Search the Community

This video by Dr Pilcher mentions it. (It’s a very good video & he has other informative ones too.) But with all statistics & averages, some people don’t meet them & some exceed them. They just give you an idea of what you might expect. I’m almost four years post surgery. Personally, I’d lost 17kg at 3 months (from surgery weight). I reached goal at 6 months having lost 27kgs. At 12 months, I’d lost 36kg so about double as they suggest. But from that 6 month mark I was trying not to lose - my body though was working at getting to my new set point where it was happiest (& I actually am too). Who knows what I might have lost if I was actively still trying to lose during the second half of the first year. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The first three months are often called the honeymoon phase when the benefits of the surgery are at their optimal effectiveness. After that your weight loss rate starts to slow, for many they’re appetite & hunger may start to come back, etc. After that, your success depends more & more on you.

When I started considering WLS, particularly VSG Surgery, I researched extensively. I read medical studies, case histories, personal blogs and watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos posted by patients and bariatric surgeons. I cannot remember where I read or saw the European study called "The Three Month Marker", nor have I been able to find the article or video again. The "supposed" study was of VSG patients and their success rates. The results of the study indicated that the total average weight loss at 12 months post-op was double the amount lost at the 3 month post-op mark for patients who closely followed the bariatric guidelines. Has anyone else heard about "The Three Month Marker"? For those who are at least 12 months post-op, does this study relate to your experience?

I originally lost 235 lbs and gained back about 20 of it. So 215 lbs (it's very common for us to have a 10-20 lb "rebound" gain after hitting our lowest weight, so I was prepared for that and went a little under my goal to account for that). Was it worth it? OMG yes! Best decision I ever made - I should have done it YEARS ago!! P.S. I had my surgery almost eight years ago.

Hello everyone! I’m new here. I’m 41 and I’ve been struggling with my weight for about 10 years now. I looked into getting the sleeve January 2022 when I was at my highest weight of 260 lbs. I decided that I would try to lose on my own and would revisit the idea of surgery if I was unsuccessful. In that year I managed to lose 20 lbs. This January I started researching again because I am determined to get back to a healthy weight. I went through an online seminar and decided to make my consultation appointment after I was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri and was told that weight loss can help alleviate the symptoms and I can stop taking the medication that I am taking for it. I have a host of other health issues and I’m hoping the weight loss can help me feel better physically. I had my consultation a week ago and my appointments with the nutritionist and physical therapist have been scheduled and I completed my initial bloodwork. I do not have to complete a medically supervised weight loss program and I spoke with my insurance company and was notified that the most I’ll need to pay out of pocket is $1300. I’m excited and nervous about what’s to come.

Feeling amazing! I’m 82 pounds lighter! my current weight is 132 pounds. I have never felt this way! So confident and beautiful! Traveling to Mexico and having my gastric sleeve surgery was the best decision!!

If I could give one piece of advice/lesson learned, it's to push as hard as you can during the first 3 months post-op. That's the "honeymoon" period when weight drops off the fastest. Weight loss progressively slows down each post-op month, and by month 6 has typically slowed dramatically. Most people stop losing 9 to 12 months post-op. So, you have a short window in which to really take advantage of the "magic" of weight loss surgery. Research has shown that weight loss at 3 months post-op is a strong predictor of weight loss success. https://www.sages.org/meetings/annual-meeting/abstracts-archive/weight-loss-at-three-months-post-operatively-predicts-weight-loss-success-at-one-year-for-roux-en-y-gastric-bypass-and-sleeve-gastrectomy/

I am so glad that you told me this.. Thank you so much! Have u lost weight and did u keep it off, was it worth it?

You're swimming upstream fighting against a heavy current. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4539812/ "In simple obesity (body mass index = 30.0–34.9 kg/m2), the annual probability of attaining normal weight was 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women, increasing to 1 in 1290 for men and 1 in 677 for women with morbid obesity (body mass index = 40.0–44.9 kg/m2)" "At least 50% of patients who achieved 5% weight loss were shown to have regained this weight within 2 years. It has previously been reported that approximately 80% of people who intentionally achieve weight loss of 10% or more of their body weight will regain that weight within a year."

@Nifer72 I hope you are doing well. I’m wondering did you meet your goal and how have your weight loss been and your restriction?

I had bypass on 2/13, I've always followed the plan very closely. I managed to lose 70 pounds pre-op on the dieticians plans and working out and then 20 pounds on the liquid diet. Since surgery I've only lost 5 pounds. I thought I was doing very well but I guess not? I stick close to the diet plan, though I admit my calories can go over but my main goal has always been to get to my protein goal before anything else. I've been working out 4-5 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. I do a lot of strength training because I am into strongwoman stuff, so its been weird staying in the weight restriction. I also hit my water goals alongside my protein goals. I made the mistake of posting this on a facebook support group and.. wow. I don't think I've ever felt worse about myself, there was almost no support and a lot of telling me I'm doing something wrong obviously. A lot of people there were blaming the scant amount of bbq sauce I use or the single string cheese. Most were telling me I'm eating far too much. Others were telling me to stop working out entirely? I don't want to be skinny, I want to be healthy and I want to be strong. Am I eating too much still? When I don't work out I get 600 calories, and when I do its usually more around 800 to be honest. I don't feel like I'm making the wrong decisions. Meal 1: Oikos Triple Zero yogurt to take my meds with. Meal 2: Fairlife elite core protein in my coffee. Meal 3: 3 oz turkey lunch meat 1 oz of cheeze and mustard. Meal 4: 1 String cheese. Meal 5: 4-5 oz of chicken with bbq sauce (its not sugar free, I live in the country and the rural grocery store doesnt stock sugar free and the next closest is over 50 miles away). I'm so confused and heartbroken.

@Tonyas101 how are you doing now and how is the weight loss going for you? Do you know why the doctor couldn’t make your pouch smaller?

Just chiming in to say that I also was never given a calorie goal in the beginning. I was loosely given a protein goal, but even that the nurse said no to worry about it in the beginning as you are taking in such small amounts, it's hard to get it all in. More importantly, congratulations on your surgery and welcome to the other side!!! You are probably still full of IV fluids, so once you start peeing your brains out, you will be shedding weight like never before!!! Best of luck to you!!!

@Forensikchic do you mine sharing your current weight list since your ESG?

First the average weight loss statistic for sleeve or bypass is about 65% of the weight you have to lose to put you in a healthier range. Of course some lose more & some lose less. Now the why. The surgery will reset your body’s set point. This is the weight your body is happiest at & is easiest to maintain. Your set point could end up higher or lower than you’d prefer. Life. It can throw crap at you & make it more difficult to lose or maintain your weight (stress, emotions). Health conditions & medications. Some meds are notorious for increasing your appetite & causing weight gain & some health conditions limit your ability to lose all the weight you want e.g, restrict mobility. Personal choice. Some feel happier at a higher weight. Or they make food choices that better complement their life & how they want to live their life. Your body reaches a lower weight but resettles a bit heavier. A bounce back regain of 10+/- lbs can occur. And so on. I understand your fear of regaining. I mean we all have a lifetime of experiencing weight loss & the inevitable regain. This is the first time in my life (was almost 54 when I had my surgery) I have ever maintained my weight after losing for longer than a couple of months. The difference is I did not go back to eating in the sane way as I always did. I worked out a way of eating that I’m comfortable with, doesn’t make me feel like I’m missing out or making sacrifices, allows me to live my life as I want, is sustainable (very important) & works for me & my body. I changed my relationship with food. My choices may not work for you or others & some may think it too restrictive. I din consider it a die but just how I eat. I avoid as much sugar, sugar alternatives & artificial sweeteners as I can so no sodas & sweets only a couple of times a year (e.g. Christmas). If I want/need sweet I eat fruit. I prep & cook most of what I eat - mostly lots of whole foods & low processed ingredients. I rarely have takeaway & haven’t had fast food since before my surgery. I keep my carbs lowish & choose whole & multi grains more complex carbs. No bread or similar products pasta or rice (choice & also sit heavily in my tummy). I also chose not to exercise. I didn’t want to have to spend hours in a gym or run or cycle miles every week to maintain my weight. I’m happy with the stretches, resistance band exercises & sit ups I do. (Takes a total of about 25 minutes over a couple of sessions a day & wouldn’t burn 30 calories - LOL!). It works for me & my body seems happy at this weight (set point). I’ve basically maintained my weight since my surgery. Chat with your surgeon about a realistic goal weight after surgery & what you might experience & your dietician about how your future of eating might look. Research & avoid trendy diets - if they worked & were sustainable no one would have weight issues. You may find this video informative. You may find this video informative. Dr John Pilcher has many great videos on a variety of topics. Dr Matt Weiner is very good too.

As @catwoman7 said both surgeries are good & will work to help you lose your weight. And you’ll hear from people who swear one or the other is the best. But remember it was best for them. Do lots of reading including people’s stories & experiences here, ask your surgeon lots of questions & for their recommendation. The decision will come down to your personal health & medical needs & history & your personal choice on how you want to live your life. Both share some similar considerations in regard to dumping & malabsorption, the post surgical recovery & plans (differences are more from surgeons or your specific needs). Dumping & malabsorption are possible with both but a little less common with sleeve - luck of the draw - but both can be managed. I don’t dump but I do have some malabsorption (protein & some meds) but it’s from my lack of gall bladder not my sleeve & I don’t need to take additional vitamins. I was leaning towards a sleeve from my research and after my conversation with my surgeon, who thought it would work best for me, I decided it was for me. I had mild reflux which I managed 99% with dietary choices (still do, it’s different, need meds every day but is manageable). Decided if I needed to (for gerd, extra weight loss help, etc.) I could revise to bypass in the future. I didn’t want to depend on vitamin supplements if I could. I didn’t have any co morbidities. I lost all my weight & more with my sleeve & have maintained (+ 1 kg). All the best whichever surgery you choose.

I will definitely be careful especially since it's been awhile since using the treadmill and bike. When I started going to the gym way back in 2015. I was going 5 times a week and it felt great! Yeah sometimes I forget, and I judged a little bit. Oops. I didn't have pain or anything. That's awesome! I felt the difference in my clothes just a few days before 2 weeks. Oh, my weight did move. I lost around 1.8 pounds. Keep it up!

I had the sleeve and chose it for these reasons: 1) I don’t have GERD, just occasional acid reflux, 2) the sleeve doesn’t re-route inner plumbing, 3) i have less weight to lose overall, 4) the sleeve has a higher absorption rate which I prefer and 5) I can revise to RNY if the sleeve doesn’t work, fails or causes GERD. This doesn’t mean RNY is bad. My mom had RNY and it worked great for her. She lost over 125lbs and it helped correct her GERD. She also deals with malabsorption issues, had her gallbladder removed last year and struggles with dumping syndrome. All of these are okay with her. To this day, she wouldn’t change her mind. She’s also kept the weight off for over a decade easily. I recommend talking to your doctor about YOUR specific issues/lifestyle and what you’re willing to live with.

I have not yet had surgery (RNY bypass) and am doing all I can to prepare (following dr.s orders, started exercise program). I have been reading the weight loss stories in this forum and notice a wide range of differences in "success." While I understand that if you go back to bad habits you won't meet goal (since the surgery is only one of the many tools we need), I am curious if there are things you have done (or not done) that you think helped you meet your goals. In other words...if I do everything I am supposed to, most of the time (knowing slips happen), is there anything that will prevent me from hitting the goal range my Dr. and I set for myself? I.e., genetics? Not exercising every day or hard enough? I am just so worried that even if I do everything I should that I will fail...once again... Interested in your thoughts (and encouragement!). TIA

exercise is only about 10% of weight loss. 90% is due to food intake (or the lack thereof). So being active does help a bit, but most of loss or gain is due to food intake. I know of several people who've lost a ton of weight with WLS without exercise, so you should be fine. not losing the first week is common, and Sigh is correct, it's due to the IV fluids you got in the hospital, which is essentially salt water. The sodium in it causes water retention in a lot of people, and it takes a few days to work it's way out of your system. Lots of us leave the hospital weighing more than we did when we entered. I've read about people "gaining" up to 10 lbs in the hospital! So no worries. You'll start losing weight soon..

Many of us on this forum have never told anyone else their surgery plans just for this reason. We walk in our own shoes, we went on our own ride to get to our weight. No body else knows how tough a road we lived and how unhealthy it has made us. Back your own judgement. If its time for you to go through this, then you will know. Yes the first 4 days of the pre op diet are brutal and then it gets easier [ well you get used to it] its a means to an end. You have done really well so far. My advice for what its worth is - do it. We did it, you can

My only regret was that this surgery was not available years ago. I had my VSG 12 years ago, in my mid 50's. I am now 67 years old ( next week !) and lost and gained back weight my entire life. I weigh less now what I weighed in graduate school, which was in 1980. I have lost half of myself. I started at 320 before my pre surgery weight loss. I am not skinny by any means. But I went from super morbidly obese to now in the (high) but NORMAL range of BMI - but more than that, I have learned how to maintain my weight loss. Can you lose 70 pounds without Weight loss surgery ? I don't know. Will you lose 70 pounds with surgery ? YES. Is it scary to have surgery ? Yes, especially thinking about it ahead of time. But having surgery in your 30's is easier than in your 50's !!! And By the way, having bariatric surgery helps us to lose weight NATURALLY. There is nothing un-natural about surgical intervention for a medical problem. Don't think of yourself as being broken. Think of this surgical intervention as a medical necessity for your future.

Sometimes random aches & pains occur simply because you’re aren’t moving much. As you lose weight your centre of balance changes - your body doesn’t need to hold itself in a certain way to compensate for your weight & you get pain as your joints & muscles learn how to move your smaller lighter body again. If you’re dehydrated your urine will be dark, you don’t pee often, you’ll have headaches, dry mouth, etc. How much are you drinking? (You can count your shakes, broths & soups in your daily total.) It doesn’t matter if you don’t hit your goal in the beginning as long as you’re close & are working at it. Pain alone is not a sign of a clot so breath. If you get additional symptoms like swelling, itching, discolouration, &/or warmth go to your local medical centre. Try adding an electrolyte drink to your daily fluid intake to help give you a little energy boost. Try to walk. It will help with getting rid of any surgical gas, get yiur body moving (which can help with any aches & pains from being sedentary. You didn’t have to walk miles at first. Start just walking around your home then to the end of your block & keep doing g more as you are able. I have stairs in my house so I walked up & down them a few times a day. All the best.

As @Starwarsandcupcakes said it’s only two weeks. Two weeks is nothing compared with the rest of your life. I wouldn’t worry about starting shakes now - you’ll be sick enough of them with the 2 weeks pre op & 2 week post op diets without extending how long you’re on them. Not sure what you’ve started doing airways but try reducing your caffeine, fat& carb sugar intake, drink more water, try healthier cooking methods, etc. Small changes do make a difference & may help with the withdrawal symptoms when you do start the shakes - they can be a struggle. I love how people say things do it yourself & just don’t put the weight back on. Don’t they realise if you could you would have done that the many times you lost weight in the past. They have no idea. Unless they’ve lived your life & experienced your battles with weight their comments are worthless. Congrats on your weight loss so far. I bet you’ve noticed an improvement in your health already. And congrats getting a surgery date. Yay!

I have a history of NOT keeping weight loss off long term*** oops

Congrats!! I'm glad you ended up looking into it. The idea that this surgery isn't for men is such a weird stigma, EVERYONE deserves to be at a healthy weight & I'm glad you get that now! Not going to lie, the liquid diet is difficult. It was the toughest part of this journey but in the grand scheme of things it was a tiny drop in a pool of water. The results are so worth it & you will look back on the liquid stage as just a crazy time you went through. I reccomend Fairlife protein shakes for that stage. They are genuinely tasty & good flavor makes that time a bit easier.