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Just wanting to check in and see if my weight loss is average and falling in line with others who've had VSG in October 2020. I had surgery 10/16 starting weight 213, currently at 183. Down 30 lbs. How is everyone doing?

I get it. Went for band revision on 10/21/19 to do the sleeve. So until 11/30/20. I still found rare occasions for food sticking. Sleeve wasn't done last year due to scar tissue so that is why I had issues. Sent from my SM-J337V using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh yeah, we all do at some point. You're not alone. I'm 2 years post VSG and I've gained 10-12 lbs. Working on getting it back off plus a few more. Going back to basics of measuring portions to 1/2 cup or less and 70 g of protein and 64 oz of water. Keeping calories between 600-800. It's working so far. I'm very motivated. I'm getting too old to keep going through this yo-yo cycle. Starting dancing around the house today with headphones and iPod to get some cardio because it's too cold to walk outside. You can do this!

Apps are something I'm still having a fuss with but only because of my personality. Myfitnesspal is actually a good one-you just have to kind of not end your day out on it or it will give you warnings of too low calories. Lots of peeps have asked to add a bariatric setting for those of us with surgeries but they've said it would be unhealthy for others. I've liked carbmanager best honestly-it's non-intrusive but has everything I need. Bariastic is really a great app but it's not something I like with all the groups and the notifications-again, I'm pretty basic. I've actually just been happiest putting everything on good old fashioned paper. I never recommend this to anyone but I've been doing calculations for decades on my own and it's just easier for me to grab my daily things with the meds, vitamins, etc when it's sitting on a notebook next to the fridge. BTW-my Dr and NUT get CRAZY for this preference lol. So, I'm 4 months out and gotten over the holidays. I've now lost a bit over 100 lbs and think I have a good understanding now of my eating, etc. My kids are 19 and 23. My daughter is losing weight with me naturally so we kind of go together on what we eat (mine is just smaller portions and a bit varied for the day-some days are better then others with food). My son buys his own stuff and eats on his own but we all work at different times and college so we don't eat together normally. He keeps his stuff in his room with a little fridge and microwave (commonly called the man-cave). My daughter requests he keep his snacks out of her sight but I have no problems with that. I still can't eat a whole lot but what I can-it's limited anyhow or I feel sick. For Christmas, we did get a pizza and wings (cause this chick did NOT want to work and cook!). I was able to have a small bit of very thin crust veggie pizza. I can eat pepperoni and beef sticks are a treat after work for me- I eat them very slow and chew a lot. If it's on pizza, I will eat the toppings of a small slice as I did on Christmas. I will try anything like the cake or cheesecake that I make or my daughter makes but I only have a bite then spit it out-seems to do the trick. The minute it hits my mouth, I like the flavor but get a nauseous feeling so it's no biggie. My family all do everything they can to help out. If you have teenagers, I would say it is the same. They are old enough to be able to plan their meals while you recover and get comfortable. I get 24/7 support from hubby and kids with regards to exercise and eating. If I'm getting sick (which happens, I had complications and my new job is very physical-we all work at the same place), they are on me in seconds helping me breath, curl up, lay sideways, etc and always ask if anything they are eating bothers me. Just be open with everyone and even let your teens read some of these forums along with the forms you get from your Dr. to help them understand and help out.

December 29th, surgery tomorrow!! Yay! I’m so ready! I’m down 18 pounds from my highest weight! COVID test came back negative! I hope all of my other testing is in line with surgery! I’ll probably hear something today if it’s not. Haha. I discovered through blood testing I’m iron deficiency anemic, but they also had me quit all of my supplements almost 10 days ago. I’m wondering if the iron in my blood can take a beating that quickly. Anyone know?

That is so annoying! Nerve pain is the worst! My goes down my legs. I take 10-325 Percocet every 5.5 hours or I wouldn’t survive. Can you see a pain specialist? My GP won’t prescribe either. I’m so sorry!!

It's Time. Did you "indulge" because you were sort of burnt out and needed a break from the program? The reason why I ask is because we had surgery about the same time and I was finding myself getting sort of burnt out. Plus I felt it would be way too much to expect my dear hubby to not only have to care of me for 10 days but also to weigh/measure my food. I am just so grateful that he was more than willing to do everything on top of taking excellent care of me. I guess I justed needed a break and now I'm ready to get back on the program. I'm sure we will both succeed.

I had my surgery 8/2017. I started at 236 I got down to 157. I had a baby 11/24/2019 :) ❤️ but I am really struggling to get back to my before baby weight. I feel so just sad that I can’t get back to the 157.

No excuses, but I gained 10 pounds in 2020. COVID didn't help. Tracking my daily calorie intake backfired because the app said I needed 1200 calories/day but I really didn't. It doesn't take into account that bariatric patients have different needs. And oh I ate so much chocolate and cookies the last two weeks of the Christmas holidays. So I decided that instead of waiting for the new year, I would get back on track starting the day after Christmas, Saturday 12/26/2020. Saturday I had 670 calories and Sunday I had 720 calories. Easy peasy. No problems, no withdrawals, no cravings. I got in a 10 minute walk on Sunday and already a 20 minute walk in today (Monday). I'm feeling really good that I can follow the program like my nutritionist advised me, even though apparently for 9 months I haven't been on track. It's never too late to get healthy again. My doctor's office doesn't "count calories." Instead they focus on the macros of protein and water and portion sizes of 1/2 cup. That's all I'm going to worry about now. So I'm going to get back to basics and take that approach again and get not only these 10 regained pounds off, but hopefully 10 more to boot! I feel confident for the first time in a long time. It's a wonderful feeling. No "New Years Resolution" for me . . . just a return to the basics and a positive attitude.

YES! I lost 10 on my 1 week pre op, 10 1 week post op and then nothing for 2 weeks. Having a stall so early on got me down. Increasing my water intake is what broke it IMO. And I'm a straw addict as well lol! Hang in there, it will pass.

I never drink plain water. Just can't do it. I have found a sugar-free peach tea mix (Kroger) that I like and I drink the hell out of it after mixing it with water. At restaurants I order water and take the peach tea packets with me to mix it. I drink at least 10 glasses a day. You can count coffee as water. You can also count sugar-free popsicles as water.

Hey there! I had my sleeve surgery 10/26 and before surgery I was 225 and did the the 2 week liquid diet and went in at 212 and here now 2 months later I’m down to 183! I can’t wait to get down to 150 as well!

I struggled with my weight so much of my life that I wasn't a healthy weight for my height since I was probably 9 or 10 which is kind of when thing should went south anyway. I was sick from when I was a baby but things changed then. Of course hitting puberty didn't help. I got bullied growing up including my sister. And things I don't discuss on public forums. But I will say body dismorphia is a tough one. Especially when you never knew where you fit and never really did fit in anywhere. Or never perceived myself as anything but the fat kid. Or ugly kid. Never saw myself as feminine either. Ive worn clothes I hadn't like dresses. I tried on a bathing suit, but not in public yet. Every moment it's still a struggle of seeing the fat kid, feeling like the fat kid and being afraid to be that again. So getting comments about my weight even someone saying the word skinny it sets something off. I have no pictures but one from my birthday right before my gastric bypass surgery April last year. That's how much I hated pictures. My mom had to beg me to take a picture recently ... i took a picture of myself in the swimsuit to convince myself I could wear it but it felt weird. Like sharing the pictures I shared here. It's hard to not fear our efforts will be lost. And it's a continuous journey. Though my road is complicated by many things. We try to prop each other up the best we can.

13 days out from my surgery, have had ups and downs with the biggest challenge be 1) energy and 2) hunger at the end of the day. I've fixed the hunger by making sure I'm sticking to high protein liquids. Here are some tips and tricks I've learned to help me keep moving forward: Food tips: Perfect treat: Pre-mixed Premier Protein, Vanilla. Warm in microwave then sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Such a treat, and fulfilling! Making sure to get my protein drinks in late in the day so I don't have that late night hunger. I've been using Gatorade Zero to fill in between meals, since plain water is hard on my stomach. I tried a recipe from a cookbook, but it really grossed me out - using plain greek yogurt, mixing it up with my chocolate whey protein. Gagged! That memory has kept me going on liquids alone. Use bone broth as a meal, adding my own salt and spices, nice an warm, and comforting. Exercise Tips: Set little goals, and then if you can keep going, keep going. If you need to take a break in between, take a small break. Listen to your body, and if you need to rest, or take a break in between, do it! For me, I started with walking laps around my pool / patio at night, and use my FitBit to keep me motivated. One day I had 10 laps, then I challenged myself to do 5 more, then 5 more, etc. Started at 5,000 steps then challenged myself each day until I got up to 12,000. However, if I didn't have the energy, I listened to my body and didn't push it. After I was comfortable walking, I started on my Bowflex Max 5 - not at the interval training level, but just at my own pace. First days were hard. I skipped two days, but then hopped up on it again and found I was able to go several additional minutes without needing a break. Just like any exercise, keep your water or Gatorade Zero or other non-calorie hydration close by, small sips are all you need. Setbacks: Some days the hunger was really strong - I found myself tasting Kosher salt & spices in between meals, which kicked any feelings of being deprived to the curb. (I don't know if this is allowed, or healthy - but just a taste did the trick). I've gotten over those cravings from the first week. After losing 12 pounds the first week, I stalled for about 2 days. I was discouraged, but kept moving and the weight loss kicked in quickly. I am now down 16 pounds since 12 days since my surgery. Keeping my energy levels high enough to put in the walking and/or Bowflex. I have to push myself at times, but I do it and feel better after knowing that I am increasing my metabolism and strength with each cycle. I also let myself rest when I need. Hope sharing this helps as you approach your post-surgery healing and journey.

I had my Sleeve surgery on 11/25/2020. I am writing to see if anyone has had this pain I had recently. I had a bowl movement almost 10 days after surgery. It was somewhat painful but got through it. The next next weeks movement was more painful. It took 2 days to move all of it from in me. This weeks movement was the worst pain I have dealt with ever in my life!! It was like passing rocks! I have never been so scared about hurting myself, like my suture inside or straining to hard. I drank some Dulcolax and it didn't help. I drank a ton of fluids thinking that it might help, but sadly it did not. I had gas that I couldn't pass because it was even painful. I finally got some of the tiny rocks out and then some liquid poop and it burned horribly. I finally soaked in a warm bath and that not only soothed my booty but it helped with passing gas. I suffered for hours with the pain and not until the next morning did I pass all the "rocks". I have started taking some Miralax powder in my smoothie and shakes, but I would like any other suggestions that would be helpful in the pain. Thanks Sent from my SM-N975U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

First - you look great. Congratulations on not only the loss, but the gain Thanks for the great visual and reminder for all of us. The scale is only one part of this journey and it is more important to focus on how we feel. My goal for 2021 is to focus on building strength, stamina and flexibility (and I'd like to lose those last 10 lbs but that will be secondary). Lori

My inches and lbs don't always seem to line up. Some months I'd have 10+ lbs of loss and my measurements would barely move. Other months I'd only lose 5ish lbs and my measurements would drop a lot. I've also found as I get closer to goal, each lbs makes a much bigger difference. When I was at my heaviest I could lost 20-30 lbs and it would barely be noticeable.

I am about 2 weeks shy of 3 months (surgery date 10/14. My starting weight was 222, I weigh 190 now. I went down 2.5 sizes. Yes I see a big difference. Can't wait for an even bigger difference. I struggle most days because I feel it should be coming off faster but it's better than nothing so I'll take it. Sent from my SM-N981U using BariatricPal mobile app

Heh, I might be a special case because I kept advocating hard for myself all along, but from submission to approval was about 3 days for me. Originally one of the people I spoke with said it could take 7-10 business days for my insurance to respond, but I guess it depends on your insurance. The person I spoke with also said at the end of the year insurances tend to respond quickly.

The good news is that it's all temporary and short-term. You'll feel really, really good in about 7-10 days. It's worth it.

Surgery November 10, 25.6 down post surgery, overall 83.4. Been slowly trying new foods, no problems with any of them. Not trying anything really high carb though. Chicken breast works great, which was a relief because some people said they had issues with that. Got a Thai curry the other night and just ate some of the tofu and carrots out of it. Tasted great. Overall I’m super happy with the whole process. It is exciting to constantly see lower weights on the scale.

I weaned myself off regular coffee a couple months before surgery. Per Kaiser bariatric’s guidelines, after surgery we cannot drink beverages with carbonation (due to gases), caffeine (acid/risk of ulcers), alcohol, and sugary drinks (liquid calories). Since I started the pre-op program (July 2019) I haven’t had alcohol or surgery drinks. I DO have half-caff coffee every morning. ;-) and throughout the day water, diet Snapple, and herbal tea. I don’t miss alcohol or carbonated beverages.

I wanted to be safe and not pop back up into the 2's but I think 10 pounds is very safe so ........its a Christmas miracle!!!! I am 190 today with a dry weight!!! Its such an amazing feeling knowing that this surgery was the correct decision and even though at times I wish I could take a big bite of something super satisfying or grab a cold soda this is a much better feeling!!! I have been able to get rid of so many medications in a month its just plain crazy!!!! What a ride folks what a ride

You betcha. I'm 56 and get this, I had a partial hysterectomy 10 years ago! But about 6 months post-bariatric surgery, I started having a "pseudo-period" - cramps and spotting on the same cycle my period would have been. No one can figure out what's going on, not my bariatric team, not my GYN and not my primary doctor. I don't even have the anatomy anymore for a true period, but my body is obviously trying to do *something* period-like. I think this is an effect of drastic weight loss that hasn't been studied and isn't well-understood. Fortunately, it's just light spotting, so it's not a huge issue (even if it is a huge mystery).