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Hey guys, How is everyone coping with life after being sleeved? I am doing a lot better than I was a few weeks ago but I still have a long way to go! My surgical wound that would not heal had to be packed by the nurses for a month. I'm 10 weeks post op and it has finally closed but it seemed to take forever! The head hunger is very up and down for me and torturous at times.... but I am starting to learn new things about myself when it happens. I am still very much navigating my way through dealing with it, I have good days and bad days depending on what's going on in my life. Depression is definitely a thing for me, I am very up and down. I have suffered with it on and off my whole life and at times I feel so lost. I am snappy with my poor hubbie and I am forever apologising to him. I have times where I feel as though I am crawling around on my hands and knees in the dark searching for the light switch that never seems to appear. I am distant at times even from my family but I don't want to be alone, probably because I don't wanna sit with my thoughts because I can't deal with them. I notice that when I am feeling low the obsessive food thoughts creep in to torture me. I am starting to look into getting some therapy for this, it may help. Anyway enough about me tell me about how you are doing! How much weight have you lost, how are you coping with your new lifestyle and please show us some progress pics! xx

I didn't really get a lot of guidance other then 2 weeks liquid. 2 weeks purée 2 week soft than normal. I think I'm going to try smaller portions of purée

Sorry you're having trouble sleeping. I know that's just making recovery harder. You probably already know this, but here's the thing: being stressed out about not sleeping can just keep you from sleeping. The first step in getting past that is just to release yourself mentally from the stress/insomnia cycle. What I mean is that you have to acknowledge that you just had major surgery. Coupled with massive dietary changes and you are going through an incredibly stressful time right now. It's normal when stressed to struggle with sleep, so the best possible thing you can do is simply acknowledge that sleep may be difficult for a while and it's okay. I would also say do whatever you need to do to get control of your pain levels. You may need to try changing out your pain meds, or consider changing where/how you sleep. As an example, even though I'm normally a stomach/side sleeper, I slept on my back in a recliner for the first couple of weeks simply because it was less painful. Finally, I'd recommend researching good sleep hygiene and implementing as many of those recommendations as possible. Right now, you need all the tips and tricks you can get. Good luck.

Your body is still swollen from the surgery, it is in recovery, be patient. Your weight will come off, you need to let your body heal, it has only been about 1 week, once it heals, it will be easier for your body to adjust if you did not obsess and keep weighing yourself. This surgery is a tool, not an easy way out. Walking is good, keep it up. If you keep going and pushing yourself, you'll go farther. Think about joining a support group like Barination or Unjury, to learn about the new you and what to expect. Don't be so frustrated yet, you will lose eventually. You want to lose weight for good, and healthy lifestyle habits are important to learn if you haven't learned them yet.

2 weeks before my sleeve and I'm pregnant. Birth control fail. I cannot believe my life right now. All that work and testing for nothing. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Brachioplasty six weeks out now. Still putting silicon gel on incisions BUT started wearing these compression sleeves last week that really help sequester the pain especially in the daytime. The throbbing, burning and uncomfortableness are still there - but the compression helps numb the intensity. Many surgeons do not use them for this procedure since they can open up the sutures. I waited 4 ½ weeks for them to heal better before I sleeved. Keeping busy with light housework, cooking, holiday cards, planning for holidays and the 30th anniversary gala for Spring 2025! It will be fabulous, and really planning something special for hubby after his patience, loyal loving care in this 2019 - 2024 weight loss journey + saga now with the arms! Like SSS, by far the worst. I do not take any meds all day accept for Arnica, then a Tramadol at night to sleep. I definitely think I will be an 8 - 10 week heal time girl.

HOW Long does this thirst thing last???? So 3ed week after total gastrectomy, similer to bariatric surgery; but the whole stomachs out. My body is telling me thirsty All the time, it lessens when i eat something but i am going insande. I will try popsicles and ice.

Do you mean SADI? Or is SASI another newer surgery? I had a sleeve revision to SADI and they warned me that diarrhea would be an issue for the first three or so months. For me I haven’t had this issue. Some days my stool is loose but it’s only once a day. I have been eating extremely clean though so perhaps that’s part of it. I would keep a log of what you’re eating and when it is happening and get with your team. You may have developed an allergy to something. That’s not at all uncommon.

I needed to hear this today! I'm losing around 3 lbs a week since sleeve was done Dec. 2. But went out of town to see my mom and sibs and drank her sweet tea and ate nibbles of things I normally don't now and I'm up in weight. Was 204.2 and now I'm 206.2. (On my phone right now but will change my ticker soon! 206 is better than 215! Lol!) Frustrating! I didn't eat much as I still feel extremely restricted but I think the sugar must cause inflammation and salt always makes me hold water weight. So I'm happy to be back home and working a lot and eating my grapefruit, cucumbers and protein shake, etc. daily. Hopefully I can begin going back down this week. So close to Onederland! Thanks for sharing this. Goes to show just how fast it CAN come back on us. I've lost and gained lots over the years. Hoping this surgery was the tool I needed to help me get my weight down and keep it there. At this point I'd be thrilled just to get to and stay at 199 forever. LOL! But my goal is much lower. But once I get into the 100s I know I always FEEL better. So I'm looking forward to that milestone!

I got mine and I didn’t weigh it but it comes with the batteries separate (not installed). I wonder if that’s the difference. Just three AAA’s though.

I LOVE that you're losing at a sustainable rate. There is so much data to suggest that crash diets almost never work, so losing ~1-3% of your total body weight per month is the sweet spot. I'd take it even further and say 1-2%, which is right where you're at. If I could give advice to anyone either trying to maintain after initial weight loss, or fighting regain like you are, it would be threefold: Focus more initially on learning to eat a healthy diet and less on the weight loss itself. People that follow the fad diet du jour when losing weight almost always regain because they very quickly go back to their old eating habits. If instead you focus on first learning to eat like a normal weight person that eats a healthy diet, you'll be setup for real success. Many people find that if they do this first, they don't really have to "diet" because their bodies actually start to self-regulate calories. Part of this is because when we eat a wide variety of foods that are nutrient rich, our bodies don't fire off signals to eat more. If that doesn't happen for you, there are strategies to slowly reduce intake while still maintaining your healthy diet. The second thing is to focus on instituting a regular physical activity routine. I feel like way too many people skip this, but the data is clear: up to 90% of people that have lost a lot of weight and successfully kept it off for years do a lot of exercise. In fact, the average for those successful losers is ~1 hour per day on most days of the week (roughly 300+ minutes a week.) This is twice the minimum recommended amount to stay healthy, and twice what someone needs that was never significantly overweight. I want to be clear, this is not really a huge factor in weight loss, but in weight maintenance, it's critical. Finally, focus on behavioral modification. Let's be honest. Most of us got as big as we did because we had an unhealthy relationship with food. We may never actually "cure" ourselves of that, but we can learn to fight back. Probably the best thing to do is work with a therapist that specializes in behavior modification, especially regarding weight. I realize this is not an option for everyone due to cost or availability, but there are also lots of good resources available online. Anyway, best of luck and keep up the good work!

Anyone have a trick to detoxing from carbs. I swear they are like a drug to me and I have a little bit of processed carbs and I crave them for weeks. I will do it somehow but it’s not easy for me. I can do healthy carbs without issues. It the processed ones that I’m addicted to.

Things absolutely do slow down, for the reasons the others have said. I lost almost 10 stones with my sleeve, half my starting weight. 9 stones of that was in the first year post op (with many stalls towards the end that made me think I was done) and 1 stone was in the subsequent 9 or 10 months. In the last few months I was honestly losing half a pound a month or less. It's fascinating looking back. The concept I am most happy to have learned on this board is that of a new set point. Once I knew that our bodies can decide early after surgery what weight it now wants to maintain, I felt less like the driver and more like a passenger who could sit back and just enjoy the ride. No actually - not quite sit back - follow the rules strictly to enable the smooth journey to my new set point. Mine ended up a bit lower than my 'goal' (plucked out of thin air) weight. Lots of people's seem to end up much higher. All of this is fine if we can make our peace with it. I get the feeling you have much more to squeeze out of your procedure @Bypass2Freedom. I do understand the frustration when you're following the rules to the letter but not losing. It's steps and stairs always - never a linear loss (well not for me). You're doing this.

Hello, I just started Mounjaro!! I'm on Week 3 of 2.5mg and the appetite suppression is no joke! My doctor put me on this after stalling out at 80 pounds lost post op. Surgery March 2021, stopped losing March 2022 (but haven't gained). I'd like to hear about anyone else's experience so far, the weight loss has been slow, but I'm hopefully because the scale is finally moving again!!

Just an update. I will be three weeks out tomorrow and I of course had to move it to the drivers side but I am still using this pillow. It helps keep it from running at this point and i hope that I don’t have to slam on the brakes but if I do I hope it helps some. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Most likely it’s because your body is detoxing from carbs and it’s screaming for more. Once your body is rid of them the cravings will subside and it’s actually a great deal easier. For me it’s usually almost a week before the cravings are completely gone but they get a little less with every day. For future reference too if you are like me the natural carbs like fruit and veggies don’t cause me issues or even a very small portion or brown pasta or rice, but processed carbs I have to be VERY careful with. One cookie and my body wants more. Two cookies and I’m craving carbs for a week. You can do this and it will get easier each day and even easier post surgery when your appetite is gone. If I’m busy now, I even forget to eat lunch on occasion if I’m out and i have to stay up late to have a second dinner to get all my protein and vitamins in. Soooo many people say that that preop is the hardest part of the whole process mentally. Just keep your eye on the prize. You can do this. ❤️

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

I'm glad I got, but it was tener for a few weeks. After that, I just got used to sleeping on my back. It became a habit.

Hi everyone! I have my surgery date scheduled for the 16th of March 2024. Due to a high BMI of 61 I have to do 4 weeks of the liver shrinkage diet. I started on Friday the 16th and I'm really struggling. I'm on total meal replacement shakes x 3 daily with just sugar free squash and water to drink alongside these. My total intake per day is 800 calories or less. How did you guys do it? I know I HAVE to do it, but it's so hard. I cry daily because I'm hungry and I want food. My stomach constantly growls, my stomach hurts and the shakes never feel like they satisfy any of that hunger. My partner is so supportive, he eats away from me and hides food so I don't feel any further distress and jealousy. I know why I'm doing this but I don't know how I'm expected to do this for a whole 4 weeks. Any advice or support is welcome. If anyone is doing the same atm for their March surgery please let me know, maybe we can buddy up! Thank you all ❤️ xKirstenx

I feel your pain! I have been lowering my dose from 150mg down by 50 each week to this week where i stopped taking it due to the same reasons you stated. I just can’t stand it now but i really do need it. It’s a struggle. I tried capulets to sprinkle but it’s the same as tablets. Asking dr for liquid later today but I’ve been totally off of it for 5 days and withdraw symptoms are as real as when i started taking it years ago. GB was on 10/31 and between this and the horrible air bubbles when i try to eat or drink anything that cause pain and make me never want to eat again, i am not a happy camper.

Small changes for the win every time! Small changes are always much easier to adapt to and adopt. It might take longer but it’s more likely to stick in the long term. Track your eating and drinking for a week or so. Over time it’s easy to become complacent and let things slide a little in regards to food choices, portion sizes &/or frequency of eating and activity. Then choose which one or two you’ll focus on changing first. Remember to hit those old goals. Get your protein in first, then vegetables, some fruit and some whole or multi grain carbs last of all. Ensure you’re getting in your water. I’ve put on a small amount this year after a hysterectomy. We’re still trying to sort out my hormones but it’s been an emotional time not helped by experiencing full on menopausal symptoms (after managing them for years) plus cravings, food noise, bloating, headaches, … even acne. My weight had been stable until this & my routines were deeply embedded.i felt in control for the first time ever so the weight gain was difficult to understand & messed with me. But life does throw crap at us at times. I’ve dropped a snack, reduced my portions a little, added a couple more stretches and movements to my non exercise activity routine. Deciding what I might change next. All the best.

I just checked and at 2 months, I was down 20.6 lbs from the day of surgery. There's really not a hard and fast rule for how much you'll lose. Everyone is different and it depends on your starting point and how much you lost pre-op, too. I had some months when I lost a lot and other months where I hardly lost anything, but overall it moved steadily downward. My weight loss has stalled for the past month or so, now that I am more than a year out. The only guidelines I was given was 60g minimum of protein per day and 64oz water. I am now almost 14 months post-op and I've gone from 225 lbs on surgery day (251 was my highest, which was 6 months pre-op) to anywhere from 162-165lbs. My exercise consists of walking and that's it. I'd like to lose another 10 lbs but I'm also pretty fine with where I am as long as I don't gain (which is why I do hope to lose a bit more). I've gone from a size 22 to a size 12. I think I could still lose a bit more if I focused on cutting out some bad habits that have crept in with sweets/simple carbs, and if I increased my daily exercise to something a little more challenging than a walk. I don't count calories and I don't really track macros at this point, either. I just try to eat reasonable meals that focus on protein and veggies, and not snack too much or eat junk food too often. A typical day is either spinach frittata, Kodiak protein oatmeal, or a Greek yogurt for breakfast, plus a serving of mixed fruit (strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, grapes. Lunch is a good size spinach salad with 3oz chicken and some black beans. Dinner might be a bowl of homemade chicken, bean, and veggie soup, chili, or maybe some grilled meat and veggies. Sometimes I eat chickpea pasta with marinara and meatballs but other types of pasta and breads don't settle well. For snacks, I like string cheese and an apple, or some mixed nuts or roasted edamame. I have to be careful of overindulging in things like popcorn, candy, and cookies because they are too easy to eat without getting full (and sadly I don't get dumping from them). Red meat fills me up very quickly. The hardest thing for me now is dealing with the head hunger that makes me want to reach for food if I am bored or stressed. Getting the stuff out of the house completely is the only strategy that really works for me with that. My only real advice is don't drive yourself crazy. Just do your best each day and pay attention to your body. That's more important than counting calories. You're not on a diet! You need to figure out what you can sustain for the rest of your life, while paying attention now to the basics (protein and water, plus vitamins) to keep up your health.

I flew to Turkey for my procedure and I honestly don't know that it could have gone any smoother. The hospital in Istanbul was the nicest hospital I've ever seen and everyone was so incredible thorough. I am going on my 5th day post op mini-bypass and I was able to walk three miles yesterday. Going to see the Hagia Sophia today. So far, my only regret is that I wish I made the decision sooner. On another note, I didn't expect to feel hungry and crave food so quickly. Has anyone else experienced that?

I sort of think of it as 2 to 3 "rest" days, because that's how many days I don't run. While my lifting is still a good workout, I don't really accumulate a lot of systemic fatigue from it. Keep in mind too that I take a deload week about every 4th week. In those, I drop down ~25%-30% in mileage and typically also don't do any lifting. That means I truly do have 3 full rest days during those weeks. As far as how long my long runs take, It obviously depends on the overall length, the terrain, and the pace I run it at. This can vary as my fitness changes. but also varies based on the weather and how I'm feeling that day. Right now, they probably last around 1.5 to 2 hours, but I have done a few that were in the 2.5 hour range. I would typically advise folks that are training for a first half marathon to work up to long runs that will take about the same amount of time as they expect it will take them to complete the race. In other words, if you expect to be about a 2 hour HM runner, then you should be doing long runs leading up to that of about 2 hours. It will obviously be a shorter distance because you'll be running slower, but for this, it's time on feet that really makes the difference. For someone training for a marathon, it may not make sense to try the same thing unless you're pretty fast. For example, I think the average marathon finish time is around 4 hours and 30 minutes. If you're a 4 to 5 hour marathoner, doing long runs that long would just be too fatiguing, so 3 to 3.5 hours would be about the max you should be doing.

Some people tend to have more diarrhoea than constipation in the beginning. A friend did - she wore disposable knickers for a week after her surgery. It’s just one of those things we can experiences differently. It could be related to stomach acid (it takes a while for our body to realise we don’t need as much as we did because we’re not eating as much & the excess irritates the bowel). A PPI will help with this if you’re not on one. Could be a lactose intolerance. Some people develop an intolerance temporarily or for life after the surgery. Try a whey free shake if it might be this & see if it improves. Could also be your body excreting old blood from the surgery (especially if your poop is darker) or another way to excrete all the fluids. Or it could just how your body is reacting to the change to your digestive system until it gets used to the new system. If it persists check with your team though. All the best.