, but for me anyway, if I quit doing that for too long, my weight starts heading north. Everyone is going to have a range of normal (as opposed to one specific number), since weight can fluctuate up or down by a couple of lbs any given day. So give yourself an acceptable range - maybe a 5 lb range. Once you hit the top of that range (or go over It - eek!), it's all hands on deck until you get back down comfortably within range again. so a struggle, yes, but then, a lot of my never-been-obese women friends have to do the same thing. I know it's easy to think that some people can eat anything and not gain weight, but I think that's an extreme minority. I think another thing that's an adjustment is the idea of weight maintenance itself. I've spent a huge chunk of my life either gaining weight or trying to lose weight. Maintaining within a certain range was a foreign concept for me...

I have about 10 pounds to get to my goal of 150. I was curious about what maintenance looks like. I have an appointment in January to speak to my dietitian, but first-hand experience is always helpful, too. I'm worried about not being able to consume enough calories to maintain. I stopped counting and eating according to what my body is telling me (I'm losing an average of 10lbs a month.) I'm also concerned about reaching my goal weight and gaining a bit back (I've read that's a thing) Is it better to aim for under goal so if I gain it's back, it's where I want to be? Any any insight is much appreciated.

Lmao that is too funny, and thank you so much for the laugh. I needed that!! It is 10:40 pm here currently, and I was so nervous today that I only managed to gulp down one Optifast lol. Really did not feel hungry at all because I am anxious, but also so excited. Love your personality! 🥰