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Really sorry to hear you're having issues with regain. Hopefully the surgeon gave you some helpful information! I just had my revision on the 10th of February, so I can't quite say too much on whether or not its more successful the second time around, but I can tell you the expectations that I received from my surgeon! I was told that it is in fact slower the second time around, but this is okay because that means the weight loss should be steady and you're more likely to keep it off. Additionally, he told me that you'll lose about 10-15 percent less than what you lost the first time around. If you're smaller, the weight loss will be slower since you're closer to a healthier BMI than someone who is way over. Another thing that plays a part is the length of the limbs of the bypass (assuming thats what you revise to and not a re-sleeve). I believe that the longer the limbs, the more weight you lose. As for me, I had the sleeve then revised to the gastric bypass and its a little different, ngl. Instead of feeling full from tightness like I got with my sleeve, I get the hiccups which is funny but annoying as well since they hurt since im so early out. I'm not hungry at. all. Like, its a little concerning. Hahaha! But I did not get this sensation with my sleeve. I was hungry right out of surgery. Recovering was an absolute breeze. Within a few days, I was walking around like nothing happened. So far, the weight loss is moving at the same pace as it was with my sleeve, so I'm happy about that. Since surgery, I've lost 7kg. Surgery day, I started at 116kg (255lbs) and am now at 109 (240). Hope this info was at least a little helpful!

We have special concerns as smaller people; I often feel like my weight loss success doesn't sound as impressive when I compare myself to people taller than me (A lot of people on this forum have lost more than you and I started out weighing!). So be careful with that, don't compare yourself. I get fun size, travel size, micro person, the whole spectrum LOL. I used to hate being short but I can't change it so I try to have a good sense of humor about it.

I have lost 158 pounds. I went from 320 to 161. I would like to lose to 160 then I will be half of myself. On my sleeve. It isn't a race. The weight will come off if you learn yourself and how to maintain and how to do this. You can do it. Look at what you have already done. You are doing great, and can do this !!!

I never lost feeling hungry. But very little filled me up. Like a teaspoon of minced chicken salad every two hours, once I got to semi solid . Even now, 12 years out, I can eat a very small baked chicken thigh and a couple ounces of sweet potato, and 1/3 c of applesauce for dinner and i am soo done. What I realized when I gained back some weight, was that I NEVER learned in my entire life how to maintain my weight - I was always either losing weight or gaining it. BAM ! total mind blowing experience. So I started losing the weight I had put on, and after 10 pounds gone; I purposely stopped losing weight even though I wanted to lose 30 more pounds. And I maintained that 10 pound weight loss. I ate more, I ate higher calories. I found out what I needed to eat/how much I needed to move to stay at THAT weight. MIND blown. After a couple months, I purposely. With INTENT lost another 10 pounds. Slowly. Then stopped again. 2 months at that weight. And so on. Then I got to the down 40 pounds which was my goal. I stayed with in 5 pounds of that weight for a YEAR !!! A few months back, I decided to do 5 more pounds. That was harder. But I did it. And another 5 pounds. Right now I am a pounds under that, and pretty happy. Might do another 3 pounds but very slowly and carefully because at 67 years old I haven't weighed this since the 1970's !!! And I am loving it, I eat well. I have some dietary limitations and eat low fiber and low residue as a medical necessity. Darn. But I had to figure out what would work for ME. Took me most of a lifetime. But so glad.

It’s all skin that has been over stretched much like an old well used hair band or old well worn knickers. Your skin will bounce back a little but factors like age (we stop producing elastin in our early 20s), how much weight you carried, how long you carried it, genetics, etc. impact how much loose skin you end up with. There’s nothing you can do about except have it surgically removed. Exercising works on the muscles not the skin so the scaffolding underneath might be better but the skin will still be loose except for what you fill out with muscle. Collagen & retinal creams won’t really help with the laxity (certainly not how much we can have). They will make your skin smoother, even out skin tone & texture. Same with collagen supplements. Honestly I’ve tried a few things for various periods of time and I still have loose skin. I’d give it 4-6 months & if no change I gave up on it. My skin quality has improved & my arms are nicely shaped but I still have bat wings, marionette lines on my face & a little waddle. Initially after my loss I had a number of fine lines that ran from under my chin. They’ve reduced dramatically but whether it was RF, collagen serums, collagen supplements, UV lights, my remaining body fat resettling & a better diet I don’t know but there’s still loose skin. I had some filler put in the side of my face just in front of my ears - was sunken there as I had no fat left in those pockets at all. Thought we ‘d try it to see if I got a little lift too - not noticeable if it did give a lift but my face shape is better. I’m trying dermal needling RF (Secret RF) at the moment. Predominately for acne scarring but if I get a little tightening that’s a bonus. I know it won’t get rid of it. I mean I am almost 58 & naturally should have some laxity & saggy skin. Aging & gravity are hard to beat … except with surgery. The loose skin is way better than being obese.

Oh, yes--along with drooping jowls. I look so much older than I did before surgery. However, that's a small price to pay for the overall benefits of weight loss. As a man, I'm not so interested in plastic surgery on any other part of my body, but I've been looking into a lower face and neck lift. Perhaps later this year.

3 years ago I had a RNY bypass, lost 126 lbs. I’m down to a size 8 some 6’s but I’ve always liked my clothes loose. I’m still trying to get use to the changes to my body, and I’m wondering what others have done to better these problem areas. Mine is my neck, I now have all this extra skin that hangs like a Turkey waddle and I’m very conscious of it. When the pandemic was happening and we had to wear masks I could hide it with the mask. Now that the pandemic is pretty much under control tho I feel like that’s what people look at when they look at me. Please help me, get rid of this, is there exercises that will get rid of it? I’ve been using collagen and retinol creams and putting collagen in my soups even. Plastic surgery is my last resort if there even is a surgery to remove neck skin. My other problem area is my arms - bat wings, I’ve been lifting 10 lb weights doing various exercises and I do see some change but not enough that completely satisfy me, again I use my lotions and take my collagen but could use some suggestions from someone that might have had the same issues and let me know what they did. Thank you😀

It’s still a Gastric Bypass tho. A person would automatically think you would loose weight..they need to be more specific. Thank you for your opinion very much

I don't see why not. There are many here who hit goal weight after having a virgin sleeve. But unfortunately, band to vsg usually doesn't have as high of success rates to get to goal. They may lose some weight but not as drastic as those who never had a previous wls.

This. At least most likely. I can remember when I got my revision (MGB to RNY) I asked if there would be changes in weight, i. e. I wanted to know if it would be more difficult to maintain the weight after revision or not. I doubt that the surgeon would have mentioned the weight thing if I hadn't specifically asked about it. For them it was fixing the reflux and repairing the hiatal hernia.

What an encouragement!!! I’m so afraid that I won’t make it to goal weight, and that I’ll stop losing any day now. I don’t care if it takes a year, I’m fine with that. And about being short… hubby calls little girls like us “fun size” 🤭 Thanks so much for responding, it really means a lot!

In defense of the surgeons, I think one of the reasons doctors either don't tell you (some warn you of minimal weightloss) that a revision due to gerd often results in minimal weightloss is because to them, it isn't about the weight to them, it is to fix your gerd. You can't live a quality life suffering from severe gerd day in and day out. I couldn't sleep at night and during the day towards the end, I had to have food constantly in my stomach or the knawing feeling in my stomach would never go away, and my throat literally burned all day no matter what. It was miserable.

I'm currently taking a graduate-level nutrition course on obesity and weight loss, and this article is pretty typical of the stuff we have for readings - i.e. written in highly specialized language that you'd practically have to have a chemistry degree to understand! Fortunately, I'm not taking the course for credit, because I sure wouldn't want to be tested on these articles! at any rate, I do know that with sleeve, the fundus part of the stomach is removed, and that's the part where most of the ghrelin is produced, so hunger levels go way down (because the ghrelin level is what lets the brain know that your body needs food. If the level is low, your brain knows that you need to eat, and you feel hungry. If the ghrelin level is high, then nope - not hungry - don't need to eat). Ghrelin is produced in other parts of the stomach as well, but a majority is made in the fundus, so levels automatically go way down - and stay low - once that part of the stomach is removed. the fundus isn't removed in RNY (in fact, none of the stomach is removed - it's just sectioned off), but I don't know how just having the major center of ghrelin production in the part of stomach that is no longer used affects ghrelin levels in your blood. I don't think researchers necessarily know that, either. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. Although most RNY patients lose their hunger as well. But they think it could also be due to the actions of some of the other hunger-related hormones, like leptin and GLP-1. They do know that RNY causes leptin levels to increase (and leptin is a hormone that causes a feeling of satiety. I can't remember what exactly GLP-1 does, but it has a role in hunger and satiety, too). At any rate, there have been research studies on RNY patients who are a year out, and their ghrelin levels are very low compared to "normal" people. So suffice this to say, ghrelin levels are abnormally low in RNY patients, too - but not for the same reasons that they are in sleeve patients. It could be that the major ghrelin-producing area is now in the remnant section of the stomach - or it could be that changes in some of the other hunger-related hormones could cause changes in the ghrelin level. (Or maybe it's due to a little of both...)

pretty normal fear - I'm guessing most of us had similar thoughts before going under the knife. However, the mortality rate on RNY is 0.3%. Those are actually excellent odds - lots of common surgeries - like hip replacement surgeries, for example - are less safe than RNY. Years ago weight loss surgeries were pretty risky, but they're just not anymore. Techniques have changed, and they're so common it's almost become a routine surgery. Anyway, at those odds, you have a 99.7% chance of sailing through just fine - and you will. your chances of a premature death by staying obese are actually much greater than dying from the surgery.

After losing this much weight, I sure do want one lol

It is also important to remember that weight loss surgery is not a quick fix and requires significant lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and regular exercise, to achieve and maintain weight loss. Your healthcare provider can help you develop a comprehensive plan for long-term success after surgery. In general, prior to surgery, your healthcare provider may recommend a low-calorie, high-protein diet to help prepare your body for the surgery and promote healing afterward. This may include lean proteins such as chicken, fish, and tofu, cucumber sandwich recipe as well as vegetables and fruits. It is important to avoid high-fat and high-sugar foods, as well as foods that are difficult to digest, such as fried or greasy foods, tough meats, and raw vegetables. Additionally, you may be asked to avoid caffeine and alcohol in the days leading up to surgery. Make sure to follow your healthcare provider's instructions closely and notify them of any changes in your health or diet prior to surgery.

The long term success of either surgery depends upon you. Many of the initial benefits of bariatric surgery fade over time. Your hunger comes back, your restriction can soften, it is possible to eat around your smaller tummy & your body’s new set point, etc. What the surgery does do is give you time. Time to make changes to your relationship with food: the why you eat, what you eat, when you eat, how you eat. Time to understand your cravings & develop strategies to better manage them. Time to establish new habits about eating & exercise. Time to work out how you want to eat in the future & what works for you & your body. Regain occurs for many reasons: psychological, physiological, behavioural. Bounce back regain (usually 20%+/- of the weight lost) around the third year is common. It can be because your body settles into the weight it is happiest at (your set point). Medication changes. The crap life can throw at you (employment, relationships, health, pandemics). Complacency. A too restrictive way of eating or too demanding exercise regime. Not dealing with your relationship with food. And for some it can be a deliberate choice as they themselves feel happier at a higher weight or they make adjustments to their food choices to better suit their life. Not failure of the surgery but the impact of outside factors. The average weight loss for both sleeve or bypass at the three year mark is about 65% of the weight to be lost. Of course as with all statistics there are some who lose more & some who lose less. If you are considering revision surgery of sleeve to bypass as a sign of the failure of the sleeve, remember many who have revision surgery do so because they developed GERD not necessarily weight gain. I have a sleeve & lost more than my goal and have pretty much maintained though at only almost 4 years post surgery I’m still somewhat of a bariatric baby. I settled at 49kg (48.5-49.5). I unexpectedly gained about 2kgs about 18months ago (50.5-51) but recently we discovered I wasn’t absorbing my HRT meds. Changed to a patch & my weight is slowly decreasing (49.2-50). Small numbers I know. Has it been difficult? No, not really. It was very obvious what I had been doing wasn’t working for me & I needed to make changes. I put myself & my health first. I changed my relationship with food. Made a decision to change what, when & how I ate. It became a new mindset. The changes have been sustainable & haven’t restricted my life. I still enjoy food & eating but my desire is for healthier, more nutritious foods. And no I’m not running marathons or spending hours in the gym just some at home stretching & resistance bands. Sorry long post.

do they have to be in person? Unjury (the protein company) offers weekly virtual support groups and they do send receipts to you if you attend. They have one group for people pre-op to one year post-op, and another group for people over a year out (although people sometimes attend the "wrong" group - the leaders don't really care...). You can check to see if your insurance company or surgeon (whoever is requiring support group attendance) will accept that. I would imagine some do since they send people who attend a receipt afterward. Here's the info: https://unjury.com/resources/weight-loss-surgery-unjury-cares/

P.S. I don't think gaining all your weight back is that common, but it DOES happen if people aren't careful. A majority of us do have that 10-20 lb rebound in year 2 or 3, though. And I've known a few people who've gained 40, 50, or 60 lbs (due to old habits). It's easy to do if you don't watch it.

you can gain weight with any and all types of weight loss surgeries if you let old bad habits creep back in. Weight loss surgeries are just a tool, and you have to keep up with your part of it for it to work. And they work extremely well as long as you follow the rules. a rebound weight gain of 10-20 lbs during year 2 or 3 is VERY common. That's more your body settling in to a weight it's comfortable at. If you're diligent, you'll stabilize there - or you may even lose some or all of the rebound if you work at it. But when old habits start up again, you can definitely gain weight again - sometimes a lot of it. And sometimes all of it. what WLS mainly does is control how much you can eat AT ONE SITTING. This is an example I've used a lot: Before I had surgery, when my husband and I ordered a pizza (always a large...), we'd each eat half of it. I can't do that anymore. I can eat 1-2 pieces. It's physically painful for me if I try to eat more than that. But it would be very easy to eat 1-2 pieces at 5:00 pm, and another 1-2 pieces at 8:00 pm, and yet another 1-2 pieces before bed. So....half a large pizza. THAT is the kind of stuff you have to watch out for - that, and mindless snacking (planned snacks are fine - but mindless snacking has consequences...). so to respond to your question about whether or not maintaining after two years is difficult, yes, it is. I constantly watch what I eat. If I notice the number on the scale starting to head north - esp if it gets above my "oh crap" number (the number I do NOT want to ever go over again), it's all hands on deck until it's back under control. So yes. Obesity is a very complex, chronic condition, and we do have to keep working at it to keep the weight from coming back. But the surgery DOES make that easier. There is no way I could have ever lost over 200 lbs and maintained that loss for several years (well, mostly - I did have a rebound) without this surgery.

Okay I had a sleeve 3/9/2021 and lose a pretty good chunk of weight but since I have gained it all back. My doctors have tested me for many things hoping to find answers to why I am so hungry and I am still waiting on a couple more results but it is looking more and more like I just failed. I am meeting with the bariatric doctor again tomorrow to see if they think revision is an option for me (assuming the rest of those tests come back fine as well). My question is, for those of you who revised because of weigh gain, did it work the second time around and if so what changed? What did you do different?!

Welcome to the forums, Tina. You won't find "normal" diet protocols in relation to WLS, so most things aren't considered nor counted, if at all, until much later in the process when eating begins to approximate anything close to normal. The chorus is "Protein first," which we all learn early on. As one approaches a normal weight and "maintenance" mode more normal macros come into play, though not always. It's a different ride than the ones you've been on before. Enjoy! Good luck, Tek

Hello fellow shorty! I'm an inch shorter than you and my starting numbers are very similar to yours! I had my surgery in September 2021, I reached my goal weight of 110 in October 2022. Overall, this surgery has been life-changing and I am so glad I was brave enough to go through the process. I had some issues in the beginning, but once I started to recover it went fast. Right now if I'm being completely honest the biggest problem I have is trying to keep what weight I have left ON so I can still shop in the adults' section and not have to buy everything in kids' sizes. You're going to stall here and there, some will be short and sometimes it will feel like you haven't lost an ounce in a month; stay the course, trust the process, and know that a lot of the time stalls are giving your skin and muscles a chance to catch up and adjust.

I don't think this is true across the board; I am 18 mos out and while my weight loss has slowed considerably, it's because I am trying to maintain and still losing. I was ready to stop losing 8 pounds ago. My hunger has not returned, if anything I am completely disinterested in eating at all and have lapsed back into forcing myself to eat shakes and bars just to keep myself nourished.

Hi friends! This is my introductory post. Wondering if anyone else has a similar surgery date, low starting weight, and low goal weight. I’d love to hear how others with similar stats are doing!!! I’m so afraid I’m gonna stop losing! 56 4’11” HW 230 SW 209 CW 167 GW 115 RNY 11/8/22