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After waiting an eternity for my therapist office to fax over my notes, my psych eval was cleared they sent my file to my insurance. It was approved within 24 hours. I honestly think it’s because I’m on year 3 of monthly visits to the weight management place here in town and I’ve been on medication to help with my weight loss for about 1.5 years. My next step is pre-op testing.

Life has been nuts the past couple months but I do periodically stalk the pages to get ideas. This was last night’s dinner- espresso bbq roasted chicken thighs, coleslaw, broccoli watermelon, and loaded mashed potatoes. (Chicken thighs marinated in buttermilk, KC bbq rub and espresso rub then topped with more of each and baked at 450F for 35ish minutes)- I’m not currently counting calories as I’m doing cardiac rehab 3 days a week and have lost 25lbs since I’ve had heart surgery that I had gained beforehand (stupid fatigue). Also, went to the museum with my youngest on a field trip today and we grabbed ice cream to share. This is the after from both of us eating it.

I can relate to the acid reflux issue due to having a hiatal hernia too. I was daily suffering with it for years until WLS. My stomach was also pushed up through my diaphragm. Docs found the hernia during pre-op testing and repaired it the same day as my RNY. I think your doctor was hoping by fixing your hernia, it might take care of your reflux along with you losing the abdominal weight from the sleeve surgery. I also carried the majority of my excess weight around my midsection and was told that my reflux was because excess fat was pushing food back up into my esophagus. That was before they discovered I had the hernia. But both problems contributed. After losing over 100 pounds, I'm finding that even though I am losing weight all over, my stomach is still the last place it is coming off. Very frustrating but I still have 40 lbs. to lose. And that's where it is sitting. I chalk it up to genetics. Sadly, the hernia repair didn't take care of your reflux and the sleeve is notorious for causing it. Even in those that never had it. One of the reasons I opted for the bypass and haven't had reflux since. As for your weight loss stall, maybe try backing off from hard workouts unless you are getting an adequate days rest in between. Increased levels of cortisol can cause abdominal weight gain. I lost all my weight from leisurely walking outdoors 2-3 miles 5-6xs a week.. GL. Your pics look great.

I do both everyday lol I walk outside on my lunch break then I do weight training at the gym or at home, Best of both worlds!

I think everyone does in some form. Doesn’t mean it will happen though. Yes, a bounce back regain of 10-20lbs is a real possibility but it doesn’t happen to everyone. Whether you regain or not I think depends on a number of factors. Some you can control & manage & some you can’t. Complacency - letting the new good eating habits slide. Not dealing with emotional & psychological issues behind your eating habits. Health & medications - some medications are renown for increasing your appetite or a health situation may arise that limits you in some way. Unsustainable way of eating to maintain - too restrictive & stops you from enjoying & living your life as you want. Life - sometimes throws crap at you & good intentions are the first to go. Commitment - accepting the changes you make have to be forever. I had 40 years of losing & gaining weight. Every diet, dieticians, medications, exercise plans, you name it I did it. I’d stick to it, lose weight & as soon as I stopped I would start regaining again almost immediately. Simply because I went back to eating the exact same way as I did before. I had a low & a high weight I bounced between until the last 4 or so years & my weight exploded. Nothing worked then so surgery was my only solution. Am nearing 5 years & have basically maintained my initial stabilised low weight. Never have been able to keep weight off like this ever. I had a medication glitch but we sorted that & I lost the 5ish lbs I’d gained without doing anything. I work at it every day. I established a way of eating that was sustainable & works for me, my needs & my life. Same with my activity. Don’t exercise as such just do four x 5 minute sessions of resistance bands & stretches 6 days a week - wouldn't burn 20 calories. I’m okay with that because it works for me & I’m happy to do it You have to be mentally ready for this because that’s where a lot of the battle is. Sure the surgery gives you some tools, but for me, the time it gave me while those tools were at their most effective was the biggest win. It was when I examined my relationship with food (the why, what & when I ate) & worked out what I needed to do make be the most successful. I wouldn’t stress about something that may happen because it simply may not. Just be aware of it. You never know what the future will bring & you’ll have built a wealth of knowledge & strategies & have a support team (doctor, dietician, therapist) to help you get on top of it. All the best.

I have lost 122lbs as of this morning whoop whoop!! I have a size 8 not sure what size I have now but I have big hands lol Even my sister who is much smaller than and doesn't have weight problems has thicker fingers. Its our Irish curse in our family. Big calves and fingers LOL so even though I am working on my weight being stabilized I am not sure if my ring will reduce in size either. Perhaps I wait 6 more months and just do spacers.

It's hard when it comes from family members, but I think its inevitable because every family and circle of friends has "that a**h***". If they're the kind of person the judge someone for the weight loss, they were already judging before the weight loss. Take pride in knowing that you live rent free in their head tormenting them As for you, just keep up the good work! People who haven't experienced it don't realize the work that is still required, nor the pain/discomfort that is experienced in the weight loss surgery process. Especially for people who's metabolism is just naturally geared toward not eating much or staying small. To them, they falsely believe that since it is so hard for them to gain weight by forcing themselves to eat more, then you must have voluntarily forced yourself to be overweight. They don't realize how foolish that concept sounds because they've never walked in your shoes. If they don't choose to make the effort to understand, they never will. It is hard brushing it off from people that are close, but as I mentioned earlier about living rent free in others' minds, don't let them dwell in your head. Evict them and go on about your day!

**Trigger warning: domestic abuse** My name is Georgia, I am 27, and I have been 'bigger' for my entire adult life, and a lot of my childhood too. I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) insulin resistant type, and an Underactive Thyroid, both of which cause me to put on weight quickly, retain weight, and makes losing weight extremely difficult. I can't even remember the countless amounts of fad diets I have been on, or the amount of times I have tried to lose weight, but failed again and again. When I was 18 I was going to the gym 5-6 times a week for over an hour, I was doing HIIT training and Tai Chi, and I was jogging, eating well etc, but I still only managed to lose 2 stone in a year - make it make sense! I didn't know back then that I had underlying conditions that made it hard for me to lose weight, so I internalised a lot of the guilt in not being able to get healthy, and it resulted in me putting on around 6 stone from then until now. I was also a victim of domestic abuse/violence, and a lot of the verbal abuse that I suffered was centred around my weight - constantly being told by my ex-partner that I was fat, he would pinch my thighs, tummy, arms etc, telling me he was seeing how many inches I could lose. It completely broke me, and I started binge eating in secret. He ended up leaving me, telling me that he could no longer be with me due to my weight and how it made me sexually unattractive. I think I am probably just over 20 stone now. My back hurts when I walk, I cannot look in any mirrors without feeling low, I don't feel comfortable going out in public, and I am exhausted all the time. Every time I went to my GP about something, I was always told I needed to lose weight, as if it were a miracle cure and so simple to do just by trying hard enough. It was always blamed on me not putting in enough effort - and those in the UK will know that the NHS isn't a simple thing to navigate and the waiting lists for obesity support are long and often disheartening. Around 2 years ago I was put on a waiting list for weight loss management with the NHS. I was finally accepted in September of 2023. This is a year long commitment to the weight loss management pathway (Tier 3), in which you have to lose 5% of your weight in order to then be put on to another waiting list for a referral for the actual WLS (Tier 4). I have been told that this can take a further 4-6 years. I had a harrowing thought that by the time my WLS actually came around, I'd be well into my 30s, still desperately unhappy with myself, and I would have put on even more weight and probably be immobile. I can no longer do this to myself. I deserve better. I made the decision to look into private weight loss surgery, and I had a free consultation with a recommended surgeon just before Christmas 2023. This was genuinely the first time that a medical professional sat me down and talked to me with some humanity about my weight. He told me that with my conditions (particularly the insulin resistance, and hormonal imbalance), that my metabolic rate needed an entire reset, and this was not possible to do without surgical intervention. He explained that the difficulties I have had in trying to lose weight and being unable to, are not my fault (though of course I accept responsibility that getting here in the first place is my fault), and that surgery is recommended as perhaps the only thing that will enable me to lose the weight. I have never felt so seen, and so heard. I booked in my surgery for May 2024 there and then. So, now I start my journey, and I was looking for support, and here I am. I look forward to posting on here and using this thread to update everyone once I have had my surgery! I am quite an open and honest person, so if anyone wants to reach out to talk, my inbox is open

Makes sense but my doctor told me two years ago that if I lost any more muscle I would be in danger of a heart attack. And I'm 39 and working out has helped me I've gained muscle but I'm just worried I'm not eating enough or slightly under eating because once I'm average once I have a normal muscle ratio I'll be happy to maintain but right now I'm still very close to the danger zone so... 🤔 Well hopefully I'll get more replies because I would like to hear from someone else who's gained muscle.. Like I said I spent a year and a half recovering in bed and lost as lot of muscle. I even have it recorded the drop in muscle so it's very real.. I must make that muscle back I'm just curious if anyone thinks enzymes must help and be the answer maybe I need to gain ten pounds of fat to give by body something to work with... I dunno maybe there's no hope but as at age 50 I can expect to lose muscle I have 9 years to gain like ten pounds of muscle. I must gain muscle... Again thank you for your response

I’m year 3 years post op Bypass and I gained 15 pounds It’s been difficult to accept, but it’s common. I can eat more, my appetite has come back and I had to do a liquid reset (protein) to turn the head hunger off. It works for me to do a liquid reset, weight loss pills (phentremine) did not work. I’m also strength training high impact Krav Maga 4 hours weekly. Not giving up, just accepting this part of the journey and resetting to continue reaching my goals. I’d like 10 lbs back off :)

I’m year 3 years post op Bypass and I gained 15 pounds It’s been difficult to accept, but it’s common. I can eat more, my appetite has come back and I had to do a liquid reset (protein) to turn the head hunger off. It works for me to do a liquid reset, weight loss pills (phentremine) did not work. I’m also strength training high impact Krav Maga 4 hours weekly. Not giving up, just accepting this part of the journey and resetting to continue reaching my goals. I’d like 10 lbs back off :)

Morning all ( well it's the morning here)! I weight in (officially) every Friday (In truth I have issues avoiding jumping on the scales every day) I'm 5 weeks post-op today. ⁠Opération day weight 91.1kg ( 200.5 lbs - 14 stone 4 and a half) •⁠ ⁠⁠Current weight 80.9kg ( 178 lbs - 12 stone 10 and a half) •⁠ ⁠⁠Weight Lost 10.2kg or 11.19% of starting weight ( 22.5 lbs 1 stone 8 and a half ) •⁠ ⁠⁠Starting BMI 32.65 •⁠ ⁠⁠Current BMI 29.1 So my stall has well and truly broken and I think I'm on the right path!

I absolutely LOVE to pull out my historical spreadsheets! thanks for giving me an excuse to do so!!! 1. Pre op weight, BMI or measurements 2. Surgery type VSG (Sleeve) October 24, 2018 3. Lowest post op weight, BMI or measurements and when it occurred 4. Maintenance weight, BMI or measurements and when it occurred Stabilized at about 115 lbs (BMI 21) around June 2020 and stayed that way for about a year or so. Unfortunately i don't have measurements for that time but i think they were similar to my lowest post op weight above. 5. Bounces (up or down) in weight, BMI or measurements and when they occurred around year 3 i averaged closer to 120 lbs (but rarely ever above 120), and have stayed that way until today (almost 6 yrs post op). This morning I weighed in at 119.4 lbs. 6. Methods used to maintain and what has/has not worked i track my food intake almost daily i weigh myself daily when i have access to scale (i also take my measurements once a month) i engage in regular exercise. i try to NOT eat to fullness (don't always succeed) if i want to eat something, i do, but i generally limit it to tastes/bites, vs full on meals. i generally ONLY eat things i really want to, and skip the stuff i deem "not worth it", as i consider it a waste of valuable stomach real estate. 7. How your life has changed (losing vs maintaining perspective) i eat carbs now lol (i avoided them like the plague during weight loss phase, and a year or so afterwards). its been a while for me know and i do notice that i am not as worried as i used to be about regaining weight. i think i've learned to trust myself in that i can make good decisions about my health and weight maintenance, and that i know i am flexible/resourceful/confident enough to make changes and adjustments WHEN things change. i guess that is it really, i am exponentially more confident than i was before: in terms of decision making, self-image, relationships, dealing with stress, all of it. I am so much more CHILL. Life is really good (plus im super HAWT, lol) 8. Words of wisdom/cautionary tales/stories of beating the odds Don't give into the angst. Don't try to do stuff that is beyond your abilities or desire. Don't compare yourself to others. Exercise. Drink water, Wear sunscreen.

You look great! Won't be long you will be at your goal weight. Have a safe trip home.

Don't compare your weight loss to anyone else's. That way is only misery. Trust your team and the process. Stick to their regime. It works. The weight you have lost is fantastic and above average. I lost 15lbs. Mahoosive round of applause coming your way. This time next year you will be amazed how much you have lost.

Noted! corrected your 3 month weight to 189

I'm also one of the few who has lost more weight than expected. I had several medical issues that led to it, before the weight. So now that those are fixed, I'm healthier. The avg is 50%, lot less, and a lot slower. Don't go by us exceptions. I still have minor issues but it wasn't what it was.

As all above 100%. Your medical team may track what you’ve lost since surgery but how you look at it is your choice. To me, it doesn’t matter that some weight was lost before surgery & some after. You’ve still lost all that weight & that’s amazing. Congratulations.

I should have said immediately after losing a lot of excess weight vs when your weight settles. I think immediately post WLS my skin was thinner (in certain areas) but over time it feels thicker again.

I say any kind of water exercise and also riding the exercise bike. My brother has severe knee and hip issues and wears 1 1/2 pound ankle weights all day. He doesn't specifically go on walks with them, just wears them throughout the day and not only has he lost some weight with them, he's also built up a little bit of leg muscle and his joints are slowly getting stronger. He said it doesn't take a lot of weight to do the trick, just a smaller amount of weight over a longer amount of time. He said his joints don't hurt at the end of the day, but his legs are tired and feel like they got a decent work out.

I was almost 55 when I had my surgery (gastric bypass). I just turned 56. I have lost 103 pounds. I have about 35-40 to go. I slowed way down right before my 1 year anniversary. But, I haven’t gained any. Which is good considering I can’t stay away from sugar.

The pre-op diet is specifically designed to be very short term and to drop a good amount of weight to make the surgery safer. There's no way it can, or should, be sustained long term. If you're having the surgery because you haven't been able to lose, or keep off, weight successfully in the past, then that isn't likely to change just because the pre-op diet was temporarily successful. But if you're having doubts, more than just normal pre-surgery jitters, than definitely rethink the surgery. It's life changing. And A LOT of changes will have to be made in order for it to be successful. If you don't think that's something you're ready for, don't do it.

Our bodies tend to retain fluids when rapid weight loss occurs, and can hang on to it for a few weeks until it knows everything is ok, and it can resume with the weight loss. Any IV's can also add to the fluid retention you're currently experiencing, which makes it easy to gain for a week or so, but its just water/fluids, and not fat, which is what you really want to lose. You can still be burning away the fat during this phase despite the scale saying otherwise. Also as you go further on your weight loss journey, you'll gain more muscle mass from working out more, and muscle is roughly 1.5x the weight of fat. So if you're doing significantly more walking and/or lifting weights, that will offset the scale losses, but you're becoming much healthier in the process.

Weight-wise we started out about the same, and I'd lost 75 lbs by the six-month mark, so you are doing fine. And it's very normal to drop down to a 1-2 lb a week loss when you're six months out. Just continue to stick to your clinic's plan, and the weight WILL come off. It took me almost two years, but I got it all off (I've had about a 20 lb rebound gain since I hit my lowest weight, which is very common during year 3 - it's your body settling in to a weight it's comfortable at). as far as calories go, that varies so much for everyone that I can't really say if your input is too high or too low. I think I was eating around 800 calories a day at that point, and I used to fret about that because I'd see people on here eating 600-ish. But they could have been shorter, older, less muscular, and/or less active than me, too. As long as your weight is in a general downward trend, I wouldn't worry about it. Some surgeons want their patients eating more calories in general than other surgeons, so the amount you're taking in isn't anything unusual keep in mind that the closer you get to goal, the slower those pounds are going to come off. During year two, there were months I was only losing a pound or two the entire month. But I was persistent and they DID come off.

Hey, sorry for the late reply. I got the sleeve and my goal weight is 170-175, but I'm currently at 155. And to be quite honest, I'm hoping to add more weight so I can reach back to 170-175.