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Thanks. I think it may actually be more than 4500 a day. Isn’t one pound 3500 calories? I swear I read that somewhere. Not sure if it was accurate, though. But yea, it unrealistic to think when the scale goes up a couple of pounds it’s because we had one thing off plan. I think I just panicked a little because I know that I cannot maintain two or three hours or exercise a day forever so if I’m doing all of this and still not really losing then what happens if I slow down. I figured once I get to maintenance I would probably cut that slowly but probably down to half that. I mean physically I feel like I could do it forever but it’s a very big time commitment between that and the healthy meals taking more time too. Maybe I will get to where I can do like one hour of more intense exercise. And then my Yoga a couple times a week. I really like that. It is a pretty good workout for me still but I can tell it’s eventually going to be really relaxing and feel good. I think I may ask my hubby to hide the scale. Someone else on here said they did that and it seems like a pretty good idea.

I am so thrilled for your loss and the way you are feeling especially. Just try not to get too wrapped up in making a goal in two weeks. That’s a pretty short timeframe and just a one week stall could prevent you from reaching it. Even though we all know the way our bodies work, you may drop it all two days later. I like to try to predict my loss as well and I know that it has messed with my head a couple of times. Perhaps it’s just me but I get discouraged when I don’t need a goal even though it’s an imaginary one this morning. I was really expecting to drop that few pounds that I usually drop after stalling for a while and gaining a bit, well, I did not even drop one and I felt pretty bummed Until I realized it’s 6 AM and I jumped up the moment the alarm went off and got right into my walking because I was able to sleep at a reasonable hour to fall asleep easily and sleep all through the night waking up refreshed which I haven’t done in years because of all of the changes that have occurred In the last few months. That in itself is a huge win and I don’t want to lose sight of that as I try to achieve these other goals. I am looking forward to getting under 200, getting to overweight instead of obese, reaching my goal, eventually getting to a normal BMI if that’s in the cards for me, and finally reaching my secret goal. I am just really trying to figure out a way to wrap my head around the fact that even if I don’t reach my secret goal or get to a normal BMI, I am still 100 times healthier and happier than I was before. I really really really do not want to lose sight of that. I got so discouraged about 18 pounds with my sleeve that when I started gaining I think I gave up too easily. I still don’t think about the sleeve was the right surgery for me and what my body needed, but I probably could have kept some of the weight off a little longer. anyways, I am really glad that you decided to do what you thought was best for your body and that it is working for you it’s such a shame that these nutritionist are a little bit more helpful to giving more individualized plans. I am off to my surgeons office this morning, and the automated recording that called me said I was in to see the PA and not the NP that I have been seeing. I am really hoping that he gives me the same help with my food to make sure I am on track and my fitness as well. At the very least, I will find out what my labs looked like though I got an email that the results were ready four or five days ago but I decided not to even look. I figured it would only panic me trying to figure everything out on my own and with my anxiety I would’ve worked myself into something that’s not necessary. oh, and I found a local gym that has a lot of classes that look fun and when I added it up will actually be cheaper than what I’m doing now. It’s pretty tiny and when I popped in to the main gym part, it did not really seem my scene but I’m hoping that the classes are different. My friend told me that she would go to check out a class with me Saturday morning and if it seems promising, I’m going to check out a couple more this week. They have a day pass rate They don’t have yoga early in the mornings at this new place, so I probably will still take my yoga class, but even if I did both, it would still be a little less and I would have the added benefit that I could add more classes at the gym since those are unlimited. I really like to exercise every day for now. Eventually, I think I will probably give myself a free day or two, but until I feel like this is absolutely cemented in my brain as my new normal I want to just keep it up daily.

I am so thrilled for your loss and the way you are feeling especially. Just try not to get too wrapped up in making a goal in two weeks. That’s a pretty short timeframe and just a one week stall could prevent you from reaching it. Even though we all know the way our bodies work, you may drop it all two days later. I like to try to predict my loss as well and I know that it has messed with my head a couple of times. Perhaps it’s just me but I get discouraged when I don’t need a goal even though it’s an imaginary one this morning. I was really expecting to drop that few pounds that I usually drop after stalling for a while and gaining a bit, well, I did not even drop one and I felt pretty bummed Until I realized it’s 6 AM and I jumped up the moment the alarm went off and got right into my walking because I was able to sleep at a reasonable hour to fall asleep easily and sleep all through the night waking up refreshed which I haven’t done in years because of all of the changes that have occurred In the last few months. That in itself is a huge win and I don’t want to lose sight of that as I try to achieve these other goals. I am looking forward to getting under 200, getting to overweight instead of obese, reaching my goal, eventually getting to a normal BMI if that’s in the cards for me, and finally reaching my secret goal. I am just really trying to figure out a way to wrap my head around the fact that even if I don’t reach my secret goal or get to a normal BMI, I am still 100 times healthier and happier than I was before. I really really really do not want to lose sight of that. I got so discouraged about 18 pounds with my sleeve that when I started gaining I think I gave up too easily. I still don’t think about the sleeve was the right surgery for me and what my body needed, but I probably could have kept some of the weight off a little longer. anyways, I am really glad that you decided to do what you thought was best for your body and that it is working for you it’s such a shame that these nutritionist are a little bit more helpful to giving more individualized plans. I am off to my surgeons office this morning, and the automated recording that called me said I was in to see the PA and not the NP that I have been seeing. I am really hoping that he gives me the same help with my food to make sure I am on track and my fitness as well. At the very least, I will find out what my labs looked like though I got an email that the results were ready four or five days ago but I decided not to even look. I figured it would only panic me trying to figure everything out on my own and with my anxiety I would’ve worked myself into something that’s not necessary. oh, and I found a local gym that has a lot of classes that look fun and when I added it up will actually be cheaper than what I’m doing now. It’s pretty tiny and when I popped in to the main gym part, it did not really seem my scene but I’m hoping that the classes are different. My friend told me that she would go to check out a class with me Saturday morning and if it seems promising, I’m going to check out a couple more this week. They have a day pass rate They don’t have yoga early in the mornings at this new place, so I probably will still take my yoga class, but even if I did both, it would still be a little less and I would have the added benefit that I could add more classes at the gym since those are unlimited. I really like to exercise every day for now. Eventually, I think I will probably give myself a free day or two, but until I feel like this is absolutely cemented in my brain as my new normal I want to just keep it up daily.

Is cottage cheese the wrong texture for two weeks post op?

Brachioplasty girls just wanna have fun! Week four of recovery. Perfect little side pillows we devised to elevate arms for sleeping.

I had gastric bypass surgery and did everything alone. I live alone, no husband, no kids, no local family, and I didn't tell anyone other than healthcare providers that I was having surgery. I took a taxi to the hospital. Hospital policy does not allow taking taxis/rideshare or public transportation home, so I hired a home healthcare service to pick me up from the hospital (I was in for one night), take me home, and pick up my prescriptions. After that, I had no additional assistance. The most limiting thing after surgery was not lifting more than 20 pounds for (I think) the first 6 weeks, and also not bending over, like when cleaning or doing laundry, so I had to be careful with household chores, but other than that, I didn't have any problems. I went back to work (desk job) after a week and I was fine. I will say I had a very easy recovery with no immediate complications, but you won't know how your recovery will go until you get there. I would recommend to anyone without support to have a backup plan. Is there a friend or family member who could come if needed? Could you hire a home healthcare service if you needed help? Also, if there is any physical labor your normally do, like cleaning or landscaping, consider lining up someone to do that for a while.

Very frustrating but they reckon it’s normal between week 2-4

I'm norwegian, and had my surgery in Norway at the best private hospital, so I'm in good hands. I just think the procedure is different here. You are supposed to be on luquid diet for one week, then one week on pureed/soft food, then after two weeks normal food, which means you can eat anything. The guideline is to chew my food very well and eat slowly, a meal should take 20 minutes. And also the drinking-rule. We are also put on Somac after the surgery, that we have to take uptill 3 months after surgery to help with reflux. And I am in contact with my team of doctors, I just wanted to see if anyone else have experienced this.

I've often thought of moving there, or the South East coast, but the house insurance rates in Florida have made me think twice and three times about it. I've seen insurance rates as high or higher than the mortgage each month! Wowsa! I'd still love too..but dang I don't know how ppl do it.

Lately, I've been eating quite comfortably, and honestly, it's scaring me. I had a week where the scale didn’t move, and just when I started panicking, boom – down 1.7 kg the next week. But here’s the thing... every time I feel confident in my weight loss, I start getting too comfortable, and that makes me so uneasy. And the weirdest part? I’ve become a sweet girl! Like, I actually crave sugar now, which I never used to before. WHY?! 😭 There are no actual signs of regain, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be worried, right? My brain is panicking even though nothing bad is happening (yet). I have a friend who also had gastric bypass, and she keeps telling me: 👉 “Don’t worry, you will lose weight no matter what – that’s what bypass does.” But how true is this??! 😭😭 I feel like I can’t fully trust it, and I don’t want to get too relaxed and regret it later. Someone please tell me I’m not losing my mind. 😣

Today is my 1 year anniversary since surgery! It has been a wild ride! I am so glad I decided to get the surgery done. I used to get winded just walking up the stairs from my basement. Now I walk between 2-3 miles per night. Next on the agenda, possible skin removal next year and both knee replacements (holding out as long as I can). I have had continuous weight loss, however, I have stalled somewhat but still had small losses during those stalls. Keep on track and use this tool to its full advantages! I have been of Blood Pressure meds since surgery. I may not need my cpap any longer, but I haven't done another sleep study. STATS: I have lost a total of 227.2 pounds: 17.25 inches around my chest 32.5 inches around my belly button 27.25 inches around my waist 6.25 inches around my neck 4.5 inches on bicep 10 inches around my upper thigh 4.25 inches on my calf HW: 469.8 PreOp: 450.6 (19.2 pounds lost) SW: 430.8 (39 pounds lost) CW: 242.6 (227.2 pounds lost)

If you have in person support groups you may also be able to find an exercise buddy. I met a lady the other night at mine and we exchanged numbers so we can walk together if I can handle the heat. She does 5 miles a day so I won’t be able to do the whole time witb her right away but hopefully she won’t mind backtracking a bit or I can just turn back alone until I can get caught up to her distance wise. I plan to see what I actually can do to start on my own so I don’t kill myself trying to keep up with her though but wheni had the sleeve I never did exercise or go to support meetings and this time I’m three weeks out and already ordered my walking shoes. The support groups really do work.

Wow you are doing great one week out! I was one week out and couldn’t even be outside and not feeling dizzy.

It's amazing how during the week, your weight fluctuates really badly like 2kgs up but one week exactly on the official weigh in. I am 1 kg down! 96.7 kg today! I really thght my loss would've been faster like at least 2kgs a week but I'm happy! Less loose skin, more sustainable so yay

I was one of those "model patient" presenters at my clinic for the three years before COVID! I loved doing that! I had a partner - a VSG patient (I was RNY). I'd had a stricture at four weeks out - she never had any complications. I'm hoping we didn't sound too "vanilla" - but neither one of us had any issues (other than my stricture - which is a mild issue and very easily fixed). We were both super happy with our surgeries and both lost a ton of weight (she lost 100 lbs, I lost over 200). Although I think people found us entertaining (we were quite a pair!) and most groups asked us lots of questions. We always told the groups about the three-week stall (since it happens to almost everyone, and very few clinics mention it to their patients, so people freak out when it happens to them). Also told them about how we ate a month out, a few months out, a year out (our clinic's plan wasn't low-carb, like many of them are - it was balanced - although even given that, the typical eating YOUR presenter does sounds carb-heavy even to me). We mentioned how we typically eat when we're at a restaurant. Talked about the extra skin (my partner even lifted her shirt to show them her extra skin). Also talked about our experience with hair loss (since extra skin and hair loss are huge concerns among pre-ops). Also talked about constipation (we both have chronic constipation) and how we deal with it. And how we dress to "hide" all the extra skin (although I've since had mine removed). We always mentioned how most people lose their interest in food and hunger for several months after surgery, and how they should milk that for everything it's worth since it's way easier to lose weight when you don't give a flip about food. Basically stuff they likely would not have picked up during the classes they had with dietitian and the health psychologist. when I went through the classes in 2015, the presenter was kind of underwhelming, like yours. I'm sure he would have answered some of the questions we addressed when we were presenters, but he didn't, and the "students" wouldn't necessarily know enough at that point to even know what to ask. Shelli and I decide early on to talk about the issues they SHOULD ask about, but wouldn't know to. P.S. now I'm sitting her wishing I was still doing that - it was great fun! But COVID hit, so everything went online, and they didn't have the "model patient" class. Since everything is in person again, they may have some people doing it, but the two of us are pretty far out now (nine years), so they may have gotten people who had their surgeries just a year or two ago.

Here's my one-week update after making some adjustments! I've been focusing on protein-rich meals and keeping my intake under 1,000 calories, leaving a bit of room for those extra nibbles. My protein has been between 70-100 grams, and guess what, ladies? I lost 2.2 kg this week, bringing my total loss to 16 kg! I'm so thrilled—I feel leaner, lighter, and fresher, with no hunger cues at all (which feels strange, honestly). If all goes well, I’ll be out of the 90s in just two weeks, which feels like a dream come true!

You hit a stall. There's a lot of posts on here about it. They happen a lot, and it's completely normal. Some of us would gain 3-5 pounds when a stall would hit and then drop like 6-7 pounds as soon as it broke. Others would just stay at the same weight until it broke. Just ride it out, it's normal. It'll happen several more times.

Today was my one month post op appointment and I gave her my phone with the summary of all my macros for the past week since I’ve been on soft food and a “normal” portion size (3/4 cup) and told her my current steps and she was really happy. I was worried that since my stomach was not operated on and I can tolerate foods and the larger portion of the range that I was eating too much for a month out and she said that with my level of activity I actually need to increase my protein a bit and the carbs as well and that my calories were fine to go up with that. She said that my loss is excellent and to keep doing what I’m doing just to increase my protein to 90g. She even said that I can add more veggies and some other foods as tolerated. I was worried about trying like asparagus and corn or rice paper (I’ve been craving spring rolls since I seen a recipe while on purée). I had already done my grocery order for this week and was going after there to pick it up so I added them rice papers to my cart for next weeks grocery run. I went ahead and scheduled my appointment for next month but she said that if I am still doing this well I can reschedule to my three month for my labs. I’m pretty excited! I did not feel like this after my sleeve. I feel like I have a handle on this, I am actually enjoying the healthier foods and the exercise. My energy's and my mood have improved tremendously. .

That's a great suggestion! I'm actually starting to feel hungry again (5 weeks post op now) so I need to nip this behaviour in the bud now.

My husband a type 2 diabetic also tried Ozempic for 6 months. He never lost a pound. This time around hes been on Mounjaro and hes flying with it. He is loosing 3lbs a week and has lost 28lbs all together. Find the right one for you and as you say these drugs are amazing. I hope he can loose another 28.

I'm still evaluating my options (Keep dieting with my RD exericing with my trainer and Zepboundng, Endoscopic Gastroplasty, SG, RNY). I've met with two different medical teams, and my RD. I'm in one surgical in take program. Nevertheless, while I continue to research procedures, I wanted to ask about something that I won't be in any study. Is going through a bariatric procedure something people can do w/o support or consistent support. I have to plan to be on my own. How fragile are people after these procedures? How much help do people typically need? Can these procedures be done completely alone aftercare? Alone as in no one is available to help. Is it safe to be alone days weeks after the procedures?

LOL! Mine are mostly grey now as well & have to get them dyed every 4 weeks too. I supposedly have a little scar tissue on the inner of my brows - deep, can’t see or feel anything. That’s the only ‘issue’ I’ve had and it doesn’t hinder the annual touchups I get. Find a reputable technician. I had a 30 min consultation where she went over everything, asked about allergies, experiences with other dyes, etc. & then I made the appointment to proceed after that. I’m given an antiseptic cream to apply twice daily for a week after. It dues bring tears to my eyes when I have it done even with a prescription strength topical anaesthetic.

I had my sleeve done by Dr. John Rabkin at St. Mary's (he also works out of California Pacific.) I was in LA at the time, but the Rabkins had more experience with the sleeve than anyone down there (they had been doing them as part of the DS for around twenty years then.) Other names to look into are Dr. Gregg Jossart and Dr. Paul Cirangle. Jossart did his DS residency with the Rabkins and Cirangle seems to have specialized with the sleeve. I like that all three are DS qualified, even if one is not particularly interested in that procedure, since owing to its technical challenges, only the better qualified surgeons perform it routinely. And, as it is based upon the sleeve, it means that the DS guys tend to have more sleeve experience than others. Also, while they are all fully capable of doing bypasses, they generally don't do them as a default, reserving them only for those patients have a particular need for it. If one has any liver related comorbidities (not uncommon in the obese population,) Rabkin would be the choice as he is also a liver guy, doing biliopancreatic transplants in his "spare" time. The other thing that I liked with the Rabkins is that their whole process is pretty straightforward - no extensive pre-op diets (other than the usual day before thing,) and a fairly rapid post op progression, as tolerated. Good luck in getting through all of this!

I used to be like this back in my fertile years (😉). I craved carbs and could eat a loaf of bread in one day. Sandwich after sandwich. I had to consciously stop myself. About year 2 after my surgery, & well into menopause, I’d get these random days where that carb craving for bread would hit me. I couldn’t do anything about it because bread sits so heavily in my tummy so I avoid it & I never buy it. Thank goodness there wasn’t any in my house. I doubt foamies or my restriction would have stopped me. LOL! You joining the hysterectomy club @Starwarsandcupcakes? I’m three weeks out since mine. Yesterday I was feeling pretty good. Even went to the theatre to see a contemporary dance production but today I’m wiped out. Even chose an afternoon session so I could have a little nap before I went. Also had a fun experience with alcohol hitting hard. Drank almost a 1/2 glass of Prosecco and as I took it into the theatre it hit me. Woozily climbed the steep stairs to my seat. Sat with a thump. The stage was moving (it wasn’t) then the electronic music began and lighting effects. OMG! It was not pleasant. Felt like I’d quickly downed a bottle & not sipped a bare 1/2 glass. Damn cheap theatre alcohol!

Hey March buddies, Just checking on y’all. Hope everyone’s journey has been going smoothly. I will admit that I have been struggling to get both the recommended amount of protein AND water down each day. It feels like I have to choose one or the other, because there doesn’t seem to be adequate time to fit both. I’ve been prioritizing the protein, but I have my checkup with my surgeon in a couple weeks and hopefully they’ll have some tips. I’ve been lucky, I haven’t experienced dumping at all yet. I’m not a huge sweets person, but even when I’ve had dessert, I was okay. My stomach did not approve of fresh corn the last time I tried it, but that’s been the only thing to give me an issue. Popcorn at a movie was fine. My hair has thinned dramatically, and I’m praying it comes back. I already have alopecia and was prepared for this to happen—I’ve been wearing wigs all summer, but I miss my hair and I’m trying not to worry, but it’s hard. I’m down 65 pounds, but I’ve been in a stall for the last 3-4 weeks. I’m going to try to get up earlier to get more water in and I’m starting to weight train in the gym, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while but just felt super self-conscious. Just gonna pull up my big girl panties and get to it. Hang in there, friends. Even with the challenges, I wouldn’t go back to what was before. I’m excited for a season change and for the weather to be cooler so that I can walk outside a little more. Sending good vibes to all of you!